Method and apparatus for the billing of value-added communication calls

A method of operating a data base system for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of

• enabling at least one predetermined party of a group of parties associated with the call including the caller, a called party and a sponsor of said call to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to the data system and
• sending said at least one call billing parameter from said data base system to a billing system for each call made to the sponsor number.

A method of operating a switching system for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of

• enabling at least one predetermined party of a group of parties associated with the call including the caller, a called party and a sponsor of said call to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to the switching system and
• sending said at least one call billing parameter from said switching system to a billing system for each call to the sponsor number.

A method of enabling a sponsor to directly enter call billing parameters into a data base of a billing system to be used to bill a subsequent caller for charges incurred for a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a direct connection between said sponsor and said billing system and
• enabling said sponsor to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to the data base of said billing system over said established connection.

Apparatus for billing a called party for charges incurred for a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, comprising

• means for enabling at least one predetermined party of a group of parties associated with the call, including the caller, a called party, and a sponsor of said call to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to the billing apparatus;
• and
• means for creating said separate billing record for each call to the sponsor from the caller, including a party-specified calling charge incurred during said call and determined using said at least one billing parameter.

Apparatus for billing a caller for charges incurred for a call made by the caller to a sponsor-provided number, comprising

• a switching network for establishing a connection between the caller and the sponsor number,
• means for updating call billing parameter substantially in real time using data received from a sponsor, and
• means for creating said separate billing record for each call to the sponsor from the caller, including a party-specified calling charge incurred during said call and determined using said at least one billing parameter.

Data base system for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of

• means for enabling at least one predetermined party of a group of parties associated with the call including the caller, a called party and a sponsor of said call to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to the data base system, and
• means for sending said at least one call billing parameter from said data base system to a call billing system for each call made to the sponsor number.

Switching system for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of

• means for enabling at least one predetermined party of a group of parties associated with the call including the caller, a called party and a sponsor of said call to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to the switching system and
• means for sending said at least one call billing parameter from said switching system to a billing system for each call to the sponsor number.