Method and system for prepaid communications credit

• US 20030086544A1
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John, Rauba, Rimas, Myers, Jerome Wendell
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• 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 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/79 Virtual purses
• 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 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• 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 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 : Account specifications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless

Abstract

A method and system for prepaying credits to a user account for communications services provided. If a system detects a predefined condition associated with a communications connection, the system deducts the cost of the communications connection from the credit in the user account. The predefined condition includes the origination of the communications connection from one of a plurality of predefined sources. Software for implementing the method may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on the user'"'"'s telephone.

Claims

1. A method for prepaid communications, comprising:

crediting a user account with prepaid credit;

detecting a predefined condition associated with a communications connection and deducting the cost of the communications connection from the user account,

wherein the predefined condition comprises origination of the communications connection from one of a plurality of predefined sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection comprises a phone call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection comprises a digital subscription line (“

DSL”

).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection comprises an Ethernet connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined condition further comprises a destination number of the communications connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined condition further comprises an access code.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a user of the amount of the prepaid credit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined condition further comprises a determination that the communications connection is a long distance call.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising bypassing toll restrictions if a bypass code is received.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting a code number to access the user account.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the communications connection if the predefined condition is not met.

12. A method for prepaid wireline, comprising:

crediting a first user account with a first prepaid credit amount, wherein the first user account comprises a first access code;

crediting a second user account with a second prepaid credit amount, wherein the second user account comprises a second access code;

receiving a proffered code and an origination of a communications connection;

if the origination of the call is a predefined source and the proffered code comprising the first access code, deducting the cost of the communications connection from the first prepaid credit amount; and

if the origination of the communications connection is the predefined source and the code comprising the second access code, deducting the cost of the communications connection from the second prepaid credit amount.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising bypassing toll restrictions if a bypass code is received.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising deducting the cost of the communications connection from at least one of the first user account or second user account if the communications connection is long distance.

15. A computer readable medium for prepaid communications, comprising:

a first set of instructions for crediting a user account with prepaid credit associated therewith;

a second set of instructions for deducting the cost of a communications connection from the credit in the user account if a predefined condition associated with the communications connection is detected; and

wherein the predefined condition comprises the origination of the communications connection originating from a predefined source.

16. A computer readable medium for prepaid communications, comprising:

a first set of instructions for crediting a first user account with a first prepaid credit amount, wherein the first user account includes a first access code;

a second set of instructions for a second set of instructions for crediting a second user account with a second prepaid credit amount, wherein the second user account includes a second access code;

a third set of instructions for detecting a code and origination of a communications connection;

a fourth set of instructions for deducting the cost of the communications connection from the first prepaid credit amount if the origination line of a phone call is a predefined source; and

a fifth set of instructions for deducting the cost of the communications connection from the second prepaid credit amount if the origination of a call is the predefined source and the code is the second access code.