Telecommunications system for controlling access to a destination

• US 5,448,633 A
• Filed: 03/30/1994
• Issued: 09/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Valdez, Jose A., Zaragoza, Ruben J., Jamaleddin, Barbara H., Toader, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/220,761
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/202, 379/207, 379/97, 379/88, 379/230, 379/127, 379/67, 379/112, 379/142, 379/188, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/221, 379/220, 379/95, 379/94, 379/93, 379/91, 379/89
• US Class Current: 379/201.02
• 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 15/90 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 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13512 800 - freefone
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13524 cost management least cost H04Q2213/13138
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

The present invention is a telecommunications system for allowing a business to control customer service. The system is comprised of a switching network and an enhanced services platform. Calls from the customer to the business are routed to the enhanced services platform by the switching network. Using codes acquired from the customer and the switching network, the enhanced services platform identifies a program specified by the business and also retrieves customer information. The information contains an account of telecommunications available, and the customer is connected to the business as long as a pre-determined amount is in the account. Action is taken when a second pre-determined amount remains. The customer is allowed to refresh the account and the enhanced services platform is capable of collecting information from the customer as a pre-requisite to customer service.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for controlling customer service wherein a customer who is associated with an access code unique to the customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the system comprising:

a telecommunications network operable to accept the call, transmit signaling associated with the call, and make call connections;

a database operable to store the program and a plurality of data;

an interface means connected to the network for accepting the call from the network and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the customer;

a first routing means for instructing the network to connect the customer to the interface means when the customer places the call using the telephone number associated with the business;

a second routing means for instructing the network to connect the interface means to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business; and

a processing means for processing the call accepted by the interface means, the processing means operable to retrieve the program stored in the database based on the program code, to retrieve an account of customer service telecommunications stored in the database based on the access code, to instruct the second routing means to complete the customer to business connection if a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account to control customer service access, to implement pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account, and to track and update the amount of customer service telecommunications in the account.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the program code is comprised of at least a portion of the telephone number used to place the call.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the access code is a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the telecommunications network includes an Interexchange Carrier (IXC).

5. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the telephone number is an "800" number.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the processing means is connected to a business database controlled by the business and the processing means is operational to retrieve information from the business database.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the processing means is connected to a business CPU controlled by the business and the processing means is operational to transmit information to the business CPU contemporaneously with the call.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the processing means is operational to collect customer information from the customer prior to allowing access to customer service.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the processing means is operational to make announcements to the customer prior to allowing access to customer service.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the processing means is operational to prompt the customer to add additional amounts of customer service telecommunications to the account when the account reaches a pre-determined level.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the amount in the account, and track and update of the amount in the account, is based on a number of minutes.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the amount in the account, and track and update of the amount in the account, is based on a number of calls.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 1 wherein the amount in the account, and track and update of the amount in the account, is based on a time frame.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount in the account, and the tracking and updating of the amount in the account, is based on a number of minutes.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount in the account, and the tracking and updating of the amount in the account, is based on a number of calls.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount in the account, and the tracking and updating of the amount in the account, is based on a time frame.

14. A method for controlling customer service with a telecommunications system wherein a customer who is associated with an access code unique to the customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting the call from the customer into a telecommunications network;

transmitting the call and associated call signaling to an interface if the customer placed the call using the telephone number associated with the business;

accepting the call into the interface and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the customer;

retrieving the program stored in a database into a processor based on the program code and retrieving an account of customer service telecommunications stored in the database into the processor based on the access code;

connecting the interface to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business if a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account so that customer service access is controlled;

tracking and updating the amount of customer service telecommunications in the account; and

implementing pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the program code is comprised of at least a portion of the telephone number used to place the call.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the access code is a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the telecommunications network includes an Interexchange Carrier (IXC).

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the telephone number is an "800" number.

19. The method of claim 14 further including the step of retrieving information from a business database controlled by the business into the processor.

20. The method of claim 14 further including the step of transmitting information to a business CPU controlled by the business contemporaneously with the call.

21. The method of claim 14 further including the step of collecting customer information from the customer prior to allowing access to customer service.

22. The method of claim 14 further including the step of making an announcement to the customer prior to allowing access to customer service.

23. The method of claim 14 further including the step of prompting the customer to add additional amounts of customer service telecommunications to the account when the account reaches a pre-determined level.

27. A telecommunications system for controlling customer service in which a customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the system comprising:

a telecommunications network operable to accept the call, transmit signaling associated with the call, and make call connections;

a database operable to store programs and data;

an interface means for accepting the call and the program code from the network;

a first routing means for instructing the network to connect the customer to the interface means when the customer places the call using the telephone number associated with the business;

a second routing means for instructing the network to connect the interface means to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business; and

a processing means for processing the call accepted by the interface means, the processing means operable to retrieve the program stored in the database based on the program code, to prompt the customer to obtain amounts of customer service telecommunications, to instruct the second routing means to complete the customer to business connection if the customer obtains a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications so that access to customer service is controlled, to track the amount of customer service telecommunications used by the customer, and to implement pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account.

28. A method for controlling customer service with a telecommunications system in which a customer places a call using a telephone number associated with a business, and wherein the business has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting the call from the customer into a telecommunications network;

transmitting the call and associated call signaling to an interface if the customer placed the call using the telephone number associated with the business;

accepting the call into the interface and collecting the program code from the network;

retrieving the program stored in a database into a processor based on the program code;

prompting the customer to obtain an amount of customer service telecommunications;

connecting the interface to the business so as to complete a connection from the customer to the business if the customer obtains a first pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications so that customer service access is controlled;

tracking the amount of customer service telecommunications used by the customer; and

implementing pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of customer service telecommunications is in the account.

29. A telecommunications system wherein a first party who is associated with an access code unique to the first party places a call using a telephone number associated with a second party, and wherein the second party has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the system comprising:

a telecommunications network operable to accept the call, transmit signaling associated with the call, and make call connections;

a database operable to store the program and a plurality of data;

an interface means connected to the network for accepting the call from the network and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the first party;

a first routing means for instructing the network to connect the first party to the interface means when the first party places the call using the telephone number associated with the second party;

a second routing means for instructing the network to connect the interface means to the second party so as to complete a connection from the first party to the second party; and

a processing means for processing the call accepted by the interface means, the processing means operable to retrieve the program stored in the database based on the program code, to retrieve an account of telecommunications stored in the database based on the access code, to instruct the second routing means to complete the first party to second party connection if a first pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account to control access to customer service, to implement pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account, and to track the amount of telecommunications in the account.

30. A method for controlling a telecommunications system wherein a first party who is associated with an access code unique to the first party places a call using a telephone number associated with a second party, and wherein the second party has specified a call processing program which is associated with a program code, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting the call from the first party into a telecommunications network;

transmitting the call and associated call signaling to an interface if the first party placed the call using the telephone number associated with the second party;

accepting the call into the interface and collecting the program code from the network and the access code from the first party;

retrieving the program stored in a database into a processor based on the program code and retrieving an account of telecommunications stored in the database into the processor based on the access code;

connecting the interface to the second party so as to complete a connection from the first party to the second party if a first pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account to control access to customer service;

tracking and updating the amount of telecommunications in the account; and

implementing pre-selected instructions indicative of the termination of customer service if a second pre-determined amount of telecommunications is in the account.