CN1376357A - Prepaid services in a communications system - Google Patents

Prepaid services in a communications system Download PDF

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Publication number
CN1376357A
CN1376357A CN 99813898 CN99813898A CN1376357A CN 1376357 A CN1376357 A CN 1376357A CN 99813898 CN99813898 CN 99813898 CN 99813898 A CN99813898 A CN 99813898A CN 1376357 A CN1376357 A CN 1376357A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
account
calling
call
user
prepaid
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
CN 99813898
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
K·阿霍拉
M·蒂乌里
P·凯斯基塔罗
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Original Assignee
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB filed Critical Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Publication of CN1376357A publication Critical patent/CN1376357A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
    • H04M15/83—Notification aspects
    • H04M15/85—Notification aspects characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
    • H04M15/854—Available credit
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
    • H04M15/10—Metering calls from calling party, i.e. A-party charged for the communication
    • H04M15/12—Discriminative metering, charging or billing
    • H04M15/18—Discriminative metering, charging or billing according to duration of the call, or the communication
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
    • H04M15/83—Notification aspects
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
    • H04M15/90—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M17/00—Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems
    • H04M17/10—Account details or usage
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/24—Accounting or billing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
    • H04M2215/01—Details of billing arrangements
    • H04M2215/016—Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
    • H04M2215/01—Details of billing arrangements
    • H04M2215/018—On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
    • H04M2215/20—Technology dependant metering
    • H04M2215/2026—Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
    • H04M2215/32—Involving wireless systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
    • H04M2215/81—Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
    • H04M2215/815—Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
    • H04M2215/8166—Available credit
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
    • H04M2215/82—Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/487—Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
    • H04M3/4872—Non-interactive information services

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Meter Arrangements (AREA)
  • Financial Or Insurance-Related Operations Such As Payment And Settlement (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for providing prepaid calls or services for a user of a telephone. Th arrangement comprises a prepaid calling service and a telephone terminal enabling an access to the prepaid calling service. In addition, means for providing the user with an individual code and an account dedicated for the individual code are used. The communications network apparatus includes means for triggering the call to a desired destination, means for dynamically charging the costs for the call from the account, and means for informing during the call dynamically the user of the remaining calling time on the basis of the balance remaining in the account and the costs for the call and/or of the remaining balance in the account.

Description

Prepayment service in the communication system
Invention field
The present invention relates to provides prepaid call and/or prepayment service service method and equipment by communication system.
Background of invention
Can be charged by variety of way by call and various service that communication network obtains.Usually, charge or charging were carried out according to used calling (conversation) time, but also may be according to other criterion, such as calling out the resulting business service or the number of calls in one section predetermined period.Preferably can collect calling charge in advance in many cases, so just can make operator avoid any bad debt loss of refusing to pay bill, if for example the calling party is not actual user's (promptly not signing any agreement with this operator) of this operator.In addition, some calling partys may like with anonymous, just do not wish to appear to the callee their identity, thereby service provider are not known their identity yet.
Traditional approach to the calling prepaid is public coin telephone.Yet these coin-box telephone sets need be safeguarded in a large number.In addition, it is very inconvenient that some users may feel be with coin.The coin amount that needs also may be sizable, for example when carrying out international call or insert some service number with business.Public coin-box telephone set also is the target of theft usually.
Another kind of may be that operator is sold prepaid phone card to what call out charge in advance, comprising requiring the amount of money of payment in advance for calling out (specific call time).These cards can be furnished with a magnetic stripe, and perhaps sometimes even certain intelligence (so-called smart card) is arranged, thereby the calling party must use the telephone set that is equipped with a suitable magnetic stripe reader or smart card reader.During calling out, the corresponding button of remaining sum (with the corresponding unit of the amount of money of predesignating) in the card goes, and is that zero back is with regard to end call in remaining sum.
Another kind of may be to use the prepaid phone card that does not have magnetic stripe or similarly want the measure that equipment reads, but this phonecard is informed (individual) number or the code of a special use of user, the user to dial in when making a call.The user must call out a kind of special telephone service, and wherein the user has the individual subscriber account who is included as the amount of money that calling pays in advance.These cards can for example be so-called PPMA (pre-payment moves access) service cards or scrape bright phonecard (scratch-surface calling card).These cards can be used for ordinary telephone set and/or mobile phone.Can consult the applicant's U.S. Patent application No.08/836 for the situation of these prepaid cards, 371 (corresponding to WO 96/15633), particularly Fig. 5 wherein, this application is listed as for referencial use here.Almost each telephone set can use these cards and without any need for the arrangement for reading of special use.
