At&t Bell Laboratories

Reuben D Hauptman

Pamela J Lauber

Percy B Brown

Thomas L Russell, Jr

Richard E LeCronier

Wen-Ping Ying

Nga V Chau

Elliott Baral

Barbara J Kittredge

Frank C LaPorta

David D Kaufman

Richard J Jaeger, Jr

Randall H Nelson

Patricia Lindblad

A call billing method and apparatus establishes an ISDN connection between the network and a called location which enables the called location to specify call billing information to the network, via the ISDN connection, on a call-by-call basis. The method provides the called party real time access to network rate tables to specify call billing parameters needed to generate a separate billing record for each call made to the called location. Other features enable the caller or called location to provide various types of information for call billing purposes.

Method and apparatus for the billing of value-added communications calls

This invention relates to arrangements for providing a new spontaneous voice message service to any telephone customer at any telephone station when that customer encounters any destination that is busy or that does not answer. When a customer having a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) station calls any destination that is busy or does not answer, the customer is invited, via an announcement identifying the new service, to record the caller's voice message. The announcement accompanies the returned busy tone or audible ring signal. The customer keys *867(=*VMS) and is then connected to a Voice Message Operations Center (VMOC) which prompts the customer to record the message. Advantageously, customers need not redial a VMOC number, their own number, and a destination number to reach a VMOC for storing the video message; the added convenience of this arrangement should stimulate substantial additional use of voice message service. The announcement, at very low cost, makes the customers aware of the service at the time they are most likely to use the service.

Spontaneous voice and data messaging

Growing community of inventors

Marlboro, NJ, United States of America

Reuben D Hauptman