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US 6,639,978 B2Granted
Method for determining an entity responsible for billing a called party
AssigneeEvercom Systems, Inc.
InventorsNadia Draizin, Aytxa Ramirez, David J. Walsh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determining an identity of an entity responsible for billing a called party of an alternatively billed telephone call is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a telephone number, the telephone number being associated with the called party. An initial entity identifier is acquired, the initial entity identifier being an OCN associated with the telephone number. Additional steps may be made in response to the telephone number wherein more accurate information is gathered and utilized to ensure the reliable determination of the identity of the entity responsible for ultimately billing the called party.
Claims21
A method for determining an identity of a billing entity responsible for billing a called party of an alternatively billed telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a telephone number, the telephone number being associated with the called party;
- acquiring a billing entity identifier from a first database, the billing entity identifier being an operating company number (OCN) associated with the telephone number;
- invoking an originating line number screening (OLNS) query to a line information database (LIDB) database associated with the telephone number of the called party;
- receiving an OCN in response to the OLNS query;
- and
- replacing the billing entity identifier acquired from said first database with the OCN received in response to the OLNS query.
3 more elements
A method for determining the identification of a billing entry ultimately responsible for billing a called party of an alternately billed telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a telephone number, the telephone number being associated with the called party;
- utilizing a terminating point masterfile (TPM) and a line information database (LIBD) access routing guide (LARG) database to acquire a billing entity identifier, the billing entity identifier being an operating company number (OCN) associated with the telephone number;
- utilizing the TPM and LARG databases to identify a LIDB in response to a portion of the telephone number;
- invoking an originating line number screening (OLNS) query of the identified LIDB;
- determining the account owner, the account owner being derived in response to the reply returned from the OLNS query;
- and
- replacing the billing entity identifier with the determined account owner derived in response to the reply returned from the OLNS query.
4 more elements
A method for determining identification of a billing entity having responsibility for billing a called party of an alternatively billed telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a request to provide a line status and a company identifier, the line status and company identifier being associated with a telephone number of the called party
- utilizing a terminating point masterfile (TPM) and a line information database (LIBD) access routing guide (LARG) database to acquire the company identifier, the company identifier being an operating company number (OCN) associated with the telephone number;
- utilizing the TPM and LARG databases to identify a LIDB in response to a portion of the telephone number;
- determining whether the telephone number is portable;
- invoking an originating line number screening (OLNS) query of the identified LIDB;
- determining the account owner, the account owner being derived in response to the reply returned from the OLNS query;
- and
- replacing the company identifier with the determined account owner derived in response to the reply returned from the OLNS query.
5 more elements
A method for determining an identity of a billing entity responsible for billing a called party of an alternatively billed telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a telephone number, the telephone number being associated with the called party;
- acquiring an initial entity identifier, the initial entity identifier being an operating company number (OCN) associated with the telephone number and acquired form a line information database (LIDB) identified by a terminating point masterfile (TPM) database in cooperation with a LIBD access routing guide (LARG) database in response to the telephone number;
- determining whether the telephone number is portable;
- invoking either a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination of the telephone number being portable or a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination of the telephone number being non-portable,
- the method for determining the entity identity for the telephone number being non-portable comprising the steps of:
- invoking a first billed number screening (BNS) query to the LIDB being associated with the telephone number;
- and
- updating the entity identifier in response to a first account owner (AO) being returned in response to the first BNS query to the LIDB;
- the method for determining the entity identity for the telephone number being portable comprising the steps of:
- determining whether the telephone number is associated with a facility based provider;
- performing a local number portability (LNP) search of a number portability administration center (NPAC) database to determine whether the telephone number is associated with a facility based provider or a non-facility based provider;
- invoking either a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination of the telephone number being associated with a facility based provider or a method for determining the identify of the entity in response to the determination of the telephone number being associated with a non-facility based provider;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination of the telephone number being associated with a facility based provider comprising the steps of:
- determining whether a service provider identification (SPID) is associated with the telephone number, the SPID being acquired form a LNP LIDB being identified during the LNP search;
- invoking either a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to a SPID being available or a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the SPID not being available:
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the SPID being available comprising the steps of:
- assigning the SPID as the entity identifier:
- invoking a second BNS query to the LNP LIDB;
- and
- updating the entity identifier in response to a second AO being returned from the second BNS Query invoked to the LNP LIDB;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the SPID not being available comprising the steps of:
- determining whether the LIDS supports AO;
- invoking either a method ofr determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB supports AO or a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB does not support AO;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB supports AO comprising the steps of:
- invoking a third BNS query to the LIDB being associated with the telephone number and determined by the LARG;
- and
- updating the entity identifier in response to third AO being returned in response to the third BNS query to the LIDB;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB does not support AO comprising the steps of:
- determining whether the LIDB supports originating line number screening (OLNS);
- invoking either a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB supports AO or a method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB does not support OLNS;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB does support OLNS comprising the steps of:
- invoking an OLNS query to the LIDB determined by the LARG;
- receiving an OCN in response to the OLNS query;
- assigning the OCN received in response to the OLNS query as the entity identifier;
- invoking a fourth BNS query to the LIDB determined by the LARG;
- and
- updateing the entity identifier in response to a fourth AO being returned in response to the fourth BNS query invoked to the LIDB;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination that the LIDB databse does support OLNS comprising the steps of:
- invoking a fifth BNS query to the LIDB determined by the LARG;
- and
- updating the entity identifier in response to a fifth AO being returned in response to the fifth BNS query invoked to the LIDB;
- the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the determination of the telephone number being associated with non-facility based provider comprising the steps of:
- invoking the method for determining the identity of the entity in response to the SPID not being available.
40 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.