Prepaid security cellular telecommunications system

• US 6,236,851 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Orbital Sciences Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Freedom Wireless Incorporated (Freedom Wireless)
• Inventors: Harned, Dan B., Fougnies, Douglas V.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US09/118,378
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 455/408, 455/405-407, 379/111-114, 379/120, 379/121, 379/127, 379/128, 379/144, 379/130
• 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 prepaid 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 prepaid cards.

Claims

1. A method of increasing a level of credit in a user account in a preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier, and user-input, obtained from a vended medium, that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input, wherein modification of the account comprises increasing a level of credit available for wireless telecommunications service by the predetermined level of credit.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the wireless service provider comprises a prepaid wireless service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier comprises an automated number identifier (ANI) or an electronic serial number (ESN) or both.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier comprises information other than an automated number identifier (ANI) or an electronic serial number (ESN).

5. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier comprises information identifying a prepaid wireless subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the identifier comprises information identifying the wireless communications device.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the routing of the identifier is transparent to a user of the wireless communications device.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the wireless communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the user-input comprises data generated by a user-input device associated with the wireless communications device.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the user-input device comprises a keypad on the wireless communications device.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the user-input comprises an encrypted number.

12. The method of claim 1 in which the user-input comprises information representing one or more fields of data.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the fields of data comprise one or more of the following:

a dialing string field indicating that an account is to be modified, a card type field, a card value field, a local area code field, and a checksum field.

14. The method of claim 1 in which the user-input comprises information other than a destination number (DNIS).

15. The method of claim 1 in which the user-input comprises an alphanumeric sequence.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the alpha/numeric sequence input by the user corresponds to one or more telecommunications service units.

17. The method of claim 15 in which the alpha/numeric sequence input by the user corresponds to information obtained from a prepaid wireless telecommunications card.

18. The method of claim 17 in which data associated with previously used preauthorized telecommunications cards is stored in a database.

19. The method of claim 15 in which the alpha/numeric sequence input by the user uniquely identifies a prepaid wireless telecommunications card purchased by or for the user of the wireless telecommunications device.

20. The method of claim 1 in which the credit is available for air-time credit or monthly access credit or both.

21. The method of claim 1 in which modification of the account further comprises identifying a wireless subscriber from the received information and adjusting that wireless subscriber'"'"'s account based on the user-input.

22. The method of claim 1 in which at least a portion of the received information indicates that a wireless subscriber'"'"'s account is to be modified.

23. The method of claim 1 in which routing comprises identifying a specific wireless service provider based on the information received from the wireless communications device.

24. The method of claim 1 in which the user-input is associated with a record in a database.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the record in the database correlates the user-input with the specific, predetermined level of credit.

26. A method, performed at a wireless service provider, of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving, at the wireless service provider, a transmission sequence from a wireless communications device comprising user-input corresponding to information obtained from a prepaid wireless telecommunications card containing an alpha/numeric value that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit; and

modifying, at the wireless service provider, accounting data associated with the wireless communications device based on information in the transmission sequence.

27. The method of claim 26 in which the accounting data is modified in response to receipt of a single transmission sequence from a wireless communications device.

28. The method of claim 26 in which the transmission sequence is delimited by entry of a transmit command on the wireless communications device.

29. The method of claim 28 in which entry of the transmit command comprises pressing a “

send”

key on a keypad of the wireless communications device.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising receiving, at the wireless service provider, a static identifier of the wireless communications device.

31. The method of claim 30 in which the user-input corresponds to information obtained from a prepaid wireless telecommunications card.

32. The method of claim 30 in which the static identifier comprises an automated number identifier (ANI) or an electronic serial number (ESN) or both.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising transmitting the static identifier with the user-input in a manner that is transparent to a user of the wireless communications device.

34. The method of claim 26 further comprising, prior to receipt of the transmission sequence at the wireless service provider, receiving the transmission sequence from the wireless communications device at a wireless telecommunications center and passing it on to the wireless service provider.

35. The method of claim 26 further comprising receiving, at the wireless service provider, an identifier of an account of the user of the wireless communications device.

36. The method of claim 26 wherein the alpha/numeric value includes a checksum.

37. The method of claim 26 in which an account associated with the wireless communications device is located based on an identifier of the wireless communications device.

38. The method of claim 37 in which the identifier is an ANI.

39. The method of claim 37 in which the identifier is an ESN.

40. The method of claim 37 in which the identifier is transmitted to the wireless service provider transparently to the user of the wireless communications device.

41. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

entering an alpha/numeric sequence corresponding to and obtained from a preauthorized wireless telecommunications card into a wireless communications device the alpha/numeric sequence representing a specific, predetermined level of credit;

transmitting to a wireless telecommunications center the entered alphanumeric sequence and information indicative of the wireless communications device;

identifying a wireless service provider based on the information indicative of the wireless communications device;

routing the entered alphanumeric sequence and the information indicative of the wireless communications device to the identified wireless service provider; and

modifying an account associated with the wireless communications device based on the entered alphanumeric sequence.

42. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier and user-input, obtained from a vended medium, that comprises an encrypted number and that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein at least a portion of the encrypted number is used to locate a record in a database.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein the encrypted number is derived using a cryptographic process that encodes a predetermined level of credit associated with the card into the encrypted number.

45. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier and user-input, obtained from a vended medium, that comprises information other than a destination number (DNIS) and that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input.

46. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier and user-input, obtained from a vended medium, that comprises an alpha/numeric sequence input by the user that corresponds to one or more telecommunications service units, the user-input representing a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input.

47. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier and user-input that comprises an alpha/numeric sequence input by the user that corresponds to information obtained from a prepaid wireless telecommunications card and that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input.

48. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier and user-input that comprises an alpha/numeric sequence input by the user that uniquely identifies a prepaid wireless telecommunications card purchased by or for the user of the wireless telecommunications device, the user-input representing a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input.

49. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information from a wireless communications device, the information comprising an identifier and user-input, obtained from a vended medium, that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit;

routing the received information to a wireless service provider based on the identifier; and

modifying an account at the wireless service provider based on the user-input, wherein modification of the account comprises increasing a level of credit available for wireless telecommunications service.

50. The method of claim 49 in which the credit is available for air-time credit or monthly access credit or both.

51. A method, performed at a wireless service provider, of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

at the wireless service provider, receiving from a wireless communications device a transmission sequence that comprises user-input that corresponds to information obtained from a prepaid wireless telecommunications card and that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit, the transmission sequence further comprising a static identifier of the wireless communications device; and

modifying, at the wireless service provider, accounting data associated with the wireless communications device based on information in the transmission sequence.

52. A method of managing preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

entering into a wireless communications device an alpha/numeric sequence corresponding to a preauthorized wireless telecommunications card containing an alpha/numeric value that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit;

transmitting to a wireless telecommunications center the entered alpha/numeric sequence and information indicative of the wireless communications device;

identifying a wireless service provider based on the information indicative of the wireless communications device;

routing the entered alpha/numeric sequence and the information indicative of the wireless communications device to the identified wireless service provider; and

increasing a level of credit available for wireless telecommunications service in an account associated with the wireless communications device based on the predetermined level of credit associated with the entered alpha/numeric sequence.

53. A method of increasing the level of credit of user accounts in a prepaid wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless service provider, information from the user of a wireless communications device, the information comprising user-input and an identifier of a user account, wherein the user-input comprises an alpha/numeric value supplied to the user in response to the user purchasing a specific, predetermined level of credit to be applied to the user account, the user-input representing the specific, predetermined level of credit;

determining, at the wireless service provider, the level of credit associated with the user input; and

increasing a level of credit available for wireless telecommunications service in the user account by the determined level of credit associated with the user-input.

54. An article of manufacture for use in a preauthorized wireless telecommunications system comprising:

a card; and

at least one surface of the card on which is displayed an alpha/numeric value;

the alpha/numeric value representing a specific, predetermined level of credit to be applied to an account of a user of a wireless telecommunications device, wherein upon receipt of the alpha/numeric value and an identifier of the wireless telecommunication device by a wireless service provider, the level of credit in the account is increased by the predetermined level.

55. A method of increasing a level of credit in a user account associated with a wireless telecommunications device used in a prepaid wireless telecommunications system comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a user of the wireless telecommunication device an alpha/numeric value in exchange for a monetary payment for wireless telecommunication services, wherein the alpha/numeric value represents the amount of the monetary payment;

(b) entering the alpha/numeric value into the wireless communications device;

(c) sending an identifier of an account of a subscriber to the prepaid wireless communications system and the alpha/numeric value to a computer having access to a database containing information associated with the accounts of subscribers to the prepaid wireless telecommunications system, wherein the computer retrieves the account identified by the identifier, determines the predetermined level of credit associated with the alpha/numeric value, and increases the level of credit in the account identified by the identifier by the predetermined level of credit.

56. A method of increasing the level of credit in a user account in a preauthorized telecommunications service, the method comprising:

receiving information comprising an identifier and user-input corresponding to and obtained from a preauthorized wireless telecommunications card containing an alpha/numeric value that represents a specific, predetermined level of credit at a computer with access to a database containing information associated with the accounts of subscribers to the preauthorized telecommunications service; and

modifying an account of a user identified by the identifier, wherein modification of the account comprises increasing a level of credit available for wireless telecommunications service by the predetermined level of credit.