Calling card having an associated pre-recorded personal greeting

• US 8,130,914 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bond, James Duke, Borocz, Stacy, Gillman, Anne, Henderson, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/555,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 379/76, 379/114.2, 379/121.04, 379/127.01, 379/201.02, 379/265.01, 379/51, 379/88.01, 379/88.18, 379/88.25, 379/114.11, 379/114.16, 379/142.01, 455/564, 455/408, 455/432.2, 705/39, 705/44, 709/202, 709/223
• US Class Current: 379/76
• 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 17/026 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/12 using calling, telephone credit/debit cards

Abstract

System and a method for recording a personal greeting associated with a pre-paid telephone calling card. The system and method include and involve a data storage system for storing data corresponding to a pre-paid telephone calling card and a personal greeting. Also included and involved is a pre-paid telephone calling card processing system that is coupled to the data storage system and which is configured to receive a request to record the personal greeting during a setup call over a telephone network and to cause the personal greeting to be recorded for subsequent playback. The pre-paid telephone calling card processing system is also configured to receive a request to make an outbound telephone call in relation to the pre-paid telephone calling card during an access call over the telephone network and to cause the personal greeting to be played back automatically during the access call.

Claims

1. A method executed by one or more processors, comprising:

detecting an access call corresponding to a pre-paid card that has an associated pre-recorded message;

retrieving the message for playback without prompting during the access call; and

maintaining status of whether the message has been played.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting establishment of a setup call for the pre-paid card; and

receiving a request to record the message during the setup call.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the request to record the message is initiated by a user of the pre-paid card using a telephone station in communication with an interactive voice response system.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the access call is placed using a toll-free number.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing data corresponding to the pre-paid card, wherein the data specifies a number of available service units.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the service units relate to telephone call service minutes.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the service units are rechargeable.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

detect an access call corresponding to a pre-paid card that has an associated pre-recorded message,

retrieve the message for playback without prompting during the access call, and

maintain status of whether the message has been played.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:

detect establishment of a setup call for the pre-paid card; and

receive a request to record the message during the setup call.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the request to record the message is initiated by a user of the pre-paid card using a telephone station in communication with an interactive voice response system.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the access call is placed using a toll-free number.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:

store data corresponding to the pre-paid card, wherein the data specifies a number of available service units.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the service units relate to telephone call service minutes.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the service units are rechargeable.

15. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

detecting an access call corresponding to a pre-paid card that has an associated pre-recorded message;

retrieving the message for playback without prompting during the access call; and

maintaining status of whether the message has been played.

16. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

detecting establishment of a setup call for the pre-paid card; and

receiving a request to record the message during the setup call.

17. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the request to record the message is initiated by a user of the pre-paid card using a telephone station in communication with an interactive voice response system.

18. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the access call is placed using a toll-free number.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

storing data corresponding to the pre-paid card, wherein the data specifies a number of available service units.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the service units relate to telephone call service minutes.