Prepaid security cellular telecommunications system

• US 5,854,975 A
• Filed: 11/15/1995
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cellular Express, Inc., Orbital Sciences Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Freedom Wireless Incorporated (Freedom Wireless)
• Inventors: Harned, Dan B., Fougnies, Douglas V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/559,283
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 455/408, 455/406, 455/409, 455/405, 455/407, 455/403, 379/112-114, 379/120, 379/121, 379/127, 379/128, 379/144, 379/130, 235/380-382.5, 380/23
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/25 using a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/2518 from material card, using a magnetic stripe card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A cellular telecommunications system having a security feature which allows only pre-authorized users to complete cellular telephone calls. The system and method recognizes a cellular radiotelephone'"'"'s pre-programmed and pre-selected telephone number and an automated number identification code (ANI). The pre-selected telephone number is reserved to the pre-paid cellular telecommunications system. The cellular radiotelephone transmits the ANI and a dialed number identification system code (DNIS) to a cellular switch, which contacts a host computer for call validation by the pre-paid service provider. This system also allows pre-authorized users to receive and pay for incoming calls as well as purchase additional air time and monthly access fees with convenient pre-paid cards.

Claims

1. A cellular telecommunications system, comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of cellular radiotelephones each having a predetermined subscriber telephone number;

(b) at least one local exchange carrier;

(c) at least one cellular carrier;

(d) at least one cellular switch in communication with at least one local exchange carrier;

(e) at least one host computer in communication with said at least one cellular switch;

(f) processing means resident in the cellular switch for receiving signals from both the at least one local exchange carrier and the cellular carrier and sending signals to both the at least one local exchange carrier and cellular carrier;

(g) processing means resident in the at least one host computer for accepting and evaluating a subscriber database comprising a plurality of records representing subscribers to the cellular telecommunications system and including pre-paid account balance information for each subscriber; and

(h) at least one prepaid calling card having an encrypted number which allows a set value of air time to be added to a prepaid subscriber account balance by entering the encrypted number into the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s cellular radiotelephone.

2. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein said subscriber database further comprises activation and deactivation times for subscriber'"'"'s telephone numbers.

3. The cellular telecommunications system of claim 2 wherein the at least one host computer communicates over a local area network.

4. The cellular telecommunications system of claim 2 wherein the at least one host computer communicates over a wide area network.

5. The cellular telecommunications system of claim 2 wherein the subscriber database connected to the at least one host computer is resident on a redundant array of independent devices operably associated with and readable and writable by the at least one host computer.

6. The cellular telecommunications system of claim 2 wherein the processing means outputs an adjusted subscriber account balance information upon completion of the telecommunications event with the dialed number and writes the adjusted subscriber account balance information to the subscriber database thereby updating the subscriber database with the adjusted subscriber account balance information.

7. The cellular telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one local exchange carrier communicates with the at least one cellular switch and at least one host computer over land based telecommunication lines.

8. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one host computer further includes a memory which is used to unload subscriber account information into the memory from the subscriber database, which subscriber account information is decremented in memory during a telecommunications event upon connection with a dialed number.

9. A cellular telecommunications system, comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of cellular radiotelephones each having a predetermined subscriber telephone number;

(b) at least one local exchange carrier;

(c) at least one cellular carrier;

(d) at least one cellular switch in communication with at least one local exchange carrier;

(e) at least one host computer in communication with said at least one cellular switch;

(f) processing means resident in the cellular switch for receiving signals from both the at least one local exchange carrier and the cellular carrier and sending signals to both the at least one local exchange carrier and cellular carrier;

(g) processing means resident in the at least one host computer for accepting and evaluating a subscriber database comprising a plurality of records representing subscribers to the cellular telecommunications system and including pre-paid account balance information for each subscriber; and

(h) a prepaid account card having an encrypted number which allows a set value corresponding to a monthly access fee to be added to a prepaid subscriber account balance by entering the encrypted number into the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s cellular radiotelephone.

10. A method of cellular telecommunications comprising the steps of:

establishing a prepaid subscriber account balance linked to a predetermined cellular telephone number assigned to a subscriber;

writing the established prepaid subscriber account balance to a database;

initiating a cellular telecommunications event by calling a subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number;

receiving the subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number at a cellular switch from a local exchange carrier, the cellular switch recognizing the subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number as belonging to a pre-paid subscriber;

sending a first signal from the cellular switch indicating readiness to receive digits comprising the subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number that was called;

receiving the first signal at the local exchange carrier and sending a multi-frequency digit string comprising at least a portion of the subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number to the cellular switch;

receiving the multi-frequency digit string at the cellular switch and accessing a host computer which is in communication with the subscriber database;

validating existence of a pre-determined subscriber account balance in the subscriber database that is not subject to any current restrictions based upon the time of day of the telecommunications event;

establishing communications between the host computer and the cellular carrier to obtain an available telecommunications line and out pulsing the called subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number only if an affirmative validation at step (h) occurs;

checking for a connection with the subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number and, upon occurrence thereof, decrementing the subscriber account balance at regular intervals during the telecommunications event until there is a disconnection with the subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone number; and

disconnecting the telecommunications event at the host computer upon occurrence of a negative validation at step (h) or a disconnection condition at step (j).

11. The method of cellular telecommunications in claim 10 further comprising the step of adding a set value of air time to the subscriber'"'"'s prepaid account balance by entering an encrypted number from a prepaid calling card into a prepaid subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone.

12. The method of cellular telecommunications in claim 10 further comprising the step of adding a set value corresponding to a monthly access fee to the subscriber'"'"'s prepaid account balance by entering an encrypted number from a prepaid calling card into a prepaid subscriber'"'"'s cellular telephone.