In the situation that above prior art disclosed, can be to carrying out call supervision by the user who is signed with the phone contract in advance or by the calling that special-purpose prepaid card is initiated.Utilize prepaid card that the user can be called out from any telephone set, and to account's charge of user's certain advance payment with prepaid card indication.An account number and people's identification number PIN are one by one provided by card for the user of this business.When the user set up calling, the call signal of triggering was delivered to the service control point (SCP) of IN (intelligent network).This SCP finds the account who is exclusively used in this prepaid card from a database, and can notify the user by speech message or on the display of used terminal with this account's state (being remaining sum).
If this account is empty, just remove this calling procedure, and if remaining sum is positive, just start connection to the call intent end.If the callee replys, just begin charge according to charge information, from the switch received pulse, upgrade the account's related remaining sum with this card.In addition, can calling be monitored with regard to other situations of indicating in the user record.During conversing, the telephone network equipment disposition become to monitor at the amount of money remaining on the card or on the account related with certain prepaid phone card.Do not having under the situation of remaining sum, just can not continue to converse maybe can not start new calling.Operator also can continue the new amount of money account into data-base recording, and therefore the amount of money that is stuck in that contains user profile uses up the back by the new amount of money is continued into the account and can reuse.
It seems from the phone operator, more than the solution of this card quite safe charge in advance all the time because call out.Selling of card also can be arranged to suitable convenience and efficiently, for example can by such as shop, phonebooth, call out the stops, different channel such as tobacconist's distributes.It seems from the user, the prepaid phone card scheme provide can be relieved to any number call out and not have telephone bill too high may because calling charge pays in advance, and be just can not initiate/continue calling under zero the situation in remaining sum.In addition, the user can call out with any telephone set.This card also can make the caller needn't blow one's cover to service provider.
Summary of the invention
Inventor of the present invention finds that above scheme still has some shortcomings.For example, this scheme does not provide any about real-time balance and the information that how long can converse in addition to the user during conversing, and the balance amount information that the user can receive just just upgrades later in call release, thereby knows actual cost.Therefore, the user can not determine actual also remaining call time.In addition, when the different service number of some charges is called out and/or when connecting the period expense change, the calculating of calling charge may be just quite complicated, and the user will determine may more be a problem remaining call time.Also need a solution, make the service provider service charging to using some to predesignate in advance.
An object of the present invention is to overcome those shortcomings of prior art solution, a kind of method of solution prepaid call of improvement is provided.
Another object of the present invention provides a kind of user that can make telephone set and obtains method and configuration about the real time information of remaining call time and/or remaining sum.
Another purpose of the present invention provides method and the configuration that a kind of user that can make telephone set also receives the real time information of relevant call charge.
An auxiliary purpose provides a solution, makes service provider can be accepted as the specific professional advance payment of predesignating.Purpose also is a kind of advance payment configuration, wherein can change parameter relevant with the advance payment data or information and the reliability of the real time information that provides for the user is not provided.
Other purposes of the present invention and advantage can be found out from the declaratives of doing below in conjunction with accompanying drawing of this specification.
These purposes are to provide the method for prepaid call or business service to reach by utilize telephone terminal and the prepaid call business that are disclosed for the user of telephone set.This method comprises the following steps: to provide people's code one by one for the user; Between telephone terminal and prepaid call business, set up a calling; Personal code is supplied with the prepaid call business; Triggering is to the calling of a desirable destination; Dynamically be exclusively used in this personal code, contain the expense that deduction is called out the account of required advance payment data from one; And during calling out according at the remaining sum on this account and calling charge dynamically with remaining call time and/or the balance notification user on this account.
