WO2002011421A1

WO2002011421A1 - Levy system of deferred payment for communication using card of communication for prepayment

Info

Publication number: WO2002011421A1
Application number: PCT/KR2001/001185
Authority: WO
Inventors: Soohwan In
Original assignee: Soohwan In
Priority date: 2000-07-11
Filing date: 2001-07-11
Publication date: 2002-02-07
Also published as: AU2001269591A1; KR20000059038A; KR100393752B1

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card. The deferred billing system has a telephone, a center server, a member database, a billing module, a billing database, a charging module, and a payment module. The telephone has a repeater for automatically dialling an identification number of the advance payment communication card. The central server searches a transmission number of the telephone, and the member database stores information of a person registered as a member. The billing module accumulates and calculates the call fee generated when the member makes a call. The billing database stores the call fee and information of the call fee. The charging module charges an amount of money, and the payment module bills the member for the call fee.

Description

LEVY SYSTEM OF DEFERRED PAYMENT FOR COMMUNICATION USING CARD OF COMMUNICATION FOR PREPAYMENT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to deferred billing systems using advance payment communication cards, and more particularly to a system for allowing a person using a conventional advance payment communication card to pay a call fee at a predetermined time after using a telephone for a predetermined period of time.

Description of the Prior Art Generally, communication service providers introduce advance payment communication cards in consideration of cashflow generation and customer appeal . The advance payment communication cards are used such that after paying a predetermined amount of money in advance, customers use call units corresponding to the amount of payment and receive a discount on communication service fees.

Most of communication service providers introducing the advance payment communication cards are specialized communication service providers. The specialized communication service providers purchase discounted advance payment communication cards from major communication service providers and resell the advance payment communication cards to customers .

Call services using the advance payment communication cards provided by the specialized communication service providers allow users to purchase the advance payment communication cards and make a call by entering the identification number of an advance payment communication card, the area code of an area to call and a phone number. However, in the conventional call services, when a user makes a long-distance call, the user must enter at least twenty-four numbers including the identification number of the advance payment communication card. Further, the users using the call services which the specialized communication service providers provide experience inconvenience in that they must push many buttons on the telephone even though making only a brief call .

To solve this inconvenience, there are many specialized communication service providers providing services for installing an autodialing telephone or an autodialing repeater which automatically dials the identification number of a corresponding specialized communication service provider at the moment the user holds his telephone. However, with such services, the specialized communication service provider prohibits the user from using the service if the user exhausts the amount of money, paid in advance. On the other hand, there are generally a few cases that the user purchases again the advance payment communication card. Therefore, such conventional call services are problematic in that the user cannot use the services if the money paid for the advance payment card is exhausted in the user' s point of viewin the user' s position, and there is no means available for the service provider to again sell the advance payment cards in the service provider's point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system for allowing a user to pay for a specialized communication service by deferred payment, and pay an amount of money corresponding to the amount of time he uses a telephone.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for automatically charging an amount of money usable for calls in a central server, thus enabling the user to use the specialized communication service without a care for the money charge .

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system for simply providing a voice resale service in the service provider's point of view because there is no necessity for the user to directly recharge a communication card.

In order to accomplish the above object, ^' the present invention provides a deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card comprising in a communication system using an advance payment communication card, comprising a telephone in which a repeater for automatically dialing an identification number of the advance payment communication card is installed; a central server for searching a transmission number of the telephone, managing information of a call fee, and storing information of the telephone; a member database for storing information of a person registered as a member authorized for telephoning using the advance payment communication card and the telephone; a billing module for accumulating and calculating the call fee generated when the member makes a call; a billing database for storing the call fee calculated by the billing module and information of the call fee; a charging module for charging an amount of money in the case that the call fee stored in the billing database exceeds an amount of money charged in the advance payment communication card when the member registers; and a payment module for billing the call fee by informing the member of the call fee stored in the billing database on a predetermined date The central server is constructed to allow the member to access the central server via the Internet and search call details and information of the call fee of the member.

The billing module deducts the call fee from the charged amount of money in real time at the moment the call fee is generated and stores the call fee information in the billing database.

