Long distance service bureau
US5878122A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 7, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 7, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2213/13405
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A long distance service bureau assists subscribers in selecting a long distance carrier for a long distance, or tariff, call. The long distance service bureau includes a rate table memory and a service logic element. The rate table memory stores rate data, representing tolls charged by various long distance carriers, and subscriber preference data, representing a subscriber's preferences for certain ones of the various long distance carriers. The service logic element controls the rate table memory. The service logic element periodically communicates with the various long distance carriers to retrieve rate data changes, stores the rate data changes in the rate table memory, and downloads only the rate data changes to local equipment of the subscriber during idle periods of the subscriber's local equipment.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.