Method and system for paying prepaid communications credit

• US 7,257,207 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John, Rauba, Rimas, Myers, Jerome Wendell
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/084,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20050163295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/114.24, 379/114.25, 379/114.26, 379/144.01, 455405-408, 705/14
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/201 automatic recharging with predetermined amount at threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/225 with predetermined amount
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/25 using a code

Abstract

A method and system for prepaying credits to a user account for communications services is provided. A system receives an origination number and a code. The code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit. The system credits an account associated with the origination number with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit. Software for implementing the method and system may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on a user communication device.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing prepaid communications credit, comprising:

receiving an origination number;

creating a plurality of user accounts associated with the origination number, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a different access code;

receiving a credit code, wherein the credit code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit for each of the plurality of user accounts;

receiving an access code;

crediting the user account associated with the received access code with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit; and

deducting a cost associated with a communications service from the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination number comprises a phone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination number comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the origination number comprises at least one of an Internet Protocol address, a circuit identifier, a main billed telephone number, or a master account number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications service comprises at least one of a phone call, a wireless service, a VoIP service, broadband service, or Internet service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising if a predefined condition is detected, deducting the cost associated with the communications service from the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined condition comprises that communication originates from the received origination number.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined condition comprises that the communication originates from the received origination number and the communication requires payment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined condition comprises detecting a predefined destination number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the destination number comprises a phone number.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising if the communication originates from the received origination number and the received origination number comprises a toll blocked phone number, discontinuing the communication if the cost associated with the communications service is greater than the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging the cost associated with the communications service that exceeds the payment amount for prepaid credit in the account to an owner of the origination number.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising if a communication originates from the received origination number and the received origination number is not a toll blocked phone number, charging the cost associated with the communications service that exceeds the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account to an owner of the origination number.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code from a retail establishment.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code from a magnetic strip on a card.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code through a voice mail system.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the credit code through a computer network.

18. The method of claim 1, where in the access code comprises a wireless phone associated with a wireline origination number.

19. A method for purchasing prepaid communications credit, comprising:

receiving an origination number;

creating a plurality of user accounts associated with the origination number, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a different access code;

receiving a credit code, wherein the credit code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit for each of the plurality of user accounts;

receiving an access code;

crediting the user account associated with the received access code with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit; and

deducting a cost associated with a communications service from the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account, wherein the communications service is implemented via a cable modem.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the origination number comprises a phone number.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the origination number comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the origination number comprises at least one of an Internet Protocol address, a circuit identifier, a main billed telephone number, or a master account number.

23. A propagated signal on a carrier detectable by a computing system and encoding data and a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for purchasing prepaid communications credit, the computer process comprising:

receiving an origination number;

creating a plurality of user accounts associated with the origination number, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a different access code;

receiving a credit code, wherein the credit code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit for each of the plurality of user accounts;

receiving an access code;

crediting the user account associated with the received access code with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit; and

deducting a cost associated with a communications service from the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to purchase prepaid communications credit, the control logic comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to:

receive an origination number;

create a plurality of user accounts associated with the origination number, wherein each of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a different access code;

receive a credit code, wherein the credit code corresponds to a predefined payment amount for prepaid credit for each of the plurality of user accounts;

receive an access code;

credit the user account associated with the received access code with the predefined payment amount for prepaid credit; and

deduct a cost associated with a communications service from the payment amount for prepaid credit from the user account.