Patent Application
20080057916
The balance checking functionality described herein may be applied to many different types of wireless services, each of which may be implemented using a variety of hardware and software architectures.
In a basic scenario, subscribers use their wireless mobile devices 150 to communicate with the services system via a wireless communications network 115. The wireless services system shown in
The wireless service provider may track the subscribers' use of the services using a billing maintenance system 110. The billing maintenance system 110 typically comprises a computer system having software for managing the subscriber accounts for the wireless service. The billing maintenance system 110 is coupled to a subscriber database 105, which stores entries for the subscribers' accounts. In one illustrative example, the data associated with a subscriber's account includes a unique identification number (such as the phone number for the wireless device), a status for the subscriber's account (e.g., current, past due, suspended, or expired), an access code for validation of the subscriber, an account balance, and an optional expiration date of the account (defined below).
The billing maintenance system 110 is communicatively coupled to the services subsystems 120 through 140 to monitor their usage. In this way, the billing maintenance system 110 can record the transaction data for each subscriber in the subscriber database 105. The transaction data is an account of each subscriber's use of the services, which may for example include the minutes and other details of voice calls, the amount of data sent and/or received in messages and emails, and the purchases of games or ring tones. As subscriber usage activity occurs, or periodically at other times, the billing maintenance system 110 adjusts the subscribers' account balances in the subscriber database 105 to debit the accounts for that usage as appropriate. The billing maintenance system 110 preferably also logs the usage activity in the subscriber database 105 so it can be later reported, for example, for billing or accounting purposes.
As shown in
In a typical embodiment, the wireless communication device 150 comprises a display 155, a user interface 160 for causing the display 155 to show content to a subscriber, and keys 165 to allow a subscriber to input controls and information. The keys 165 may include a first group of keys in the form of hard-coded keys (such as alphanumeric keys) and a second group of keys in the form of operation keys or “soft keys.” In one embodiment, the wireless device 150 further includes a browser 170 (such as a WAP browser or “minibrowser”) for viewing digital content encoded in a markup language.
The wireless service may be offered as a pre-paid service, in which subscribers add value to their accounts before using the network. In one example of a pre-paid service, the billing maintenance system 110 maintains the balance information for each of the subscribers, where the balance information includes an amount of value remaining in each subscriber's account. Based on pricing schemes defined by the service provider, a subscriber's usage of the network and/or other purchases associated with the subscriber's account causes a corresponding debiting of that account. The subscriber can continue to use the services while there is sufficient value in the account, after which the subscriber must add value to the account (also known as “topping up”). A variety of different payment methods may be used to replenish a pre-paid account including, without limitation, credit or debit card payments, direct payment from a checking account, and purchase and use of a PIN. Further, an expiration date may be set for each subscriber account, after which the account becomes inactive unless the subscriber adds value to the account. This date is typically set to be several months after the last time value was added to the account, or alternatively, after the last activity charged to the account.
In the context of the wireless services system shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment of
Responsive to the request, the billing maintenance system 110 queries 215 the subscriber database 105 with the subscriber's unique identifier. The subscriber database 105 retrieves 220 the subscriber's account information, which may include the minutes used, an account expiration date, and other information as well as the account balance. The subscriber database 105 returns 225 this information to the billing maintenance system 110. In the embodiment shown in
When the billing maintenance system 110 has the requested balance information, the billing maintenance system 110 sends 230 that information to the data system 120. The data system 120 then formats 235 a page of information with the balance information, and possibly additional information retrieved about the subscriber's account. In one embodiment, the information is formatted on the page in a markup language, including but not limited to Wireless Markup Language (WML), Compact Wireless Markup Language (CWML), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and Compact Hypertext Markup Language (cHTML). The format selected will depend in part on the capabilities of the wireless device 150 and the network. Once the page is formatted, the data system 120 sends 240 the page, or a link thereto, to the mobile device. The device then renders 245 the account information page on the device's display, as shown in screen 330.
In the example account information screen 330 shown in
According to the flow diagram, the system determines 315 if the maximum number of free balance checks has been exceeded. The number of balance checks can be tracked by a counter associated with the subscriber's account and maintained in the subscriber database 105 or in the billing maintenance system 110. If the number has not been exceeded, the system increments 330 the count and provides 335 the balance information to the subscriber. If the number has been exceeded, the system then determines 320 whether the account has a sufficient amount to cover the cost of checking the balance. If the account does not, the system returns 340 an error message to the subscriber, informing the subscriber that the account has insufficient funds and encouraging the subscriber to add value to the account. If the account does have sufficient value, the billing maintenance system 110 debits 325 the account a predefined cost for checking (typically a small amount, e.g., $0.02), and then the system increments 330 the count and provides 335 the balance information to the subscriber as described above.
Although the systems and methods described above are in the context of a pre-paid wireless service, other embodiments of the invention may be applied to traditional monthly accounts. In such embodiments, the balance information provided to a subscriber is not the remaining value in the subscriber's pre-paid account, but rather an amount of fees incurred by the subscriber to that point in time. For example, a subscriber may wish to access the subscriber's current account balance to determine a current liability. Any of the other features of embodiments described above may be implemented in this context, including the feature of charging a subscriber for checking the account balance under certain conditions. Accordingly, the invention need not be limited to pre-paid wireless services.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
