Time balance based prepaid subscriber database and reporting
First Claim
1. A subscriber database in a prepaid system, comprising a subscriber database entry for a plurality of prepaid subscribers, each subscriber database entry comprising:
- an amount of time remaining for subscriber use based on a plurality of replenishments having at least two different rate plans.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A time remaining determination module is implemented in a prepaid service to maintain and/or report subscriber account information based on accurately determined time remaining, even in light of replenishments using differing rate plans and/or dollar values. In particular, the inventive approach utilizes a reporting module which accurately accounts for and determines the total minutes remaining in a subscriber'"'"'s account by accommodating and adjusting for each potentially different rate plan associated with each recharge or replenishment. This enables the service provider not only to accurately report the account balance in terms of time remaining at any convenient time (e.g., during the call process), but also to correctly manage the subscriber account and call duration.
44 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A subscriber database in a prepaid system, comprising a subscriber database entry for a plurality of prepaid subscribers, each subscriber database entry comprising:
an amount of time remaining for subscriber use based on a plurality of replenishments having at least two different rate plans. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
4. A subscriber database in a prepaid system, comprising a subscriber database entry for a plurality of prepaid subscribers, each subscriber database entry consisting of:
-
an amount of time remaining for subscriber use based on a plurality of replenishments having at least two different rate plans;
a value of a rate plan of a latest replenishment; and
an adjusted balance value determined based on said value of said rate plan of said latest replenishment.
-
-
5. A method of maintaining subscriber account balance information in a prepaid system, said method comprising:
-
firstly recording a first replenishment of said subscriber account having a first rate;
secondly recording a second replenishment of said subscriber account having a second rate; and
revising a total dollar amount of said subscriber account including at least a portion of a dollar value of said first replenishment together with a dollar value of said second replenishment both based on said second rate. - View Dependent Claims (6)
-
-
7. Apparatus for maintaining subscriber account balance information in a prepaid system, comprising:
-
means for firstly recording a first replenishment of said subscriber account having a first rate;
means for secondly recording a second replenishment of said subscriber account having a second rate; and
means for revising a total dollar amount of said subscriber account including at least a portion of a dollar value of said first replenishment together with a dollar value of said second replenishment both based on said second rate. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
Specification