Wireless account management application for a wireless device

• US 10,623,583 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramprasad, Satish
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US16/666,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20200068072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/46 Real-time negotiation between users and providers or operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/723 using the user's device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method for displaying wireless service usage information and account information using an account management application operating on a wireless device includes receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a service provider over a wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the service provider being different from the wireless device and the wireless network, and enabling presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method for displaying wireless service usage information and account information using an account management application operating on a wireless device, comprising:

receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module implemented by a wireless service provider, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, the wireless service provider being different from the wireless device and a wireless network that provides wireless service to the wireless device;

receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device that is stored in an account information database implemented by the wireless service provider;

receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the tracking module implemented by the wireless service provider and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, other wireless service usage information, the other wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used;

enabling presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device;

receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, a request to obtain additional wireless services through a graphical user interface that includes a number of units of wireless service or a monetary value associated;

forwarding, from the account management application operating on the wireless device and to a service provider over the wireless network, the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated; and

depositing, at the service provider, the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated with the request to obtain additional wireless services, in an account associated with the wireless subscriber,

wherein the wireless device comprises a smartphone; and

wherein the wireless services comprise voice service, Short Message Service messaging service, and data service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, an indication that the wireless subscriber has selected to view the wireless service usage information for the wireless subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the indication that the wireless subscriber would like to view the wireless service usage information for the wireless subscriber comprises receiving the indication that the wireless subscriber has selected a button in the account management application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, a payment graphical user interface for payment of a cost of the wireless service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, advertisement information selected for the wireless subscriber according to the account information associated with the wireless subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling presentation of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device comprises the enabling presentation of the account management application including the wireless service usage information, the other wireless service usage information, and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, a request to find a wireless service retailer; and

displaying a listing of physical locations of wireless service retailers on the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless service usage information includes one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used over a first time period, and

the other wireless service usage information includes one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used over a second time period that is before the first time period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless service usage information includes one or more units of a first type of wireless service that the wireless subscriber has used, and

the other wireless service usage information includes one or more units of a second type of wireless service that the wireless subscriber has used, the second type of wireless service being different from the first type of wireless service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service comprise a request to purchase particular amounts of voice minutes, Short Message Service messages, and data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the enabling presentation of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device comprises:

determining that the wireless service usage information is below a predetermined threshold; and

enabling presentation, in response to the determination that the wireless service usage information is below the predetermined threshold, of options to purchase additional usage of wireless services available to the wireless subscriber.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device comprises a service end date for the wireless subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the account information comprises an identifier of the wireless device, an identifier of a transaction, an identifier of a vendor, and billing information.

14. A wireless device comprising at least one processor connected to at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, at an account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module implemented by a wireless service provider, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, the wireless service provider being different from the wireless device and a wireless network that provides wireless service to the wireless device;

receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a service provider over the wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device that is stored in an account information database implemented by the wireless service provider;

receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the tracking module implemented by the wireless service provider and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, other wireless service usage information, the other wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used;

enable presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device;

receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, a request to obtain additional wireless services through a graphical user interface that includes a number of units of wireless service or a monetary value associated; and

forward, from the account management application operating on the wireless device and to a service provider over the wireless network, the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated,

wherein the service provider deposits the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated with the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated, in an account associated with the wireless subscriber;

wherein the wireless device comprises a smartphone; and

wherein the wireless services comprise voice service, Short Message Service messaging service, and data service.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service comprise a request to purchase particular amounts of voice minutes, Short Message Service messages, and data.

16. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate with the account management application operating on the wireless device, a payment graphical user interface for payment of a cost of the wireless service.

17. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein:

the wireless service usage information includes one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used over a first time period, and

the other wireless service usage information includes one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used over a second time period that is before the first time period.

18. A non-transitory computer program, the non-transitory computer program comprising one or more code segments that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:

receive, at an account management application operating on a wireless device and from a tracking module implemented by a wireless service provider, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, the wireless service provider being different from the wireless device and a wireless network that provides wireless service to the wireless device;

receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device that is stored in an account information database implemented by the wireless service provider;

receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the tracking module implemented by the wireless service provider and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, other wireless service usage information, the other wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used;

enable presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device;

receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, a request to obtain additional wireless services through a graphical user interface that includes a number of units of wireless service or a monetary value associated; and

forward, from the account management application operating on the wireless device and to a service provider over the wireless network, the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated,

wherein the service provider deposits the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated with the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated, in an account associated with the wireless subscriber;

wherein the wireless device comprises a smartphone; and

wherein the wireless services comprise voice service, Short Message Service messaging service, and data service.

19. The non-transitory computer program of claim 18, wherein the non-transitory computer program further comprising one or more code segments that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to generate with the account management application operating on the wireless device, a payment graphical user interface for payment of a cost of the wireless service.

20. The non-transitory computer program of claim 18, wherein the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service comprise a request to purchase particular amounts of voice minutes, Short Message Service messages, and data.