Communication system

• US 7,013,126 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Masuda, Hiroyo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/109,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-411, 37911415-11426, 379133-134, 379/144.01
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• 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 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 2215/2013 : Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7277 : Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 : Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 : Available credit

Abstract

A communication system capable of conducting efficient multi prepaid service and also improving the quality and convenience of prepaid communication service. Service request transmitting section transmits a service request for a prepaid service, and prepaid service executing section executes the prepaid service. Registration information transmitting section transmits registration information for executing the prepaid service. User request receiving section receives the service request and the registration information. Based on the service request and the registration information, prepayment control section performs prepayment control including a process of allotting the balance of prepayment to a plurality of prepaid services to be conducted simultaneously. Prepaid service providing section provides the prepaid service in accordance with the corresponding allotment of the balance.

Claims

1. A communication system for providing prepaid communication service over a network, comprising:

(a) a user terminal device including;

service request transmitting means for transmitting a service request for a prepaid service, prepaid service executing means for executing the prepaid service, and

registration information transmitting means for transmitting registration information for executing the prepaid service; and

(b) a prepayment control device including;

user request receiving means for receiving the service request and the registration information,

prepayment control means for performing prepayment control including a process of allotting a balance of prepayment to a plurality of the prepaid services to be conducted simultaneously, based on the service request and the registration information, and

prepaid service providing means for providing the prepaid service in accordance with a corresponding allotment of the balance;

wherein;

the registration information, transmitting means transmits information about priorities of prepaid services as the registration information, and

when an allotment for a prepaid service with high priority is running short, the prepayment control means generates an instruction to disconnect a prepaid service with low priority and recalculates allotments such that an allotment for the prepaid service with low priority is appropriated to the prepaid service with high priority.

2. A communication system for providing prepaid communication service over a network, comprising:

(a) a user terminal device including;

service request transmitting means for transmitting a service request for a prepaid service, prepaid service executing means for executing the prepaid service, and

registration information transmitting means for transmitting registration information for executing the prepaid service; and

(b) a prepayment control device including;

user request receiving means for receiving the service request and the registration information,

prepayment control means for performing prepayment control including a process of allotting a balance of prepayment to a plurality of the prepaid services to be conducted simultaneously, based on the service request and the registration information, and

prepaid service providing means for providing the prepaid service in accordance with a corresponding allotment of the balance;

wherein;

when packet communication is to be performed, the registration information transmitting means transmits, as the registration information, a threshold for packer transfer rate and a transfer address to which packets are to be transferred in case the threshold is exceeded, and

the prepayment control means determines whether or not a transfer rate of a packet service being provided becomes higher than the threshold, and generates an instruction to transfer packets to the transfer address if the threshold is exceeded.

3. A user terminal device for receiving prepaid communication service over a network, comprising:

multi-call service request transmitting means for requesting a first prepaid service and a second prepaid service simultaneously; and

registration information transmitting means for transmitting registration information for executing the first and second prepaid services, including setting information about allotments of a shared prepaid amount, and also including priority information indicating that the first prepaid service is to be prioritized over the second prepaid service, so that, when the allotment for the first prepaid service is running short, the second prepaid service will be disconnected and the allotment for the second prepaid service will be appropriated to the first prepaid service.