According to another preferred embodiment, call time and/or balance amount information and other possible information relevant with call charging utilize the display of telephone terminal to show to the user.In addition, the user can pay for inserting certain business of predesignating in advance, and the personal code that provides for the user is a code that is exclusively used in described certain business of predesignating fully in this case.According to an embodiment, the telephone number of prepaid call business is the number of free call numbers, and personal code transmits the calling to a price raising telephone number of predesignating of a desirable service operation side.According to another auxiliary embodiment, this method comprises from a data library searching and goes out the data relevant with personal code, and wherein relevant with personal code data comprise limiting parameter or other and use prepaid call professional relevant parameter or information.According to a form of the present invention, the account is a pulse account, and this method also comprises the following steps: dynamically to deduct pulse from the account during calling out; And by utilize at least some dynamically indicating call price and in the account parameter of remaining umber of pulse calculate and determine remaining prepaid call time and/or remaining sum.This method changes the remaining sum among the account and/or revises the parameter of calling or the step of restriction during can also being included in calling, and wherein preferably network operation side or service provider realize described change and/or modification.
User for telephone set of the present invention provides the configuration of prepaid call or business service to comprise: a kind of prepaid call business; The telephone terminal that can insert this prepaid call business; For the user provides the device of people's code one by one; One is the account of this personal code special use; Triggering is to the device of the calling of a desirable destination; Dynamically from the account, detain the device that removes calling charge; And during calling out according to remaining sum in the account and calling charge dynamically with remaining call time and/or the balance notification user's in the account device.
According to another embodiment, this configuration comprises: one can be by the database of prepaid call Operational Visit; According to the device of the personal code that receives from the database retrieval data relevant with this personal code, this configuration makes information and the parameter be included in the described database to change or to revise, is preferably changed by an operator of moving this configuration or revises.The account can be one in the database of an intelligent network that the prepaid call business is provided or the pulse account who in a user's prepaid phone card, realizes.
Adopt the present invention can obtain several advantages.This solution provides during calling out in real time the possibility of remaining call time and/or remaining sum (for example remaining amount of money or similar unit in an account) being notified the user.Notice can provide with the form of chronomere's (rather than pulse or monetary unit), therefore makes the user understand actual conditions more easily.Owing to dynamically determine, therefore the price that connects change or the situation of some influences to the parameter change of call charge or modification under can change the estimator of being calculated.
The present invention and other purposes thereof and advantage are described with way of example below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, what similarly reference character indicated in these accompanying drawings is similar functional part.
Brief Description Of Drawings
Fig. 1 is the schematic diagram that comprises the communication system of an intelligent network node;
Fig. 2 is the schematic diagram as the Intelligent Network node of one embodiment of the present of invention;
Fig. 3 schematically shows the situation that shows the information relevant with remaining call time;
Fig. 4 shows an example of the overall plan that realizes the prepaid call configuration;
Fig. 5 shows an example of IN database; And
Fig. 6 shows the flow chart of embodiment.
Accompanying drawing describes in detail
At first, in conjunction with Fig. 1 a general structure that comprises the communication system of an Intelligent Network node that can carry out the operation of various exchanges and call charging is described, to provide better understanding basis of the present invention.Should be noted in the discussion above that for clarity, saved some network components among Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 is the schematic diagram of the physical architecture of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and this public switched telephone network provides telecommunications to connect between its user.PSTN comprises a plurality of switches 20 and 21.These switches are interconnected by trunk line 23.Telephone terminal 4 is connected on the local switch by subscribers feeder 6.Between one first terminal and another terminal (terminal only is shown), set up when calling out, call out to connect and pass through local switch perhaps also by one or several transit exchange.Local switch or transit exchange can be for example based on the well-known AXE digital exchange systems that is provided by applicant.
The telephone system of Fig. 1 also comprises a mobile network, for example based on the GSM of public land circuit mobile network (PLMN), is connected to PSTN or similar facilities, such as Integrated Service Digital Network.Is well-known at the essential link between these systems in this technical field.In this example of Fig. 1, PLMN comprises a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) 18, and it is connected on the mobile services switching centre (MSC) 16 of some and a plurality of base station sub-system (BSS) 13.Each BSS is connected with a plurality of base stations (BS) 12, and each base station each a geographic area of predesignating that is called the sub-district is monitored.This configuration makes travelling carriage (MS) 1,2,3 to communicate by letter with near base station 12 by a radio interface.Base station 12 is connected to mobile services switching centre (MSC), and mobile services switching centre is connected on the PSTN by suitable chained device.
