Control system for enabling use of wireless telephones

• US 7,706,774 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Locus Telecommunications Incorporated (Telrite Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Locus Telecommunications Incorporated (Telrite Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Solomon, Cary H., Woo, Ik Gyon, Livshits, Alexsandr, Cho, Taewon, Myers, Kenneth W., De La Cruz, Rosanna, Lee, Johng Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/500,861
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-409, 455410-411, 455/435.2, 455/433, 379/114.2, 705/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• 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 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a control system for enabling use of wireless telephones. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each one of the wireless telephones are a prepaid wireless telephone associated with one of a plurality of carrier systems having disparate communication protocols. The control system receives a request having transaction information from a client system and processes the request in accordance with stored procedures corresponding with the associated carrier system. The control system sends the request to the carrier system to case usage of the prepaid wireless telephone to be enabled.

Claims

1. A method for enabling use of wireless telephones in connection with a plurality of carrier systems with the use of a control system, which includes a plurality of sets of stored procedures, each of the sets of stored procedures being configured for enabling use of wireless telephones in connection with a specific one of the plurality of carrier systems, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a control system from a first client system a first request, including transaction information, for enabling usage of a first wireless telephone;

determining that the first request is associated with a first one of the plurality of carrier systems;

processing at least part of the first request at the control system in accordance with a first one of the sets of stored procedures corresponding to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems;

sending at least part of the first request from the control system to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that usage of the first wireless telephone is enabled;

receiving from a second client system a second request including transaction information for enabling usage of a second wireless telephone;

determining that the second request is associated with a second one of the plurality of carrier systems;

processing at least part of the second request in accordance with a second one of the sets of stored procedures corresponding to the second one of the plurality of carrier systems; and

sending at least part of the second request from the control system to the second one of the plurality of carrier systems such that usage of the second wireless telephone is enabled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is for recharging additional airtime minutes to an account associated with the first wireless telephone, and wherein said step of sending at least part of the first request includes the step of sending at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that the first one of the plurality of carrier systems is caused to automatically recharge the account with the additional airtime minutes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request includes at least one code associated with the promotional airtime minutes, and wherein said step of sending at least part of the first request includes the step of sending at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that the first one of the plurality of carrier systems is caused to automatically load the promotional airtime minutes onto an account associated with the first wireless telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of carrier systems is associated with one of a plurality of communication protocols, each of which is one of a TDMA communication protocol, a GSM communication protocol, and a CDMA communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client system includes a telephone client system, and the control system includes an IVR system, said step of receiving the first request including the ststep of receiving the first request from the telephone client system at the IVR.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client system includes a web client system, and the control system includes a server, said step of receiving the first request including the step of receiving the first request from the web client system at the server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving the first request includes:

(a) if the first client system is a telephone client system, receiving the first request at the control system from the telephone client system, and (b) if the first client system is a web client system, receiving the first request at the control system from the web client system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of processing at least part of the first request includes the step of validating at least part of the transaction information of the first request received against additional transaction information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of processing at least part of the first request includes the step of detecting a fraudulent attempt at enabling usage of the first wireless telephone by comparing at least part of the transaction information of the first request against additional transaction information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of processing at least part of the first request includes the step of processing the first request to include additional transaction information associated with the transaction information of the first request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is for provisioning the first wireless telephone, and wherein said step of sending at least part of the first request includes the step of sending at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that the first one of the plurality of carrier systems is caused to automatically provision the first wireless telephone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is for activating the first wireless telephone, and wherein said step of sending at least part of the first request includes the step of sending at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that the first one of the plurality of carrier systems is caused to automatically activate the first wireless telephone.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is for loading airtime minutes onto an account associated with the first wireless telephone, and wherein said step of sending at least part of the first request includes the step of sending at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that the first one of the plurality of carrier systems is caused to automatically load the airtime minutes onto the account.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least part of the first one of the sets of stored procedures corresponding to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems constitutes at least part of the second one of the sets of stored procedures, the second one of the sets of stored procedures being configured to enable usage of the second wireless telephone in connection with the second one of the plurality of carrier systems.

15. A control system for enabling use of wireless telephones in connection with a plurality of carrier systems, the control system comprising:

a network interface device; and

an electronic processor including a plurality of sets of stored procedures, each of said sets of stored procedures being configured for enabling use of wireless telephones in connection with a specific one of the plurality of carrier systems, said electronic processor being operative to receive from a first client system through said network interface device a first request, including transaction information, for enabling usage of a first wireless telephone corresponding to a first one of the plurality of carrier systems, said electronic processor being operative to process at least part of the first request in accordance with a first one of said sets of stored procedures corresponding to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems and being further operative to cause at least part of the first request to be sent to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that usage of thefirst wireless telephone is enabled; and

wherein said electronic processor is operative to receive from a second client system through said network interface device a second request, including transaction information, for enabling usage of a second wireless telephone corresponding to a second one of the plurality of carrier systems, said electronic processor being operative to process at least part of the second request in accordance with a second one of said sets of stored procedures corresponding to the second one of the plurality of carrier systems and being further operative to cause at least part of the second request to be sent to the second one of the plurality of carrier systems such that usage of the second wireless telephone is enabled.

16. The control system of claim 15, comprising a memory device that at least temporarily includes the stored procedures.

17. The control system of claim 15, wherein said first client system includes a web client system;

and wherein said network interface device is operative to receive the first request from said web client system and, to send at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that usage of the first wireless telephone is enabled.

18. The control system of claim 15, wherein said network interface device includes an IVR system operative to receive the first request from a telephone client system.

19. The control system of claim 18, comprising a second network interface device operative to send at least part of the first request to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems such that usage of the first wireless telephone is enabled.

20. The control system of claim 15, wherein the first request is for at least one of provisioning the first wireless telephone, activating the first wireless telephone, loading airtime minutes onto an account associated with the first wireless telephone, and recharging the account with additional airtime minutes.

21. The control system of claim 15, wherein said electronic processor is operative to selectively associate the first one of the plurality of carrier systems with the first request, and wherein each of the plurality of carrier systems is associated with one of a plurality of communication protocols, each of which is one of a TDMA communication protocol, a GSM communication protocol, and a CDMA communication protocol.

22. The control system of claim 15, wherein at least part of said first one of said sets of stored procedures corresponding to the first one of the plurality of carrier systems constitutes at least part of said second one of said sets of stored procedures, said second one of said sets of stored procedures being configured to enable usage of the second wireless telephone in connection with the second one of the plurality of carrier systems.