U.S. patent application number 09/240893 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-09 for interactive billing system utilizing a thin web client interface.
Invention is credited to TERRY, ALEX.
Application Number | 20010012346 09/240893 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22908362 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010012346 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TERRY, ALEX |
August 9, 2001 |
INTERACTIVE BILLING SYSTEM UTILIZING A THIN WEB CLIENT
INTERFACE
Abstract
An apparatus and method are provided for allowing a user to
access detailed and up-to-date telecommunications billing
information associated with multiple telephone numbers over a data
network from a computer that has a web browser installed. The
apparatus includes a billing server that maintains a database of
telecommunications transaction records. Each time a new
telecommunications event occurs, such as a toll call from a number
in the user's account, a new transaction record is added to the
data base. The user interfaces to the database of transaction
records through a series of web pages that are transmitted over the
internet by a web server. The web pages that are generated by the
web server provide the user with the capability to query the data
base and to view transaction records from his/her account that are
retrieved from the data base as a result of the query. An event
monitor is provided to alert the user when a preset threshold for
selected accounts, within a given time period, is met.
Inventors: |
TERRY, ALEX; (AUSTIN,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES W HUFFMAN
1832 N. CASCADE AVE.
COLORADO SPRINGS
CO
80907-7449
US
|
Family ID: |
22908362 |
Appl. No.: |
09/240893 |
Filed: |
January 29, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
379/112.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 15/83 20130101;
H04M 2215/82 20130101; H04M 2215/70 20130101; H04M 2215/62
20130101; H04M 2215/0164 20130101; H04M 15/00 20130101; G06Q 20/14
20130101; H04M 15/55 20130101; H04M 15/70 20130101; G06Q 30/04
20130101; H04M 2215/0168 20130101; H04M 2215/8129 20130101; H04M
15/705 20130101; H04M 15/745 20130101; H04M 2215/81 20130101; H04M
15/06 20130101; H04M 2215/018 20130101; H04M 15/58 20130101; H04M
15/84 20130101; H04M 2215/0104 20130101; H04M 15/08 20130101; H04M
2215/0176 20130101; H04M 2215/7009 20130101; H04M 2215/7063
20130101; H04M 15/43 20130101; H04M 2215/2046 20130101; H04M
2215/0116 20130101; H04M 15/44 20130101; H04M 2215/0188 20130101;
H04M 15/725 20130101; H04M 15/41 20130101; H04M 15/59 20130101;
H04M 15/88 20130101; H04M 2215/0108 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
379/112.01 |
International
Class: |
H04M 015/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for presenting, and monitoring telecommunication
transaction records via a thin web client interface, the apparatus
comprising: a billing server, configured to maintain the
telecommunication transaction records, and to query the
telecommunication transaction records in response to a request for
prescribed data; and a web server, coupled to said billing server,
configured to send telecommunication transaction information to
said billing server, to request said prescribed data in response to
a user command via the thin web client interface, and to provide
said prescribed data to the user; wherein said prescribed data
distinguishes between a first telecommunication transaction record
and a second telecommunication transaction record.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the
telecommunication transaction records documents a specific
telecommunication event.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein, upon execution of
said specific telecommunication event, said web server sends said
telecommunication transaction information to said billing server
and said billing server generates a specific telecommunication
transaction record.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said specific
telecommunication event comprises a local toll call, a long
distance call, or a calling card call.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said
telecommunication transaction information comprises an account
number, a calling number, a transaction date, a transaction time, a
called number, a called place, a transaction duration, and a
transaction cost.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the thin web client
interface is a web browser capable of processing HTML-compatible
web pages.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said web server is
a computer that transmits and receives data packets over a data
network to provide telecommunication services for said user.
8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said web server
transmits HTML-compatible web pages over said data network to allow
said user to view said prescribed data using the thin web client
interface.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said web server
receives said user command over said data network.
10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said web server
employs TCP/IP protocol to transmit and receive said data
packets.
11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said billing
server maintains said telecommunication transaction records in a
data base.
12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said data base is
accessed by an Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC)-compatible
query.
13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said user
specifies said prescribed data by requesting a query of said data
base for selected transaction records that match parameters of said
query, said parameters including a calling line field, a number
called field, a called place field, and a transaction cost field,
wherein said fields are entered by said user and transmitted to
said web server via the thin web client interface.
14. An interactive telecommunications billing mechanism,
comprising: a billing server, for maintaining a transaction data
base, and for querying said transaction data base to retrieve
selected transaction records that match parameters of a query,
wherein each of said selected transaction records comprises: a line
field, documenting a first telephone number from which a call
originates; a number field, documenting a second telephone number
to which said call is placed; a place field, documenting a location
corresponding to said number field; and a cost field, documenting a
cost of a corresponding call event; and a web server, coupled to
said billing server, for providing said query in response to a user
command received from a data network, and for transmitting said
selected transaction records to a user over said data network for
viewing via a web browser.
15. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 14, wherein said each of said selected transaction records
documents a specific call event.
16. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 15, wherein, upon execution of said specific call event,
said billing server generates a corresponding specific transaction
record.
17. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 14, wherein said web browser is compatible with web pages
generated using hypertext markup language (HTML).
18. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 16, wherein said web server is a computer that transmits
and receives data packets over said data network to provide call
events for said user.
19. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 18, wherein said web server transmits web pages over said
data network to allow said user to view said selected transaction
records using said web browser.
20. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 19, wherein said web server employs TCP/IP protocol to
transmit and receive said data packets.
21. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 20, wherein said query of said transaction data base is an
ODBC-compatible query.
22. The interactive telecommunications billing mechanism as recited
in claim 21, wherein said user command is generated based upon
query parameters entered by said user on a web page hosted by said
web browser.
23. An apparatus for accessing selected telecommunications records
over the internet from a user computer that is executing a web
browser application, said apparatus comprising: a billing server,
for maintaining telecommunications records, and for providing the
selected telecommunications records in response to a user request,
said billing server comprising: data base logic, for storing said
telecommunications records, wherein each of said telecommunications
records documents a specific telecommunications event; maintenance
logic, for providing said data base logic with a new
telecommunications record corresponding to a new telecommunications
event; and query logic, for searching said telecommunications
records in accordance with parameters prescribed by said user
request, and for retrieving the selected telecommunications
records; and a web server, coupled to said billing server, for
receiving said user request over the internet, and for providing
the selected telecommunications records to the user computer over
the internet.
24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein said web server
transmits a first web page over the internet to allow the user
computer to display the selected telecommunications records.
25. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein said query logic
is ODBC-compatible.
26. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein said parameters
are entered in fields of a second web page displayed on the user
computer.
27. A method for providing access to telecommunications billing
records in a billing computer over the internet, the access being
obtained via a remote computer that is executing a thin web client
application, the method comprising: a) maintaining the
telecommunications billing records in a data base, the
telecommunications billing records documenting individual
telecommunication events; b) querying the data base in accordance
with parameters provided by a completed search parameter entry web
page; and d) transmitting a search results web page to display the
telecommunications billing records on the remote computer.
28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein the
telecommunications billing records document charges associated with
toll calls.
29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein TCP/IP protocol is
used to transmit the web pages over the internet.
30. A method for providing a user with detailed long distance
telephonic transaction information via a thin web client, the
method comprising: a) providing a data server, coupled to local
telephone switches, for tracking long distance telephone
transactions for a plurality of telephone numbers; b) providing a
web server, coupled to the data server, for presenting to the user
the detailed long distance telephonic transaction information; and
c) providing the user with a customizable event monitor, coupled to
the web server and to the data server, the event monitor for
alerting the user when telephone transactions meet a specified
criteria.
31. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the long distance
telephonic transaction information comprises duration, date, and
number called for each transaction.
32. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the thin web client
comprises Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
33. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the data server and
the web server are software programs.
34. The method as recited in claim 33 wherein the data server and
the web server both execute on the same hardware device.
35. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the event monitor is
a customizable software program for automatically querying the data
server for telephone transactions that meet the specified
criteria.
36. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the specified
criteria comprises a total of long distance charges for one or more
of the plurality of telephone numbers, within a specified time
period.
37. The method as recited in claim 30 further comprising: d)
alerting the user according to customizable alert options.
38. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein the customizable
alert options comprise email, fax or voice notification.
39. A long distance transaction event monitor, coupled to a
telephone network, for alerting a user when specified alert
criteria relating to telephony transactions have been met, the
event monitor comprising: a web interface, for allowing a user to
specify the alert criteria; query logic, coupled to said web
interface, for causing the specified alert criteria to query the
telephony transactions; and an event monitor, coupled to said query
logic, for generating alert messages to the user when said query
logic determines that the specified alert criteria is met by the
telephony transactions.
40. The long distance transaction event monitor, as recited in
claim 39 wherein said web interface comprises a web browser such as
Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
41. The long distance transaction event monitor, as recited in
claim 39 wherein said query logic comprises: an HTML configuration
screen for allowing the user to provided the specified alert
criteria to the event monitor; and an SQL engine, coupled to said
HTML configuration screen, for presenting the specified alert
criteria to a data server in structured query format.
42. The long distance transaction event monitor, as recited in
claim 39 further comprising: a data server, coupled to said query
logic, for storing the telephony transactions, and for providing
the transactions to said query logic, as needed.
43. The long distance transaction event monitor, as recited in
claim 39 wherein said alert messages comprise email or fax
alerts.
44. The long distance transaction event monitor, as recited in
claim 43 wherein said alert messages are configured by the user via
said web interface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates in general to the field of
telecommunications services billing, and more particularly to an
apparatus and method for providing online access to transaction
details and corresponding charges relating to a telecommunications
account.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The advent of the telephone at the turn of the century
presented a new form of communicating to the population at large.
Whereas prior communications between individuals occurred either in
person or through the mail, the introduction of the telephone into
both the household and business cultures changed the way that
people work, play, and interact. More urgent matters were treated
immediately with a telephone call while less important matters were
relegated to the mail.
[0005] Initially, the coverage of the telephone network allowed a
user to make local calls only, and that with intervention of an
operator. Early use was therefore limited. As coverage of the
telephone network began to connect major regions of the country
together, long distance calling became an option. Yet, this option
as well enjoyed only limited use by the population at large,
primarily because of the cost involved with making a long distance,
or toll, call. When a toll call was made, because the user had to
interact with an operator in order to place the call, he/she was
aware of the costs involved.
[0006] Direct dialing technology took the operator out of the toll
calling loop. As a result, the cost for making a toll call was
reduced extensively. More and more users began treating long
distance telecommunications as the commodity it has become today.