Communications network system can comprise one or more intelligent network nodes.These intelligent network nodes (IN node) with dock such as the such telecommunications network of PSTN or PLMN.In Fig. 1, IN node 22 comprises an operation exchange processor, and it is commonly referred to Service Switching Point 26 in this technical field.SSP 26 can be one and dispose a local switch 21 that is used for identifying the assistant software that Intelligent Network calls out.SSP 26 then is connected on the service control processor, and service control processor is commonly referred to Service Control Point 27.It is to be noted that SCP and SSP also can form an integral unit, be called service switching and control point (SSCP).
Contrast illustrates a Fig. 2 who comprises the IN node of SSP and SCP in more detail and describes again below.SSP 26 comprises computer 170, carries out the intelligent peripheral 176 of some Premium Features such as speech recognition, triggers functional block 172, function of exchange piece 174 and Business Processing and CCF piece 178.All SS7 as everyone knows connects communicating to connect of (by signaling system No.7 of ccitt standardization) and so on and 190 SSP is connected on the SCP 27.The service logic of computer 180 and the various higher level services of realizing being provided by intelligent network IN is provided SCP.As mentioned, SSP and SCP can be integrated into single service switching and control point processor (SSCP).In any realization, service logic 182 is irrelevant with the realization situation of network insertion and transmission.
The prepaid call business that inserts the advance payment Network or provided by SCP 27 by communication network is provided for the user SSP 26.Though signaling information sends SSP 26 usually to, be appreciated that in fact such signaling information sends exchange and the CCF piece 178 of SSP to.SSP 26 transfers to SCP 27 with a request to the advance payment business, to set up a kind of interaction mechanism between advance payment Network and calling subscriber/communication equipment (such as the terminal among Fig. 11,2,3 and 4 and so on).Therefore, SSP 26 connects each calling in the network by its digital function of exchange piece, and the prepaid call business can be undertaken by SCP 27.SCP can be defined as an electronic controller usually, by INAP (intelligent network application part) agreement control SSP.SCP is configured to calling is monitored, dynamically realizes the operation of deducting fees from specific prepaid phone card specified account.As can see from Figure 1, SSP and SCP can be connected on one of them switch of PSTN, and perhaps they also can be realized in the MSC of mobile network or be directly connected on the MSC of mobile network.
Intelligent network comprises the database 184 that has each account, is used to provide prepayment service account's (being the private subscribers account) of user.These accounts realize in SCP usually, after a while will be than being illustrated in more detail.
Call out those trigger points 26 detections in the exchange process in the service switching point.A ground instance of trigger point is the call attempt to a special number.As applied in the present invention, such trigger point can be to detect a prepaid call business telephone number, for example is special-purpose free call numbers that add certain prefix (such as " 0800 ").When the triggering functional block detected such trigger point, SSP computer 170 was just notified SCP 27 with this trigger event, and changeed and go each relevant calling to connect data, such as calling terminal telephone number and destination number.SCP 27 responds, in computer 180 according to service logic 182 process informations, return control command to SSP computer 170, convert these control commands to be fit to exchange and Business Processing and call control process order, control exchange by SSP computer 170.
SSP 26 detects each trigger condition, promptly discern those and professional relevant network signal and these signals of processing, so that send calling to service processor controls 162, receive the response of service processor controls 162 then, whether the requests verification that should serve processor controls specified conditions will occur, and if like this, just send corresponding message to service processor controls 162, order is set up and is discharged and transmits being connected in the network, and with intelligent peripheral (IP) 176 reciprocations.Intelligent peripheral 176 can be used for for example providing different phonetic synthesis notices for the user and the numeral from the Dual Tone Multifrequency telephone set being received/decodes.In addition, intelligent peripheral 176 can also receive speech input (and not being dtmf tone) and with suitable speech recognition software the user be responded decoding.Though intelligent peripheral 176 can be included in the SSP 26, it also can be configured to one can be by the isolated node of service switching point 26 by its function of exchange piece 174 accesses.
Fig. 3 shows a possibility situation that shows remaining call time for the user.Mobile phone 1 disposes a display 30.Display has shown a notice, and it can be for example with the form transmission of a SMS text message (short message service), and this is that those skilled in the art are known.In this example, display shows is at that time residue call time (22 minutes 10 seconds) and account balance (86 FIM).Be appreciated that display can be any display on the telephone terminal that is fit to be connected to here, for example pstn telephone terminal display or be connected to display on the pstn telephone terminal.
