Method and apparatus for controlling rating of calls to pay services

A telecommunication toll switch system connecting callers with called service sponsors, comprising:

• toll switches forming a network;
• a shared database computer connected to at least one of said toll switches, said shared database computer having a database storing routing plans and rate plans corresponding to at least one pay service sponsor;
• said routing plans defining alternative routes from which a specific route is selected by said database computer based on caller information and a plurality of pay service sponsor defined conditional logical branches, said specific route being one of at least two alternative routes possibly ending at the same destination;
• and
• said rate plans defining alternative rate plans from which a specific rate is selected by said database computer in accordance with caller information and a plurality of pay service sponsor defined conditional override rate nodes;
• said database computer being programmed to return instructions to at least one of said toll switches in response to a query from at least one toll switch, said query generated by said at least one toll switch in response to caller call information to the pay service sponsor, the query comprising information about said call;
• said returned instructions comprising the specific route and corresponding specific rate for said call to be implemented by said at least one toll switch, said selected specific route and rate corresponding to the called pay service sponsor;
• an announcement system connected to at least one toll switch, said announcement system having a recording indicating that a specified rate is to be applied to said call;
• said routing plan being such that said specific route is an alternate route when said information lacks an identification of the caller;
• and
• said alternate route being such that said announcement system is controlled to play said recording when said specific route is said alternate route.

A telecommunications toll switch system connecting callers with called service sponsors, comprising:

• toll switches forming a network;
• a shared database computer connected to at least one of said toll switches, said shared database computer having a database storing routing plans corresponding to at least one of said service sponsors;
• a billing recorder connected to said toll switch, said billing recorder recording a duration of a call and a rate to be applied to said call on a billing record;
• said routing plans defining a specific route to be implemented by an originating toll switch of said toll switches when a call is received by said originating switch, said specific route being one of at least two alternative routes, said at least two alternative routes possibly ending at the same destination;
• said two alternative routes being modifiable by a support system computer connected to said database computer through a program running thereon and addressable through at least one of telephone prompting, communication through direct modem connection via a terminal, and connection through the Internet;
• said two alternative routes being defined by a conditional branch point from which stem two alternate branches, each branch corresponding to a one of said two alternative routes, said specific route corresponding to the one of said two alternate branches that is connected to an outcome of said conditional branch point that satisfies a condition of said conditional branch point;
• at least one of said two alternate branches having an object, called a rate node, that forces said rate to be applied to said call to be overridden when said at least one of said two alternate branches is connected to said outcome, whereby said billing recorder records an override rate on said billing record when said condition is satisfied.