Method of and apparatus for recording information on the accumulated usage of a trunk

Method of recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks comprising the steps of:

• decrementing a first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a first time period to commencement of us of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said first period,
• incrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said trunk group is terminated during said first period,
• checking each trunk in said group for use once during a second time period,
• incrementing said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period for each trunk in said group in use when the trunk is checked for use during said second period,
• incrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said group is terminated prior to checking the trunk for use during said second period, and
• decrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced prior to checking the trunk for use during said second period, whereby said first usage record represents the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group was in use during said first time period.

Method of recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks having calls from a particular telephone office thereon comprising the steps of:

• decrementing a first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a first time period to commencement of a call from said office on a trunk in said group each time a call from said office on a trunk in said group is commenced during said first time period,
• incrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of a call from said office on a trunk in said group each time a call from said office on a trunk in said group is terminated during said first period,
• checking each trunk in said group for a call from said office thereon at the end of said first period, and
• incrementing said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period for each trunk in said group having a call from said office thereon at the end of said first period, whereby said first usage record represents the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group has had a call from said office thereon during said first period.

Apparatus for recording information on the accumulated usage of of trunks comprising:

• first storage means for storing a first usage record representing the sum total of each interval of time that trunk is in use during a first time period,
• commencement means for adjusting said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to commencement of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is commenced during said first period,
• termination means for adjusting said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is terminated during said first period,
• check means for checking said trunk for use at the end of said first period, and
• first adjustment means responsive to said check means for adjusting said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period for said trunk when in use at the end of said first period.

Apparatus for recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks comprising:

• first storage means for storing a first usage record representing the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group is in use during a first time period,
• commencement means for decrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to commencement of use of a trunk in said trunk group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said first period,
• termination means for incrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is terminated during said first period,
• check means responsive to the end of said first period for checking each trunk in said group for use once during a second time period after said first period,
• incrementor means responsive to said check means for incrementing said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period each time during said second period a trunk in said group is in use when said check means checks the trunk in said group for use and responsive to said termination means for incrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time during said second period the use of a trunk in said group is terminated prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use, and
• decrementor means responsive to said commencement means for decrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time during said second period the use of a trunk in said group is commenced prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use.

A method of recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks utilizing first and second records alternately designated primary and secondary usage records during successive ones of a plurality of consecutive time periods and comprising the steps during a given one of said periods of:

• adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said given period to commencement of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said given period,
• adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the amount of time from the start of said given period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time during said given period the use of a trunk in said trunk group is terminated during said given period,
• checking each trunk in said group for use once during said given period,
• adjusting said secondary usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the amount of time in the time period occurring previous to said given period each time said checking indicates a trunk in said trunk group is in use;
• adjusting said secondary usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said trunk group is terminated prior to checking the trunk for use during said given period, and
• adjusting said secondary usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said trunk group is commenced prior to checking the trunk for use during said given time period, whereby said secondary usage record represents the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group was in use during the previous time period.

Apparatus for recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks comprising:

• first storage means for storing first and second records alternately designated primary and secondary usage records during successive ones of a plurality of consecutive time periods;
• commencement means for adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a given time period to commencement of use of a trunk in said trunk group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said given period,
• terminations means for adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said given period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is terminated during said given period,
• check means for checking each trunk in said group for use once during said given period,
• first adjustment means responsive to said check means for adjusting said secondary usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in the time period occurring previous to said given period each time during said given period a trunk in said group is in use when said check means checks the trunk in said group for use and responsive to said termination means for said secondary usage record by said first predetermined amount each time during said given period the use of a trunk in said group is terminated prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use, and
• second adjustment means responsive to said commencement means for said primary usage record by predetermined amount each time during said given period the use of a trunk in said group is commenced prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use.

Apparatus for accumulating information on the actual usage of interconnect carrier trunks by a local exchange carrier for use in verifying local carrier access charges to the interconnect carrier by said local carrier comprising:

• memory means storing accumulation information for usage of each said trunk for calls served thereby, and
• program-controlled processor means having a plurality of program instruction routines for controlling an accumulation of information for storage in said memory means for the actual usage of each trunk on each call served thereby,
• a first one of said instruction routines being activated by said processor in response to a commencement of said each call on each said trunk for initiating an accumulating of usage information for each said trunk, and
• a second one of said instruction routines being activated by said processor in response to a termination of each said call on said each trunk for accumulating usage information on said termination of each said call on said each trunk.