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US 8,090,345 B2Granted
Multiple channel automated refill system
AssigneeAccenture Global Services Limited
InventorsDomenico Mastrantuono, Jacopo Clemenzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic refill system for pre-paid accounts provides enhanced funding flexibility for customers and additional revenue streams for a telecommunication service provider. The automatic refill system solves the technical challenges involved with implementing a scheduled refill channel co-existing with a triggered refill channel for funding a pre-paid account. The scheduled channel regularly refills the pre-paid account. The telecommunication service provider also coordinates funding through a triggered refill channel that refills the pre-paid account when specific conditions are met, such as account balance falling below a threshold.
Claims24
A telecommunication service provider automatic refill system comprising:
- a customer account linked with a configuration record operable to identify whether only a triggered refill channel is activated on the customer account, whether only a scheduled refill channel is activated on the customer account, and whether both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated on the customer account;
- a billing system operable to receive a customer account identifier that identifies the customer account and operable to analyze the configuration record linked to the customer account identifier to determine whether a triggered refill condition is met for the customer account, that a regularly scheduled refill condition is met for the customer account, or that both the regularly scheduled refill condition and triggered refill condition are met for the customer account;
- a triggered refill channel in communication with the billing system, the triggered refill channel operable to execute a triggered refill funding procedure for the customer account when the triggered refill condition is met for the customer account;
- and
- a scheduled refill channel in communication with the billing system, the scheduled refill channel operable to execute a scheduled refill funding procedure for the customer account when the regularly scheduled refill condition is met for the customer account.
2 more elements
A telecommunication service provider automatic refill method comprising:
- receiving a customer account identifier for a customer account;
- querying a configuration record linked to the customer account identifier to determine that only a triggered refill channel is activated on the customer account, that only a scheduled refill channel is activated on the customer account, or that both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated on the customer account;
- implementing multiple refill channel configuration options for the customer account by:
- determining when only the triggered refill channel is activated, or when both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated, and in response:
- establishing a triggered refill condition for the customer account;
- determining that the triggered refill condition is met;
- and
- responsively executing a triggered refill funding procedure for the customer account;
- and
- determining when only the scheduled refill channel configuration is activated, or when both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated, and in response:
- establishing a regularly scheduled refill condition for the customer account;
- determining that the regularly scheduled refill condition is met;
- and
- responsively executing a scheduled refill funding procedure for the customer account.
11 more elements
A product comprising:
- a machine readable medium;
- and
- logic stored on the medium operable to:
- receive a customer account identifier for a customer account;
- query a configuration record linked to the customer account identifier to determine that only a triggered refill channel is activated on the customer account, that only a scheduled refill channel is activated on the customer account, or that both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated on the customer account;
- implement multiple refill channel configuration options for the customer account by being operable to:
- determine when only the triggered refill channel is activated, or when both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated, and responsively operable to:
- establish a triggered refill condition for the customer account;
- determine that the triggered refill condition is met;
- and
- execute a triggered refill funding procedure for the customer account;
- and
- determine when only the scheduled refill channel configuration is activated, or when both the triggered refill channel and scheduled refill channel are activated, and responsively operable to:
- establish a regularly scheduled refill condition for the customer account;
- determine that the regularly scheduled refill condition is met;
- and
- execute a scheduled refill funding procedure for the customer account.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.