Mobile invoked 'call me' back system for wireless subscribers with insufficient account balances

• US 20040192359A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christopher Mcraild, Shyam Sheth
• Original Assignee: Christopher Mcraild, Shyam Sheth
• Inventors: Sheth, Shyam, McRaild, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/401,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8137 Message, e.g. alphanumeric text, SMS, MMS, EMS or www-based messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8158 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile invoked ‘call me’ back system for wireless subscribers with insufficient account balances disclosed herewith enables mobile subscribers who have insufficient and/or no funds in their prepaid account, to continue using their mobile service nonetheless by initiating a free (in the preferred embodiment) ‘call me’ SMS (Short Message Service) to another mobile subscriber (or equally equipped land-line phone with such capabilities) who then, expectantly, returns the call.

Claims

1. A system and method for a mobile invoked ‘

call me’

back system for wireless subscribers with insufficient account balances or other such restrictions placed upon their service/accounts.

2. The system of claim 1, where a wireless subscriber keys a short message (in whatever form) into their mobile handset directing another mobile subscriber (or equally equipped land-line phone with such capabilities) to call them owing to insufficient funds (or other such restrictions) which otherwise inhibit(s) their ability to directly establish a telecommunications connection.

3. The system of claim 2, which applies equally to prepaid and postpaid wireless subscribers depending on the nature of restriction which has been placed on the account.

4. The system of claim 3, where such restrictions can include insufficient account balances, roaming scenarios and so on.

5. The system of claim 2, where the wireless subscriber invokes the ‘

call me’

back system via a gateway and portal system (as through USSD for instance).

6. The system of claim 2, whereby the mobile invoked ‘

call me’

back system exists as part of a computer program product, comprising;

a) a computer readable memory medium; and

b) a computer program including the logic required to the steps, methods and rules as such.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein mobile invoked ‘

call me’

back system checks for any subscriber restrictions and queries balance to ensure that the wireless subscriber account in question is in fact actually below the maximum balance threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, which is accomplished by an Open Charging (OC) middleware platform and gateway system or similar type of method, system and/or apparatus used to perform such checks and/or queries.

9. The system of claim 8, where upon successful validation of any such restrictions (including balance query), the mobile invoked ‘

call me’

back system sends a short message (SM) to the destination number (via any numbers of protocols to the SMSC) with the ‘

call me’

message (i.e. “

please ring me”

).

10. The system of claim 8, where the mobile invoked ‘

call me’

back system may optionally returns an appropriate message (i.e. “

message delivered”

) to the originating subscriber via a gateway and portal system (USSD for instance) through the a gateway and portal system response logic and/or similar such mechanism (as with the USSD Gateway response mechanism for instance).

11. A system and method for a mobile invoked ‘

call me’

back system for wireless subscribers with insufficient account balances or other such restrictions placed upon their service/accounts, where such system is limited to a certain specified number of ‘

call me’

messages for a given time period (e.g. monthly) to prevent abuse of the service.