Prepaid short messaging

• US 20020029189A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Titus, Mark, Ung, Dara, Hronek, Daniel, Wallace, Erik, Geil, Phillip, Johnson, Carle S. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,428,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8207 Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7813 : Time based data, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 : Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 : Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13134 : Coin boxes, payphone, prepaid
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 : Store & forward, messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 : Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A prepaid messaging solution which uses open networking standards (e.g., TCP/IP) and which supports pre-payment of enhanced Internet messaging services. The disclosed prepaid architectures and methods accurately determine if a subscriber has sufficient account balance to deliver a complete short message, prior to delivery of the message. The short message may be prevented from being delivered (either at the source end or at the destination end) if insufficient funds are in the subscriber'"'"'s account. A prepaid tariff engine is preferably extensible over a TCP/IP network, and supports remote interaction with the SMSC and web chat servers for the purpose of applying a real-time billing charge for each message. A service provider may create subscriber classes of service that define and uniquely identify subscriber rate and/or tariffing plans used to apply real-time billing charges for sending or receiving of messages. The prepaid short message tariff engine determines the appropriate message billing based upon, e.g., flat rate per message, message count (e.g., 10 messages @ $ 5.00), character count (e.g., $0.01/char.), Time of Day, Day of Week (i.e., peak & non-peak hours), type of message, and/or mobile location (i.e., network point code). The prepaid short messaging service preferably supports Internet web page access to subscriber'"'"'s relating to their short messaging account balances and status maintained in the prepaid short messaging database of the prepaid messaging server.

Claims

1. A method of handling a prepaid short messaging service, comprising:

tariffing a short message before transmission;

querying an account database to determine if an account corresponding to an addressed party of said short message has sufficient funds to pay for transmission of said short message; and

if said account has sufficient funds, transmitting said short message.

2. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

debiting said account prior to transmission of said short message.

3. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending an unsuccessful message to said addressed party to notify them of the non-transmission of said short message due to insufficient funds indicated in said account.

4. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, wherein:

said addressed party is a sender of said short message.

5. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, wherein:

said addressed party is a recipient of said short message.

6. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said short message from a subscriber.

7. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said short message from a mobile servicing center.

8. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, wherein:

said tariffing is based on a flat rate per short message.

9. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, wherein:

said tariffing is based on a rate per length of said short message.

10. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, wherein:

said tariffing implements peak and non-peak times, and asserts higher fees for transmissions during peak times.

11. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, wherein:

said tariffing utilizes different rates for different message types.

12. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 11, wherein said different message types include at least one of the following:

mobile terminated messages;

mobile originated messages; and

IRC messages.

13. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

preventing message delivery if said account does not have sufficient funds.

14. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically transmitting a short message to a subscriber regarding an insufficient balance in said account.

15. The method of handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 14, wherein:

said automatic short message transmission is performed periodically.

17. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for debiting said account prior to transmission of said short message.

18. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for sending an unsuccessful message to said addressed party to notify them of the non-transmission of said short message due to insufficient funds indicated in said account.

19. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, wherein:

said addressed party is a sender of said short message.

20. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, wherein:

said addressed party is a recipient of said short message.

21. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving said short message from a subscriber.

22. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving said short message from a mobile servicing center.

23. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, wherein:

said means for tariffing prices said short messages based on a flat rate per short message.

24. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, wherein:

said means for tariffing prices said short messages based on a rate per length of said short message.

25. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, wherein:

said means for tariffing implements peak and non-peak times, and asserts higher fees for transmissions during peak times.

26. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, wherein:

said means for tariffing utilizes different rates for different message types.

27. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 26, wherein said different message types include at least one of the following:

mobile terminated messages;

mobile originated messages; and

IRC messages.

28. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for preventing message delivery if said account does not have sufficient funds.

29. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for automatically transmitting a short message to a subscriber regarding an insufficient balance in said account.

30. The apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service according to claim 29, wherein:

said means for automatically transmitting said short message periodically transmits said short message.

16. Apparatus for handling a prepaid short messaging service, comprising:

means for tariffing a short message before transmission;

means for querying an account database to determine if an account corresponding to said addressed party of said short message has sufficient funds to pay for transmission of said short message; and

means for transmitting said short message if said account has sufficient funds.