Importance

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Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing a billing record for a special service telecommunications call such as a call over a software defined network or a direct service dialing capability call. These calls are characterized by the fact that in order to properly route and bill such calls, remote shared data bases must be consulted to obtain the necessary information, much of which is recorded in the billing record in order to properly charge the customer and to give that customer information about its calls. Special billing information for these special service calls is accumulated in an enhanced billing register capable of storing the special billing information for these special service calls. After timing for two seconds following the receipt of an answer for the call, all the accumulated billing information is transmitted to a separate processor, one of whose functions is the preparation and formatting of billing records. This processor retains the received billing information for the call until a disconnect is received for the call. After the second processor has received the disconnect indication, it prepares a billing record for the call and transfers this billing record either to secondary storage or transmits this information to a remote billing center. Advantageously, by reducing the number of transfers of data between the call control processor and the second processor, a large amount of real time can be saved for the call control processor, thus, substantially increasing the total call handling capacity of the call control processor in a system which handles a large fraction of special service calls.

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First Claim