Controlling setup or continuation of a call charged from a pre-paid group account

• US 20020106064A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fintegraph, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haakana, Pirjo, Bekkevold, Jesper Edelbo
• Granted Patent: US 6,741,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• 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 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users

Abstract

In a prepaid group service, a number of subscribers belonging to a group share one common prepaid group account. In order to minimize the risk of an improper call release, an undercut of the prepaid group account is determined (305) on the basis of at least one parameter; and the undercut is used when deciding (309) if a call, charged from the prepaid group account, can be set up or continued when there is at least another ongoing call which is charged from the prepaid group account.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the setup or continuation of a call charged from a prepaid group account having a preset minimum balance, characterized by the method comprising the steps of:

determining (205, 305, 405), on the basis of at least one parameter, an undercut of the minimum balance for the prepaid group account; and

using the undercut when deciding (210, 309, 411) if a call, charged from the prepaid group account, can be set up or continued when there is at least another ongoing call which is charged from the prepaid group account.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized by the method further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a current credit indicating the maximum amount of money in the prepaid group account;

reserving a portion from the current credit for each call;

maintaining a reserved credit indicating the sum of reserved portions;

calculating a temporary balance by deducting the reserved credit from the current credit;

comparing (210, 309, 411) the temporary balance with the undercut when deciding if a call can be set up or continued when there is at least another ongoing call which is charged from the prepaid group account; and

allowing (206, 306, 408) the setup or continuation if the temporary balance exceeds the undercut.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the method further comprising the steps of:

increasing the undercut in response to an allowed call setup; and

decreasing the undercut in response to the release of a call charged from the prepaid group account.

4. A network node (SCP), responsible for controlling the setup or continuation of a call charged from a prepaid group account having a preset minimum balance, and arranged to have access to group-specific information, characterized in that the network node (SCP) is arranged

to determine, on the basis of at least one parameter defined in the group-specific information, an undercut (L) of the minimum balance for the prepaid group account;

and

to use the undercut when deciding if a call, charged from the pre-paid group account, can be set up or continued when there is at least another ongoing call which is charged from the prepaid group account.

5. A network node (SCP) according to claim 4, characterized in that the network node

comprises a memory (M) for storing a memory address of the undercut (L) indicated by the parameter, and

is arranged to obtain the undercut (L) when making said decision.

6. A network node (SCP) according to claim 4, characterized in that network node

comprises a memory (M) for storing the undercut (L) indicated by the parameter, and

is arranged to store the undercut (L) in the memory (M) after the undercut (L) has been determined, and to use the stored undercut (L) when making said decision.