Prepaid wireless telephone account regeneration in a wireless access protocol system

• US 20060003736A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suryanarayana, Lalitha, Schmidt, Richard Carl, Chan, Jim H.
• Application Number:
  US11/192,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• 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 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• 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 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 : on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 : with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• 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 2215/0116 : 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 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 : Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 : Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• 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 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 : Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8162 : Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• 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: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A service control point transmits a recharge request message or advice of charge to a mobile client resident in a wireless communications device. The message is first received by a wireless telephony application server that then forwards the message to a wireless access protocol gateway. The wireless access protocol gateway then sends the request to the mobile client. The user of the mobile client responds with an affirmative or negative answer to the request to recharge the prepaid telephone airtime account. The service control point then either recharges the account as instructed or lets the account expire, depending on the response from the user.

Claims

1. A method for recharging a prepaid telephone airtime account, the method comprising:

with a network element, initiating a recharge request to a mobile client advising of a low balance in a prepaid telephone airtime account;

with the mobile client, sending a reply message indicating a response to the recharge request; and

with the network element, processing the prepaid telephone airtime account in response to the reply message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply message indicates a desire to recharge the prepaid telephone airtime account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network element processes the prepaid telephone airtime account by adding a value to the prepaid telephone airtime account.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the value added to the prepaid telephone airtime account includes a currency value.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the value added to the prepaid telephone airtime account includes an airtime value.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the value added is a predetermined value.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the value added is a value set dynamically by a subscriber operating the mobile client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply message indicates a desire to let the prepaid telephone airtime account expire.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network element processes the prepaid telephone airtime account by letting the prepaid telephone airtime account expire, and, if a user is in mid-call, transmitting a warning to the mobile client indicating end of balance.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the user'"'"'s prepaid balance becomes completely depleted, transmitting a message to a mobile switching center to terminate the call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile client is resident in a wireless telephone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile client is resident in a personal digital assistant.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising, with the network element, transmitting an acknowledgement back to the mobile client in response to the reply message.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising informing the mobile client of an anticipated charge.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising pushing an advertisement to the mobile client.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a service control point.

17. A system for recharging a prepaid telephone airtime account, the system comprising:

a mobile client; and

a network element operative to initiate a recharge request to the mobile client advising of a low balance in a prepaid telephone airtime account;

wherein the network element is further operative to process the prepaid telephone airtime account in response to a reply message sent from the mobile client indicating a response to the recharge request.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile client is resident in a wireless telephone.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile client is resident in a personal digital assistant.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the network element comprises a service control point.

21. A method comprising:

with a service control point, analyzing a telephone number to determine an anticipated charge for a telephone call;

with the service control point, informing a mobile client of the anticipated charge;

with the mobile client, responding to the service control point with a reply message indicating a response to the anticipated charge; and

with the service control point, processing a prepaid telephone airtime account in response to the reply message.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile client is resident in a wireless telephone.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile client is resident in a personal digital assistant.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the reply message indicates a desire to let the prepaid telephone airtime account expire.