Fig. 4 shows a kind of terminal 4 that makes and can set up to other terminal or to the configuration of the calling of service provider 10.SSCP is delivered in calling, triggers IN prepaid call business (0800 freephone prefix) thus, triggers prepayment price raising time card (PPPT) business again, provides to the connection of desirable destination 10.
Fig. 5 shows a feasible IN data-base recording and its each field that can be used for this configuration.Preferably be configured to a calling party during to the prepaid call service call, this business just retrieves corresponding private database record.This record can comprise for example following these fields:
1. first section is the personal code section (personal identification number PIN) of maintaining secrecy.The length of PIN code depends on required security classification (for example can be 9 to 18 numerals).
2. second section contains a management code that shows the state of card.These states for example can be (these all use corresponding status number to represent in this example) such as ending, use, newly open.This section can also contain the card series code of issuing service provider, if this makes service provider feel the necessary use that just can end this card.In another scheme, network operation side or service provider in addition can be during calling out the change state.
The 3rd section contain the service provider of issuing card may notify (notice numbering).
4. the 4th section contains the one or more destination numbers that can use the calling that blocks foundation.Using under the situation of this section, only setting up, at calling terminal with provide between the terminal of desirable business service connection is provided calling by the indicated number of this section.
5. the 5th section contains the remaining call conversation time of dynamically calculating during calling out.
6. the 6th section contains the special-purpose actual pulse account of promising this card, during calling out along with the carrying out that calls out dynamically detained calling charge.The residue talk time of section 5 indications calculates according to this umber of pulse.
As mentioned above, used in the present invention account can be the pulse account.These know from already mentioned prepaid card structure, and therefore no longer explanation just will be mentioned the amount of money that electronic impulse in the account equals certain currency, for example: 1 pulse=10 penny.
Pulse account in IN respectively is corresponding personal code (for example PIN among Fig. 5) special use.The user for example by buy indicating services number and a code under the scraped surface scrape bright prepaid telephone card or a voucher that is fit to indication account dedicated secret personal code obtains code.According to a certain embodiments, prepaid telephone card is a telephone for special use card that a destination number of predesignating is arranged, and just can initiate number just or professional or to the just calling of some numbers (by 4 indications of the section among Fig. 5) for one.Card can also have other restriction, such as restriction call time of per call, geographical position or the restriction of operation side, number of calls restriction.A kind of possible restriction is that card can only be called out a data network, for example connects by modulator-demodulator and inserts an Internet service operator.
Account at the IN intranodal activates by this service call then being provided individual (unique) code.The umber of pulse that the user buys in advance equals certain amount of money, and (for example by described prepaid card or voucher) buys the value of suitable 100 FIM for example in a manner known way.
According to another scheme, password or code are for example announced with newspaper or magazine.This code only allows a destination number call, makes the reader can be to this number callback, and for example commodity and/or the service in order to order advertisement perhaps replied some inquiries and/or fed back to newspaper.Each newspaper can illustrate different unique (separately) code, and perhaps all newspapers can be depicted as the identical code of this advertisement special use.In addition, each reader also can be restricted with the call time of this code.Also can openly distribute such prepaid telephone card (preferably free), allow certain number of free callback.Compare with direct free call numbers, the advantage of above-mentioned solution be its use be easier to controllable, and can be with restricted number callings/call time and the maximum quantity of replying of the unique or private code that distributes.
The data that auxiliary embodiment can change or modification is relevant with the account are such as calling parameter related with specific private code or information.For example, operation side or service provider or user can add some amount of money that appends or units for the account, or even during calling out connection.It is preferential that a kind of situation that can be such is that operation side allows a calling party who has for example used the specific call amount of money is given, and in such cases, this preferential amount just can be added on this specified account.In addition, operation side or service provider can be temporarily or are changed calling charge (for example between normal price and specially preferential price, or after having crossed certain hour) during calling out muchly.Also can increase some existing limiting parameters of some new limiting parameters/remove (the moment that in the maximum call time, one day of the destination number of allowing, per call, allows to call out).Operation side or service provider can also be carried out some control operations that influence prepaid call.So when the multidate information of relevant expense is provided for the user, will consider the change or the modification situation of data.