As a consequence of increased use, it became vital for prudent
household/business money managers to analyze and reconcile each
month's long distance bill. As in any other venture for profit, the
management of bottom line costs is effected by careful scrutiny of
the details. Early long distance bills were not difficult to
analyze because 1) there was only one long distance vendor; and 2)
most businesses and households only had one telephone line.
[0007] Two parallel progressions over the past 20 year have simply
revolutionized personal and business telecommunications practices.
The first progression was the introduction of competition into the
telecommunications marketplace. Today, literally hundreds of
telecommunications companies advertise over the full gamut of
telecommunications services. In any given area of the United
States, a user can choose from at least 25 long distance service
providers. Competition has resulted in the dramatically low cost of
long distance that is seen today. Long distance calls are now
billed by the minute, and cost less than 10 cents per minute.
[0008] The proliferation of computer technologies in both the
telecommunications industry and by telecommunications subscribers
is the second progression in recent history to transform personal
and business practice. Facsimile machines, pagers, multi-line
telephone systems, voice mail, cellular telephones, and computer
networking over the internet are now ubiquitously employed in
average households and businesses. It is not uncommon today to
find, numerous telephone lines in a given home, some for personal
use, some for business use, each replete with a cornucopia of
features provided by numerous telecommunications service
companies.
[0009] But while competition and technological advances have made
telecommunications services more accessible and affordable, both of
these two progressions have exponentially exacerbated the money
management problem. In the 1980's, as these two progressions were
still in their early stages, the average subscriber would receive a
separate bill from each provider for each line every month. All of
the providers, because they were part of the overall
telecommunications network, communicated with local telephone
network interface equipment each time a call was placed. Details of
the call, or transaction, would be recorded so that an itemized
bill would result at the end of the billing period. Consequently, a
subscriber having two lines, one with Long Distance Company A and
the other with Long Distance Company B, would receive a bill each
month from each of the companies.
[0010] Service providers over the next few years took the
initiative to negotiate shared billing agreements with local
telephone companies to reduce the burden on the consumer. Today, a
subscriber receives one monthly bill for telecommunications
services. This consolidated bill presents all charges for lines
within the subscriber's household/business and additionally
itemizes each charge. Consolidated billing techniques allow a
present day money manager to more easily analyze and reconcile
telecommunications costs-that is, ex post facto. This is because a
consolidated bill typically itemizes charges for telecommunications
services that have occurred over the previous 30 days.
[0011] Because telecommunications assets and services can be easily
accessed, they also can be easily abused. For instance, newspapers
routinely contain reports about some business or family that
received a horrendously large phone bill as a result of an abuse
such as a pirated calling card or excessive access of a 900 number.
Accordingly, prudent money managers are now demanding up-to-date
information as well as detailed information in order to better
control costs and to precipitate abusive use patterns.
[0012] Many telecommunications service providers today allow a user
to access account information over the internet via a web browser,
yet the information that is provided online is at a summary level
only (i.e., total charges) and is furthermore merely a reflection
of costs that were provided in a previous consolidated bill. In
summary, present day online telecommunications billing systems
provide no meaningful benefits to a user other than presenting an
unpretentious reminder to pay an outstanding balance.
[0013] Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus that allows a user
to access detailed, up-to-date telecommunications charges for a
consolidated account via a web browser.
[0014] In addition, what is needed is an apparatus whereby a user
can access telecommunications transaction records associated with
his/her account that have been recorded since a previous
consolidated bill was issued.
[0015] Furthermore, what is needed is an online billing mechanism
that allows a user to view individual telecommunications
transaction records associated with a consolidated account.
[0016] Moreover, what is needed is a method for displaying,
searching, and monitoring individual transactions in a consolidated
telecommunications account via a web browser.
[0017] In addition, what is needed is a billing, monitoring, and
alert system that is user configurable, that alerts a user when a
preset long distance threshold is reached.
SUMMARY
[0018] To address the above-detailed deficiencies, it is an object
of the present invention to provide an apparatus for accessing
near-real-time telecommunications transaction records over the
internet via a thin web client program.
[0019] Accordingly, in the attainment of the aforementioned object,
it is a feature of the present invention to provide an apparatus
for presenting, searching, and monitoring telecommunication
transaction records via a thin web client interface. The apparatus
includes a billing server and a web server. The billing server
maintains the telecommunication transaction records and queries the
telecommunication transaction records in response to a request for
prescribed data. The web server is coupled to the billing server.
The web server sends telecommunication transaction information to
the billing server, it requests the prescribed data in response to
a user command via the thin web client interface, and it provides
the prescribed data to a user via the thin web client interface.
The prescribed data is at a level of detail sufficient to
distinguish a first telecommunication transaction record from a
second telecommunication transaction record.
[0020] An advantage of the present invention is that a money
manager can access the details online that are needed to properly
analyze and reconcile communications charges.
[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus that gives a subscriber the ability to access
telecommunications charges for his/her account that have been
entered since a previous consolidated bill was issued.
[0022] In another aspect, it is a feature of the present invention
to provide an interactive telecommunications billing mechanism. The
interactive telecommunications billing mechanism has a billing
server and a web server. The billing server maintains a transaction
data base and queries the transaction data base to retrieve
selected transaction records that match parameters of a query. Each
of the selected transaction records includes a line field, a number
field, a place field, and a cost field. The line field documents a
first telephone number from which a call originates. The number
field documents a second telephone number to which the call is
placed. The place field documents a location corresponding to the
number field. The cost field documents a cost of a corresponding
call event. The web server is coupled to the billing server. The
web server provides the query in response to a user command
received from a data network and transmits the selected transaction
records to a user over the data network for viewing via a web
browser.
