Handling insufficient account balance of subscribers

• US 8,913,988 B1
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Hwang, Kuen-Yih, Snapp, John Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/195,909
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 455/408
• 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 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/835 Time or frequency of notifications, e.g. Advice of Charge [AoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/842 Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/86 Recipients of the notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/888 severing connection after predetermined time or data
• 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 17/206 by sending a message, e.g. SMS, MMS or EMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/243 by sending a message, e.g. SMS, MMS, EMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8104 : Time or frequency of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8112 : during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8133 : Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue, intelligent peripheral or switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8137 : Message, e.g. alphanumeric text, SMS, MMS, EMS or www-based messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 : Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8158 : Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8162 : Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8187 : Send to
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for handling insufficient account balance of subscribers in a mobile communications network is disclosed. A request for communication is received from a mobile station. A determination is made as to whether a subscriber of the mobile station has an insufficient account balance. If the subscriber has an insufficient account balance, the request is withheld and the mobile station is notified by a short message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for communication from a mobile station; and

withholding the request for communication and notifying a subscriber of the mobile station when the subscriber has an insufficient account balance regardless of whether a voice call or a short messaging service via the mobile station is in progress, wherein the notification comprises instructions to the subscriber regarding how to recover the withheld request for communication.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining if the subscriber of the mobile station has an insufficient account balance, wherein the determining comprises:

sending a query for an account balance of a subscriber to a prepaid server;

receiving the account balance from the prepaid server; and

determining if the account balance is below a predetermined threshold amount.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the query is sent to the prepaid server periodically.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the notifying comprises notifying the mobile station automatically if the account balance is above the predetermined threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying comprises sending a short message indicating an insufficient account balance to the mobile station and wherein the short message comprises time and date of the request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the short message is sent to the mobile station periodically.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the short message comprises instructions on how to replenish funds.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a subscriber of a destination mobile station has an insufficient account balance; and

withholding the request and notifying the destination mobile station if the subscriber has an insufficient account balance.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising forwarding the request to the destination mobile station if the subscriber has a sufficient account balance.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a voice call from a mobile station; and

withholding the voice call and notifying a subscriber of the mobile station when the subscriber has an insufficient account balance regardless of whether a voice call or a short messaging service via the mobile station is in progress, wherein the notification comprises instructions to the subscriber regarding how to recover the withheld voice call.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the notifying comprises sending a short message indicating an insufficient account balance periodically to the mobile station until the account balance is above a predetermined threshold amount.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein withholding the voice call and notifying the mobile station if the subscriber has an insufficient account balance comprises:

determining if a subscriber of a destination mobile station has an insufficient account balance;

routing the voice call to a voice mail system and notifying the destination mobile station if the subscriber of the destination mobile station has an insufficient account balance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein notifying the destination mobile station comprises sending a missed call notification short message to the destination mobile station if the subscriber has an insufficient account balance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the missed call notification short message comprises time and date of the voice call.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein notifying the destination mobile station comprises sending a voice mail notification message to the destination mobile station if a voice mail is recorded in the voice mail system, the voice call notification message indicating a recorded voice mail for the destination mobile station.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

monitoring requests for voice calls between a mobile station and a prepaid server;

receiving a request for a voice call or short messaging service from the mobile station;

disconnecting the voice call or withholding the short messaging service and notifying a subscriber of the mobile unit when the subscriber has an insufficient account balance regardless of whether a voice call or a short messaging service via the mobile station is in progress, wherein the notification comprises instructions to the subscriber regarding how to recover the withheld message.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, comprising instructions for sending a short message indicating an insufficient account balance to the mobile station.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, comprising instructions for:

determining if a subscriber of a destination mobile station has an insufficient account balance responsive to receiving a request for a voice call from the mobile station; and

disconnecting the voice call and notifying the destination mobile station if the subscriber has an insufficient account balance.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one mobile station;

at least one mobile switching center communicably connected to the at least one mobile station and at least one short message service center;

at least one short message service center communicably connected to at least one mobile switching center; and

a prepaid server communicably connected to the at least one short message service center,

wherein the at least one short message service center is configured to receive a request for communication from the at least one mobile station, and withhold the request and notify a subscriber of the mobile station when the subscriber has an insufficient account balance regardless of whether a voice call or a short messaging service via the mobile station is in progress, wherein the notification comprises instructions to the subscriber regarding how to recover the withheld message.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising at least one voice mail system for recording voice mail, wherein the at least one short message service center is further operable to determine if a subscriber of a destination mobile station has an insufficient account balance responsive to receiving a voice call from the at least one mobile station, and route the voice call to a voice mail system and notifying the destination mobile station if the subscriber of the destination mobile station has an insufficient account balance.