US 7,002,952 B2 · Usage-based billing for voice over packet communications

Abstract

A communication system is disclosed that provides usage-based billing for voice communications transmitted over a packet system. The communication system is comprised of a packet billing system that sniffs signaling transmitted between a signaling processor and a communication device, such as a switch or a router. If the packet billing system detects a call setup message in the signaling, then the packet billing system generates a start record. If the packet billing system detects a call complete message in the signaling, then the packet billing system generates an end record. The packet billing system transfers the start record and the end record to a conventional public switched telephone network (PSTN) billing system. The PSTN billing system generates a bill for the call based on the start record and the end record. The communication system advantageously provides usage-based billing for packet-based calls using the conventional PSTN billing system.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of operating a communication system to bill a call transmitted over a packet system wherein the communication system is comprised of a communication device, a signaling processor, a packet billing system, a public switched telephone network billing system, and the packet system, and wherein the communication device is configured to communicate the call over the packet network, the method comprising:

in the packet billing system:
detecting a call setup message in first signaling transmitted between the signaling processor and the communication device, and generating a start record responsive to detecting the call setup message,
detecting a call complete message in second signaling transmitted between the signaling processor and the communication device, and generating an end record responsive to detecting the call complete message, and
transferring the start record and the end record;
and
in the public switched telephone network billing system, receiving the start record and the end record and processing the start record and the end record to generate a bill.

3 more elements

A communication system configured to generate a bill for a call transmitted over a packet system, comprising:

a signaling processor;
a communication device configured to communicate with the signaling processor and communicate the call over the packet system;
a packet billing system configured to detect a call setup message in first signaling transmitted between the signaling processor and the communication device, generate a start record responsive to detecting the call setup message, detect a call complete message in second signaling transmitted between the signaling processor and the communication device, generate an end record responsive to detecting the call complete message, and transfer the start record and the end record;
and
a public switched telephone network billing system configured to receive the start record and the end record, and process the start record and the end record to generate a bill.

2 more elements

A software product for operating a communication system to bill a call transmitted over a packet system, wherein the communication system is comprised of a communication device, a signaling processor, a packet billing system, a public switched telephone network billing system, and the packet system, and wherein the communication device is configured to communicate the call over the packet network, comprising:

packet billing system software operational when executed by a processor to direct the processor to detect a call setup message in first signaling transmitted between the communication device and the signaling processor, generate a start record responsive to detecting the call setup message, detect a call complete message in second signaling transmitted between the communication device and the signaling processor, generate an end record responsive to detecting the call complete message, and transfer the start record and the end record to the public switched telephone network billing system to generate a bill;
and
a software storage medium configured to store the packet billing system software.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Usage-based billing for voice over packet communications

Life of this patent

Usage-based billing for voice over packet communications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30