Prepaid real-time web based reporting

Details Prepaid real-time web based reporting Prepaid real-time web based reporting

2001-04-11

2004-02-17

Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)

Telephonic communications

With usage measurement

Call charge metering or monitoring

C379S114010, C379S114030, C379S114150, C379S114160, C379S114170, C379S144010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06694000

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless carriers, Internet service providers (ISPs), and information content delivery services/providers. More particularly, it relates to access to prepaid account call history applications and replenishment applications.
2. Background of Related Art
In recent years, the telecommunication industry has seen an explosive growth both in the number of the types of services offered and in the number of service providers. Among those numerous services now being offered, prepaid call service may be one of the fastest growing segments in the telecommunication industry today.
As the name implies, a prepaid call service allows a customer of the service to pay in advance for the use of the provider's network resources in making a telephone call. The prepaid call service provides, among other things, an alternative option for a telephone user who might otherwise not be able to obtain the traditional postpaid telephone services because, e.g., of a bad credit rating, or of being in a geographical area where post paid service is unavailable.
The world-wide prepaid call services market is projected to grow tremendously in the next few years, fueling a frenzy among service suppliers to quickly add prepaid service to the list of services they already offer. Conventionally, however, the addition of a new service such as prepaid typically requires the addition of new network equipment geared to handle such new service.
For example, as shown
FIG. 4
, an originator
501
attempts to initiate a prepaid call to a destination
502
. Such a prepaid call service typically requires a service platform
503
to “rate” the prepaid account of the originator
501
to determine whether the originator
501
has a sufficient balance to place the call. If sufficient balance is available, the prepaid service platform
503
connects (or bridges) the call between the originator
501
and the destination
502
via the public switch telephone network (PSTN)
504
. The prepaid service platform
503
may also provide additional information to the originator
501
, such as account balance information and/or options for replenishment of the same.
Unfortunately, all existing access systems for call history information and replenishment applications have significant delays, typically within 24 hours, and often require customer care representatives of the relevant service provider.
There is a need for a technique and architecture which provides near real-time (e.g., within minutes, preferably less than 1 minute) access to a wireless subscriber for call history and replenishment information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a method of retrieving prepaid service related information comprises accessing from an Internet terminal a web based prepaid reporting application. An identity of a particular subscriber is input to a web based prepaid report page. The prepaid service related information is retrieved through a web browser.


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patent: 6335968 (2002-01-01), Malik
patent: 6356630 (2002-03-01), Cai et al.
patent: 6381316 (2002-04-01), Joyce et al.
patent: 6396913 (2002-05-01), Perkins, III
patent: 6483907 (2002-11-01), Wong et al.

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