Patent · US Expired

Method of prepaying for consumption of telephone calls

US5909485A · kind A · utility

61Cited by
20References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 7, 1997
Grant dateJun 1, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 7, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2215/32
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

To limit the risk of unpaid telephone calls to be set up from a predetermined terminal via a switched telephone network, a prepayment for consumption of such calls comprises setting up a call from any terminal to a prepayment server via the switched telephone network in order to transmit a message identifying the predetermined terminal to the prepayment server; responsive to identification of the predetermined terminal, requesting from the calling terminal prepayment of telephone call consumption to the prepayment server; and, if the prepayment request is accepted by the prepayment server, paying an amount transmitted from the calling terminal so that the payment server increments a consumption count associated with the predetermined terminal. The predetermined terminal and any terminal can be one and the same mobile phone terminal connected to the switched telephone network via a mobile phone network.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.