Prepaid cellular phone no-charge transaction system

• US 8,340,632 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inceptia LLC
• Original Assignee: Inceptia LLC
• Inventors: Bernath, Tracey
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US11/567,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 455/432, 379/114, 705/37
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A no-charge transaction service method and apparatus for prepaid cellular telephones is provided which utilizes a prepaid cellular telephone in conjunction with a wireless intelligent network coupled to a prepaid cellular service provider. The user enters a short code to indicate a top-up request or other transaction request along with payment information into the prepaid cellular telephone using the alphanumeric keypad. The call data is transmitted to the wireless network which identifies the call and transfers the information to the prepaid cellular service provider. The prepaid cellular service provider identifies the transaction type, validates the call data and sends a verification message to the prepaid cellular telephone and other associated equipment, if any, via short message service, push to talk service, or other means without completing the originating call.

Claims

1. A no-charge transaction system for use with a prepaid cellular telephone, wherein said prepaid cellular telephone includes a conventional cellular telephone instrument with a voice communications means and a digital input means in the form of an array of alphanumeric keys for providing call data, said call data including transaction request data to identify a transaction, said no-charge transaction system comprising:

a prepaid cellular telephone service provider for providing cellular telephone service to said prepaid cellular telephone, and

a wireless network coupled to said prepaid cellular telephone service provider and for presenting voice and call data developed by said prepaid cellular telephone, said wireless network for receiving call data generated by said prepaid cellular telephone, identifying said prepaid cellular telephone service provider corresponding to said prepaid cellular telephone and transferring said call data to said prepaid cellular telephone service provider, wherein the call data corresponds to digits dialed with said prepaid cellular telephone for originating a call,

said prepaid cellular telephone service provider including means for receiving said call data, means for identifying said transaction request data and means for validating said call data against a user account corresponding to said prepaid cellular telephone,

said prepaid cellular telephone service provider generating message data upon validation of said call data and transmitting said message data to said prepaid cellular telephone to verify identification of said transaction request data and to verify validation of said call data.

2. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transaction request data includes a short code.

3. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transaction request data includes phone card data.

4. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said phone card data includes a phone card number and PIN, and wherein said prepaid cellular telephone service provider further provides identification of a phone card value corresponding to said phone card number and PIN, and crediting said phone card value to said user account.

5. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transaction request data includes phone to credit data.

6. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transaction request data includes credit card number data.

7. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transaction request data includes a monetary value.

8. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transaction request data includes register data and a transaction amount.

9. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 8 further comprising confirmation data sent to a register corresponding to said register data to complete said transaction, and wherein said transaction amount is debited from said user account and transferred to a merchant identified by said register data.

10. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said message data is transmitted to said wireless network for delivery to said prepaid cellular telephone via short message service.

11. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said message data is transmitted to said prepaid cellular telephone via push to talk service.

12. In combination with a wireless cellular telephone network, a no-charge transaction system for use with a prepaid cellular telephone comprising:

a prepaid cellular telephone having an array of alphanumeric keys for providing call data, said call data including service provider data and transaction request data, and

a service provider for providing cellular telephone service to said prepaid cellular telephone,

said wireless network coupled to said service provider and receiving call data generated by said prepaid cellular telephone, identifying said service provider corresponding to said service provider data and transferring said call data to said service provider, wherein the call data corresponds to digits dialed with said prepaid cellular telephone for originating a call,

said service provider including means for receiving said call data, means for identifying said transaction request data and means for validating said call data,

said service provider generating message data upon validation of said call data and transmitting said message data to said wireless network for delivery to said prepaid cellular telephone to verity identification of said transaction request data and to verify validation of said call data.

13. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said call data includes a phone card number and PIN, and wherein said prepaid cellular telephone service provider further provides identification of a phone card value corresponding to said phone card number and PIN, and crediting said phone card value to a user account corresponding to said prepaid cellular telephone.

14. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said transaction request data includes phone to credit data and an amount, wherein a user account associated with said phone to credit data is credited said amount.

15. The no-charge transaction system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said transaction request data includes register data and a transaction amount and said system further comprises confirmation data sent to a register corresponding to said register data to complete said transaction, and wherein said transaction amount is debited from said user account and transferred to a merchant identified by said register data.

