Method and system for allowing simultaneous usage of prepaid services
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorsThomas Michael Bauer, Charles David Caldwell, Walter H. Hawkins, Robert J. Sayko, Blake Lane Wattenbarger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system allows multiple and simultaneous use of a pre-paid calling card. A call management system allows for the completion of multiple calls under one pre-paid calling card account number. Depending on the number of concurrent users, a billing system assigns a portion of the total number of available service units to individualized user accounts. The individualized accounts are debited according to the rate charges for each of the calls and are initially assigned an account balance that allows all concurrent users with the same amount of talk time.
Claims30
A method of facilitating the multiple and simultaneous use of a prepaid calling card in a call management system, comprising:
- receiving a first request for the use of a prepaid calling card service in the call management system to complete a first call from a first caller;
- authenticating the authorization of the first caller to use the prepaid calling card;
- receiving a second request for concurrent use of the prepaid calling card service in the call management system to complete a second call from a second caller, the concurrent use comprising simultaneous debit of one prepaid account balance by the first and second callers;
- authenticating the authorization of the second caller to use the prepaid calling card;
- allocating a portion of the prepaid account balance to the first caller and to the second caller;
- at a call switch of the call management system, connecting the first and second calls;
- and
- in a billing system of the call management system, simultaneously debiting the portion of the prepaid account balance allocated to the first call and debiting the portion of the prepaid account balance allocated to the second call.
A method of facilitating the multiple and simultaneous use of a prepaid calling card in a telecommunications environment, comprising:
- receiving at a calling switch in the telecommunications environment, multiple requests for the use of a single prepaid account of a prepaid calling card service from multiple and concurrent users;
- authenticating the authorization of said multiple requests to use the single prepaid account;
- allocating portions of a prepaid account balance to the multiple and concurrent users;
- at the calling switch in the telecommunications environment, connecting separate calls of the multiple and concurrent users;
- and
- in a billing system in the telecommunications environment, simultaneously debiting the portions of the single prepaid account balance allocated to the multiple and concurrent users.
A call management system in communication with a public switched telephone system, comprising:
- a call switch for interfacing with the public switched telephone network and for monitoring and completing calls;
- a call processor in communication with the call switch and having a plurality of databases for processing call requests from prepaid calling card users;
- and
- a billing system in communication with the call processor;
- and
- a storage device containing computer readable instructions that when executed by a billing processor in the billing system, update multiple and concurrent prepaid calling card account balances associated with one calling card account;
- including the simultaneous debit of the one calling card account by multiple calling card users.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.