TELECOMMUNICATIONS METHOD AND SUITABLE SYSTEM FOR ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION WITH A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20070099595A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Koch, Michael, Meier, Martin, Hirzel, Werner, Stadelmann, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• 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 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• 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 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 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/654 Pre, in or post-call message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• 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 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Telecommunications method, and system suitable therefor, for establishing a connection with a mobile device, for example a GSM mobile radio telephone, of a participant, who is located in a VPLMN, the calling mobile participant in the VPLMN preparing and sending a short message, for example a USSD message, with the desired destination number, which will be passed on to a callback computer, which establishes a connection between the calling mobile participant and the desired destination number, and a connection being established with a called mobile participant in a VPLMN by a callback computer, whose number is assigned to this called mobile participant in the home location register. Before the establishment of a connection, checking, in a prepaid module connected to the callback computer, the remaining credit and the remaining is airtime of the mobile participant with reference to stored prepaid amounts, or respectively with the aid of at least one tariff table and on the basis of an indication of location of this participant stored in the HLR of the HPLMN.

Claims

1. a telecommunications method for establishing a connection:

between a mobile device of a participant and a destination number, comprising;

in a first step, sending from the mobile device to a callback computer, the destination number and information which requests a call from the mobile device to the destination number in order to establish said connection between said mobile device and said destination number; and

in a second step, establishing said connection by the callback computer between said mobile device of the participant and said destination number, wherein the second step includes;

checking a remaining credit of said participant,

calling said mobile device by said callback computer, and

calling said destination number by said callback computer, thereby establishing said connection between said mobile device and said destination number, after said checking of the remaining credit.

2. The telecommunications method according to claim 1, wherein:

a prepaid module is connected to said callback computer.

3. The telecommunications method according to claim 2, wherein:

said prepaid module calculates a remaining airtime with the aid of at least one tariff table, and

said prepaid module transmits the remaining airtime to said callback computer.

4. The telecommunications method according to claim 3, wherein said prepaid module calculates said remaining airtime on the basis of an indication of location of said participant stored in a database.

5. The telecommunications method according to claim 4, wherein said database is a home location register of a home public land mobile network of said participant and the indication of location is a visitor location register address of said participant.

6. The telecommunications method according to claim 1, wherein said connection is truncated by said callback computer if the remaining credit of said participant has run out.

7. The telecommunications method according to claim 2, wherein:

said prepaid module is configured to communicate with a SIM card.

8. The telecommunications method according to claim 7, wherein:

said SIM card is configured to communicate with said prepaid module via a SMS short message.

9. The telecommunications method according to claim 7, wherein:

said SIM card is configured to communicate with said prepaid module via an unstructured supplementary services data message.

10. A system for establishing a connection between a mobile device of a participant and destination number, the system comprising:

a callback computer configured to establish said connection between said mobile device of said participant and the destination number by at least calling said mobile device after the participant transmits said destination number and information which requests a call from the mobile device to the destination number in order to establish said connection between said participant and said destination number,

wherein said callback computer is configured to call said destination number thereby establishing said connection after checking if remaining airtime is sufficient to establish said connection.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

a prepaid module is connected to said callback computer.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

said prepaid module is configured to communicate with a SIM card.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

said SIM card is configured to communicate with said prepaid module via a SMS short message.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

said SIM card is configured to communicate with said prepaid module via an unstructured supplementary services data message.

15. A computer program product for establishing a connection between a mobile device of a participant and a destination number, said computer program product being configured to store program instructions for execution on the mobile device enabling the mobile device to perform the steps of:

in a first step, sending from said mobile device to a callback computer, a destination number and information which requests a call from the mobile device to the destination number in order to establish a connection between said mobile device and said destination number; and

in a second step, loading or reloading said computer program product with a monetary value, wherein the second step includes;

said mobile device transmitting a code located on said computer program product to a service center,

if said computer program product is inserted in said mobile device and a connection is made with a communications network,

loading or reloading said computer program product with said monetary value by a short message, a prefix in said short message indicating whether said computer program product is to be loaded or reloaded, and

saving said monetary value in said computer program product.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

said mobile device is a GSM device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

said computer program product is configured to communicate with said callback computer.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

said computer program product is a SIM card.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

said SIM card is configured to provide a SMS short message.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

said SIM card is configured to provide a unstructured supplementary services data message.