Method and apparatus for internet-based telephone access to prepaid card and pin systems

• US 6,438,220 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Yali
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/538,708
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.15, 379/114.17, 379/114.18, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/144.01, 379/144.05, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354
• US Class Current: 379/144.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• 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 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.

Abstract

A method for providing a pre-paid telephone calling card services to a calling party initiating a voice-based connection to a called party telephone using an internet-based IP Phone process running on a personal computer. The method comprises initiating an A-leg connection between the IP Phone process and an internet gateway utilizing a computer network connecting the personal computer and the internet Gateway, establishing a telephone connection between the internet gateway and a SCP. Once this connection is established, the SCP transmits a request to the calling party through the IP Phone process to provide account and call information. The calling party responds with the requested account and call information using the IP Phone process. The internet gateway then transmits the information to the SCP using DTMF tones. The SCP responds by transmitting an account query from the SCP to verify account and balance information for the calling party. If the account data is successfully verified, a B-leg connection is established between the SCP and the called party telephone and the A-leg and B-leg connections are connected in order to establish the voice-based connection between the calling party and the called party telephone.

Claims

1. A method for providing a pre-paid telephone calling card services to a calling party initiating a voice-based connection to a called party telephone using an internet-based internet protocol (“

IP”

) phone process running on a personal computer, the method comprising;

initiating an A-leg connection between the IP phone process and an internet gateway utilizing a computer network connecting the personal computer and the internet gateway;

establishing a telephone connection between the internet gateway and a SCP, wherein the SCP (Service Control Point) is coupled to a public switched telephone network;

transmitting a request by the SCP to the calling party through the IP phone process to provide account and call information;

receiving account and call information by the internet gateway from the IP phone process;

transmitting the information to the SCP by the internet gateway;

transmitting an account query from the SCP to verify account and balance information for the calling party;

if the account data is successfully verified, establishing a B-leg connection between the SCP and the called party telephone;

connecting the A-leg and B-leg connection to establish a voice-based connection between the calling party and the called party telephone; and

if any DTMF tone from the SCP is detected by the internet gateway, the DTMF tone is translated to ASCII and forwarded to the calling party.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the account and call information comprises an account number, a personal identification number and a called party telephone number.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein receiving account and call information comprises receiving account and call information encoded in ASCII characters.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting account and call information to the SCP comprises:

generating DTMF tones corresponding to ASCII characters received from the IP Phone process within the internet gateway; and

transmitting the DTW tones from the internet gateway to the SCP.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the A-leg connection comprises an H.323 or SIP voice-based connection.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the B-leg connection comprises a connection through a public switched telephone network.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the transmitting an account query to a SDP (Service Data Point) to verify an account comprises;

transmitting a query by the SCP to the SDP, the query comprises an account number and a personal identification number;

comparing the account number and personal identification number with an account database coupled to the SDP; and

verifying the account and balance information if the received account number and personal identification number matches the corresponding items within the database and the database possess a positive balance value.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the B-leg connection comprises a connection through a public switched telephone network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the A-leg connection comprises a connection through the internet.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for the method recited in claim 7.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process performing the method recited in claim 1.

10. A system for providing a pre-paid telephone calling card services to a calling party initiating a voice-based connection to a called party telephone, comprising:

a computer for initializing an A-leg connection between the calling party and an internet gateway utilizing an IP phone process;

a control processor coupled to a public switched telephone network wherein the SCP (Service Control Point) transmits a request to the calling party through the IP phone process to provide account and call information;

means for receiving account and call information by the internet gateway from the IP Phone process;

means for generating DTMF tones corresponding to ASCII characters received from the IP Phone process within the internet gateway;

means for transmitting the DTMF tones from the internet gateway to the SCP;

means for transmitting a query by the SCP to a SDP (Service Data Point), the query comprises an account number and a personal identification number;

means for comparing the account number and personal identification number with an account database coupled to the SDP;

means of verifying the account and balance information if the received account number and personal identification number matches the corresponding items within the database and the database possess a positive balance value;

if the account data is successfully verified, means for establishing a B-leg connection between the SCP and the called party telephone;

means for connecting the A-leg and B-leg connection in to establish the voice-based connection between the calling party and the called party telephone; and

if any DTMF tone from the SCP is detected by the internet gateway, the DTMF tone is translated to ASCII and forwarded to the calling party.

13. A method for providing a pre-paid telephone calling card services to a calling party initiating a voice-based connection to a called party telephone using an internet-based internet IP Phone process running on a personal computer, the method comprising:

initiating an A-leg connection between the IP Phone process and an internet gateway utilizing a computer network connecting the personal computer and the internet gateway, the internet gateway responds by establishing a telephone connection between the internet gateway and a SCP (Service Control Point), the SCP is coupled to a public switched telephone network;

receiving a request from the SCP to the calling party through the IP Phone process to provide account and call information;

transmitting account and call information to the internet gateway by the IP Phone process, the internet gateway responds to receipt of account and call information by generating DTMF tones corresponding to ASCII characters received from the IP Phone and transmitting the DTMF tones to the SCP;

causing the SCP to transmit a query to a SDP (Service Data Point), the query comprises an account number and a personal identification number, the SDP responds to the query by comparing that account number and personal identification number with an account database coupled to the SDP and verifying the account and balance information if the received account number and personal identification number matches the corresponding items within the account database and the account database possess a positive balance value;

if the account data is successfully verified, causing the establishment of a B-leg connection between the SCP and the called party telephone, the SCP responds to the establishment of the B-leg connection by connecting the A-leg and B-leg connection to establish a voice-based connection between the calling party and the called party telephone; and

if any DTMF tone from the SCP is detected by the internet gateway, the DTMF tone is translated to ASCII and forwarded to the calling party.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for the method recited in claim 13.

15. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process performing the method recited in claim 13.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the B-leg connection comprises a connection through a public switched telephone network.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the B-leg connection comprises a connection through a public switched telephone network.