WO1994011984A1

WO1994011984A1 - Subscriber account in a telecommunications system

Info

Publication number: WO1994011984A1
Application number: PCT/SE1993/000977
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christer Palmgren
Original assignee: Ab Nordictel
Priority date: 1992-11-17
Filing date: 1993-11-16
Publication date: 1994-05-26
Also published as: SE470080B; AU5581094A; SE9203444D0; SE9203444L; SE470080C

Abstract

A telecommunications system is disclosed, in which a subscriber is allocated a subscriber's account, to which the costs for telecommunication services used, such as telephone calls, telefax transmission and data communication, are charged. The subscriber is also allocated at least one sub-account, to which the costs for separate telecommunication services used are charged by order of the subscriber. Means (3, 4, 5) are arranged for providing the subscriber with an invoice (10) having a separate entry (SUM, 770, 771, 772) for each account.

Description

SUBSCRIBER ACCOUNT IN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

This invention relates to a telecommunications syste in which a subscriber is allocated a subscriber's account to which are charged the costs for telecommunication ser¬ vices used, such as telephone calls, telefax transmission and data communication.

Conventional telecommunications systems are run by a least one operator company offering their customers vario chargeable telecommunication services as well as suitable equipment therefor. Regular customers become subscribers and receive, e.g. on a monthly or quarterly basis, an invoice stating the costs for the telecommunication services used by the subscriber, generally as a lump sum. In many professions, the telecommunication services are used by the subscriber not only for his own private ends, but also on behalf of others. A typical example is the consultant who, on behalf of his clients, often has t make lengthy and expensive telephone calls. It is only reasonable that the consultant should be compensated by his client also for the actual costs of these calls, and not only for the time spent on making them. However, sinc there has not existed, till now, any easy way for the sub scriber to keep a check on the costs for different calls, these have generally been omitted from the client's invoice or the client has been charged with an estimated cost or a fixed call fee.

In an effort to obviate this inconvenience, the ope¬ rator companies have hitherto offered the subscribers various aids, primarily call metres, which the subscriber has to read off when making a call, the cost of which is to be recorded separately. Also, the operator companies have provided itemised invoices stating each and every call (i.e. the called number) in chronological order, as well as the cost of each call. However, these solutions are inconvenient in that th subscriber has to take down and keep a careful check on a great number of data in order to add together the costs f the separate calls at a later stage when invoicing his clients, either on the basis of the costs he has himself read off the call metre or on the basis of the itemised invoice he has received from the operator company, togeth with notes on the numbers called.

The object of the invention is to remedy the above inconvenience and provide a telecommunications system min mising the work the subscriber has to put into recording the costs for certain telecommunication services used and adding together the costs for several such services relat ing to the same client. According to the invention, this object is achieved by a telecommunications system which is of the type state by way of introduction and in which the subscriber is fur ther allocated at least one sub-account, to which the costs for separate telecommunication services used are charged by order of the subscriber, and in which means ar arranged for providing the subscriber with an invoice hav ing a separate entry for each account.

Preferably, the subscriber is allocated, for each sub-account, a special code which is to be entered when, preferably before, use is made of a telecommunication service, the cost of which should be charged to the sub- account.

One embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying draw ing, which schematically illustrates parts of a telecommu¬ nications system.

The illustrated telecommunications system, which is run by an operator company but which may be connected also to the telecommunications systems of other operator companies, includes a great number of telecommunication sets, of which but one telephone 1 is shown. The telephone 1 enters into communication with other telephones via at least one switching centre 2 connected to a computer unit 3 which may comprise several computers. The computer unit 3 has access to a subscriber register 4 where the operato company stores all necessary information about its sub- scribers, and to a printer 5 for printing out invoices 10 to the subscribers.

When a subscriber wishes to make an ordinary call, he dials the number on his telephone 1, and a speech connec¬ tion is established by means of the switching centre 2 and the computer unit 3. Also, the computer unit 3 identifies the subscriber telephone 1 and searches out, in the sub¬ scriber register 4, the subscriber's account to which the cost of the call is to be charged. When the invoices are to be sent, e.g. quarterly, the subscriber's account is emptied, and the sum SUM accumulated on the account is printed, together with other subscriber data from the register 4, such as the subscriber's address, on an invoice 10 by the printer 5.

If the subscriber wishes to divide the sum SUM into a number of sub-totals, e.g. for a better invoicing documen¬ tation, the operator company also opens in the register 4 a desired number of sub-accounts to the subscriber's main account. In addition, each sub-account is given a special code, by means of which the subscriber can address the sub-account.

Three sub-accounts, which can be addressed by means of the codes 770-772, are schematically indicated in the drawing. If the subscriber wishes to charge the cost of a telephone call to, say, the sub-account having the code 770 and being used, by the subscriber, for calls on behalf of a client X, the subscriber quite simply enters the code 770 before dialling the telephone number. The computer unit 3 then ensures that the cost of the call is charged to the sub-account, where it is added to previous call costs, if any. Furthermore, the cost of the call may then also be charged to the subscriber's account or added to a total, if the subscriber's account is to be shown separa¬ tely.

When the invoices are to be sent, e.g. quarterly as mentioned above, the accumulated sums of all the sub- accounts are printed out by means of the printer 5, usin the associated codes 770-772. The subscriber merely has t note or remember the code of each client. Thus, the sub¬ scriber no longer needs to concern himself with reading off call metres, putting down dates and adding together the costs of different calls.

The advantages of this arrangement are the most evi¬ dent in mobile communication systems, in which the costs for the calls are relatively high and the opportunities t make notes often are limited. However, it will be appre- ciated that the invention is extremely useful also in other contexts, since it facilitates quite considerably the recording of call costs, and thus may make it profit¬ able for a subscriber to enter on his own invoices also minor costs for calls made. It goes without saying that the invention is by no means restricted to the embodiment described above, which merely concerns the registration of costs for telephone calls, but can also be used for separate registration of costs for other telecommunication services, such as tele- fax transmission and data communication, as mentioned by way of introduction. Moreover, the invention can be used not only within the telecommunications system of a single operator company, but also in the case of e.g. two opera¬ tor companies cooperating in the mobile communication area, where the subscriber can enter the mobile communica tion network of the other company.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system in which a subscriber is allocated a subscriber's account, to which are charged the costs for telecommunication services used, such as telephone calls, telefax transmission and data communica¬ tion, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the subscriber is further allocated at least one sub-account, to which the costs for separate telecommunication services used are charged by order of the subscriber, and that means (3, 4, 5) are arranged for providing the subscriber with an invoice (10) having a separate entry (SUM, 770, 771, 772) for each account.

2. A telecommunications system as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in- that the subscriber, for each sub-account, is allocated a special order code (770, 771, 772) which is to be entered when using such a tele¬ communication service, the cost of which should be charged to the sub-account.

3. A telecommunications system as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the subscriber, for each sub-account, is allocated a special order code (770, 771, 772) which is to be entered before using such a tele- communication service, the cost of which should be charged to the sub-account.