[0023] Another advantage of the present invention is that a user
does not have to wait for a monthly bill to arrive in order to
scrutinize his/her telecommunications account.
[0024] A further object of the invention is to provide an online
billing apparatus that allows a user to search a consolidated
account and to view individual telecommunications transaction
records associated with the search.
[0025] In a further aspect, it is a feature of the present
invention to provide an apparatus for accessing selected
telecommunications records over the internet from a user computer
that is executing a web browser application. The apparatus includes
a billing server and a web server. The billing server maintains
telecommunications records and provides the selected
telecommunications records in response to a user request. The
billing server has data base logic, maintenance logic, and query
logic. The data base logic stores the telecommunications records.
Each of the telecommunications records documents a specific
telecommunications event. The maintenance logic provides the data
base logic with a new telecommunications record corresponding to a
new telecommunications event. The query logic searches the
telecommunications records in accordance with parameters prescribed
by the user request and retrieves the selected telecommunications
records. The web server is coupled to the billing server. The web
server receives the user request over the internet and provides the
selected telecommunications records to the user computer over the
internet.
[0026] A further advantage of the present invention is that a user
does not require special software applications to view detailed
telecommunications charges over the internet.
[0027] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
method for displaying, searching, and monitoring individual
transactions in a consolidated telecommunications account via a
thin web client interface.
[0028] In yet another aspect, it is a feature of the present
invention to provide a method for providing access to
telecommunications billing records in a billing computer over the
internet, the access being obtained via a remote computer that is
executing a thin web client application. The method includes
maintaining the telecommunications billing records in a data base,
the telecommunications billing records documenting individual
telecommunication events; transmitting a search parameter entry web
page to the remote computer over the internet; receiving a
completed search parameter entry web page from the remote computer
over the internet; querying the data base in accordance with
parameters provided by the completed search parameter entry web
page; and transmitting a search results web page over the internet
to display the telecommunications billing records on the remote
computer.
[0029] Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a
subscriber can detect unauthorized charge patterns before excessive
charges are accumulated.
[0030] In yet another aspect, it is a feature of the present
invention to provide a method for providing a user with detailed
long distance telephonic transaction information via a thin web
client. The method includes providing a data server, coupled to
local telephone switches, for tracking long distance telephone
transactions for a plurality of telephone numbers; providing a web
server, coupled to the data server, for presenting to the user the
detailed long distance telephonic transaction information; and
providing the user with a customizable event monitor, coupled to
the web server and to the data server, the event monitor for
alerting the user when telephone transactions meet a specified
criteria.
[0031] It is a further feature of the present invention to provide
a long distance transaction event monitor, coupled to a telephone
network, for alerting a user when specified alert criteria relating
to telephony transactions have been met. The event monitor includes
a web interface, for allowing a user to specify the alert criteria;
query logic, coupled to the web interface, for causing the
specified alert criteria to query the telephony transactions; and
an event monitor, coupled to the query logic, for generating alert
messages to the user when the query logic determines that the
specified alert criteria is met by the telephony transactions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, and accompanying drawings where:
[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating related art billing
techniques for telecommunications services.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a related art
telecommunications services account summary provided over a thin
web client interface.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an interactive,
consolidated billing mechanism according to the present
invention.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting details of a billing
server according to the present invention.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a payment options web page
provided via a thin web client.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an account options web page
provided via a thin web client.
[0039] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a transaction
search/monitor web page provided via a thin web client.
[0040] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a search results web page
provided via a thin web client.
[0041] FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to
the present invention for providing online access to near-real-time
details and charges corresponding to a telecommunications
account.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] In light of the above background on telecommunications
billing techniques, several related art examples will now be
discussed with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. These examples
illustrate how present day online billing systems for
telecommunications services encumber a user in two ways: First,
because online access to accounts is provided only at the summary
level, the user is prohibited from performing any significant use
or cost analyses-a significant function that is regularly performed
in a number of small businesses. Second, because present day
billing systems update online accounts only at the end of each
billing cycle, the user is unable to detect usage and corresponding
charges until his/her account is updated. Following this
discussion, a detailed description of the present invention will be
provided with reference to FIGS. 3 through 9. The present invention
provides a user with online access to detailed, near-real-time
transaction data associated with his/her telecommunications
services account.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, a diagram 100 is presented illustrating
related art billing techniques for telecommunications services. The
block diagram 100 shows two local telephone network interfaces 112,
one 112 at POINT A and one 112 at POINT B. The block diagram 100
also depicts telecommunication devices connected to the local
telephone network interfaces 112: a telephone 102, pager 108, a
facsimile (fax) machine 110, and a modem 106 that provides
connectivity for a computer 104. In addition, a telecommunications
channel 114 connects the two local telephone network interfaces
112. The telecommunications channel 114 represents any of a number
of channel mediums in use today for the transmission of telephonic
data to include metallic and fiber-optic landline, line-of-sight
microwave, and satellite communication channels. The diagram 100
also shows a central billing system 118 that is coupled to both of
the local telephone network interfaces 112 via a billing network
116. Furthermore, the diagram 100 illustrates the three
evolutionary techniques used by the central billing system 118 to
invoice customers: an early technique involving preparation of
separate bills 120, a consolidated account technique involving a
consolidated bill 122, and an online technique involving online
presentation of a bill summary 124.
