Telephone travel card system under the control of its customers
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising:
- a switching station including a switch processor capable of receiving call data from at least one dial-up communication source and a switching computer means capable of processing call data;
said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;
communication means capable of capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data including automatic number identification and a personal identification number;
said communication means capturing call data at front side of the call data received by the switch processor and supplying said call data to the switching computer means, and capable of supplying processed data from switching computer means to the switching station;
said switching computer means capable of obtaining data for at least one parameter related to a travel card in addition to said call data for the switching computer means to act upon in processing call data and determining from said data from the front side of the call data and additional parameter whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card;
said switching computer means capable of disallowing completion of a call through the switching station if determined from processing of call data and additional parameter by the switching computer means that the call is not placed by a caller in good standing; and
said switching computer means capable of interrupting and terminating said call in progress through the switch processor if said switching computer means determines by data processing that the available account status of the travel card has been reached during the call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone system for travel card users where the users may program a switch processor so that it completes, re-routes, or refuses to complete calls as predetermined by the customer. Data is captured as it is transferred from the switching module to an internal buffer and is fed through a digital communications path and an analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converter to a switching station computer. The switching station computer is in communication with a data storage server computer and the data storage server computer is in communication with remote telephones and with computers and facsimile machines in remote customers'"'"' offices. The switching station computer is thus programmable by the customer and incoming calls are handled as predetermined by the customer. A voice response device provides verbal communication between the system and its users. The system enables its users to defeat or limit travel card fraud, to receive billing information on a real time or other preselected basis, and to gain miscellaneous business advantages from creative control of the switch processor.
148 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising:
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a switching station including a switch processor capable of receiving call data from at least one dial-up communication source and a switching computer means capable of processing call data; said switching computer means controlling said switch processor; communication means capable of capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data including automatic number identification and a personal identification number; said communication means capturing call data at front side of the call data received by the switch processor and supplying said call data to the switching computer means, and capable of supplying processed data from switching computer means to the switching station; said switching computer means capable of obtaining data for at least one parameter related to a travel card in addition to said call data for the switching computer means to act upon in processing call data and determining from said data from the front side of the call data and additional parameter whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; said switching computer means capable of disallowing completion of a call through the switching station if determined from processing of call data and additional parameter by the switching computer means that the call is not placed by a caller in good standing; and said switching computer means capable of interrupting and terminating said call in progress through the switch processor if said switching computer means determines by data processing that the available account status of the travel card has been reached during the call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19)
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17. A method of handling telephone calls by use of travel cards, comprising the steps of:
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providing a switching station including a switch processor for receiving call data from at least one source capable of dial-up communication with said switch processor by use of a travel card and a switching computer means for processing call data received by said switch processor; capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data transmitted at dial-up including automatic number identification and a personal identification number; delivering at least some captured data to said switching computer means; supplying to said switch computer means at least one additional parameter related to the travel card to determine good standing; processing in the switching computer means call data in relation to the received additional parameter data to determine if calls are placed and continued in good standing; preventing connection of telephone calls if validation determines the call is not made by caller in good standing; and preventing continuation of telephone calls if validation determines the call is not continuing in good standing. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification