Architecture for managing prepaid wireless communications services

• US 7,215,942 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., McQuaide, Arnold Chester Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/925,862
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 379/114.01, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/114.16, 379/114.17
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• 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 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for managing a prepaid wireless account for voice and data communications services. According to one embodiment the communications system, having a prepaid architecture for managing a plurality of prepaid wireless accounts for communication services, wherein each prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber comprises a wireless network including a mobile switch, in communication with a wireless device, the wireless device for remotely managing at least one of the prepaid accounts. The communications system also comprises a wide area network including a prepaid account database for storing records assigned to subscribers of prepaid communications services; a prepaid application module for initializing and updating the prepaid accounts; a credit card transaction server, coupled to a credit card database, for checking available credit; and a prepaid server coupled to the prepaid account database and the prepaid application module. The communications system also includes a gateway in communication with the mobile switch of the wireless network and in communication with the wide area network.

Claims

1. A communications system, having a prepaid architecture for managing a plurality of prepaid wireless accounts for communication services, wherein each prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber, comprising:

a wireless network including a mobile switch, in communication with a wireless device, the wireless device for remotely managing at least one of the prepaid accounts;

a wide area network including;

a prepaid account database for storing records assigned to subscribers of prepaid communications service;

a prepaid application module for initializing and updating the prepaid accounts, for determining a current account balance while the prepaid communications service is in use by a subscriber, for comparing the current account balance to a recharge threshold, and for generating alerts once the current account balance falls below the recharge threshold while the prepaid communications service is in use and wherein the prepaid application module decreases an amount of time from one alert to a subsequent alert as the current account balance continues to fall during use of the prepaid communications service;

a credit card transaction server, coupled to a credit card database, for checking available credit;

a prepaid server coupled to the prepaid account database and the prepaid application module; and

a gateway in communication with the mobile switch of the wireless network and in communication with the wide area network to deliver the alerts to the wireless devices, wherein the gateway is selected from the group consisting of a push proxy and a WAP push proxy.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a web appliance, in communication with the wide area network, for remotely managing at least one of the prepaid accounts.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the wireless device is WAP-enabled and wherein the mobile switch is WAP-enabled and wherein the gateway is WAP-enabled.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant and a pager.

5. A method for replenishing a prepaid wireless account, wherein the prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber, and wherein the account includes credit card account information associated with a subscriber requesting replenishment, the method comprising:

providing wireless access to a network for managing the prepaid account;

coupling a wireless device to the network;

receiving credit card account information through the network by the subscriber entering the credit card account information into the wireless device;

charging a pre-authorized amount to the credit card account identified by the credit card account information;

determining a current account balance while a prepaid communications service of the prepaid account is in use a subscriber;

comparing the current account balance to a recharge threshold;

pushing alerts to the wireless device via a gateway in communication with the network once the current account balance falls below the recharge threshold while the prepaid communications service is in use, wherein the gateway is selected from the group consisting of a push proxy and a WAP push proxy; and

wherein the prepaid application module decreases an amount of time from one alert to a subsequent alert as the current account balance continues to fall during use of the prepaid communications service.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

coupling a web appliance to the network for managing the prepaid account.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless device is WAP-enabled.

8. A method for retrieving an account balance for a prepaid wireless account, wherein the prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber, an wherein the account balance is stored in a customer account database, the method comprising:

providing wireless access to a network for managing the prepaid account;

coupling a wireless device to the network;

during a communications session, querying the customer account database to obtain the account balance;

pushing alerts to the wireless device via a gateway in communication with the network during the communication session once the subscriber account balance falls below a recharge threshold amount, wherein the gateway is selected from the group consisting of a push proxy and a WAP push proxy, and wherein an amount of time from one alert to a subsequent alert is decreased as the current account balance continues to fall during the communications session.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

coupling a web appliance to the network for managing the prepaid account.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless device is WAP-enabled.

11. A system for replenishing a prepaid wireless account, wherein the prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber, and wherein the account includes credit card account information associated with a subscriber requesting replenishment, the system comprising:

means for providing wireless access to a network for managing the prepaid account;

means for coupling a wireless device to the network;

means for charging a pre-authorized amount to the credit card account; and

means for pushing an alert to the wireless device via a gateway in communication with the network when a subscriber account balance falls below a recharge threshold amount during a communication session, wherein the gateway is selected from the group consisting of a push proxy and a WAP push proxy and wherein an amount of time from one alert to a subsequent alert is decreased as the current account balance continues to fall during the communications session.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for coupling a web appliance to the network for managing the prepaid account.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless device is WAP-enabled.

14. A system for retrieving an account balance for a prepaid wireless account, wherein the prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber, and wherein the account balance is stored in a customer account database, the steps comprising:

means for providing wireless access to a network for managing the prepaid account;

means for coupling a wireless device to the network;

means for automatically querying the customer account database to retrieve the account balance during a communications session; and

means for pushing an alert to the wireless device via a gateway in communication with the network when a subscriber account balance falls below a recharge threshold amount during the communications session, wherein the gateway is selected from the group consisting of a push proxy and a WAP push proxy and wherein an amount of time from one alert to a subsequent alert is decreased as the current account balance continues to fall during the communications session.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for providing a web appliance for accessing the network; and

means for coupling a web appliance to the network for managing the prepaid account.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless device is WAP-enabled.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

collecting credit card account information from a prepaid subscriber, wherein the prepaid account is associated with a prepaid subscriber;

establishing the prepaid account on a subscriber account database;

receiving a prepaid amount from the prepaid subscriber;

checking the credit card account for available credit based on the prepaid amount; and

pushing an alert to the wireless device via a gateway when a subscriber account balance falls below a recharge threshold amount during a communications session, wherein the gateway is selected from the group consisting of a push proxy and a WAP push proxy and wherein an amount of time from one alert to a subsequent alert is decreased as the current account balance continues to fall during the communications session.