[0044] In operation, each of the devices 102, 108, 110, 106/104
have a unique telephone number, or line number, for addressing and
identification by the local telephone network interface 112. The
local telephone network interface 112 is also known as a local
switch 112. The local switch 112 is the point where local devices
102, 108, 110, 106/104 interface to the telephone network channel
114. A transmitting local device, say a telephone 102 at POINT A,
places a call to a compatible receiving device, say a telephone 102
at POINT B, by providing the telephone number assigned to the
receiving device 102 at POINT B to the local switch 112 at POINT A.
The local switch 112 at POINT A then routes the call to the local
switch 112 at POINT B over the telephone network channel 114. The
local switch 112 at POINT B then routes the call to the receiving
device 102. The placement of the call, through completion of the
call, is known as a line transaction, or transaction. A transaction
is typically placed between an initiating device, or calling
number, and a receiving device, or called number, however, a
transaction can also take place between several devices. Such a
transaction is known as a conference call.
[0045] It is customary in the telecommunications industry to pass
along the cost of telecommunications transactions to customers.
Often, the cost of local calls is billed to a customer for a flat
monthly fee. The cost of some types of calls, say a call to
directory assistance, is billed on a per transaction basis. The
cost of other types of calls, toll calls, is billed according to
call duration, and possibly distance. Moreover, the billing rates
associated with all of the above call types are determined based
upon a number of complex factors present in a competitive, yet
publicly regulated, market environment.
[0046] Prior to the 1980's, virtually all of the commercial
telecommunications services in the United States were provided by a
single telecommunications company. Since the breakup of that
telecommunications company, competition in the industry has
flourished. In any given city today, a customer can select portions
of his/her telecommunication service package from upwards to a 100
different companies. For example, the customer may choose Company A
to provide local line service, company B to provide long distance
toll service, Company C to provide cellular telephone service, and
Company D to provide paging service. Although such competition is
healthy, because each of these service providers utilize elements
of the telecommunications network 102-114 in whole or in part, a
strict accounting of each telecommunication transaction must be
maintained so that each of the service providers can properly
apportion transaction costs to its customers.
[0047] The central billing system 118 is the focal point for
transaction accounting. Coupled to each local switch 112 via the
billing network 116, typically a high speed data network 116, the
central billing system collects data for each telecommunications
transaction within its scope of coverage. For example, when a long
distance call is placed from a telephone 102 in City X to a
telephone 102 in City Y, the central billing system 118 generates
and stores a transaction record for the long distance call.
Elements of the transaction record generally include calling number
(or line number), called number, place called, date and time of the
call, and duration of the call. Additionally, each transaction
record within the central billing system is mapped to a customer
and a service provider for the transaction.
[0048] Periodically, each service provider bills its customers for
services provided during a given period, the given period typically
being a month in duration. The early invoicing technique shown in
the diagram 100 was predominately used during the 1980's and
resulted in a series of bills 120 being issued from each service
provider. For example, in any given month, Company A would access
the central billing system 118 to retrieve transactions earmarked
for Company A's services. In turn, Company A would manually print
and mail invoices 120 to its customers for payment. A customer
would receive an invoice 120 from Company A for each of his/her
line numbers and each of the invoices 120 would include individual
transaction details as described above in support of the total
invoiced amount. Likewise, Company B, Company C, and Company D
would issue invoices 120 to their customers. Consequently, a
particular individual would receive multiple bills 120 for each
line number. Although multiple bills 120 for similar services
causes inconvenience, because each of the bills 120 contained
detailed transaction information, the customer could at least
scrutinize the bills 120 to ensure that unauthorized or duplicate
charges were not present. A household or small business in the
1980's normally had one or two lines. At most, this resulted in
having to analyze and pay two telecommunications service bills 120
from a single company at the end of each month.
[0049] In the late 1990's, it is not uncommon to find
information-based cottage industries running entirely out of a home
office located in a spare bedroom. As a result of advances in the
communications industry, particularly those advances resulting in
what is today known as the internet, or world wide web, an
individual or small business in the 1990's may have a number of
lines: two home lines, a home computer line, a fax line, two to
three business lines, a cellular phone line, and a pager line. In
addition to the multiplicity of lines, the individual or small
business may provision telecommunications services for each of the
lines to a different telecommunications service provider. What once
was a tolerable analysis and reconciliation exercise at the end of
each month quickly became intolerable.
[0050] Customer pressure provided the impetus for the
telecommunications billing standard in use today: the consolidated
bill 122. Now, rather than receiving numerous bills 120 at the end
of each month, a telecommunications service customer receives a
consolidated bill 122. With rare exception, lines and related
services are mapped in the central billing system 118 to a customer
account number. At the end of each billing cycle, a consolidated
bill 122 is printed and mailed to the customer for payment. The
consolidated bill 122 includes sections for each service provider
and each section contains subsections for each line in the account.
Each line subsection of the consolidated bill 122 contains
individual transaction details as described above in support of the
total invoiced amount. Hence, rather than analyzing and reconciling
multiple telecommunication invoices, a customer need only analyze
one, albeit complex, invoice at the end of each month.
[0051] Because an increasing number of homes and businesses are
connected to the Internet, more recent developments in the industry
find a few telecommunications services providers allowing their
customers to access billing information online. Yet, because this
billing technique is still in its early stages, present day online
billing systems actually provide fewer benefits than the
consolidated billing technique. In theory, a user ought to be able
to access up-to-date transaction details for his/her
telecommunications account in a consolidated format. But this is
simply not the case.
