METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ALTERNATIVE BILLING OF VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VoIP) SERVICES
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsAaron Bangor, Jeffrey Lee Brandt, Douglas F. Reynolds
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for alternative billing of VoIP services are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an indication at a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device that a call placed from the VoIP user device is blocked, and sending a VoIP protocol message containing billing information received at the VoIP user device to an alternative billing server. Another disclosed example method comprises determining at a VoIP call session control function (CSCF) server that a VoIP session is blocked, and providing a prompt at a VoIP user device to obtain billing information for the VoIP session.
Claims30
A method comprising:
- receiving an indication at a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device that a call placed from the VoIP user device is blocked;
- and
- sending a VoIP protocol message containing billing information received at the VoIP user device to an alternative billing server.
A voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) user device comprising:
- a network interface to receive an indication that an initiated voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) session is blocked and to send billing information to a billing server;
- and
- a billing agent to present a prompt for the billing information in response to the indication.
An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:
- receive an indication at a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device that a call placed from the VoIP user device is blocked;
- and
- send a VoIP protocol message containing billing information received at the VoIP user device to an alternative billing server.
30-47. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.