Real-time interconnect billing system and method of use

Abstract

A system and method of real-time interconnect billing to facilitate invoicing and reconciliation between interconnected communication and service providers. The fully customizable, scalable, and network-based system rates and monitors costs, incorporates agreements between interconnected providers, invoices, bills, and reconciles to establish an accurate and cost-effective accounting of provider revenues and costs. The system is able to communicate with devices, networks, and interconnect providers to obtain, provide and exchange billing information and payments. The system updates subscriber accounts and alerts the home provider, subscribers, interconnect providers and users of these updates.

Description

[0001] This application is related to Applicants' copending U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 10 / 850,561 of G. V. Kumar and G. V. R. Nagaraju, titled “System for A Wireless Intelligent Services Engine” filed May 21, 2004, Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 10 / 996,072 of G. V. Kumar and S. Mohan Kumar, titled “Method and System for Accessing Wireless Networks” filed Nov. 24, 2004, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 533,148 of G. V. Kumar and S. Mohan Kumar titled “Realtime Interconnect Billing System and Method of Use” filed Dec. 31, 2003, and is a division of and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from U.S. Ser. No. 11 / 024,972, filed Dec. 30, 2004, which is a nonprovisional application of 60 / 533,148 filed Dec. 31, 2003. The entirety of these patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a method and system for a networ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] In one embodiment, the system is useful and applicable to multiple phases of the interconnection (also referred to herein as the “lifecycle of interconnect billing”), including the incorporation of the initial business agreement, management of the business agreement, rating, invoicing, payments and reconciliation thereof The system enables real-time interconnect billing, accurate invoicing and reconciliation according to one embodiment of the invention. The system allows providers to avoid or reduce accounting expenses and commitment resulting from accounting inefficiencies, thereby providing providers using the system economic leverage and financial advantages.

Problems solved by technology

However, the home CCN provider can only engage in end-to-end processing when the service request is placed and ranges entirely within the home CCN or the services provided by the home CCN.

It is possible, however, that the subscriber cannot access the home CCN, for example, in the following circumstances: when the subscriber operates the communication device outside the home CCN area, when the home CCN is out of service, when the home CCN communication signal strength is less than that of other CCNs, or when the home CCN is otherwise unavailable.

Due to the generally limited range of home CCNs, the scope of services provided by the home CCN provider would inevitably be limited if subscribers were only able to access the services of the home CCN.

Conventional roaming technology, however, includes certain drawbacks that prevent seamless and comprehensive interconnection, thereby limiting the applicability of roaming CCNs, the usage of roaming CCNs by subscribers, and, in turn, the profitability of the home CCN provider.

Generally, roaming technology has been limited to allowing roaming subscribers to place telephone calls on roaming CCNs.

Interconnection between CCN providers, however, often exceeds the demands of simply facilitating telephone calls.

Interconnection in the communication technology industry has seen increasing complexity with regard to inter-CCN provider agreements, data exchange and invoicing processes.

Consequently, mismanagement of interconnect charges and related billing may lead to significant detriments, such as lost revenue and increased costs, resulting in the provider being unable to account for such incurred or generated charges.

For instance, providers operate on inflexible billing systems which often produce inaccurate invoices, resulting in significant loss of revenue.

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