[0052] Instead, what the user is presented with is simply a summary
124 of his/her consolidated bill 122--the consolidated bill 122 is
still used as the primary billing vehicle for a consolidated
account. The summary 124 is provided as a web page authored in
hypertext markup language (HTML).
[0053] Most personal computers today are equipped with general
purpose internet communication applications known as thin web
clients, or web browsers. For example, either Microsoft.RTM.
Internet Explorer or Netscape.RTM. Communicator applications are
found on virtually every present day desktop system. Either of
these thin web clients is capable of receiving an HTML-authored web
page from a server over the internet and displaying contents of the
web page for the user on his/her desktop computer. A web browser is
also capable of transmitting data input by the user back to the
server over the internet. Hence, to access literally millions of
different web sites over the internet, the user need only execute a
web browser. The responsibility belongs to designers of a
particular web site to provide the web pages and processing
capabilities required for a user to interact effectively and
efficiently with the site, without a constraint that special
software be installed on the user's computer.
[0054] Although data networks are used extensively in the
telecommunications industry for other applications, internetworking
techniques and capabilities with regard to billing are present now
only in rudimentary forms. One skilled in the art will appreciate
that for a telecommunications service provider to provide the
online summary 124 shown in FIG. 1 over the internet requires only
minor enhancements to the central billing system 118 over that
required to print and mail a consolidated bill 122. Furthermore,
because the online summary 124 is at a summary level, it is
virtually useless for purposes of analysis and reconciliation. The
present day online summary billing technique is more specifically
described with reference to FIG. 2.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, a diagram 200 is presented illustrating
a related art telecommunications services account summary 210
provided over a thin web client interface. The diagram 200 depicts
a display 202 provided ITC: 9905 by the thin web client, in this
example the Internet Explorer, that features presentation of an
account summary web page 210 provided by U.S. West, a
telecommunications services provider. Although Internet Explorer is
featured as a web browser in this and following drawings, one
skilled in the art will appreciate that any HTML-compatible web
browser allows display HTML-authored web pages such as the one 210
depicted in this diagram 200. The account summary web page 210
includes title text 211, latent charges caveat text 212, summary
level caveat text 213, account number text 214, total new charges
text 215, and total amount due text 216.
[0056] Operationally, a user accesses the account summary web page
210 by providing a universal resource locator (URL) to the web
browser that corresponds to the service provider, in this case the
URL is http://www.uswest.com, which is simply an alias for an
Internet Protocol (IP) address that is assigned to a data network
server that routes data packets for the service provider.
Typically, the user is presented with a sequential series of web
pages from which he/she must select options. Once a "view online
bill summary" option is selected, he/she is provided with the
account summary web page 210 by the data server over the internet.
Additionally, most billing systems require some type of
identification and authentication data that is provided by the user
to preclude unauthorized access to private account information.
[0057] A present day billing system typically maintains a small
data base of account summary data for all customer accounts. The
account summary data is updated as consolidated bills are printed
and mailed, but not more frequently. Because of this, the latent
charges caveat text 212 is displayed on the account summary web
page to warn the user that there may be latent telecommunications
transactions that will remain unobservable until the next update of
the account summary data. The account number text 214 is provided
to indicate that the information displayed relates to a
consolidated account rather than individual lines. Both the title
text 211 and the summary level caveat text 213 warn the user that
the charge information provided via the web page is at a summary
level only-no detail is provided at the transaction level. The
total new charges text 215 and total amount due text 216 are
provided on the page to inform the user of his/her current
outstanding balance or credit.
[0058] It is significant at this point to two several observations
regarding present day online telecommunications billing techniques.
First and foremost, they simply serve as a supplemental medium for
summarizing information that is otherwise provided to a customer in
written form. Second, the information provided by an online account
summary 210 is not up-to-date, that is, account transactions that
occur prior to generation of the next month's consolidated bill are
not reflected on the account summary web page 210. Both of the
above limitations serve to impede a customer from accessing useful
information regarding his/her account. A present day user desires
that up-to-date, or near-real-time, account information be provided
online at a level of detail that is sufficient enough to perform
use and reconciliation analyses. The present day user, for example,
would incorporate near-real-time charges into expense prediction
models so that payment assets can be more readily managed. And it
is particularly important that businesses be privy to transaction
details so that assets of the business can be more effectively
allocated. In addition, by monitoring near-real-time charges,
alerts may be provided to a user as preset thresholds are
reached.
[0059] The present invention overcomes both of the limitations
cited above by employing a billing server that maintains a
transaction level data base that is updated in near-real-time for
each customer account. Furthermore, online access to transaction
records within the data base is provided to authorized users via a
web server. The present invention is more completely described with
reference to FIGS. 3 through 9.
[0060] Now referring to FIG. 3, a diagram 300 is presented
illustrating an interactive, consolidated billing mechanism
according to the present invention. The diagram 300 depicts a
billing server 302 and a web server 304 located at a network
operations center. The web server is connected to a data network
306. In one embodiment, the data network 306 is the internet
wherein TCP/IP protocol is used to exchange information between
computers. In an alternate embodiment, the data network 306 is a
private packet-switched network. The diagram 300 also depicts two
local telephone switches 350, like those shown in FIG. 1. A
telephone network server 308, or local point of presence (pop) 308
is coupled to each local switch 350. The local pops 308 are
connected to the web server 304 via the data network 306. The
diagram 300 also shows a user computer 312, executing a thin web
client application, that is connected to the data network 306. A
user 310 is shown viewing his/her detailed telecommunications
account information via web pages 314, 316.
