Method and system for paying prepaid communications credit

• US 6,950,506 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John, Rauba, Rimas, Myers, Jerome Wendell
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/008,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20030086545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/114.24, 379/114.25, 379/114.26, 379/144.01, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 705/14
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/201 automatic recharging with predetermined amount at threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/225 with predetermined amount
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for prepaying credits to a user account for communications services is provided. A system receives an origination number and a code. The code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit. The system credits an account associated with the origination number with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit. Software for implementing the method and system may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on a user communication device.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing prepaid communications credit, comprising:

receiving an origination number;

creating a plurality of user accounts associated with the origination number, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a different access code;

receiving a credit code, wherein the credit code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit;

receiving an access code; and

crediting the user account associated with the received access code with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination number comprises a phone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination number comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising deducting the cost of a communications connection from the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communications connection comprises a phone call.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the communications connection comprises a computer network connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a predefined condition is detected, deducting the cost of a communications connection from the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined condition comprises that the communications connection originates from the received origination number.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined condition comprises that the communications connection originates from the received origination number and the communications connection requires payment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined condition comprises detecting a predefined destination number.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the destination number comprises a phone number.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising if a communications connection originates from the received origination number and the received origination number comprises a toll blocked phone number, discontinuing the communications connection if the cost of the communications connection is greater than the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging the cost of the communications connection that exceeds the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account to the owner of the origination number.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising if a communications connection originates from the received origination number and the received origination number is not a toll blocked phone number, charging the cost of the communications connection that exceeds the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account to the owner of the origination number.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code from a retail establishment.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code from a magnetic strip on a card.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code through a voice mail system.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code through a computer network.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of phone numbers; and

if a phone call originates from any of the received plurality of phone numbers, deducting the cost of the phone call from the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account.

38. The method of claim 1, further comprising referencing a table of credit codes to determine the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit corresponding to the received code.

20. A system for purchasing prepaid communications credit, comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising;

a first set of instructions for receiving an origination number;

a second set of instructions for creating a plurality of user accounts associated with the origination number, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a different access code;

a third set of instructions for receiving a credit code, wherein the credit code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit;

a fourth set of instructions for receiving an access code; and

a fifth set of instructions for crediting the user account associated with the received access code with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the origination number comprises a phone number.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the origination number comprises a MAC address.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a sixth set of instructions for deducting the cost of a communications connection from the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account if a predefined condition is detected.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the communications connection comprises a phone call.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the communications connection comprises a computer network connection.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the predefined condition comprises that the communications connection originates from the received origination number.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the predefined condition comprises that the communications connection originates from the received origination number and the communications connection requires payment.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the predefined condition comprises detecting a predefined destination number.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the destination number comprises a phone number.

30. The system of claim 20, further comprising a seventh set of instructions for discontinuing the communications connection if the cost of the communications connection is greater than the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account if a communications connection originates from the received origination number and the received origination number comprises a toll blocked phone number.

31. The system of claim 20, further comprising an eighth set of instructions for charging the cost of the communications connection that exceeds the payment amount for prepaid credit in the amount to the owner of the origination number.

32. The system of claim 20, further comprising a ninth set of instructions for charging the cost of the communications connection that exceeds the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account to the owner of the origination number if a communications connection originates from the received origination number and the received origination number is not a toll blocked phone number.

33. The system of claim 20, further comprising a tenth set of instructions for receiving the credit code from a retail establishment.

34. The system of claim 20, further comprising an eleventh set of instructions for receiving the credit code from a magnetic strip on a card.

35. The system of claim 20, further comprising a twelfth set of instructions for receiving the credit code through a voice mail system.

36. The system of claim 20, further comprising a thirteenth set of instructions for receiving the credit code through a computer network.

37. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a fourteenth set of instructions for receiving a plurality of phone numbers; and

a fifteenth set of instructions for deducting the cost of the phone call from the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account if a phone call originates from any of the received plurality of phone numbers.