Prepaid telephone calling card with message recording capability

• US 7,180,990 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Karl M., Mir, Kamran W., Gillman, Anne, Bond, James D., Borocz, Stacy
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/321,387
• Time in Patent Office: 2,826 Days
• Field of Search: 379/144, 379/114, 379/67.1, 379/120, 379/88.04, 379/88.12, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.26, 379/114.2, 379/114.19, 379/114.05, 379/114.18, 379/114.16, 379/114.15
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• 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 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/842 Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 2215/8108 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8133 Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue, intelligent peripheral or switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages

Abstract

System and method for recording at least one message to be associated with a prepaid telephone calling card. The system and method include and involve a data storage system for storing data corresponding to the prepaid telephone calling card and at least one message. Also included and involved is a prepaid telephone calling card processing system that is coupled to the data storage system and configured to receive a request to record the message(s) during a service setup call over a telephone network and to cause the message(s) to be recorded for subsequent playback. The prepaid telephone calling card processing system may also be configured to receive a request to play the message(s) stored in relation to the prepaid telephone calling card during an access call over the telephone network and to cause the message(s) to be played back automatically.

Claims

1. A method for recording at least one message associated with a prepaid telephone calling card, comprising:

storing data corresponding to the prepaid telephone calling card and the at least one message;

receiving, over a telephone network, a prepaid telephone calling card access code during a service setup call;

determining, based on the received access code, whether the prepaid telephone calling card comprises a first type of card;

if the prepaid telephone calling card comprises the first type of card, initiating the recording of the at least one message during the service setup call; and

if the prepaid telephone calling card does not comprise the first type of card, directing a caller associated with the service setup call to call a first telephone number.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data corresponding to the prepaid telephone calling card includes a quantity corresponding to a number of service units available to be used to make at least one call in relation to the prepaid telephone calling card.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said service units correspond to telephone call service minutes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one message is recorded in accordance with a card identifier corresponding to the prepaid telephone calling card.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically playing back the at least one message during an access call related to the prepaid telephone calling card.

6. A method for facilitating the use of a prepaid telephone calling card, comprising:

receiving a call access request, associated with the prepaid telephone calling card, over a telephone network;

determining if the prepaid telephone calling card is an audio message type calling card;

initiating playback of the at least one audio message affiliated with the prepaid telephone calling card if the prepaid telephone calling card comprises an audio message type calling card; and

initiating a call in response to the call access request if the prepaid telephone calling card does not comprise an audio message type calling card.

7. A method for facilitating the use of a prepaid telephone calling card, comprising:

receiving a call access request, associated with the prepaid telephone calling card, over a telephone network;

determining if at least one audio message affiliated with the prepaid telephone calling card has previously been stored;

initiating playback of the at least one audio message if the at least one audio message has previously been stored; and

initiating playback of an audio message unaffiliated with the prepaid telephone calling card if the at least one audio message has not previously been stored.

8. A system for facilitating the use of a prepaid telephone calling card, comprising:

a data storage system configured to store data corresponding to the prepaid telephone calling card and to store at least one message related to the prepaid telephone calling card; and

a prepaid telephone calling card processing system coupled to said data storage system and configured to;

receive a request to play the at least one message stored in relation to the prepaid telephone calling card during an access call over a telephone network,

initiate the playback of the at least one message during the access call,

determine a number of times the at least one message has been played back, and

delete the at least one message from the data storage system responsive to the determination of the number of times the at least one message has been played back.

9. A method for recording purchase preferences of an individual associated with a prepaid telephone calling card, comprising:

receiving, over a telephone network, an access code associated with the prepaid telephone calling card;

requesting purchase preference information of the individual;

receiving audio data related to the purchase preference information; and

recording the audio data as an audio message for playback during an access call related to the use of the prepaid telephone calling card.

10. A method relating to the purchase preferences of an individual associated with a prepaid telephone calling card, comprising:

storing data corresponding to the prepaid telephone calling card and at least one audio message related to purchase preferences of the individual associated with the prepaid telephone calling card;

receiving, over a telephone network, a request to play the at least one audio message during an access call; and

initiating playback of the at least one audio message during the access call.