According to an embodiment, wishing to connect is between the terminal of user's data terminal and service provider (for example ISP of Internet service operator).In this case, calling can be established as the noiseless connection that a use modulator-demodulator connects, just dial string comprises provides this to connect required prefix and secret code, carry out pellucidly and being connected of desirable service provider business by the advance payment business then, and send any prompting or notice and so on without network side.According to an embodiment, secret code can be downloaded from network (for example from the Internet).The personal code of maintaining secrecy sends as an encrypt packets of data, opens in terminal then.
The IN equipment that can realize above-mentioned functions can obtain, and for example adopts the equipment of the application's application side.Yet, be appreciated that the concrete condition of various realizations can be different.
Call out and/or professional exemplary procedure below in conjunction with this flowchart text of Fig. 6 advance payment of the present invention.
For example scrape after bright phonecard or newspaper advertisement obtain a private code the user by one, the user just can for example dial special-purpose prefix or other the suitable access code prepaid call business that inserts IN such as 0800 free call numbers, makes SSP can transmit the calling to this business.When this calling to the prepaid call business started, the calling party can obtain providing the prompting of password, and the calling party keys in this professional private code string is added # number then.As described, this password is exclusively used in specific account, so IN just knows the right user account that this calling will be charged to.Under the incorrect situation of the code that provides, can point out the calling party to key in code again.
Remaining sum in the IN inspection user account.Remaining sum in this account surpasses under the situation of certain threshold value, allows the calling party to set up calling to the destination address such as another telephone terminal, service provider or data network.Remaining sum at user account is under the situation empty or that be lower than described threshold value, just sends a message to the calling party, and informing does not have be left call time, for example need append the amount of money to this user account.This message can be informational, informs that the customer call time will use up, and should add some units or the amount of money again, or requirement is added some units or the amount of money again otherwise just do not allowed to call out or be about to stop the request of ongoing calling.
According to an embodiment, when beginning to connect just with the balance notification calling party.Be lower than under desirable destination number of access or the professional needed situation in remaining sum, can be with this advisory user.Other information can contain one informs those business that still can insert with this remaining sum usually, perhaps the prepaid call business can be advised the comparatively cheap business that can replace desired business, even can automatically the calling party be connected to the lower replaceable business that therefore still can insert of certain price.
After card is proved to be successful, calls out and just deliver to desirable destination.After destination is replied, start the operation of dynamically deducting fees, so expense is just deducted from user account.Because this business is known price and the interior last umber of pulse of account that calling/business takies, therefore just can dynamically calculate the residue estimation of call time.This residue is notified to the user call time, preferably shows on the display of telephone set or uses voice message notification.Speech message for example can be to provide every certain time interval, perhaps also can provide (for example when having only 30 seconds remaining time) when arriving certain crash time.
Though what relate to more than should be noted in the discussion above that is the situation that the account realizes at network side, the mode that also can adopt the account to realize in the phonecard side.In both cases, basic principle is identical, that is to say that remaining call time is to determine according to umber of pulse last in price of calling out and the account.This calculating can be undertaken by the prepaid call business in the IN.
Change if call out price during calling out, for example under first 5 minutes/cheap or situations that a specially preferential price period begin more expensive than next 5 minutes, this business also will dynamically be paid attention to, and will show by this remaining time.
Therefore, the invention provides and a kind ofly obvious improved equipment and method arranged prepaid call is technical.It should be noted, above embodiment is examples more of the present invention as an illustration just, scope of the present invention is not limited to the above concrete form of introducing, and is included in by various modification, of this type and equivalent type in the clear and definite the spirit and scope of the present invention of appended claims but contained all.Every other execution mode, modification and application all are conspicuous for those skilled in the art, therefore all are included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention of appended claims proposition.
Modification according to the 19th of treaty
1. one kind provides prepaid call or professional method by telephone terminal and prepaid call business for the user of a telephone set, and described method comprises the following steps:
For the user provides one to be included in a personal code in the phonecard relevant with special service;
Between described telephone terminal and prepayment service, set up a calling;
Described personal code is supplied with prepayment service;
Only trigger a destination number of predesignating or the calling of prepayment service according to described telephone for special use card;
Dynamically deduct calling charge from one for the account described personal code special use, that contain required advance payment data; And
Basis dynamically will remain call time and/or the balance notification user on this account in remaining sum on this account and calling charge during calling out.
