Communication unit and method for facilitating prepaid communication services
OwnerRussell E. Sorber, Stacia Kathleen Smithinventors
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Abstract
The present invention addresses the need to facilitate prepaid communication services in a manner that reduces the user inconvenience and lost operator revenue presently associated with account replenishment. The network equipment (110-122) collects service usage information associated with a prepaid account and uses this information to predict when the prepaid account will be depleted. If the remaining time before account depletion is below an established minimum, a communication unit (101) associated with the account is notified. The communication unit is then able to respond by requesting replenishment of the account.
Claims20
A method to facilitate prepaid communication services comprising:
- collecting service usage information associated with a prepaid account;
- predicting that a balance of the prepaid account will be depleted within a period of time based on the service usage information;
- and
- when the period of time is less than a minimum threshold of time, notifying a communication unit associated with the prepaid account that the prepaid account needs replenishment.
A method for a communication unit to facilitate prepaid communication services comprising:
- receiving, from network equipment, a notification that a prepaid account associated with the communication unit needs replenishment;
- and
- transmitting, to network equipment, a request to replenish the prepaid account.
A communication unit comprising:
- a receiver adapted to receive from network equipment a notification that a prepaid account associated with the communication unit needs replenishment;
- a transmitter;
- and
- a processing unit, coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, adapted to instruct the transmitter to transmit to network equipment a request to replenish the prepaid account.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.