Enhanced communication platform and related communication method using the platform

• US 20040077334A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Upaid Systems, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Upaid Systems, Ltd.
• Inventors: Bonajiri, Sivaramayya, Gupta, Prafulla C., Mambakkam, Ramkumar Kachapeswaran, Ravi, S.D.V., G., Amba Prasad, Jampana, Varma Laxmi Jagannadha Siva Kumar, Gupta, Richa, Undavalli, Prasad, Nallagonda, Bhanumurthy, Alla, Rajesh, Joyce, Simon James, Kaushal, Alok, Govind, Raghuram, Raju, Janaki Rama, Ray, Biswajit Sundar, Reddy, Ashok K., Rao, K. Veerabhadra, Nallajerla, Kondal Rao, Velpuri, Surya Sekhar, Sistla, Krishna Mohan, Ayyala, Sree Ram Murthy, Vaidya, Manohar S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1025 Identification of user by a PIN code
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 : involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 : Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 : characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 : Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 : Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 : Account details or usage
• 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 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 : Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 : Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 : Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 : Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 : Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 : PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 : Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 : Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13134 : Coin boxes, payphone, prepaid
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 : Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13152 : Callback
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 : Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13274 : Call rejection, call barring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1332 : Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13331 : Abbreviated dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1334 : Configuration within the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13372 : Intercepting operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 : Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/108 : Source integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 : Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method of providing pre-authorized communication services and/or transactions via a plurality of networks, including accepting and processing a request from a user to provide at least one of a communication service, a transaction and user account information via a plurality of networks of different types, verifying that the user is authorized to receive the at least one of the communication service, the transaction, and the user account information, and that an account associated with the user has a sufficient amount currently available for payment of the at least one of the communication service and the transaction and charging, in real time, an authorized account associated with the user as the at least one of the communication service and the transaction is provided.

Claims

1. A method of crediting an account of a user having an account, comprising:

sending a request message to the user at a receiver that the account needs additional funds;

receiving a response message from the user using the receiver requesting additional funds be added to the account in accordance with the request message;

authenticating at a platform, using a password and a number unique to the user, that the user is associated with the account and identifying another account from which the additional funds are to be drawn; and

if the user is associated with the account, obtaining the additional funds from the another account to be added to the account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a wireless phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the response message includes receiving in the response message another number that is usable to obtain the additional funds from the another account.

4. The method of claim 3, authenticating at the platform, using the password, the number unique to the user, and the another number, that the user is associated with the account and identifying the another account from which the additional funds are to be drawn.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing an identification of the user using the password and the number unique to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the request message comprises sending the request message to the user at the receiver according to a stored record identifying the receiver associated with the user.

7. A method of crediting an account of a user having an account, comprising:

sending a request message to the user at a receiver that the account needs additional funds;

receiving a response message from the user sent from the receiver and including a number associated with the user;

according to the number associated with the user, sending a request from a first platform to a second platform to obtain the additional funds from another account associated with the user and disposed on the second platform; and

receiving the additional funds obtained from the another account to be added to the account disposed on a platform other than the second platform.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising authenticating at the first platform that the user is associated with the account, wherein the sending the request from the first platform to the second platform occurs if it is authenticated that the user is associated with the account.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising establishing at the first platform an identification number associated with the user, wherein the authenticating the user comprises authenticating the user using the established identification number.

10. A method of crediting an account of a user having an account, comprising:

receiving at a first platform an identification number and a password using a receiver;

authenticating the user at the first platform using the identification number and the password;

sending a message to the user at the receiver indicating that the account needs additional funds;

if the user is authenticated and if the user has responded to a message indicating that the account needs additional funds, determining another account on another platform from which the additional funds are to be obtained to be included in the account; and

adding the additional funds from the determined another account to the account.

11. A system for use in crediting a crediting an account of a user using another account not on the system, the system comprising:

a storage device including a first user account;

a first platform unit which receives a first unique number from a user sent from a receiver disposed outside of the system, sends the first unique number to a second platform unit for use in verification of the user, establishes a connection with the user at the receiver to provide a request message indicating that a first user account associated with the user has an amount below a predetermined value, and receives a response message from the user in response to the request message and including a second unique number for use in adding an amount to the first user account; and

a second platform unit which receives the first unique number to authenticate that the user is associated with the user account,

wherein if the second platform unit authenticates the user using the first unique number and the first platform unit receives the second unique number in the response message, one of the first and second platform units sends;

a replenishment message outside of the system to another account associated with the user and disposed on a platform external to the system, and

receives a replenishment amount from the another account that is added to the first user account.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one of the first and second platform units further determines, using the received first and/or second unique numbers, the another account from which the replenishment amount is to be received.

13. A platform which changes amounts in accounts associated with users, the platform comprising:

an interface that receives, from a plurality of external networks of different types, a requesting message from a user at a receiver disposed outside of the platform requesting an increase in an amount stored in an account associated with the user;

a verification module that authenticates that the user is associated with the account so as to allow an increase or a decrease in the amount in the account; and

a processor that, if the user is authenticated as being associated with the account, determines another account associated with the user according to the requesting message, sends a top up request outside of the platform to the determined another account to obtain an additional amount to top up the account, and, if the additional amount is received from the another account, allows topping up the account using the additional amount,

wherein

the platform is outside of the plurality of external networks of different types, and

the account being topped up is stored on a billing platform other than another platform on which the another account is stored.

14. The platform of claim 13, wherein the verification module uses a password sent from the user at the receiver to verify that the user is associated with the account.

15. A platform which provides communication services and changes amounts in accounts associated with users, the platform comprising:

an interface through which a top up message and a requesting message are transmitted with respect to a user using a receiver disposed outside of the platform;

a storage unit which stores an account value associated with the user; and

a processor which performs billing of the account associated with the user for a communication service and/or transaction provided to the user, determines if the account has an amount below a predetermined amount, establishes a connection to the receiver to send the requesting message to the user at the receiver to request top up of the account such that the amount in the account is at or above the predetermined level, and receives the response message from the user requesting top up of the account,

wherein

if the user is authenticated as being associated with the account, the platform receives an additional amount from an another account associated with the user in accordance with the requesting message and tops up the account using the additional amount, and

the another account is stored on a platform other than the platform having the storage unit.

16. The platform of claim 15, wherein the processor further receives from the user a password unique to the user for use in verification, and provides the received password to a verification module for use in authenticated that the user is associated with the account.