Pre-paid mobile phone with temporary voice mail
OwnerAnthony J. Bayneinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for allowing access to a voice mailbox associated with a pre-paid mobile phone subscriber's account after the expiration of the subscriber's credits. A call processing system may be configured to receive a call from a calling party and to connect the call to a voice mailbox system. The call processing system may allow the calling party to record a voice message that can subsequently be accessed by the subscriber for an access fee. The call processing center may also be configured to allow the calling party to add credit to the subscriber's account. Access fees are paid and credits are added to the account by way of pre-paid calling cards, smart cards, credit cards, debit cards, electronic fund transfers.
Claims36
A method for providing access to a voicemail backup system associated with a pre-paid mobile phone account, comprising:
- determining whether an amount of credits associated with the account has reached a triggering amount;
- determining whether an existing voice mailbox is associated with the account;
- keeping the associated voice mailbox active after the account balance has reached the triggering amount when the existing voice mailbox is associated with the account;
- providing a new service comprising, associating a newly created voice mailbox with the account, when no existing voice mailbox is associated with the account;
- and
- routing calls made to the account, to either the existing, or the newly created voice mailbox.
A system for providing access to a voicemail backup system associated with a pre-paid mobile phone account, comprising:
- means for determining whether an amount of credits associated with the account has reached a triggering amount;
- means for placing a system-initiated outgoing contact to a predetermined party;
- means for determining whether the predetermined party provides payment to add credits to the account if the party receives the outgoing contact;
- means for adding the credits to the account if the predetermined party provides the payment;
- means for determining when an existing in voice mailbox is associated with the account if the predetermined party is not contacted or if the party does not provide payment;
- means for associating a newly created voice mailbox with the account when no existing voice mailbox is associated with the account;
- and
- means for routing calls made to the account, to either the existing, or the newly created voice mailbox.
A system for providing access to a voicemail backup system associated with a pre-paid mobile phone account, comprising:
- a call processing system for determining whether an amount of credits associated with a subscriber's account has reached a triggering amount;
- a telecommunication interface for placing a system-initiated outgoing contact to predetermined party;
- a payment processing module for determining whether the contacted party provides payment to add credits to the subscriber's account if the contacted party answer the outgoing contact;
- a payment processing module for adding the credits to the subscriber's account if the contacted party provides the payment;
- a voice mail database for determining whether an existing voice mailbox is associated with the subscriber's account if the called party does not answer or if the contacted party does not provide payment;
- a voice mail database for associating a newly created voice mailbox with the subscriber's account when no existing voice mailbox is associated with the subscriber's account;
- and
- a personal identification number database for establishing access codes corresponding to different levels of access to features in either the existing, or the newly created voice mailbox.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.