Prepaid phone service for both wired and wireless telecommunication devices

• US 6,990,182 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Roderick
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/322,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20030086548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.25, 379/114.26, 379/115.01, 379/121.01, 379/121.03, 379/130, 379/144.01, 379/144.06, 455/406
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/79 Virtual purses
• 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 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless

Abstract

A system is provided for receiving prepayment of telecommunication services is provided. The system comprises a wireless communication network, a wireline communication network, and a pre-payment server communicating with both the wireless communication network and the wireless communication network. The prepayment server stores a monetary amount associated with the telecommunication time paid for by a subscriber. A measuring module operating on the prepayment server monitors the amount of time the subscriber uses both the wireless communication network and the wireless communication network and decreasing the monetary amount accordingly. The system enables a subscriber to make a single prepayment for telecommunication services, and the amount applies to both the subscriber'"'"'s wireline or wireless telecommunications devices.

Claims

1. A system for making pre-payments of communication services for utilizing both wireline and wireless communications networks, the system compnsing:

a wireless communication network;

a wireline communication network;

an account management server communicating with both the wireline communication network and the wireless communication network, the account management server storing a value associated with a subscriber'"'"'s prepaid account;

a subscriber data structure maintains a record of a plurality of communication devices associated with the subscriber'"'"'s prepaid account, wherein for at least one of the plurality of communication devices, the record further comprises a limiting data field associated with a communication device wherein the limiting data field indicates a limit on communication network utilization for its associated communication device; and

a measuring module, the measuring module monitoring network utilization in order to determine whether a communication device has exceeded its associated limiting data field.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the subscriber'"'"'s associated communication devices is a wireless communication device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the subscriber'"'"'s associated communication devices is a wireline communication device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the account manager server provides a warning when the limiting data field drops below a predetermined level.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a subscriber may access and modify limiting data fields associated with a subscriber'"'"'s associated communication devices.

6. A method for providing a single prepaid subscriber account for plural communication devices including at least one wired communication device and at least one wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a prepaid value associated with the prepaid subscriber account;

maintaining a data structure associating a single prepaid subscriber with plural communication devices wherein at least one of the plural communication devices is a network access limited communication device as indicated by a corresponding access limiting data field comprising a portion of the prepaid value associated with the prepaid subscriber account; and

monitoring network utilization and determining whether network access limited communication devices have exceeded resources indicated by corresponding access limiting data fields.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising terminating network access for a network access limited communication device when a corresponding access limiting data field is exceeded.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising warning the subscriber when an access limiting data field is below a predetermined threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising if a network access limited communications device exceeds its corresponding access limiting data field, switching telecommunication billing to rate-billing for the communications device if approved on the subscriber account.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a billing statement reflecting both prepaid value time used and rate-billing time used for communications devices of a single prepaid subscriber account.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing an authorized user via a computer interface access to the single prepaid subscriber'"'"'s account to set network access limitations for communication devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a parent is an authorized user, time is a network access limitation, and a wireless telephone in possession of a child is the communication device.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein both wired communication devices and wireless communication devices are network access limited communication devices.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein a communication device communicates via an internet connection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the internet connection is wireless.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein a communication device is identified based on a SIM card identifier and monitored network utilization is determined based on any communication device transmitting the SIM card identifier.

17. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an authorized user of the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s account access for modifying options associated with the account.

18. A computer readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions for providing a prepaid subscriber account for plural communication devices including at least one wired communication device and at least one wireless communication device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a prepaid value associated with the prepaid subscriber account;

instructions for maintaining a data structure associating a single prepaid subscriber with plural communication devices wherein at least one of the plural communication devices is a network access limited communication device as indicated in the data structure by a corresponding access limiting data field comprising a portion of the prepaid value associated with the prepaid subscriber account; and

instructions for monitoring network utilization and determining whether network access limited communication devices have exceeded resources indicated by corresponding access limiting data fields.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for terminating network access for a communication device when the portion of the prepaid value is exceeded.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for warning the subscriber when a portion of the prepaid value for a respective communications device is below a predetermined threshold.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise providing an authorized user via a computer interface access to the single prepaid subscriber'"'"'s account information to set a network access limitation for a communication device.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for indicating that both wired communication devices and wireless communication devices are network access limited communication devices.