Prepaid reservation-based rating system

• US 7,366,495 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Netcracker Technology Solutions Inc (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Convergys Cmg Utah
• Inventors: Perkins, Frank Clifford III, Magnotta, Michael Joseph, DiFonzo, Joseph, Newland, Derron Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/272,792
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/408, 705/32, 725 1- 8
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/785 Reserving amount on the account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 2215/7277 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7295 Reserve amount, e.g. according to estimated costs for a typical communication duration or according to the estimated volume to be transferred
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8162 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit

Abstract

A billing system comprising servers, routers, and processors programmed to provide reservation based prepaid billing is disclosed. The billing system is also programmed to concurrently process multiple billing events on a single, prepaid subscriber account.

Claims

1. A computerized method for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising:

a. receiving a reservation request from a network element for a billing event;

b. determining a reservation amount for said billing event;

c. determining whether an available balance of the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is sufficient to allow the processing of said reservation request;

d. if said available balance will allow processing of said reservation request, processing said reservation request by;

i. approving said reservation amount for the billing event;

ii. reversing a prior reservation amount for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

iii. reserving a new reservation amount from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account for the approved billing event, the new reservation amount equal to the combination of said reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation amount;

e. receiving at least one additional reservation request from said network element for a reservation amount to extend the billing event;

f. repeating step “

b—

determining a reservation amount step”

through step “

e—

receiving at least one additional reservation request step”

until said network element sends an event termination message or said available balance in the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is no longer sufficient to process said additional reservation requests.

4. A computerized method, as claimed in claim 1, for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account further comprising concurrently processing at least one other billing event.

5. A computerized method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining a reservation amount for said billing event comprises the following steps:

a. receiving an initiation message for said billing event; and

b. retrieving a reservation amount for said billing event from a preconfigured database.

6. A computerized method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining a reservation amount for said billing event comprises the following steps:

a. receiving an initiation message for said billing event; and

b. calculating a reservation amount for said billing event.

7. A computerized method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said calculating a reservation amount for said billing event comprises the following steps:

a. retrieving a set of event parameters including an event type from said initiation message;

b. determining a unit of measure associated with said billing event type;

c. determining a minimum number of units necessary to process said billing event type; and

d. passing said minimum number of units and unit of measure to said reservation amount.

8. A computerized method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said approving said reservation request step further comprises the steps of:

a. generating a record for said reservation amount;

b. generating a record for reversing said reservation amount; and

c. sending an approval to said network element.

2. A computerized method for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising:

a. receiving a reservation request from a network element for a billing event;

b. determining a reservation amount for said billing event;

c. determining whether an available balance of the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is sufficient to allow the processing of said reservation request

d. if said available balance is not sufficient, calculating/choosing a lower reservation amount for said reservation request;

i. repeating steps “

c—

determining whether an available balance step”

through step “

d—

if said available balance is not sufficient step”

until said available balance is sufficient for said reservation request or said reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

e. if said available balance will allow processing of said reservation request, processing said reservation request by;

i. approving said reservation amount for the billing event;

ii. reversing a prior reservation amount for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

iii. reserving a new reservation request from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account, the new reservation request equal to the combination of said reservation amount approved in (i) and the prior reservation amount;

f. receiving at least one additional reservation request from said network element;

g. repeating step “

b—

determining a reservation amount step”

through step “

e—

receiving at least one additional reservation request step”

until said network element sends an event termination message or said available balance in the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is no longer sufficient to process said additional reservation requests.

3. A computerized method for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising:

a. determining a reservation amount for a billing event;

b. determining whether an available balance of an individual'"'"'s prepaid account is sufficient to allow the processing of said reservation request;

c. if said available balance will allow the processing of said reservation request,

i. processing said billing event by;

A. approving said reservation amount for the billing event;

B. reversing a prior reservation amount for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

C. reserving a new reservation amount from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account equal to the combination of said reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation amount;

ii. tracking said billing event against said reservation request until said billing event terminates or said reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

d. if said prior reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum

i. requesting an additional reservation amount for the billing event;

ii. tracking said billing event against said additional reservation amount until said billing event terminates or said additional reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

iii. repeating said “

requesting an additional reservation amount”

step and said “

tracking said event against said additional reservation amount”

step until said event terminates or until said Available Balance of the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is no longer sufficient to process said additional reservation amount;

e. completing processing of said billing event.

9. A computerized method for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising:

a. determining a reservation amount for a billing event;

b. determining whether an available balance of the individual'"'"'s prepaid account associated with said billing event is sufficient to allow the processing of said reservation amount;

c. if said available balance will allow the processing of said reservation amount,

i. processing said billing event wherein said processing step further includes the step of generating a record for said reservation amount; and

ii tracking said billing event against said reservation amount until said billing event terminates or said reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

iii. if said prior reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

A. reversing said prior reservation amount;

B. requesting an additional reservation amount;

C. assigning a new reservation amount a value equal to said additional reservation amount and said prior reservation amount;

D. generating a record comprising said new reservation amount;

E. tracking said event against said new reservation amount until said event terminates or said new reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

F. repeating said “

reversing step”

(A) through said “

repeating step”

(F) until said event terminates or until said available balance is no longer sufficient to process said additional reservation amount;

d. completing processing of said event.

