System and method for providing prepaid telecommunication services
First Claim
1. A method for providing a prepaid telephone calling card service using a call processor including an account database which has account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of storing a plurality of registered telephone numbers in said database, each of said registered telephone numbers being associated with one of said accounts;
- connecting to said call processor a telephone call originated from a first telephone number;
determining whether said first telephone number corresponds to one of said registered telephone numbers;
if said first telephone number corresponds to said one of said registered telephone numbers, connecting said call to a second telephone number provided during said call; and
transferring said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts, wherein said transferring step includes the steps of receiving an entry of an access code, checking whether said received access code corresponds to one of said access codes and, if said received access code corresponds to said access code of said first one of said accounts, adding said balance of said first one of said accounts to said balance of said second one of said accounts and setting said balance of said first one of said accounts to zero.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing prepaid telecommunication services. More particularly, prepaid telephone calls can be made by users without entering any access code, if such calls are made from telephone numbers previously registered in the telecommunication system in connection with valid access codes. Prepaid telephone calls can also be made from non-registered telephone numbers after providing the telecommunication system with a valid access code.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for providing a prepaid telephone calling card service using a call processor including an account database which has account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of storing a plurality of registered telephone numbers in said database, each of said registered telephone numbers being associated with one of said accounts;
- connecting to said call processor a telephone call originated from a first telephone number;
determining whether said first telephone number corresponds to one of said registered telephone numbers;
if said first telephone number corresponds to said one of said registered telephone numbers, connecting said call to a second telephone number provided during said call; and
transferring said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts, wherein said transferring step includes the steps of receiving an entry of an access code, checking whether said received access code corresponds to one of said access codes and, if said received access code corresponds to said access code of said first one of said accounts, adding said balance of said first one of said accounts to said balance of said second one of said accounts and setting said balance of said first one of said accounts to zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- connecting to said call processor a telephone call originated from a first telephone number;
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10. A prepaid calling card system comprising a call processor;
- an account database stored in said call processor and having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith; and
a plurality of registered telephone numbers contained in said database, each of said registered telephone numbers being associated with one of said accounts, said call processor being operative to receive a telephone call originated from a first telephone number, to determine whether said first telephone number corresponds to one of said registered telephone numbers and to connect said call to a second telephone number provided during said call, if said first telephone number corresponds to said one of said registered telephone numbers, wherein said call processor being operative to transfer said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts by receiving an entry of an access code, checking whether said received access code corresponds to one of said access codes and, if said received access code corresponds to said access code of said first one of said accounts, adding said balance of said first one of said accounts to said balance of said second one of said accounts and setting said balance of said first one of said accounts to zero. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- an account database stored in said call processor and having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith; and
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20. A prepaid calling card system comprising a call processor having an access telephone number associated therewith;
- an account database stored in said call processor and having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith; and
a plurality of registered telephone numbers contained in said database, each of said registered telephone numbers being associated with one of said accounts, said call processor being operative to receive a telephone call originated by a caller from a first telephone number and directed by said caller to said access telephone number, to determine whether said first telephone number corresponds to one of said registered telephone numbers, and to connect said call to a second telephone number provided during said call, if said first telephone number corresponds to said one of said registered telephone numbers, said call processor being operative to transfer said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts by receiving an entry of an access code, determining whether the received access code corresponds to one of said access codes and, if said received access code corresponds to said access code of said first one of said accounts, adding said balance of said first one of said accounts to said balance of said second one of said accounts and setting said balance of said first one of said accounts to zero. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
- an account database stored in said call processor and having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith; and
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23. A prepaid calling card system for providing a prepaid telephone calling card service using a call processor having an access telephone number associated therewith and an account database having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith, said prepaid calling card system comprising a computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for causing the performance of the following steps:
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providing a plurality of registered telephone numbers stored in the database and each associated with at least one of said accounts; receiving at said call processor a telephone call originated from a first telephone number by a caller and directed by said caller to said access telephone number; receiving at said call processor a caller-provided telephone number; determining if the first telephone number corresponds to one of the plurality of registered telephone numbers; if the first telephone number corresponds to one of the plurality of registered telephone numbers, connecting said telephone call to the caller-provided telephone number; and transferring said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts. wherein said transferring step is performed by receiving an access code, determining whether said received access code corresponds to one of said access codes and, if said received access code corresponds to said access code of said first one of said accounts, adding said balance of said first one of said accounts to said balance of said second one of said accounts and setting said balance of said first one of said accounts to zero.
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24. A method for providing a prepaid telephone calling card service using a call processor including an account database which has account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts including a balance associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of storing a plurality of registered telephone numbers in said database, each of said registered telephone numbers being associated with one of said accounts;
- connecting to said call processor a first telephone call originated from a first telephone;
determining whether said first telephone number corresponds to one of said registered telephone numbers;
if said first telephone number corresponds to said one of said registered telephone numbers, connecting said first call to a second telephone number provided during said call; and
transferring said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts, said transferring step including the step of associating said access code of said first one of said accounts with said access code of said second one of said accounts such that a second telephone call can be made after the performance of said transferring step by providing said access code of said first one of said accounts to said call processor. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
- connecting to said call processor a first telephone call originated from a first telephone;
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27. A prepaid calling card system comprising a call processor;
- an account database stored in said call processor and having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts includes a balance associated therewith; and
a plurality of registered telephone numbers contained in said database, each of said registered telephone numbers being associated with one of said accounts, said call processor being operative to receive a first telephone call originated from a first telephone number, to determine whether said first telephone number corresponds to one of said registered telephone numbers and to connect said first call to a second telephone number provided during said call, if said first telephone number corresponds to said one of said registered telephone numbers, wherein said call processor being operative to transfer said balance of a first one of said accounts to said balance of a second one of said accounts and to associate said access code of said first one of said accounts with said access code of said second one of said accounts such that a second telephone call can be made after the transfer of said balance of said first one of said accounts to said balance of said second one of said accounts by providing said access code of said first one of said accounts to said call processor. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
- an account database stored in said call processor and having account records corresponding to a plurality of prepaid accounts, said account records including a plurality of access codes, each of which is associated with one of said accounts, each of said accounts includes a balance associated therewith; and
Specification