Accordingly, the user can be provided with services including a call service provided by a major communication service provider without an additional means such as an advance payment card, and can reduce a call fee by the user paying the call fee discounted according to the amount of time he uses call services provided by a specialized communication service.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the billing method processed by the deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card according to the present invention comprises a telephone 100, a central server 200, a member database 300, a billing module 400, a billing database 500, a charging module 600 and a payment module 700.

First, the operation of the telephone 100 is described. The telephone 100 having an autodialing repeater 110 installed thereto enables the identification number of an advance payment communication card to be automatically dialed when a user holds a telephone receiver, thus being convenient to the user. Further, the telephone 100 enables the user to be unaware of any difference in the method of use of the telephone 100 in comparison with call services provided by major communication service providers, due to the prompt dialing of the identification number of the advance payment communication card, thereby removing any inconvenience in using the telephone 100.

Now, the operation of the central server 200 is described. The central server 200 inputs a signal received through the autodialing repeater 110 installed to the telephone 100 and confirms whether the user makes a call, when the user desires to make a call by the telephone 100. Then, the central server 200 records information of a call time and a call area according to the signal input, and calculates a call fee according to the recorded information. The central server 200 is further connected to a Web server for providing information via the Internet such that the user can search information about his call specifics and the call fee by accessing the Web server via the Internet. Accordingly, the user using the telephone 100 can confirm the information about his call specifics through the telephone 100 via the Internet if necessary.

Next, the operation of the member database 300 is described in detail. The member database 300 is stored in the central server 200 or an arbitrary server connected to the central server 200, such that the identification number of the advance payment communication card, which is stored in the autodialing repeater 110, is transmitted to the central server 200 when a user makes a call, thus allowing the central server 200 to recognize which user makes a call. Thereby, in the member database 300, information of a member such as member identification (ID) , a secret number, a name, a resident registration number, an address and the identification number of the autodialing repeater 110, and information of the autodialing repeater 110 provided to the member are stored. The member whose information is stored in the member database 300 can telephone by being provided with the telephone 100 in which the autodialing repeater 110 is installed, or the autodialing repeater 110. Further, the member database 300 includes information of a user registered in the central server 200 as a member. Then, when the user accesses the central server 200 via the Internet, the central server 200 searches the member database 300 and inputs the ID and the secret number of the member so as to permit the member's access . On the other hand, when a normal person not a member of the central server 200 accesses the central server 200, the central server 200 informs the person about a member registration, and transmits a member registration form to the person connected to the central server 200 via the Internet under the person's agreement, thus allowing the user to register. After the person draws up the member registration form and registers, information of the registered person is stored in the member database 300 through a predetermined procedure, thus allowing the person to use the telephone 100 as a member.

Next, the operation of the billing module 400 is described in detail. The billing module 400 is stored in the central server 200 or an arbitrary server connected to the central server 200, such that when the member uses the telephone 100 in which the autodialing repeater 110 is installed, the central server 200 calculates the member's call fee by executing the billing module 400. Further, the billing module 400 as a program driven in the central server 200 checks the start and ending times of the member's call and records the checked results in a billing database, as will be described later. Preferably, the time check is realized by a method for calculating the call start and ending times. However, both the above method and a method for calculating the calling time by subtracting the call start time from the call ending time can be allowed. The calling time can be stored according to a call unit time. For example, providing that a unit time of one call is three minutes, if the user calls for five minutes, the calling time is stored as two units for billing. The operation of the billing database 500 is described in detail. The billing database 500 is used for storing information of the call fee calculated by the billing module 400. Further, the billing database 500 further includes the ID of the member using the telephone 100 and information of his call fees. Further, a payment module 700, as will be described later, can bill the member for the call fee with reference to the billing database 500.

The operation of the charging module 600 is described in detail. When the call fee stored in the billing database 500 exceeds the amount of money charged in the advance payment communication card when the member registers, the charging module 600 serves to charge the advance payment communication card in the central server 200 while not informing the member of the fact such that the member can use the telephone. Therefore, the member can continuously use the telephone 100 regardless of the charged amount of money.

