At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Thomas A Dunn

Thomas Michael Bauer

Mark C Pollman

Richard D Nafziger

Christina M Gurke

John W Hopkins

Gerhard Buhler

Michael W Funk

Ross M Richardson

Stephen M Kocan

Chun P Tam

Brenda B Amarant

Gerald Kersus

Donald E Levy

Lily Mui

Kari O'Connell

Ilane L Mathews

Erik N Breden

Thomas C Sharpe

Howard J Geiger

An operator service terminal system connected to a telephone system switch retains the identifications of calling subscribers. Each operator terminal includes memory for storing at least one more subscriber identification than the number of loops served by that terminal. Once an operator services a call, it is not necessary to signal the telephone system switch to identify the caller if the identification is still in memory. In emergency situations, if a call is terminated before a caller can convey the location of the emergency, the calling party identification information can be used to call the caller back or can be relayed to emergency personnel for appropriate action.

Method and system for processing emergency service calls

A system for preventing fraudulent calling activity in a telecommunications network when an Automatic Number Identification failure (ANIF) occurs at a switch attempting to process a call within the network. When an ANIF occurs, an operator obtains information equivalent to an Automatic Number Identification (ANI) from the calling party and the system determines whether the call is of a type that would not have been restricted had the ANIF not occurred. If the call would not otherwise have been restricted had the ANIF not occurred, the system automatically assigns a blanket billing restriction to the call which only allows specific call types (such as what are deemed the safer alternate billing methods of collect or credit card) and blocks other restricted call types.

Fraud control system for processing calls with an automatic number

A system for completing air-to-ground telephone calls is arranged so that a call originating from an aircraft is received in a ground station and directed to a special purpose platform disposed in the land-based telecommunications network. The platform, which may be implemented as an interactive voice response system, includes the capability to interact with the caller by (a) collecting billing information, which may be a commercial credit card or a telephone calling card, or other billing mechanism which can be initiated by a request for connection to a telephone operator; (b) validating credit cards and telephone calling cards by initiating a query and receiving a response from elements in the telecommunications network or from an external database; (c) providing auxiliary features such as block calling, free calls, speed dialing, sequence calling, etc.; and (d) depending upon the type of call involved, completing the call as either a traditional 1+long distance call, or as a 0+(e.g., operator assisted) call. After completion of each call, an automated message accounting (AMA) billing record is created and transmitted to the network, for bill processing.

System for completing air-to-ground telephone calls

This invention relates to the application of an audible logo to a telecommunications call, for identifying the common carrier serving that call. A call is received in an operator assistance system. After applying a calling card prompt tone and prior to connecting the call to an operator position or receiving further digits such as those for a calling card number, the operator assistance system connects an audible logo, identifying a common carrier, to the call. Advantageously, a telephone customer receives the information necessary to identify whether his/her preferred common carrier is going to be used on this call at a sufficiently early time to make it convenient to disconnect and reoriginate. This information is particularly important for calls originated away from home or office, calls that are likely to be operator assistance (0 or 0+ directory number) calls. Subsequently, the operator assistance call is processed as in the prior art. Advantageously, this arrangement identifies the common carrier on the calls where this identification is most needed without adding holding time to all direct dialed station toll calls.

Audible logo for identifying a common carrier

This invention relates to the application of an audible logo to a telecommunications call, for identifying the common carrier serving that call. A call is received in an operator assistance system. After applying a calling card prompt tone and prior to connecting the call to an operator position or receiving further digits such as those for a calling card number, the operator assistance system connects an audible logo, identifying a common carrier, to the call. Advantageously, a telephone customer receives the information necessary to identify whether his/her preferred common carrier is going to be used on this call at a sufficiently early time to make it convenient to disconnect and reoriginate. This information is particularly important for calls originated away from home or office, calls that are likely to be operator assistance 0 or 0+ directory number) calls. Subsequently, the operator assistance call is processed as in the prior art. Advantageously, this arrangement identifies the common carrier on the calls where this identification is most needed without adding holding time to all direct dialed station toll calls.

Apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a non-presubscription subaccount billing service utilized by customers on a 'per call' or 'as needed' basis. A calling customer initiates the service by dialing '0' plus the directory number of the called line. The local office serving the calling line recognizes the call as an operator-designated call and forwards the call along with the identification number of the calling line and the directory number of the called line to an operator system. The operator system prompts the calling line to enter additional call information. The calling customer enters a service activation code such as '15' and a two-digit subaccount billing number assigned by the customer. Receiving the service activation code and the subaccount billing number, the operator system activates the service by setting a subaccount billing indicator in an automatic message accounting record and extends the call to the called line. Upon completion of the call, the operator system includes the connect time, elapsed time, calling line identification number, called line directory number, and subaccount billing number for the call into the AMA record. The record along with others is forwarded to a revenue accounting office where a billing system sorts the AMA records by subaccount billing numbers and prepares a billing statement with the details of each call listed for each subaccount billing number assigned by the customer.

Communication services method and apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Edison, NJ, United States of America

Thomas A Dunn