Prepaid limited usage calling card
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A prepaid calling-card system, comprising:
- a switching network connected between a calling telephone station and a called telephone station having a called number;
a call processor connected to said switching network; and
a memory connected to said call processor, said memory storingat least one authorized number, andan account associated with said at least one authorized number including a prepaid account balance;
said call processor operative to receive said called number originating from said calling telephone station,compare said called number against said at least one authorized number and determine if said called number matches said at least one authorized number,control said switching network, if said called number comprises said at least one authorized number, to complete a call by connecting said calling telephone station to said called telephone station, anddecrement said prepaid account balance based upon said call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system that embodies an apparatus and method for enabling prepayment of telephone call charges in connection with a calling-card, the authorized called telephone number(s) being selectable by the cardholder so that the calling-card account can only be charged for telephone calls made to the cardholder authorized telephone number(s), the calling-card account capable of being continuously recharged from a linked credit account, bank account or the like, or charges may be incurred thereafter on a perunit-time basis.
277 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A prepaid calling-card system, comprising:
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a switching network connected between a calling telephone station and a called telephone station having a called number; a call processor connected to said switching network; and a memory connected to said call processor, said memory storing at least one authorized number, and an account associated with said at least one authorized number including a prepaid account balance; said call processor operative to receive said called number originating from said calling telephone station, compare said called number against said at least one authorized number and determine if said called number matches said at least one authorized number, control said switching network, if said called number comprises said at least one authorized number, to complete a call by connecting said calling telephone station to said called telephone station, and decrement said prepaid account balance based upon said call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for connecting a call between a calling telephone station and a called telephone station, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing at least one authorized number, said authorized number being associated with an account having a prepaid account balance; receiving a called number from the calling telephone station; comparing said called number to said at least one authorized number to determine whether said called number matches said at least one authorized number; initiating connection of the calling telephone station to the called telephone station based upon said called number matching said at least one authorized number; and decrementing said prepaid account balance based upon the call. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising; means for storing at least one authorized number and an account having a prepaid account balance, said at least one authorized number associated with said account; means for receiving a called number from a calling telephone station; means for comparing said called number to said at least one authorized number; means for initiating connection of a call between said calling telephone stations and a called telephone station based upon said called number matching said at least one authorized number; and means for decrementing said prepaid account balance based upon said call.
Specification