Systems and methods for selecting a billing group in an internet protocol environment

Abstract

A IP telephony service allows customers to form user groups. Each user group can include multiple members, each of whom have their own telephony device. Each user group is assigned a unique group identifier, which can be a telephone number. As a result, a single telephony device belonging to a member of a user group can be associated with its own unique telephone number, and the telephone number of the user group. This also means that a member's telephony device could be associated with multiple different billing accounts. The system allows a user to select which of multiple different billing accounts that are associated with his telephony device are to be billed for outgoing communications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of causing a selected one of a plurality of billing groups to be charged for the costs of an outgoing communication originating from a communications device in an Internet Protocol (IP) environment, the plurality of billing groups being associated with the communications device, comprising:
 receiving input at the communications device, the input indicating which of the plurality of billing groups is to be charged for the costs of an outgoing communication that is to originate from the communications device, wherein the plurality of billing groups correspond to a plurality of originating telephone numbers; and   sending a communication request for the outgoing communication to an IP telephony system that is to handle the outgoing communication, the communication request including information identifying the selected billing group.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication request causes the IP telephony system to bill the selected billing group of the cost of the requested outgoing communication. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving input at the communications device comprises receiving an indication that one of the plurality of billing groups is to be used as a default billing group for the costs of outgoing communications unless an indication is received requesting that a different billing group be charged for the costs of an outgoing communication. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a communication request that includes an originating telephone number that corresponds to the selected billing group. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein receiving input at the communications device further comprises receiving an indication from the user that an alternate billing group associated with the communication device is to be charged for the costs of a particular outgoing communication, and wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a communication request that includes information identifying the alternate billing group. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a communication request that includes an originating telephone number that corresponds to the alternate billing group. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a request to setup an outgoing telephone call, and wherein sending the communication request causes the selected billing group to be charged for the costs of the outgoing telephone call. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a request to send an outgoing SMS message, and wherein sending the communication request causes the selected billing group to be charged for the costs of sending the outgoing SMS message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising causing the user to be presented with a list of billing groups that are associated with the communications device, and wherein receiving input at the communications device comprises receiving the user's selection of one billing group from the list of billing groups. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein causing the user to be presented with a list of billing groups comprises causing a display screen of the communications device to display a list of billing groups associated with the communications device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the communication request also causes a telephone number associated with the selected billing group to appear as the originating telephone number in caller ID information that is sent to the called party. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors of a communications device, cause the communications device to perform a method of causing a selected one of a plurality of billing groups to be charged for the costs of an outgoing communication originating from the communications device in an Internet Protocol (IP) environment, the plurality of billing groups being associated with the communications device, the method comprising:
 receiving input at the communications device, the input indicating which of the plurality of billing groups is to be charged for the costs of an outgoing communication that is to originate from the communications device, wherein the plurality of billing groups correspond to a plurality of originating telephone numbers; and   sending a communication request for the outgoing communication to an IP telephony system that is to handle the outgoing communication, the communication request including information identifying the selected billing group.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the communication request causes the IP telephony system to bill the selected billing group of the cost of the requested outgoing communication. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein receiving input at the communications device comprises receiving an indication that one of the plurality of billing groups is to be used as a default billing group for the costs of outgoing communications unless an indication is received requesting that a different billing group be charged for the costs of an outgoing communication. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a communication request that includes an originating telephone number that corresponds to the selected billing group. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein receiving input at the communications device further comprises receiving an indication from the user that an alternate billing group associated with the communication device is to be charged for the costs of a particular outgoing communication, and wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a communication request that includes information identifying the alternate billing group. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a communication request that includes an originating telephone number that corresponds to the alternate billing group. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a request to setup an outgoing telephone call, and wherein sending the communication request causes the selected billing group to be charged for the costs of the outgoing telephone call. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein sending a communication request comprises sending a request to send an outgoing SMS message, and wherein sending the communication request causes the selected billing group to be charged for the costs of sending the outgoing SMS message. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises causing the user to be presented with a list of billing groups that are associated with the communications device, and wherein receiving input at the communications device comprises receiving the user's selection of one billing group from the list of billing groups. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein causing the user to be presented with a list of billing groups comprises causing a display screen of the communications device to display a list of billing groups associated with the communications device. 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein sending the communication request also causes a telephone number associated with the selected billing group to appear as the originating telephone number in caller ID information that is sent to the called party.