Patent · US Expired

Billing system

US5287270A · kind A · utility

172Cited by
4References
85Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 2, 1992
Grant dateFeb 15, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 2, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2215/0188
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Telecommunications or similar bills are prepared on diskette in an optimal format for further processing, display, and analysis on popularly-available, inexpensive personal computers. A telecommunications carrier provides, for participating customers, appropriately selected billing records at the stage in the carrier's ordinary billing process after the carrier has completed all billing activities except actually printing a paper bill. This ensures that the information ultimately supplied on diskette will exactly correspond to that on the paper bill. In a first step, preferably performed on a large computer, the records are sorted, edited and reformatted into an optimal organization for further processing on a personal computer. In addition, a variety of preprocessed summary reports and graphs are prepared for rapid retrieval on the customer's computer. In a second step, preferably performed on a network of smaller computers, the reorganized records and summary reports for each customer are separated, compressed, and recorded on diskettes compatible with each customer's personal computer. A user application program on the customer's computer displays and analyzes the billing inform…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.