Telecommunication service with pre-paid access

• US 7,889,848 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, William Henry, Churillo, Gail Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/197,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.03, 379/114.15, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 3791142-11425, 37912702-12705, 379/201.02, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.14, 379/222, 379/223
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8061 Selecting least cost route depending on origin or type of service
• 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 2017/25 using a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7471 Select route depending on origin or type of service, e.g. route TDMA voice calls differently than VoIP calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A method and system for implementing pre-paid telephone service with direct dial pre-paid access and direct dial or indirect dial post paid access. The method includes receiving a telephone call and routing the telephone call to a pre-paid platform if the access designation is a direct dial access designation other than 1 or 011. The system includes a local exchange carrier configured to receive a telephone call and route the call to a long distance carrier, where the long distance carrier is configured to route the call to a pre-paid platform if the access designation is a direct dial access designation other than 1 or 011.

Claims

1. A method for providing long distance telecommunication services to a subscriber having a telecommunication device configured to communicate with a telecommunication network, the method comprising:

receiving a telephone call from the telecommunication device to a destination associated with a telephone number;

identifying whether an access designation is present before the telephone number associated with the destination;

determining whether the telephone call comprises one of a request for pre-paid access and post-paid access based on the access designation; and

routing the telephone call based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access designation is one of a 0 access designation and a 01 access designation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the telecommunication device is associated with a pre-paid account having a desired minimum balance when the telephone call comprises the request for pre-paid access;

routing the telephone call to the destination telephone number;

monitoring a duration of the telephone call;

debiting the prepaid account based on the duration monitored.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying whether the telecommunication device is associated with a post paid restriction when the telephone call comprises the request for post-paid access; and

terminating the telephone call if the telecommunication device is associated with the post paid restriction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the post paid restriction comprises restricted access to all toll numbers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying whether the telecommunication device is associated with a post paid option when the telephone call comprises a request for post-paid access; and

routing the telephone call to the destination if the telecommunication device is associated with the post paid option and the access designation is one of a 1 and 011 access designation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying whether the destination telephone number is a toll free number; and

routing the telephone call to the destination if the destination telephone number is a toll free number and the direct-dial-access designation is a 1 access designation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an indirect dial access designation is present;

routing the telephone call to an alternate billing platform if the indirect dial access designation is present.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the indirect dial access designation is 00.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the alternative billing platform comprises at least one of collect billing, third party billing, and calling card billing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber communicates with the telecommunication network without the use of a pre-paid long distance calling card.

12. A system for providing long distance telecommunication services to a subscriber having a telecommunication device configured to communicate with a telecommunication network, the system comprising;

a local exchange carrier in communication with the telecommunication network, the local exchange carrier being configured to receive a telephone call from the telecommunication device to a destination associated with a telephone number preceded by an access designation, determine whether the telephone call comprises a request for one of pre-paid access and post-paid access based on the access designation, and route the telephone call via the telecommunication network to a long distance carrier in communication with the telecommunication network;

wherein the long distance carrier is configured to route the telephone call based on the determination.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the access designation is one of a 0 and a 01 direct dial access designation.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the long distance carrier is configured to route the call to the destination if the destination telephone number is a toll-free number and the access designation is a 1 access designation.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an automatic number identification (ANI) database in communication with the long distance carrier, wherein the ANI database is operative to associate the telecommunication device with a post paid restriction; and

wherein the long distance carrier is configured to terminate the telephone call if the telecommunication device is associated with the post paid restriction.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the post paid restriction comprises restricted access to all toll numbers.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an automatic number identification (ANI) database in communication with the long distance carrier, wherein the ANI database is operative to associate the telecommunication device with a post paid option; and

wherein the long distance carrier is configured to route the call to the destination number if the telecommunication device is associated with the post paid option and the access designation is one of a 1 access designation and a 011 access designation.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the long distance carrier is configured to route the call to an alternate billing platform if the access designation is an indirect dial access designation.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the indirect dial access designation is 00.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the alternate billing platform comprises at least one of collect billing, third party billing, calling card billing, and operator assistance.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an automatic number identification (ANI) account database in communication with the long distance carrier, wherein the ANI account database is operative to verify the telecommunication device is associated with a pre-paid account having a desired minimum balance; and

wherein an pre-paid platform is operative to monitor the call and debit the pre-paid account based on the monitoring.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the long distance carrier is further configured to provide an automatic number identification (ANI) value to the pre-paid platform.