# US 5,592,535 A · Mobile-radio network with debit accounts > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,592,535 A - Document ID: US5592535A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/630,727 - Filed: 1996-04-02 - Granted: 1997-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 1993-04-16 - Assignees: Alcatel SEL Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Bernhard Klotz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5592535A ## CPC - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04M 15/88: {Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure} - H04M 15/90: {using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]} - H04M 17/00: Prepayment {of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or} telephone systems (using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675) - H04M 17/02: Coin-freed or check-freed systems {, e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths} - H04Q 3/0029: {Provisions for intelligent networking} - H04Q 3/0045: {involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems} - H04M 2215/0116: Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account - H04M 2215/016: Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN] - H04M 2215/2026: Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS - H04M 2215/32: Involving wireless systems - H04Q 2213/1313: Metering, billing - H04Q 2213/13527: protocols - X.25, TCAP etc. - H04Q 2213/13532: mobile networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) ## Abstract A mobile-radio network (MRS) includes a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers (A). In response to the incoming calls, certain ones of the incoming calls are selected if the respective mobile-radio subscriber (A) has a debit account assigned to it and the debit account has a credit balance. The credit balance is compared with a predetermined minimum balance (Dmin1) and a call is completed if the credit balance exceeds the predetermined minimum balance. The debit account for the respective mobile-radio subscriber is charged a unit fee. Incorporated in the mobile switching center (MSC) is a service switching point (SSP). Additionally, a service control point (SCP) is connected to the service switching point and includes an arithmetic unit (DC) for call charging. The mobile-radio network structure makes it possible to establish connections and charge incoming calls using simple exchange protocols (INAP) without having to change conventional network protocols (MAP). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile-radio network comprising: a mobile switching center for receiving incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers, said mobile switching center including means responsive to said incoming calls for selecting incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers having a predetermined subscriber profile, the predetermined subscriber profile indicating that an incoming call is from a respective mobile-radio subscriber having a debit account, and network elements of an intelligent network connected to said mobile switching center, said mobile switching center forwarding the selected incoming calls to said network elements, said network elements including: means for storing, for at least one respective mobile-radio subscriber, a debit account having a credit balance indicative of an amount of credit, and means responsive to a selected incoming call from the respective mobile-radio subscriber; for accessing the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber, for comparing the credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber with a first predetermined minimum balance, for establishing a connection for the selected incoming call from the respective mobile-radio subscriber if the credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber exceeds said predetermined minimum balance, for, once the connection is established, charging the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber by consecutively deducting a unit fee, and for releasing the connection for the selected incoming call if the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber shows no credit balance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network elements comprise a service switching point, which is connected to or incorporated in the mobile switching center, and a service control point, which is connected to the service switching point, the service control point storing debit accounts and including an arithmetic unit for call charging. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 2 wherein the service switching point and the service control point exchange protocols which are standardized in the intelligent network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 2 wherein the service switching point includes signaling means for signalling call charge information to a respective mobile-radio subscriber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 4 wherein the signalling means signals the call charge information in accordance with a short-message protocol when the arithmetic unit determines that the credit balance has fallen below a given amount. ### Claim 6 A method of establishing a connection and charging incoming calls in a mobile-radio network comprising a mobile switching center and network elements of an intelligent network, the network elements including a service switching point which is connected to or incorporated in the mobile switching center and a service control point which is connected to the service switching point, the method comprising the following steps: storing in the service control point, for at least one respective mobile-radio subscriber, a debit account having a credit balance indicative of an amount of credit; receiving incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers at the mobile switching center; selecting incoming calls that have a predetermined subscriber profile, the predetermined subscriber profile indicating that an incoming call is from a respective mobile-radio subscriber having a debit account; forwarding the selected calls to the service switching point; accessing the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber for each selected incoming call; comparing the credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber to a predetermined minimum balance; establishing a connection for a selected incoming call if the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber shows a credit balance greater than the predetermined minimum balance; once a connection is established, charging for the selected incoming call by consecutively deducting a predetermined unit fee from the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber; and releasing the connection for the selected incoming call if the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber shows no credit balance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the following steps are taken between the steps of charging for the selected incoming call and releasing the connection: after each consecutive deduction of the unit fee, determining a current credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber; and signaling the current credit balance to the respective mobile-radio subscriber by means of a short-message protocol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the following steps are taken between the steps of charging for the selected incoming call and releasing the connection: after each consecutive deduction of the unit fee, determining a current credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber; and signaling the current credit balance to the respective mobile-radio subscriber by means of a short-message protocol if the magnitude of the current credit balance corresponds to a predetermined minimum value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the predetermined minimum value corresponds to a predetermined credit balance. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means responsive to said incoming calls includes means for evaluating a predetermined subscriber profile contained in a digital word. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 10, wherein said digital word includes an additional bit which indicates whether a mobile-radio subscriber has an assigned debit account. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means responsive to said incoming calls includes means for evaluating a predetermined subscriber profile contained in a digital word. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein said digital word includes an additional bit which indicates whether a mobile-radio subscriber has an assigned debit account stored in the service control point.