[0061] In operation, provisioned lines (i.e., telephone numbers
that have been assigned to a long distance service) are monitored
by the local pops 308. When a telephone network device
corresponding to a provisioned line participates in a
telecommunications transaction, the corresponding local pop 308
transmits information describing the transaction over the data
network 306 to the web server 304 at the network operations center.
The information includes calling number, called number, date, time,
call duration, and type of call (i.e., direct dialed, calling card,
reversed charges, etc.). The web server 304 provides the
transaction information to the billing server 302 which, in turn,
generates a new transaction record documenting the
telecommunications transaction. In addition to the above
information, the billing server 302 generates other information for
inclusion in the new transaction record such as the place called,
account number, and cost of the transaction. The new transaction
record is stored within the billing server 302. Hence,
near-real-time telecommunication transaction records are maintained
within the billing server.
[0062] A user 310 interactively accesses his/her consolidated
account information by querying the data base of transaction
records in the billing server 304 via a transaction search/monitor
web page 314 that is provided by the web server 304 to the user
computer 312 over the data network 306. Results of the query, that
is, selected transaction records matching the parameters of the
query, are provided for display on the user's computer 312 via a
search results web page 316. The user 310 is provided with the
ability to view transaction details corresponding to his/her
consolidated account rather than simple summary level information.
In addition, because the user 310 is allowed to query the data base
of transaction records, the information he/she receives relating to
cost and usage for his/her account is up-to-date.
[0063] Now referring to FIG. 4, a block diagram is presented
depicting details of a billing server 400 according to the present
invention. The billing server 400 includes data base logic 410 that
stores telecommunications transaction records 412. In one
embodiment, the data base logic 410 is a hard disk. The billing
server 400 also includes query logic that retrieves selected
transaction records 412 from the data base logic 410 in response to
a query request provided over bus 402. The billing server also
includes maintenance logic 420 that updates the data base logic 410
with a new transaction record 412 when a new telecommunications
event has occurred. The billing server additionally has a batch
processor 440 that is coupled to the query logic 430. The billing
server furthermore includes an event monitor 450 that is coupled to
the query logic 450 and bus 402. Bus 402 provides communication of
messages and commands between the billing server 400 and a web
server (not shown). In one embodiment, bus 402 is a local area
network (LAN).
[0064] Operationally, transaction details for each new
telecommunication event, as described above, are provided to the
maintenance logic 420 via bus 402. The maintenance logic generates
a new transaction record 412 and causes the record 412 to be stored
in the data base logic 410. The query logic 430 is used to retrieve
selected transaction records from the data base logic 410. A query
is initiated from either a user request provided via the bus 402,
the event monitor 450, or the batch processor 440. In one
embodiment, query parameters are provided in accordance with the
Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) set of standards.
[0065] When a user initiates a query of the data base logic 410 via
a web page interface, the query parameters are received via bus
402. The query logic 430 retrieves selected transaction records 412
that satisfy the query parameters and provides these records 412 to
the web server via bus 402. The web server subsequently inserts the
selected transaction records 412 into a search results web page and
transmits the web page to the user over the data network (not
shown).
[0066] The batch processor 440 automatically generates queries
periodically for the purpose of formal billing. In one embodiment,
formal billing records 414 are also stored within the data base
logic 410 so that simple user requests to view former consolidated
bills can be easily retrieved.
[0067] The event monitor 450 causes specified queries to be
routinely issued to the query logic 420 until a specified condition
is met. An exemplary condition is when a particular dollar, or time
threshold is met, for a particular number that is tracked by the
event monitor 450. When query results detect that the condition is
met, the event monitor 450 then provides an alert message via bus
402 so that a user can be notified via a voicemail message, a fax,
or an email message. The web server then provides the specified
alert to the user. For example, the event monitor 450 may be preset
to allow $75/month of long distance calls to a particular
out-of-state telephone number. When that amount of billing is
reached, the user may preset the event monitor 450 to alert
him/her, and possibly to disable any further long distance for the
month.
[0068] Now referring to FIG. 5, a diagram 500 is presented
illustrating a payment options web page 510 according to the
present invention. Like the web page 210 discussed with reference
to FIG. 2, the payment options web page 510 is provided by the web
server (not shown) over a thin web client interface. The diagram
500 depicts a display 502 provided by the thin web client. The
payment options web page 510 includes a web payment selection radio
button 512. operationally, a user accesses the payment options web
page 510 by providing a universal resource locator (URL) to his/her
web browser as was described earlier. To enable automatic payment
and access to consolidated account information via the internet,
the user is required to select the option specified by the web
payment selection radio button, in addition to completing the
remaining fields shown on the web page 510. The completed web page
510 is transmitted back to the web server and the billing server in
turn updates the account data base to allow the user access to
his/her account data online.
[0069] Now referring to FIG. 6, a diagram 600 is presented
illustrating an account options web page 610 according to the
present invention. The diagram 600 depicts a display 602 provided
by the web browser on a user computer. The account options web page
610 includes a view statement hyperlink 612, a search statement
hyperlink 614, and a monitor/alert hyperlink 616.