2. one kind meets and the process of claim 1 wherein that described call time and/or balance amount information and possible other information relevant with call charging show to the user by a display of described telephone terminal.
3. method that meets claim 1 or 2, wherein said user pays for inserting certain business of predesignating in advance; And
The described personal code that provides for the user is one and only is the code of the described service-specific of predesignating.
4. method that meets claim 3, wherein said personal code only provides the prepaid phone card to the access of the described business of predesignating to offer described user by one.
5. method that meets above any claim, wherein said calling terminal and all be the data processing equipment that is connected to described communication system in the terminal of desirable destination, and the transfer of data of described personal code by communication system offers the user.
6. method that meets above any claim, the telephone number of wherein said prepayment service is the number of free call numbers, and described personal code transmits the calling to a price raising telephone number of predesignating of a desirable service provider.
7. method that meets above any claim, described method also comprises from a data library searching and goes out the data relevant with described personal code, and the described data relevant with personal code comprise limiting parameter or other and take described prepaid call professional relevant parameter or information.
8. method that meets above any claim, the wherein said dynamic real-time information that offers described user during calling out also are included in the used amount of money during the calling.
9. method that meets above any claim, wherein said account is a pulse account, and described method also comprises the following steps:
During prepayment service, from described account, dynamically deduct pulse; And
By utilize at least some dynamically in indicating call price and the described account parameter of last umber of pulse calculate and determine remaining prepayment service time and/or remaining sum.
10. method that meets above any claim, described method also is included in and changes the remaining sum in the described account during the described calling and/or revise the parameter of described prepayment service or the step of restriction, wherein said change and/or revise and preferably realized by network operation side or service provider.
11. a method that meets above any claim, wherein said prepayment service are established as the noiseless connection that a use modulator-demodulator connects.
12. a method that meets above any claim, wherein said personal code sends as an encrypt packets of data, opens in described terminal then.
13. a method that meets above any claim, wherein said code comprise can be by the remaining sum of operation side and ISP real time altering and each parameter of restriction; And described code process is to realize real-time dynamicly by the transfer of data of communication system between user terminal and business.
14. the user for telephone set provides prepaid call or professional configuration, described configuration comprises:
A kind of prepaid call business;
The telephone terminal that can insert described prepaid call business;
For the user provides a device that is included in a personal code in the phonecard relevant with special service;
One is the account of described personal code special use;
Triggering is to the device of the calling of a service provider number of predesignating;
Dynamically from described account, detain the device that removes calling charge; And
During calling out according to the expense of remaining sum in described account and prepayment service dynamically with remaining prepayment service time and/or the described user's of balance notification in described account device.
15. a configuration that meets claim 14, described configuration also comprises:
One can be by the database of prepaid service access;
According to the device of the described personal code that receives from the described database retrieval data relevant with described personal code,
Wherein said configuration makes information and the parameter be included in the described database to change or to revise, is preferably changed by an operator of moving described configuration or revises.
16. a configuration that meets claim 14 or 15, wherein said account is a pulse account that realize or that realize in one of the described user phonecard relevant with prepayment service in a database of an intelligent network that described prepaid call business is provided.
17. a configuration that meets any claim 14 to 16, wherein said telephone terminal comprise a display that shows the information of remaining prepayment service temporal information and/or remaining sum and possible other and prepayment service costs associated.
18. configuration that meets any claim 11 to 17, wherein said account is a pulse account, during calling out, dynamically from described pulse account, deduct pulse, thereby calculate the remaining prepayment service time of determining by the parameter of utilizing at least some prices of indicating described prepayment service and last pulse in described account.
19. a configuration that meets any claim 14 to 18, it all is data processing equipment that wherein said calling terminal and one provide the terminal of prepayment service at described destination number end.
20. a configuration that meets any claim 14 to 19, wherein said prepayment service are established as the noiseless connection that a use modulator-demodulator connects.
21. a configuration that meets any claim 14 to 20, wherein said personal code sends as an encrypt packets of data, opens in described terminal then.
22. a configuration that meets any claim 14 to 21, wherein said code comprise can be by the remaining sum of operation side and ISP real time altering and each parameter of restriction; And described code process is to realize real-time dynamicly by the transfer of data of communication system between user terminal and business.

