Networked interactive call management subsystems with prevention of simultaneous use of a single account number

• US 5,469,497 A
• Filed: 08/04/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: iTELSA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Teledebit, Inc.
• Inventors: Pierce, George C., Fletcher, Don C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/285,881
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 379/89, 379/90, 379/91, 379/67, 379/88, 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/143, 379/144, 379/145, 379/149, 379/154, 379/155, 379/187, 379/189, 379/196, 379/197, 379/199, 379/201 , 379/207, 379/216
• US Class Current: 379/114.17
• 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 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 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users

Abstract

A telecommunications system allows multiple users to place and charge telephone calls to personal debit accounts without requiring specially designed telephones or "smart" cards. The system keeps track of the cost of each call, including applicable taxes, in real time and notifies the user when the account balance approaches zero. The system allows the user to restore the account balance in real time either manually or automatically by charging the increase to a commercial credit card. The system has multiple interactive call management subsystems, each subsystem having its own database. When one database in one subsystem is updated, signals are transmitted between subsystems to update every other database. An account in use flag is transmitted from a serving subsystem through a network to each of the other subsystems to prevent simultaneous use of an account.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

(a) a customer service and accounting subsystem (CSAS);

(b) a first interactive call management subsystem (ICMS); and

(c) a second ICMS, wherein;

the first ICMS communicates with the CSAS along a first data link;

the second ICMS communicates with the CSAS along a second data link;

the first ICMS is located remotely from the second ICMS;

the first ICMS is located remotely from the CSAS;

the first ICMS may be accessed by one or more users dialing one or more telephone numbers of a first set of telephone numbers;

the second ICMS may be accessed by the users dialing one or more telephone numbers of a second set of telephone numbers;

each of the telephone numbers of the first set is different from all of the telephone numbers of the second set;

the first ICMS is adapted to receive and maintain a first inbound call from a first user;

the first ICMS is adapted to receive a first account number entered by the first user during the first inbound call;

the first ICMS is adapted to bridge the first inbound call to a first outbound call independent of the CSAS and the second ICMS, wherein the first ICMS maintains the first inbound call and the first outbound call during said bridging;

the first ICMS is adapted to transmit a flag to the CSAS during the first inbound call to indicate that the first account number is currently in use;

the CSAS is adapted to transmit the flag to the second ICMS during the first inbound call to indicate that the first account number is currently in use;

the second ICMS is adapted to receive a second inbound call from a second user during the first inbound call;

the second ICMS is adapted to receive the first account number entered by the second user during the second inbound call and during the first inbound call; and

the second ICMS is adapted to prevent bridging of the second inbound call to a second outbound call during the first inbound call, if the second ICMS has received the flag indicating that the first account number is currently in use.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second ICMS is adapted to notify the second user during the first inbound call that the first account number is currently in use.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first account number corresponds to a debit account of the first user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the CSAS maintains a master database comprising a master copy of an account balance of the debit account;

the first ICMS maintains a first ICMS database comprising a first local copy of the master database;

the second ICMS maintains a second ICMS database comprising a second local copy of the master database;

the first ICMS is adapted to update the account balance of the debit account in the first local copy during the first inbound call after the bridging of the first inbound call to the first outbound call is terminated;

the first ICMS is adapted to transmit a signal to the CSAS during the first inbound call to update the account balance of the master copy in the master database; and

the CSAS is adapted to transmit the signal to the second ICMS during the first inbound call to update the account balance of the second copy.

5. A method of providing telecommunications services, comprising the step of:

(a) receiving and maintaining a first inbound call from a first user by a first interactive call management subsystem (ICMS);

(b) receiving a first account number by the first ICMS from the first user during the first inbound call;

(c) bridging the first inbound call to a first outbound call by the first ICMS independent of a customer service and accounting subsystem (CSAS) and a second ICMS, wherein;

the first ICMS maintains the first inbound call and the first outbound call during said bridging;

the first ICMS communicates with the CSAS along a first data link;

the second ICMS communicates with the CSAS along a second data link;

the first ICMS is located remotely from the second ICMS;

the first ICMS is located remotely from the CSAS;

the first ICMS may be accessed by one or more users dialing one or more telephone numbers of a first set of telephone numbers;

the second ICMS may be accessed by the users dialing one or more telephone numbers of a second set of telephone numbers; and

each of the telephone numbers of the first set is different from all of the telephone numbers of the second set;

(d) transmitting a flag from the first ICMS to the CSAS during the first inbound call to indicate that the first account number is currently in use;

(e) transmitting the flag from the CSAS to the second ICMS during the first inbound call to indicate that the first account number is currently in use;

(f) receiving a second inbound call by the second ICMS from a second user during the first inbound call;

(g) receiving the first account number by the second ICMS from the second user during the second inbound call and during the first inbound call; and

(h) preventing bridging of the second inbound call to a second outbound call by the second ICMS during the first inbound call, if the second ICMS has received the flag indicating that the first account number is currently in use.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising the further step of notifying the second user by the second ICMS during the first inbound call that the first account number is currently in use.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first account number corresponds to a debit account of the first user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the CSAS has a master database comprising a master copy of an account balance of the debit account;

the first ICMS has a first ICMS database comprising a first local copy of the master database;

the second ICMS has a second ICMS database comprising a second local copy of the master database; and

further comprising the steps of;

(j) updating the account balance of the debit account in the first local copy by the first ICMS during the first inbound call after the bridging of the first inbound call to the first outbound call is terminated;

(k) transmitting a signal from the first ICMS to the CSAS during the first inbound call to update the account balance of the master copy in the master database; and

(l) transmitting the signal from the CSAS to the second ICMS during the first inbound call to update the account balance of the second copy.