[0070] When the account options web page 610 is displayed on the
user computer, the user can select to view a formal billing
statement online by selecting the view statement hyperlink 612. The
user can opt to query his/her account online by selecting the
search statements hyperlink 614. The user can alternatively choose
to specify conditions for monitoring his/her account by selecting
the monitor/alert hyperlink 616.
[0071] Now referring to FIG. 7, a diagram 700 is presented
illustrating a transaction search/monitor web page 710 according to
the present invention. In one embodiment, selecting either the
search statements hyperlink 614 or the monitor/alert hyperlink 616
on the web page 610 presented in FIG. 6 brings the user to this web
page 710. In an alternative embodiment, selecting the monitor/alert
hyperlink 616 directs the user to an alert configuration web page
(not shown). The diagram 700 depicts a display 702 provided by the
web browser on a user computer. The transaction search/monitor web
page 710 allows the user to enter parameters for a query to his/her
account. In the embodiment shown in the diagram 700, the user is
allowed to enter query parameters related to line (i.e., calling
number), number (called number), place (place called), and cost.
Standard structured query language (SQL) operators are provided via
drop down menus on the web page 710. In addition, the user is
allowed to modify a medium for alerts via the event monitor. The
completed web page 710 is then transmitted to the web server for
execution of the prescribed query via the billing server.
[0072] Now referring to FIG. 8, a diagram 800 is presented
illustrating a search results web page 810 according to the present
invention. The diagram 800 depicts a display 802 provided by the
web browser on a user computer. The search results web page 810
includes an account field 812, calling number fields 814, and
transaction record fields 816.
[0073] The billing server returns selected transaction records that
match parameters provides via the transaction search/monitor web
page 710 described above. The selected transaction records are
formatted into the search results web page 810 which is then
transmitted to the user computer over the data network. The search
results web page 810 shown in the diagram 800 indicates that four
transaction records 816 were selected from the transaction data
base that match query parameters. Note that the search results web
page restricts access only to account data, as is indicated via the
account number field 812. Yet, access to billing records for more
than one line is indicated by different entries in the calling
number fields 814. It is also notable that individual transactions
records 816 are distinguishable when the present invention is
employed to view a telecommunications account online. In contrast
to summary level information, the transaction details provided in
accordance with the present invention allow significant analyses to
be performed by a user-without having to wait for a detailed bill
to be sent by mail.
[0074] Now referring to FIG. 9, a flow chart 900 is presented
illustrating a method according to the present invention for
providing online access to near-real-time details and charges
corresponding to a telecommunications account.
[0075] The method begins at block 902 wherein a transaction message
is provided to a network operations center over a data network.
Flow then proceeds to block 904.
[0076] At block 904, the transaction message is received by a web
server in the network operations center. Flow then proceeds to
decision block 906.
[0077] At decision block 906, the transaction message is evaluated
to determine if the transaction message corresponds to a new
telecommunications event that has occurred. If so, then flow
proceeds to block 908. If not, then flow proceeds to decision block
910.
[0078] At block 908, the transaction message describing the new
telecommunications event is provided to a billing server. The
billing server generates a new transaction record for the new
telecommunications event based upon details provided by the new
transaction message. The new transaction record is inserted into a
telecommunications transaction data base in the billing server.
Flow then proceeds to block 920.
[0079] At decision block 910, the transaction message is evaluated
to determine if it is a batch process message. If so, then flow
proceeds to block 912. If not, then flow proceeds to block 914.
[0080] At block 912, the batch process message directs the billing
server to generated periodic billing files for all user accounts.
As a result, a sequence of queries is performed on the data base to
generate bills for each account covering a period prescribed by the
batch process message. Transaction records corresponding to each of
the sequence of queries are used to generate and store billing
information in the data base. Flow then proceeds to block 920.
[0081] At block 914, it is determined by default that the
transaction message is a transaction search message containing
search parameters. The transaction search message has been
generated in response to a user request for information provided
over a data network via a web browser. Consequently, query logic
within the billing server executes a query of the data base in
accordance with the search parameters. Transaction records are
retrieved from the data base that match the search parameters. Flow
then proceeds to block 918.
[0082] At block 918, the retrieved transaction records are
formatted into a query result web page and are transmitted over the
data network to the user. Flow then proceeds to block 920.
[0083] At block 920 the method completes.
[0084] Although the present invention and its objects, features,
and advantages have been described in detail, other embodiments are
encompassed by the invention. The present invention has been
particularly characterized by access to billing records via the
Internet data network. Although the Internet is widely used today
for communication between computers, the present invention is not
dependent upon such capability being provided. The data network
employed to access a billing server according to the present
invention can be embodied as any public or private network
utilizing proprietary or leased communication channel assets.
[0085] In addition, the present invention has been particularly
characterized in terms of specific details that are commonly used
to determine the cost of a telecommunication event such as time,
location, and etc. In addition to such details, the present
invention also comprehends other criteria for charge determination
that may require presence in a transaction record such as the type
of telephonic device employed to execute a particular transaction
event.
[0086] Furthermore, the present invention has been specifically
described with reference to providing online access to transaction
records relating to events that take place over a telephone network
between devices having telephone numbers. Yet, improvements in the
art may soon prove to allow telecommunication events to transpire
between devices having some other form of addressing, such as an IP
address. And the events may occur over a data network rather than
the telephone network. The present invention comprehend such
improvements to the extent that individual transactions can be
distinguished within a billing data base.
[0087] Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can
readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiments as a
basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out
the same purposes of the present invention without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
* * * * *
References