16. In combination with a wireless cellular telephone network, a method for providing a no-charge transaction system for use with a prepaid cellular telephone including:

a) entering call data into a prepaid cellular telephone by actuating an array of alphanumeric keys on said prepaid cellular telephone, said call data including service provider data and transaction request data,

b) transmitting said call data to a wireless network, wherein the call data corresponds to digits dialed with said prepaid cellular telephone for originating a call,

c) receiving said call data by said wireless network and identifying a service provider from said service provider data,

d) transferring said call data to said service provider,

e) receiving said call data by said service provider, identifying said transaction request data, and validating said call data,

f) upon validation of said call data, transmitting message data to said wireless network for delivery to said prepaid cellular telephone,

g) receiving said message data by said wireless network and transferring said message data to said prepaid cellular telephone, and

h) receiving said message data by said prepaid cellular telephone to acknowledge validation of said call data sent by said prepaid cellular telephone.

17. The no-charge transaction system method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said transaction request data includes phone card data including a phone card number and PIN, and wherein said step e) further includes identifying a phone card value corresponding to said phone card number and PIN, and crediting said phone card value to a user account corresponding to said prepaid cellular telephone.

18. The no-charge transaction system method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said transaction request data includes phone to credit data and an amount, and wherein said step e) includes crediting said account to a user account associated with said phone to credit data.

19. The no-charge transaction system method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said transaction request data includes register data and a transaction amount and the method further includes the steps of:

i) sending confirmation data from said service provider to a register corresponding to said register data to complete said transaction,

j) debiting said transaction amount by said service provider from said user account, and

k) transferring said transaction amount to a merchant identified by said register data.

20. The no-charge transaction system method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said message data is transmitted to said wireless network for delivery to said prepaid cellular telephone via short message service.

21. The no-charge transaction system method as set forth In claim 16 wherein said message data is transmitted to said prepaid cellular telephone via push to talk service.

22. A method for a service provider to provide a no-charge transaction fee for increasing the time credits available on a prepaid cellular telephone having service provider data and user account data programmed therein comprising the steps of:

a) issuing transaction request data by a service provider to a user of a prepaid cellular telephone, said transaction request data including a processing code and a credit amount code;

b) instructing said user to enter and to transmit said transaction request data along with said user account data and said service provider data as call data through the prepaid cellular telephone across a cellular telephone network;

said service provider data selected to cause a server on said cellular telephone network to route said call data to said service provider, wherein the call data corresponds to digits dialed by the user with said prepaid cellular telephone for originating a call;

c) receiving by said service provider said call data transmitted by said user from said prepaid cellular telephone across the cellular telephone network;

said processing code being recognized by said service provider and causing said server to route said call data to said service provider without charging an account associated with the user account data for a completed call;

d) validating said call data,

e) increasing a credit balance stored in the account associated with the user account data by an amount associated with said credit amount code;

f) transmitting message data to the prepaid cellular telephone, and

g) receiving said message data by said prepaid cellular telephone to acknowledge adding the amount associated with said credit amount code to the credit balance in the account associated with the user account data.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein said transaction request data includes phone card data which includes a phone card number and PIN, and wherein said prepaid cellular telephone service provider further provides identification of a phone card value corresponding to said phone card number and PIN, and crediting said phone card value to a user account corresponding to said prepaid cellular telephone.

24. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein said transaction request data includes phone to credit data and an amount, wherein a user account associated with said phone to credit data is credited said amount.

25. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein said transaction request data includes register data and a transaction amount and said method further includes the steps of sending confirmation data to a register corresponding to said register data to complete said transaction, and wherein said transaction amount is debited from said user account and transferred to a merchant identified by said register data.

26. A method for validating transaction request data transmitted with a cellular telephone comprising the steps of:

a) receiving in a wireless network call data developed by the cellular telephone, said call data corresponding to digits dialed by a user with the cellular telephone for originating a call and wherein the call data includes transaction request data;

b) identifying account information corresponding to said cellular telephone;

c) identifying a service provider system corresponding to said cellular telephone, wherein the service provider system is coupled to said wireless network;

d) transferring said call data to said service provider system; and

e) verifying by said service provider system said transaction request data.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

in response to verifying by the service provider system said transaction request data;

transmitting by the service provider system message data to the cellular telephone, wherein the message data includes an acknowledgment of verification of the transaction request data.