Advanced payment for telephone services

• US 8,320,539 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDI Billing Solutions
• Original Assignee: IDI Billing Solutions
• Inventors: Ingalsbe, Jason M., Kosarko, Stephen G., Pierce, Kenneth A., Rissberger, Mark R., Smith, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/037,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20090214012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383, 379/88.19, 379/114.2, 379/114.03, 379/144.01, 379/220.01, 379/112.01, 379/355.03, 455/41.2, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/558, 455/405, 705/40, 705/412, 705/14.49, 705/26.1, 705/26.41, 705/41
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8285 Money or currency based
• 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 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2006 Fixed telephone network, e.g. POTS, ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7806 Time based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7893 Money or currency based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method of providing telephone services includes receiving an advanced payment. The advanced payment corresponds to a fixed time interval of telephone service spanning at least one day. The method also includes activating service to a mobile device for the fixed time interval and collecting a plurality of call data.

Claims

1. A method of providing telephone services, comprising:

receiving an advanced payment, the advanced payment corresponding to a fixed time interval of telephone service spanning at least one day, the telephone service including at least one of making and sending an unlimited number of locals calls within the fixed time interval;

activating service to a mobile device from a provider based on the advanced payment for the fixed time interval; and

collecting a plurality of call data corresponding to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a trending analysis based on the plurality of call data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising one of suspending and disconnecting the telephone service after an expiration of the fixed time interval in response to a failure of a user to purchase an additional time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, further including extending the telephone service for an additional time interval.

5. The method of claim 1, further including notifying a user, at a predetermined time prior to an expiration of the fixed time interval, of the upcoming expiration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of call data comprises a call log.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the advanced payment includes applicable telecommunication taxes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting a user to a post-paid customer based on a plurality of user data.

9. The method of claim 1, further including requiring a user to purchase the telephone service at a brick and mortar retail store.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone service is automatically activated upon receipt of the advanced payment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a pre-owned device.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein extending the telephone service comprises requiring a user to make an additional advanced payment at a brick and mortar retail store.

13. The method of claim 1, further including creating a user profile based on the plurality of call data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user profile includes at least one of a listing of calls placed by a user, a listing of calls received by the user, a listing of call times, and a listing of call durations.

15. The method of claim 1, further including requiring a user to purchase the mobile device prior to activating the telephone service.

16. A method of providing telephone services, comprising:

collecting a plurality of user data from a user;

associating a selected mobile device with the user based on the plurality of user data;

selecting a service plan based on the plurality of user data, the service plan comprising a fixed time interval commitment spanning at least one day, wherein the service plan includes at least one of making and sending an unlimited number of locals calls within the fixed time interval;

collecting an advanced payment from the user based on the fixed time interval; and

activating service to the mobile device from a provider based on the advanced payment for the fixed time interval.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of user data comprises at least one of personal account information and a set of user preferences.

18. The method of claim 16, further including adding at least one add-on feature to the service plan.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one add-on feature comprises one of voicemail, SMS, picture sharing, and data sharing.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the advanced payment comprises monthly recurring charges and telecommunication taxes corresponding to the service plan.

21. The method of claim 16, further including collecting a plurality of call data.

22. The method of claim 21, further including performing a trending analysis based on at least one of the user data and the call data.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising one of suspending and disconnecting the service plan at an expiration of the fixed time interval in response to a failure of a user to purchase an additional time interval.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising extending the service plan for an additional time interval.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the additional time interval is variable.

26. The method of claim 25, further including activating at least one add-on feature for the additional time interval.

27. The method of claim 16, further including generating an optional invoice.

28. The method of claim 16, further including offering a loyalty discount to the user based on registration for a predetermined number of consecutive fixed time intervals.

29. A method of providing telephone services, comprising:

collecting an advanced payment from a user corresponding to a fixed time interval spanning at least one day; and

activating service to a mobile device from a provider based on the advanced payment for the fixed time interval, the service enabling the user to make and receive an unlimited number of local calls at no additional charge in excess of the collected advanced payment.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein activating service to the mobile device includes activating at least one add-on feature.

31. The method of claim 29, further including collecting a plurality of call data.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising extending the service for an additional time interval spanning at least one day.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the additional time interval is one of a plurality of available intervals.