Method and apparatus for providing prepaid local telephone services

• US 7,092,501 B2
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Moss, John Wesley, Maropis, Samuel George, Thabit, Mark Joseph, Brezinski, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAUTHIER, GERALD
• Application Number:
  US09/417,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20020061092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.12, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/111, 379/114, 379/118, 379/130, 379/131, 379/201, 379/207, 37911415-11417, 379/114.2, 379/121.01, 379/201.01, 379/201.12, 379/207.02, 379/207.1
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• 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 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• 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 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 2017/26 with real-time recharging of account/card, e.g. if limit is reached during connection user is asked if he wants to recharge or not
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account

Abstract

A system and method for providing prepaid dialtone services. The system includes a prepaid dialtone service center having an applications server that maintains a prepaid dialtone subscriber database including subscriber identification and service period information. The applications server is configured to automatically remind subscribers to renew their prepaid dialtone account and communicates with a local exchange carrier to place a hold on, or cancel, an expired subscriber account. The method includes the features of determining and monitoring a service period for a prepaid dialtone subscriber, communicating a reminder to the subscriber prior to expiration of the service period, and communicating with a local exchange carrier servicing the subscriber upon expiration of the service period.

Claims

1. A method for providing prepaid local telephone services to a subscriber having a telecommunications device connected to a subscriber line and in communication with a telephone network via the subscriber line, the method comprising:

establishing a prepaid subscriber account on a prepaid local telephone service database, the prepaid subscriber account comprising subscriber identification informatio and a period of prepaid service;

monitoring the period of prepaid service for the prepaid subscriber account at the prepaid local telephone service database without monitoring a duration of individual prepaid telephone calls and without monitoring a dollar value of individual prepaid calls;

sending a reminder message to the prepaid subscriber prior to an expiration of the period of prepaid serice;

sending a suspend message to the telephone network, the suspend message comprising an instruction to suspend local telephone service for the subscriber and to place the prepaid subscriber account on hold;

wherein the prepaid subscriber account is maintained in an inactive state; and

monitoring a grace period at the prepaid local telephone service database, the grace period comprising a predetermined length of time measured from when the suspend message is sent, and sending a disconnect message to the local exchange carrier via telephone network after an expiration of the grace period if the subscriber has not renewed the subscriber account for an additional period of service, the disconnect message comprising an instruction to disconnect the subscriber account.

2. A method of providing prepaid local telephone service to a subscriber having a telecommunication device connected to a subscriber line and in communication with a telephone network via the subscriber line, the method comprising:

establishing a prepaid subscriber account on a prepaid local telephone service database, the prepaid subscriber account comprising subscriber identification information and a period of prepaid service;

monitoring the period of prepaid service for the prepaid subscriber account at the prepaid local telephone service database without monitoring a duration of individual prepaid telephone calls and without monitoring a dollar value of individual prepaid telephone calls;

sending a reminder message to the prepaid subscriber prior to an expiration of the period of prepaid service;

sending a suspend message to the telephone network, the suspend message comprising an instruction to suspend local telephone service for the subscriber and to place the prepaid subscriber account on hold, wherein the prepaid subscriber account is maintained in an inactive state; and

wherein the suspend message further comprises an instruction to permit telephone calls to an emergency telephone number, wherein the subscriber account is maintained in an inactive state and only permits the subscriber to make telephone calls to the emergency telephone number.

3. The method of claim 2, further monitoring a grace period at the prepaid local telephone service database, the grace period comprising a predetermined length of time measured from when the suspend message is sent, and sending a disconnect message to the telephone network after an expiration of the grace period if the subscriber has not renewed the subscriber account for an additional period of service, the disconnect message comprising an instruction to disconnect the subscriber account.

4. A method for providing prepaid local telephone services to a subscriber having a telecommunications device connected to a subscriber line and in communication with a telephone network via the subscriber line, the method comprising:

receiving a telephone call from the subscriber;

identifying a prepaid subscriber account in a prepaid local telephone call database for the subscriber bae on the telephone number of the subscriber;

receiving a value identification code associated with a prepaid local telephone service program;

determining a period of prepaid service for the identified subscriber account;

monitoring the period of prepaid service, at the prepaid local telephone call database independently of a duration of any prepaid telephone call made during the period of prepaid service; and

sending termination date information to the subscriber prior to an expiration of the period of prepaid service, wherein the expiration of the period of prepaid service is unrelated to a duration of individual subscriber telephone calls made during the period of prepaid service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the telephone call from the subscriber is received at a voice recognition unit (VRU) in communication with the prepaid local telephone call database.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending a renewal reminder message to the subscriber prior to expiration of the period of service.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting the end of the period of service and sending a message to a local exchange carrier in the telephone network, the message comprising a hold order for suspending a subscriber'"'"'s prepaid local telephone service.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting the end of the period of service and sending a disconnect message to a local exchange carrier in the telephone network, the disconnect message comprising a disconnect order for terminating a subscriber'"'"'s prepaid local telephone service.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring a grace period after sending the message to the local exchange carrier.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising detecting an end of the grace period and sending a second message to the local exchange carrier in the telephone network, the second message comprising a cancer order for canceling the subscriber'"'"'s prepaid local telephone service.

11. In communication with a telephone network having at least one local exchange carrier in communication with at least one subscriber, a system for providing prepaid local telephone services comprising:

a prepaid local telephone call service center in communication with the at least one local exchange carrier, the prepaid local telephone service call service center comprising;

an applications server having a processor and a prepaid subscriber database, the prepaid subscriber database comprising subscriber prepaid service period information and subscriber identification information, the applications server further comprising means for monitoring a subscriber prepaid service period without monitoring a duration of individual telephone calls during the subscriber prepaid service period and without monitoring a dollar value of the individual telephone calls during the subscriber prepaid service period and means for automatically communcating service termination date information to a subscriber prior to an expiration of the subscriber prepaid service period.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for automatically communicating a message to the local exchange carrier from the applications server upon the expiration of the service period for the subscriber.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the message comprises a hold order containing instructions to suspend a prepaid local telephone service account for the subscriber.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the message comprises a disconnect order containing instructions to disconnect a prepaid local telephone service account for the subscriber.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising a grace period timer configured to monitor a grace period, the grace period comprising a period of time after the expiration of the service period for the subscriber.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising means for automatically communicating a message to the local exchange carrier upon an expiration of the grace period.

17. A method of providing prepaid local telephone services to a subscriber having a telecommunications device connected to a subscriber line and in communication with a telephone network via the subscriber line, the method line:

establishing a prepaid subscriber account on a prepaid local telelphone service database, the prepaid subscriber account comprising subscriber identification information and a period of prepaid service;

monitoring the period of prepaid service for the prepaid subscriber account at the prepaid local telephone service database without monitoring a duration of individual prepaid telephone calls and without monitoring a dollar value of individual prepaid telephone calls;

sending a reminder message the prepaid subscriber prior to an expiration of the period of prepaid service; and

sending a suspend message to the telephone network, the suspend message comprising an instruction to suspend local telephone service for the subscriber and to place the prepaid subscriber account on hold, wherein the prepaid subscriber account is maintained in an inactive state.