Methods for Providing Overdraft Protection for Post-Paid Communication Service Plans

• US 20100104078A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Lamont Jr. Hines, Coulter C. Henry Jr, Derek Ekow-Badu Johnson, Francis Richard Jr. Lazaro
• Original Assignee: Andrew Lamont Jr. Hines, Coulter C. Henry Jr, Derek Ekow-Badu Johnson, Francis Richard Jr. Lazaro
• Inventors: Henry, Coulter C. JR., Lazaro, Francis Richard JR., Johnson, Derek Ekow-Badu, Hines, Andrew Lamont JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.170
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination 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 15/857 Cumulative charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/882 for continuing the call beyond the limit using an alternative, e.g. alternative account
• 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 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0124 Continue alternative, i.e. alternative account to continue use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/146 : Data billing, e.g. wherein the user is charged based only on the time he receives data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7806 : Time based
• 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 2215/8179 : Cumulative charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

Methods for adding minutes to a calling plan having a calling plan period. The methods including determining whether a threshold number of minutes have been reached during the calling plan period; and incrementally adding minutes to the calling plan when the threshold number of minutes has been reached. The cost per minute of the added minutes is less than the high-cost per minute rate normally associated with exceeding the threshold number of minutes during the calling plan period.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an overdraft protection plan by adding data blocks to an account subscribed to a data subscription plan having a data subscription plan period, comprising:

determining, using a billing system server, whether a threshold number of data blocks has been reached during the data subscription plan period; and

adding data blocks, using a billing system server, to the data subscription plan when the threshold number of data blocks has been reached, the billing system server being configured to charge the account for the added data blocks, the cost per data block of the added data block being less than the cost per data block normally associated with exceeding the threshold number of data blocks during the data subscription plan period.