Claims (16)

1. one kind provides prepaid call or professional method by telephone terminal and prepaid call business for the user of a telephone set, and described method comprises the following steps:
For the user provides people's code one by one;
Between telephone terminal and prepaid call business, set up a calling;
Personal code is supplied with the prepaid call business;
Triggering is to the calling of a desirable destination;
Dynamically from a expense for deduction calling the account this personal code special use, that contain required advance payment data; And
Basis dynamically will remain call time and/or the balance notification user on this account in remaining sum on this account and calling charge during calling out.
2. meet and the process of claim 1 wherein that described call time and/or balance amount information and possible other information relevant with call charging show to the user by a display of described telephone terminal.
3. the method that meets claim 1 or 2, wherein said user pays for inserting certain business of predesignating in advance; And
The described personal code that provides for the user is one and only is the code of the described service-specific of predesignating.
4. the method that meets claim 3, wherein said personal code only provides the prepaid phone card to the access of the described business of predesignating to offer described user by one.
5. the method that meets above any claim, wherein said calling terminal and all be the data processing equipment that is connected on the communication system in the terminal of desirable destination, and the transfer of data of described personal code by communication system offers described user.
6. the method that meets above any claim, the telephone number of wherein said prepaid call business is the number of free call numbers, and described personal code transmits the calling to a price raising telephone number of predesignating of a desirable service provider.
7. the method that meets above any claim, described method also comprises from a data library searching and goes out the data relevant with described personal code, and the described data relevant with personal code comprise limiting parameter or other and take described prepaid call professional relevant parameter or information.
8. the method that meets above any claim, the wherein said dynamic real-time information that offers described user during calling out also are included in the used amount of money during the calling.
9. the method that meets above any claim, wherein said account is a pulse account, and described method also comprises the following steps:
During calling out, from described account, dynamically deduct pulse; And
By utilize at least some dynamically in indicating call price and the described account parameter of last umber of pulse calculate and determine remaining prepaid call time and/or remaining sum.
10. the method that meets above any claim, described method also is included in and changes the remaining sum in the described account during the described calling and/or revise the parameter of described calling or the step of restriction, wherein said change and/or revise and preferably realized by network operation side or service provider.
11. the user for telephone set provides prepaid call or professional configuration, described configuration comprises:
A kind of prepaid call business;
The telephone terminal that can insert described prepaid call business;
For described user provides the device of people's code one by one;
One is the account of described personal code special use;
Triggering is to the device of the calling of a desirable destination;
Dynamically from described account, detain the device that removes calling charge; And
During calling out according to remaining sum in described account and calling charge dynamically with remaining call time and/or the described user's of balance notification in described account device.
12. a configuration that meets claim 11, described configuration also comprises:
One can be by the database of prepaid call Operational Visit;
According to the device of the described personal code that receives from the described database retrieval data relevant with described personal code,
Wherein said configuration makes information and the parameter be included in the described database to change or to revise, is preferably changed by an operator of moving described configuration or revises.
13. a configuration that meets claim 11 or 12, wherein said account is a pulse account who realizes in the prepaid phone card that realize or described user in a database of an intelligent network that described prepaid call business is provided.
14. a configuration that meets any claim 11 to 13, wherein said telephone terminal comprise that shows remaining call time of an information and/or the display of remaining sum and possible other information relevant with call charging.
15. configuration that meets any claim 11 to 14, wherein said account is a pulse account, during calling out, dynamically from described pulse account, deduct pulse, thereby indicate the price of described calling and the parameter of last pulse in described account to calculate the remaining prepaid call time of determining at least by utilization.
16. a configuration that meets any claim 11 to 15, it all is data processing equipment that wherein said calling terminal and one provide the terminal of desirable business at described destination number end.
CN 99813898 1998-09-30 1999-09-30 Prepaid services in a communications system Pending CN1376357A (en)

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FI982117A FI113928B (en) 1998-09-30 1998-09-30 Advance paid services in a communication system

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FI982117A0 (en) 1998-09-30
EP1131945A2 (en) 2001-09-12
FI113928B (en) 2004-06-30
FI982117A (en) 2000-03-31
WO2000019702B1 (en) 2000-10-05

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