Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for calculating charges for telephone calls in real time. The operator assistance switch connected to an originating telephone customer recognizes that a call is one which requires an immediate calculation of charges. Such calls include coin calls, calls from certain types of hotel/motel private branch exchanges, calls from customers who wish to be notified as to the amount of the charge for the call they are about to place, and calls from customers requesting a rate for a call to a particular destination. The operator assistance switch generates a message including the originating and terminating directory numbers and the type of the call. The message is sent to a shared rating system which uses the parameters sent in the message to calculate charges. The shared rating system then sends a message, including the calculated charges, back to the operator assistance switch. The customer, or the hotel/motel private branch exchange, is then notified of the amount of the charges. Advantageously, such an arrangement permits changes in the data used for calculating charges to be implemented easily and quickly because of the small number of shared rating systems whose tubular data must be updated. Advantageously, changes in charging algorithms can be made independently of other program changes in operator assistance switches and can be made in one place for a number of different types of operator assistance switches.

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First Claim