Prepaid telecommunication system

• US 20040098310A1
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Engelhart, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/26 with real-time recharging of account/card, e.g. if limit is reached during connection user is asked if he wants to recharge or not
• 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 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• 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 2215/7833 : Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 : Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A device communicates with a telecom system to establish a call or data session. The communication includes an identifier used by the telecom system to obtain account information and/or preauthorization from a fund guardian. The fund guardian maintains account information about the device and/or subscriber associated with the identifier. A fund guardian authorizes a call access cost or data session access cost. The telecom system facilitates the call or data session between the device and a destination address until the authorized access costs are expired. A reauthorization can occur prior to expiration. An access rate negotiation may also include a bandwidth negotiation.

Claims

1. A method of user payment in a telecommunication system, comprising:

in response to a user request to use a device on the telecommunication system, sending to a fund guardian network node, a payment amount needed to satisfy the user'"'"'s use of the device;

receiving from the fund guardian, an authorization indicating sufficient funds are available to satisfy the payment amount; and

based on the authorization from the fund guardian, authorizing the user to use the device on the telecommunication system.

2. The method of claim 1, further including tracking an amount of time the user uses the device on the telecommunication system and terminating the use if the authorized payment amount is expended.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a wireless mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 2, further including alerting the user that the authorized payment amount is nearly expended, and receiving a second authorization from the fund guardian to continue use of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, further including transferring funds from the fund guardian, to the telecommunication system based on and after the user'"'"'s use of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including sending to the user, a rate to be charged for use of the device.

7. The method of claim 6, further including receiving from the user, authorization that the rate is acceptable.

8. The method of claim 1, further including storing, in a data repository coupled to the telecommunication system, information associated with the fund guardian at which the user has an account.

9. The method of claim 8, further including storing, in the data repository a highest-acceptable rate that the user agreed to pay in advance for use of the device, without further authorization.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fund guardian is a third-party organization.

11. A method of user payment for device access to a telecommunication system, the method comprising:

sending a request to use a device on the telecommunication system;

receiving in response to the request, a payment amount needed to satisfy communications access costs for the device;

sending an authorization to pay the payment amount; and

in response to receiving an indication that the authorized amount is expiring, sending a re-authorization to pay an additional amount.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the payment amount is displayed on a device display, and the authorization is indicated by a user at a device input.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the authorization is determined by a payment rule set by the user.

14. A method used by a device to pay for communicating resources, the method comprising:

sending an identifier;

receiving a transaction based cost for utilizing the communication resources;

sending an authorization to pay the transaction based cost; and

sending a communication destination address; and

utilizing the communicating resources to send and receive communications until the authorized transaction based cost expires.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is a wireless mobile device and the sent and received communications are voice communications.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is a wireless computer and the sent and received communications comprise data.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending a bandwidth request;

wherein the device is a wireless computer, the authorization further comprises a bandwidth indication, and the sent and received communications comprise data.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the authorization and the communication destination address are sent together.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving an indication that a period of the transaction based cost is expiring.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a cost for continuing communications upon expiration of the authorized transaction based cost; and

sending an authorization to continue communications for an additional period.

21. A telecom system performing a method comprising:

receiving an identifier;

sending in response to the identifier, a communication session based access cost;

receiving an authorization of the access cost;

receiving a destination address;

establishing a communication session identifier associated with the destination address and the authorization;

sending and receiving communications associated with the session identifier; and

timing the communications associated with the session identifier in order to determine an expiration of the authorized access cost.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the received authorization and the received destination address are received in a same communication.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the received identifier and the received destination address are received in a same communication.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

upon the approaching expiration of the authorized communication access costs, sending an indication of the approaching expiration and a continued communication access cost; and

receiving a continuation authorization of the continued communications access cost; and

timing the continued communications in order to determine an expiration of the continued authorization.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

upon expiration of the timed authorization, terminating the communication session, and sending a request for payment of the authorized communications access costs; and

receiving the communications access costs in response to the request.

26. A wireless telecom fund guardian, performing a wireless communication access pre-payment authorization method comprising:

maintaining account information for plural wireless subscribers comprising account information associated with identifiers;

receiving an identifier and an authorization amount request;

authenticating the identifier and verifying availability of funds;

sending an authorization number; and

receiving a request for payment amount including the authorization number;

sending a funds transfer in response to receiving the request for payment.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the available funds are reserved upon verifying availability.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the request for payment amount is for a payment amount less than the authorization amount request.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the fund guardian is a network node in a telecom system.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the fund guardian is on the Internet.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the fund guardian is accessible to a telecom system over a private network connection.

32. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in signaling a telecom system in a manner that causes the telecom system to provide an access rate;

determining whether a user of the mobile telephone authorizes the access rate;

signaling the telecom system in a manner that causes the telecom system to establish a communications session period, based on the access rate.

33. The mobile phone of claim 32, wherein the determination that the user has authorized the access rate is based on a user established rule stored in the mobile phone memory.

34. The mobile phone of claim 32, wherein the determination that the user has authorized the access rate is based on user acceptance of the rate through a graphical user interface presented on the mobile phone display.