Cellular telephone credit management

• US 20070072584A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Donald, Jain, Nikhil, Radhakrishnan, Dhinakar
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/752 Terminal based account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• 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 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/205 by calling a service number, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] or menu
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/206 by sending a message, e.g. SMS, MMS or EMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/207 using signaling, e.g. USSD, UUS or DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/241 by calling a service number IVR, menu
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/243 by sending a message, e.g. SMS, MMS, EMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/246 using signalling, e.g. USSD, UUS, DTMF
• 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 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• 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 2215/7213 Terminal based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method are provided for controlling a cellular telephone account User Terminal (UT). The method includes: registering a UT with an account in a cellular telephone network; uploading a credit for cellular telephone network services to the UT from a second party; and, converting the credit to an account balance. When the UT accesses a cellular telephone network service (i.e., makes a call), then the account balance is debited. In one aspect, the method accesses a credit server funded by the second party. Then, the credit is uploaded in response to accessing the credit server. For example, the credit server may be a module embedded in the UT. Alternately, the credit server is accessed via the cellular telephone network. For example, an Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected credit server may be accessed via the cellular network.

Claims

1. In a cellular telephone network user terminal (UT), a method for controlling a cellular telephone account, the method comprising:

registering a UT in a cellular telephone network;

uploading a credit for cellular telephone network services to the UT from a second party; and

,

converting the credit to an account balance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein registering the UT includes registering a UT having a plurality of accounts in a cellular network;

the method further comprising;

selecting an account;

accessing a cellular telephone network service;

creating a notification associating the cellular network services with the selected account;

sending the notification to the cellular network; and

,

debiting the selected account balance.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein uploading credit includes uploaded credit from a plurality of parties, where each party is associated with a unique account.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a credit server funded by the second party; and

,

wherein uploading the credit includes uploading the credit in response to accessing the credit server.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein accessing the credit server funded by the second party includes accessing a credit server embedded in the UT.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein accessing a credit server includes accessing a credit server funded by a plurality of parties.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein accessing the credit server funded by the second party includes accessing the credit server via the cellular telephone network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein accessing the credit server via the cellular telephone network includes accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected credit server, via the cellular network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein uploading the credit includes uploading the credit in a message received via a common control channel selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message and a paging channel message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein uploading the credit includes uploading the credit via an interface selected from the group consisting of a hardwire, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15 interface.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein uploading the credit includes automatically receiving a credit upload message from a credit server in response to registering with the cellular telephone network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein uploading the credit includes:

initializing a credit request; and

,

uploading the credit in response to the request.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein initializing the credit request includes:

accessing a URL associated with the second party;

downloading a form;

populating the form; and

,

submitting the populated form to the URL.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein initializing the credit request includes:

establishing a call to a telephone number associated with the second party;

receiving prompts via the call; and

,

responding to the prompts.

15. A user terminal (UT) with a managed cellular telephone network account, the UT comprising:

a cellular subsystem having a wireless interface for registering the UT in a cellular telephone network; and

,

an account module having an interface for receiving cellular network service credits from a second party and converting the credits to an account balance.

16. The UT of claim 15 wherein the cellular subsystem is associated with a plurality of accounts in the cellular network;

and,

wherein the account module has an interface connected to the cellular subsystem, wherein the account module selects an account, debits the selected account balance in response to the cellular subsystem accessing a cellular telephone network service, and sends a notification to the cellular network, via the cellular subsystem, associating the cellular network services with the selected account.

17. The UT of claim 16 wherein the account module receives cellular network service credits from a plurality of parties, where each party is associated with a unique account.

18. The UT of claim 15 wherein the account module accesses a credit server funded by the second party and uploads credit in response to accessing the credit server.

19. The UT of claim 15 wherein the account module accesses a credit server funded by a plurality of parties and uploads credit in response to accessing the credit server.

20. The UT of claim 18 further comprising:

a credit server embedded in the UT having an interface connected to the account module.

21. The UT of claim 18 wherein the account module accesses a cellular network-connected credit server via the cellular subsystem.

22. The UT of claim 15 further comprising:

a auxiliary subsystem selected from the group consisting of a hardwire, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15 interface; and

,

wherein the account module has an interface connected to the auxiliary subsystem for receiving credit uploads.

23. A system for managing a cellular telephone network user terminal (UT) account, the system comprising:

a UT comprising;

a cellular subsystem having a wireless interface for registering the UT having an account in a cellular telephone network;

an account module having an interface for receiving cellular network service credits from a second party and converting the credits to an account balance, and an interface connected to the cellular subsystem for authorizing cellular network services in response to the account balance; and

,

a credit server having an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operatively connected to the UT account module to supply the service credits from the second party.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the credit server IP network interface is connected to the cellular network;

and,

wherein the account module receives credit uploads from the credit server via the cellular subsystem.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising:

a UT auxiliary subsystem selected from the group consisting of a hardwire, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15 interface, for receiving credits from the credit server IP network interface; and

,

wherein the account module has an interface connected to the auxiliary subsystem for receiving credit uploads from the credit server.