Universal telecommunications services account

• US 5,991,380 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruno, Barbara B., Markowitz, Robert Edward, Robinson, Bethany Scott, Katseff, Howard Paul, Bruno, Richard Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/955,840
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/120, 379/121, 379/127, 379/144, 379/91.01, 379/91.02, 705/11, 705/17, 705/18, 705/39, 705/40, 705/26, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 379/114.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• 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 15/857 Cumulative 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 2215/8179 Cumulative charges

Abstract

A method and a system for accumulating charges for telecommunications services used during a calling card call, whether the calling card is periodically billed or prepaid. According to the invention, call information detail information, such as a user identification, a beginning time of the call, and setup parameters of the call, is received for a calling-card call. Services rate information is received for telecommunications services used during the calling-card call. A depletion rate of an available funds account associated with the calling-card call is then determined in real time, and the available funds account is depleted at the determined depletion rate during the calling-card call, also in real time.

Claims

1. A method for accumulating charges for telecommunications services used during a calling card call placed by a cardholder using a calling-card, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving call detail information for a calling-card call, the calling card call using telecommunications services including telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

receiving services rate information for telecommunications services used during the calling-card call, the services rate information including information relating to specific calling plans subscribed to by the cardholder relating to connection of the calling-card call and relating to the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

determining a charges accruing rate for a funds account associated with the calling-card call based on the received call detail information and the specific calling plan information for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

accruing charges for the funds account at the determined charges accruing rate during the calling-card call, the accrued charges including charges for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a charges accruing rate and the step of accruing charges for funds account both occur in real time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the call detail information includes at least one of a user identification, a beginning time of the call, and a setup parameter of the call.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the services rate information includes information about a calling plan to which a caller of the calling-card call subscribes.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein services rate information includes at least one of long distance toll rate information and cellular-type service air time rate information.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein services rate information includes telecommunications service rates for Internet provider services.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the calling card is billed periodically.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the calling card is a prepaid calling card.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the calling card is a virtual calling card.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the funds account is an available funds associated with the prepaid calling-card call,

wherein the step of determining a charges accruing rate includes the step of determining a depletion rate for the available funds account associated with the prepaid calling card based on the received call detail information and the services rate information, and

wherein the step of accruing charges includes the step of depleting the available funds account at the determined depletion rate during the calling-card call,

the method further comprising the step of validating the available funds account associated with the prepaid calling-card call before the step of receiving call information detail information for the prepaid calling-card call.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of notifying a caller of the prepaid calling-card call when a funds balance in the available funds account is less than a predetermined funds threshold amount.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the caller includes the step of generating an audio message for the caller.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the caller includes the step of sending an email message to the caller.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of notifying the caller includes the step of sending a facsimile message to the caller.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of increasing the funds balance in the available funds account by a credit card transaction.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of increasing the funds balance in the available funds account by an automatic funds transfer to the available funds account.

17. A system for accumulating charges for telecommunications services used during a calling card call placed by a cardholder using a calling-card, the system comprising:

a database storing billing rate information for predetermined telecommunications services, the billing rate information including information relating to specific calling plans subscribed to by the cardholder relating to connection of the calling-card call and relating to telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

a billing processor, coupled to the database, receiving call detail information for a calling-card call, the calling card call using telecommunications services including telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call, the billing processor determining a charges accruing rate of a funds account associated with the calling-card call based on the received call detail information and the specific calling plan information for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call that are stored in the database, and accruing charges for the funds account at the determined charges accruing rate during the calling-card call, the accrued charges including charges for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the billing processor determines the charges accruing rate and accrues the charges for the funds account both in real time.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the call detail information includes at least one of a user identification, a beginning time of the call, and a setup parameter of the call.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the billing rate information stored in the database include service rate information for Internet telecommunications services.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the billing rate information stored in the database include a billing rate for a calling plan subscribed to by a caller of the calling-card call.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein the billing rate information includes at least one of long distance toll rate information and cellular-type service air time rate information.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the calling card is billed periodically.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the calling card is a prepaid calling card.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the calling card is a virtual calling card.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein the funds account is an available funds account associated with the prepaid calling card,

wherein the billing processor determines a depletion rate for the available funds account associated with the prepaid calling card based on the received call detail information and the services rate information, and

wherein the billing processor depletes the available funds account at the determined depletion rate during the calling-card call,

the billing processor further validating the available funds account associated with the prepaid calling-card call before receiving call information detail information for the prepaid calling-card call.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the billing processor notifies a caller of the prepaid calling-card call when a funds balance in the available funds account is less than a predetermined funds threshold amount.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the billing processor notifies the caller by generating an audio message for the caller.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the billing processor notifies the caller by sending an email message to the caller.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the billing processor notifies the caller by sending a facsimile message to the caller.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein the billing processor increases the funds balance in the available funds account by a credit card transaction.

32. The system according to claim 27, wherein the billing processor increases the funds balance in the available funds account by an automatic funds transfer to the available funds account.

33. A method for accumulating charges for telecommunications services used during a calling card call placed by a cardholder using a calling-card, the method comprising the steps of:

recording call detail information for a calling-card call, the calling card call using telecommunications services including telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

associating services rate information with telecommunications services used by the calling-card call, the services rate information including information relating to specific calling plans subscribed to by the cardholder relating to connection of the calling-card call and relating to the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

determining a charges accruing rate for a funds account associated with the calling-card call based on the recorded call detail information and the specific calling plan information for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;

accruing charges for the funds account at the determined charges accruing rate during the calling-card call, the accrued charges including charges for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the step of determining a charges accruing rate and the step of accruing charges for funds account both occur in real time.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the call detail information includes at least one of a user identification, a beginning time of the call, and a setup parameter of the call.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the services rate information includes information about a calling plan to which a caller of the calling-card call subscribes.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein services rate information includes at least one of long distance toll rate information and cellular-type service air time rate information.

38. The method according to claim 34, wherein services rate information includes telecommunications service rates for Internet provider services.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein the calling card is billed periodically.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein the calling card is a prepaid calling card.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the calling card is a virtual calling card.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the funds account is an available funds associated with the prepaid calling-card call,

wherein the step of determining a charges accruing rate includes the step of determining a depletion rate for the available funds account associated with the prepaid calling card based on the received call detail information and the services rate information, and

wherein the step of accruing charges includes the step of depleting the available funds account at the determined depletion rate during the calling-card call,

the method further comprising the step of validating the available funds account associated with the prepaid calling-card call before the step of receiving call information detail information for the prepaid calling-card call.

43. The method according to claim 42, further comprising the step of notifying a caller of the prepaid calling-card call when a funds balance in the available funds account is less than a predetermined funds threshold amount.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the step of notifying the caller includes the step of generating an audio message for the caller.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the step of notifying the caller includes the step of sending an email message to the caller.

46. The method according to claim 43, wherein the step of notifying the caller includes the step of sending a facsimile message to the caller.

47. The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of increasing the funds balance in the available funds account by a credit card transaction.

48. The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of increasing the funds balance in the available funds account by an automatic funds transfer to the available funds account.