Telephone pre-paid calling card system and method

• US 5,511,114 A
• Filed: 06/06/1994
• Issued: 04/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Call Processing Incorporated (Euronet Worldwide Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Call Processing Incorporated (Euronet Worldwide Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beshear, Brady S., Stimson, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/254,237
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114, 379/115, 379/112, 379/121, 379/124, 379/125, 379/126, 379/127, 379/130, 379/131, 379/143, 379/144, 379/155, 235/380, 235/381, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 340/825.35
• US Class Current: 379/114.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods

Abstract

A pre-paid calling card system enables customers to access a telephone network and obtain long distance telephone service. The system includes four main functional components: a plurality of calling cards, a host computer, a plurality of on-site activation terminals and a call processor. Each of the calling cards preferably includes a body portion and a read-only memory stripe having stored therein a security number. The card is typically formed of cardboard or plastic and may include the security number in cleartext under a suitable blackout. The main management and processing of the system is effected by the host computer, which is connectable to the telephone network. The host includes a database for storing security numbers associated with authorized calling cards. The data terminals are remote from the host computer and connectable thereto for transmitting data between the terminals and the host computer. The call processor is controlled by the host computer for interfacing one or more customers to the telephone network using the authorized calling cards.

Claims

1. A pre-paid calling card system to enable customers to purchase calling cards at predetermined locations and to use such calling cards to access a telephone network having at least one telephone, comprising:

a plurality of calling cards, each of said calling cards having a security number associated therewith that must be entered at a telephone to obtain access to the telephone network;

a host computer including at least one input port and a database for storing security numbers;

at least one data terminal located at a predetermined location remote from the host computer and connectable to the input port for associating, at the host computer, an amount of call authorization to a security number of a ceiling card using data transmitted between the data terminal and the host computer during one or more charging transactions, the means for associating of the data terminal including;

means for entering the security number;

means, operative during any initial transaction and any recharge transaction, for entering any monetary amount corresponding to the amount of call authorization;

means for connecting to the host computer to transfer the security number and the call authorization amount; and

means responsive to the transfer for receiving a verification message from the host computer authorizing receipt of the monetary amount to thereby associate at the host computer the call authorization amount to the security number, wherein the calling card does not store the call authorization amount; and

wherein the database includes a record for each calling card security number having a call authorization amount associated therewith, the record including a balance; and

a call processor running on the host computer and responsive to entry of the security number for enabling the customer to access the telephone network using the telephone, the call processor using the balance in the record associated with the security number for monitoring call progress and terminating the customer'"'"'s access to the telephone network when the balance is exhausted.

2. The pre-paid calling card system as described in claim 1 wherein the means for entering the security number of the data terminal is a cardreader.

3. The pre-paid calling card system as described in claim 1 wherein the means for entering any monetary amount of the data terminal is a keypad.

4. The pre-paid calling card system as described in claim 1 wherein the connecting means of the data terminal is a modem.

5. The pre-paid calling card system as described in claim 1 wherein the means for receiving of the data terminal is a display.

6. A pre-paid calling card system to enable customers to purchase calling cards at retail establishments and to use such calling card to access a telephone network having at least one telephone, comprising:

a plurality of calling cards, each of said calling cards having a security number associated therewith that must be entered by a customer at the telephone to obtain access to the telephone network;

a host computer connectable to the telephone network and including at least on input port and a database for storing security numbers;

a plurality of data terminals located at the retail establishments remote from the host computer and each connectable to the input port for associating, at the host computer, an amount of call authorization to a security number of a calling card using data transmitted between the data terminal and the host computer during one or more charging transactions, the means for associating of each data terminal including;

means for reading a calling card to determine the security number;

means, operative during any initial transaction and any recharge transaction, for entering a monetary amount corresponding to the amount of call authorization;

means for transferring to the host computer the security number and the call authorization amount; and

means responsive to the transfer for receiving a verification message from the host computer authorizing receipt by the retail establishment of the monetary amount to thereby associate at the host computer the call authorization amount to the security number, wherein the calling card does not store the call authorization amount;

wherein the database includes a record for each calling card security number, the record including the initial call authorization amount and any recharge call authorization amount, a balance, and data terminal identification codes identifying the data terminals of the plurality of data terminals at which the initial and any recharge call authorization amounts were issued;

a call processor running on the host computer end responsive to entry of the security number by a customer for enabling the customer to access the telephone network using the telephone, the cell processor using the balance in the record associated with the security number for monitoring call progress and terminating the customer'"'"'s access to the telephone network when the balance is exhausted.

7. A calling card system, comprising:

a host computer having a database;

a plurality of data terminals connectable to the host computer, each data terminal identified by a data terminal identification code and including means for authorizing calling card security numbers in selectable call authorization amounts; and

a record stored in the database for each calling card security number authorized by a data terminal, at least one record including an initial call authorization amount and any recharge call authorization amount, and the data terminal identification codes identifying the data terminals at which the initial and any recharge call authorization amounts were issued such that call authorization amounts for the calling card which are generated by multiple data terminals can be reconciled.