SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS CALLS FROM THE SAME PREPAID ACCOUNT

• US 20090088127A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mumford, Gregory L., Gunasekar, Radhika, Abel, Jon E., Appleby, Anna Marie, Leslein, John M., Fitzgerald, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,720 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 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/78 Redistributing amount between accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/781 dynamically
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/783 by user request
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/785 Reserving amount on the account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• 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 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/201 automatic recharging with predetermined amount at threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/22 with automatic recharging of account/card, e.g. if limit is reached during connection the account is recharged automatically
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 : Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7277 : Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7281 : Redistribute amount between accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7286 : Dynamically
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/729 : by user request
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7295 : Reserve amount, e.g. according to estimated costs for a typical communication duration or according to the estimated volume to be transferred
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• 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

Abstract

Prepaid services include associating a plurality of users with a prepaid services account. The account is configured to track a prepaid balance associated with the account as well as to allow at least a subset of the plurality of users associated with the account to draw down the prepaid balance at least generally at the same time. Drawing down the prepaid balance includes allocating a portion of the prepaid balance to each respective user, monitoring a provision of service, and repeating, selectively, the allocating and monitoring.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating a plurality of users with a prepaid services account;

tracking a prepaid balance associated with the account;

drawing down the prepaid balance at least generally at the same time using at least a subset of the users, including;

allocating a portion of the prepaid balance to each respective user;

monitoring a provision of service; and

repeating, selectively, the allocating and the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recharging the prepaid balance during the monitoring.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising establishing a maximum expected recharge time, the recharging occurring when a threshold is met in association with the account balance and the maximum expected recharge time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising summing the portion allocated to each respective user into a burn rate associated with the account.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising recalculating the burn rate when the at least a subset of users changes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating occurs asynchronously with respect to particular users of the at least a subset of the users.

7. A system, comprising:

a plurality of originating callers;

a telecommunication account configured to store a prepaid account balance shared by the originating callers; and

at least one call processing server configured to allocate a portion of the account balance at least generally at the same time to at least a subset of originating callers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the call processing server is further configured to recharge the prepaid balance while at least one originating caller is receiving service.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a maximum expected recharge time, and wherein the recharge occurs when a threshold is met in association with the account balance and the maximum expected recharge time.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a burn rate associated with the telecommunications account, and wherein the call processing server is further configured to set the burn rate to a sum of the portions allocated to the at least a subset of originating callers.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the call processing server is further configured to recalculate the burn rate when the at least a subset of originating callers changes.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the allocating occurs asynchronously with respect to particular originating callers of the at least a subset of originating callers.

13. A method, comprising:

maintaining an account having a prepaid balance and configured to track the usage of prepaid telecommunication services;

associating a plurality of originating callers with the account;

monitoring telecommunication service concurrently provided to at least a subset of originating callers;

dividing the telecommunication service into one or more periods of time; and

repeatedly allocating a portion of the prepaid balance to each originating caller of the at least a subset of originating callers for each period of time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising recharging the prepaid balance contemporaneously with the allocating.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising establishing a maximum expected recharge time, the recharging occurring when a threshold is met in association with the account balance and the maximum expected recharge time.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising summing the portion allocated to each originating caller into a burn rate associated with the account.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising recalculating the burn rate when the at least a subset of originating callers changes.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the allocating occurs asynchronously with respect to particular originating callers of the at least a subset of originating callers.