Optimised recharging of prepaid accounts
OwnerRudiger Hausmann, Michael Horn +2inventors
InventorsRudiger Hausmann, Michael Horn, Peter Moritz, Frank Perthel
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for recharging an electronic credit prepaid by a user, particularly for paying for services in a data or telecommunication system. The inventive method comprises the following steps: a) setting a lower account threshold value for the credit; b) signalling if the account falls below the threshold value; and c) triggering a recharging function if the value falls below the threshold value.
Claims20
Method for recharging an electronic prepaid credit of a user, particularly to pay for services in a data or telecommunication system, with the following steps;
- a) Setting a lower account threshold value for the credit;
- b) Signaling the undershooting of the threshold value;
- c) Triggering a recharging function if the threshold value is undershot.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the recharging function is triggered by the user by confirming a predetermined payment amount and/or predetermined payment condition.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, the recharging function can be modified by the user by entering a payment amount and/or payment conditions.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the recharging function is executed via a keyboard by means of a voice menu and DTMF input.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the recharging function is implemented by entering a SMS message via a keyboard.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the recharging function is controlled on the basis of an IP protocol via a WAP mobile telephone and/or and Internet computer/WAP server.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the exchange of signals and/or data is protected by a cryptographic process.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the recharging function can be performed by the user only in a time interval from the last recharging of the account.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that,
- the recharging function accesses a reference account of the user.
Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized by
- the application to charge for a service, particularly a data provision service, in a GPRS or UMTS mobile radio system based on a prepaid credit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.