Method and system for prepaid communications credit

• US 7,295,659 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John, Rauba, Rimas, Myers, Jerome Wendell
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/183,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 379/144.01, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/114.24, 379/114.25, 379/114.26, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/79 Virtual purses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• 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 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 : Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 : Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 : Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless

Abstract

A method and system for prepaying credits to a user account for communications services provided. If a system detects a predefined condition associated with a communications connection, the system deducts the cost of the communications connection from the credit in the user account. The predefined condition includes the origination of the communications connection from one of a plurality of predefined sources. Software for implementing the method may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on the user'"'"'s telephone.

Claims

1. A method for managing a communications connection, comprising:

receiving a predefined condition, wherein the predefined condition comprises a plurality of origination numbers and a plurality of destination numbers;

determining if an origination number of a communications connection is an origination number of the predefined condition and if a destination number of the communications connection is a destination number of the predefined condition; and

if the origination number of the communications connection is the origination number of the predefined condition and if the destination number of the communications connection is the destination number of the predefined condition, then deducting the cost of the communications connection from a user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection comprises at least one of a phone, a handheld device, or a personal computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection comprises a broadband connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications connection comprises an Ethernet connection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a user of an amount of credit in the user account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising bypassing toll restrictions if a bypass code is received.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting a code number to access the user account.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the communications connection if the predefined condition is not met.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for managing a communications connection, the method comprising:

receiving a predefined condition, wherein the predefined condition comprises an origination number and a destination number;

determining if an origination number of a communications connection is the origination number of the predefined condition and if a destination number of the communications connection is the destination number of the predefined condition; and

if the origination number of the communications connection is the origination number of the predefined condition and if the destination number of the communications connection is the destination number of the predefined condition, then deducting the cost of the communications connection from a user account.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the communications connection comprises a phone call.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the communications connection comprises a digital subscription line (“

DSL”

).

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the communications connection comprises an Ethernet connection.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising notifying a user of an amount of credit in the user account.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising bypassing toll restrictions if a bypass code is received.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising accepting a code number to access the user account.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising terminating the communications connection if the predefined condition is not met.

17. A system for managing a communications connection, comprising:

means for receiving a predefined condition, wherein the predefined condition comprises an origination number and a destination number;

means for determining if an origination number of a received communications connection is the origination number of the predefined condition and if a destination number of the received communications connection is the destination number of the predefined condition; and

means for deducting the cost of the communications connection from the user account in response to a determination that the origination number of the received communications connection is the origination number of the predefined condition and that the destination number of the received communications connection the destination number of the predefined condition.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications connection comprises a phone call.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications connection comprises a digital subscription line (“

DSL”

).

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications connection comprises an Ethernet connection.