10. A system for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising a processor programmed to:

a. receive a reservation request;

b. access the individual'"'"'s prepaid account associated with said billing event;

c. determine a reservation amount from said reservation request,

d. determine whether an available balance associated with said account is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request,

e. if said available balance is sufficient to allow the processing of said reservation request and said billing event has not been terminated,

i. process said billing event by;

A. approving an additional reservation amount for the billing event;

B. reversing a prior reservation amount for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

C. reserving a new reservation amount from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account equal to the combination of the approved reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation amount;

ii. receive additional reservation requests and repeat steps (b—

access an account step) through (e—

if said Available Balance is sufficient step) until said Available Balance is no longer sufficient to allow processing of said additional reservation request;

f. complete processing of said billing event.

11. A system for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising:

a. a network element, and

b. a processor; and

wherein said network element is operative to

i. receive a billing event, and

ii. generate a reservation request for said billing event; and

wherein said processor is programmed to

i. receive said reservation request from said network element,

ii. access the individual'"'"'s prepaid account associated with said billing event,

iii. choose/calculate a reservation amount from said reservation request,

iv. determine whether an Available Balance associated with the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request,

v. if said Available Balance is sufficient to allow the processing of said reservation request and said billing event has not been terminated,

A. process said billing event by;

i. requesting a reservation amount for said billing event;

ii. reversing any prior reservation amounts for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

iii. reserving a new reservation amount from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account equal to the combination of the newly approved reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation;

B. receive additional reservation requests (continuation requests) and repeat steps (ii—

access an account step) through (v—

if said Available Balance is sufficient step) until said Available Balance is no longer sufficient to allow processing of said additional reservation requests; and

vi. complete processing of said billing event.

12. A system for processing multiple billing events from an individual'"'"'s prepaid account comprising:

a. a gateway, and

b. a router, and

c. a processor; and

wherein said gateway is operative to

i. receive a reservation request for a billing event from a network element;

ii. format said reservation request, and

iii. send said reservation request to a router; and

wherein said router is operative to

i. request said reservation request from said gateway;

ii. send said reservation request to a processor according to a load balancing scheme; and

wherein said processor is programmed to

i. access an account associated with said event;

ii. determine a reservation amount from said reservation request,

iii. determine whether an available balance associated with the individual'"'"'s prepaid account is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request,

iv. if said Available Balance is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request and said billing event has not been terminated,

A. process said billing event by,

i. requesting a reservation amount for said billing event;

ii. reversing any prior reservation amounts for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

iii. reserving a new reservation amount from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account equal to the combination of the reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation amount;

B. receive additional reservation requests and repeat steps (ii—

determine a reservation amount step) through (iv—

if said available balance is sufficient step) until said available balance is no longer sufficient to allow processing of said additional reservation requests;

v. complete processing of said event.

13. A system for processing prepaid events, as claimed in claim 12, wherein said processor is further programmed to concurrently process at least one other billing event.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

a. accessing a individual'"'"'s prepaid account associated with a billing event;

b. determining a reservation amount for said billing event;

c. determining whether an Available Balance associated with said account is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request;

d. if said Available Balance is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request,

i. processing said billing event by;

A. requesting a reservation amount for said billing event;

B. reversing a prior reservation amount for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

C. reserving a new reservation amount from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account equal to the combination of the reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation amount;

ii receiving additional reservation requests and repeating steps “

a—

accessing an account step”

through “

d—

if said available balance is sufficient step”

until said Available Balance is no longer sufficient to allow processing of said additional reservation requests;

e. completing processing of said billing event.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

a. receiving a reservation request;

b. accessing an individual'"'"'s prepaid account associated with said reservation request;

c. determining a reservation amount for said reservation request based on an event type associated with said reservation request;

d. determining whether an available balance associated with said account is sufficient to allow said reservation request;

e. if said available balance is not sufficient, calculating/choosing a lower reservation amount for said reservation request;

f. repeating steps “

d—

determining whether an available balance step”

through step “

e—

if said available balance is not sufficient step”

until said available balance is sufficient for said reservation request or said reservation amount reaches a predetermined minimum;

g. if said available balance is sufficient to allow processing of said reservation request;

i. processing said reservation request by;

A. requesting a reservation amount for said billing event;

B. reversing any prior reservation amounts for said billing event from the individual'"'"'s prepaid account; and

C. assigning a new reservation amount at a value equal to said reservation amount approved in (i) and said prior reservation amount;

ii. receiving said additional reservation requests and repeating steps “

b—

accessing an account step”

through “

g—

if said available balance is sufficient step”

until said available balance is no longer sufficient to allow processing of said additional reservation requests.

h. completing processing of said reservation request.