The operation of the payment module 700 is described in detail. The payment module 700 informs the member of the call fee corresponding to the call time stored in the billing database 500, and receives payment for the call. The call fee paid by the payment module 700 is recorded in the billing database 500 to deduct the paid call fee from the advance payment stored in the billing database 500.

Hereinafter, the embodiment of the billing method processed by the deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card is described in detail. Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the billing method processed by the deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card according to a preferred embodiment of this invention. First, the user registers as a member using at least one of methods through a telephone, a fax, the Internet and a business manager at step S100. Then, information of the registered member is stored in the member database 300 according to the member registration at step S110. An autodialing repeater 300 for the billing service of this invention is installed on a member' s first day requested at the member database 300 at step S120. After the autodialing repeater 110 is installed, an installation confirmation is received from the member-registered user at step S130. Then, the member confirms whether the autodialing repeater 110 operates, and if the member confirms the functioning of the repeater 110, the member can use the deferred billing system using the advance payment communication card of this invention at once at step S140. After the autodialing repeater 110 is installed, the billing system informs the member of service information by methods such as a telephone, an email, and etc. at step S150.

Therefore, the members use the call service, and the call information according to the use of the advance payment communication card can be confirmed through the central server 200 at any time at step S160. Details of the telephone use are further stored in the billing database 500, simultaneously with the confirmation at step S170. The advance payment communication card issued to the member simultaneously with the member registration automatically confirms the available amount of money recorded in both the billing database 500 and the advance payment communication card while not informing the member of the fact, and informs a supervisor of the billing system of charging time of the money at step S180, and the supervisor charges the communication card with an amount of money corresponding to the member' s use of the telephone at the charging time at step S190. Further, because the member's call fee is stored in the billing database 500, the call fee is calculated on the basis of a predetermined period of time, for example, a month, and a payment notice with a discounted service rate is issued to the member at step S200.

The member can confirm the details of his call fee via the Internet with the payment notice or his ID at step S210. Further, the member can search the total amount from the registration day to the current day and all data of the call fees. Accordingly, the member pays the amount of money specified in the payment notice issued on a designated date through a method such as an automatic payment, a giro payment and a direct payment at step S220. Therefore, the member can use the telephone without an identification number used for calling through an advance payment communication card. Further, because the user pays the call fee by deferred payment after making a domestic/international phone call for a predetermined period of time, the user can make the domestic/international phone call conveniently and inexpensivel .

As described above, the present invention provides a deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card, which has an effect that it can reduce a call fee by the user paying the call fee discounted by an amount of money corresponding to the amount of time he uses call services provided by a specialized communication service.

Further, the present invention is advantageous in that the user can be provided with services including a call service provided by a major communication service provider such as a Korea Telecom that without an additional means such as an advance payment card.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A deferred billing system using an advance payment communication card in a communication system using an advance payment communication card, comprising: a telephone in which a repeater for automatically dialing an identification number of the advance payment communication card is installed; a central server for searching a transmission number of the telephone, managing information of a call fee, and storing information of the telephone; a member database for storing information of a person registered as a member authorized for telephoning using the advance payment communication card and the telephone; a billing module for accumulating and calculating the call fee generated when the member makes a call; a billing database for storing the call fee calculated by the billing module and information of the call fee; a charging module for charging an amount of money in the case that the call fee stored in the billing database exceeds an amount of money charged in the advance payment communication card when the member registers; and a payment module for billing the call fee by informing the member of the call fee stored in the billing database on a predetermined date.

2. The billing system according to claim 1, wherein the central server is constructed to allow the member to access the central server via the Internet and search call details and information of the call fee of the member.

3. The billing system according to claim 1, wherein the billing module deducts the calling fee from the charged amount of money in real time at the moment the call fee is generated and stores the call fee information in the billing database.

4. The billing system according to claim 1, wherein the advance payment communication card includes an advance payment communication card issued by a domestic communication service provider such as a major communication service provider or a specialized communication service provider.