IES20040574A2 - An improved top up process for telephones - Google Patents

Abstract

The method of the invention comprises a series of steps of applying credit to a pre-paid telephone using a predetermined code regardless of the telephone network. Initially the user purchases aproduct having a predetermined serial code, the user submits the code to a server using SMS (10), the server identifies the telephone network (17) the SMS originated on, validates the serial code submitted (11), identifies transaction data required to apply credit to the pre-paid telephone of the user and submits the transaction data to the appropriate telephone network together with the serial code to apply credit to the pre-paid telephone on the appropriate telephone network. <Figure 1>

Description

The present invention relates to a Top-Up process for a pre-paid telephone user. In particular the invention relates to the use of a predetermined code on products, which can be submitted by text message to Top-Up electronically.

Currently a person can only Top-Up by entering a PIN (e-voucher) into a mobile phone or using a swipe card and paying cash to the retailer to pay for that Top-Up. In this instance a person can over come these barriers by 1) identifying the mobile network of the user; 2) receiving and validating the serial number of the pre-pay mobile phone via SMS; 3) sending all the required details in the format required to Top-Up that user; and 4) so it has the ability to Top-Up a pre-pay mobile phone remotely (i.e. without the customer present).

The advantages of the invention are that it allows the customer receive an “instant TopUp” without manual or human intervention from the purchase of a winning product and circumvent the problems of not being able to send back to the user a PIN (electronic Top20 Up voucher) on particular networks where it is not available.

The invention works by the user initialising the process by sending a winning code by SMS to the server. The server then validates the code and then marks it as used. Following on it then it identifies the network that the text message originated on and then sends the user a message by SMS requesting them to reply with the Top-Up card serial number. The user then enters their 19-digit card number. The number is validated based on the network data. Once the number is received and validated the transaction data is assembled and submitted in the correct format so that the number can be topped up on the appropriate network.

The unique features that solve the problem are a combination of a) b) c) identifying the network the message originates on; validating the serial number particular to that network by SMS; and submitting the required (missing) data to the network with the serial number that is required to Top-Up the pre-pay mobile phone. 1RTCL ΓΐΙΰΟ. l/bh FhZ £0*0574 The invention will hereinafter be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, two embodiments of the process of the invention.

Figure 1 is a flow chart of the first embodiment of the process of the invention.

Figure 2 is a flow chart of the second embodiment of the process of the invention.

Description of Figure 1 ) The user submits the code by SMS. In this process the system can collect the mobile subscriber number (MSISDN) as well as the unique alphanumeric security code. 11) The system validates the MSISDN to ensure that it has not been previously blocked. 12) This is checked in the blocked user table 13) If the user is blocked by sending invalid codes to the system previously it will send the SMS that they are blocked 14) After 3 invalid attempts the user is blocked from the system for security ) The system validates the alphanumeric security code and marks it off as used 16) If the authentication of the code fails the user gets added to the blocked user table. 17) The system identifies the Network of the originating MSISDN based on which the SMS comes in from. Data is stored for future use. 31) The system decided whether the mobile network is a PIN Compatible Network or not 18) The system sends the Top-Up PIN by SMS to the MSISDN 19) Ends ) The data is stored for future use of the network of that MSISDN £040574 21) Number, Network & Serial Number Database 22) The MSISDN is sent an SMS requesting Top-Up serial number 23) The MSISDN user submits Top-Up serial number 24) The system decides whether the format of the Top-Up serial number is valid ) Database of Network Serial Number formats for validation 26) System sends SMS to Request Confirmation of serial number entered 27) User submits a response of YES to confirm or another serial number 28) Confirmation Received 29) The system stores the confirmed serial number.

) The system compiles a file containing in the correct format the MSISDN, Top-Up Serial Number, Monetary Amount to top-up & an expiry date 31) Batch submit to Top-Up processor 32) Ends Description of Figure 2 ) The user submits the code by SMS. In this process the system can collect the mobile subscriber number (MSISDN) as well as the unique alphanumeric security code. 11) The system validates the MSISDN to ensure that it has not been previously blocked. 12) This is checked in the blocked user table ¢040574 13) If the user is blocked by sending invalid codes to the system previously it will send the SMS that they are blocked 14) After 3 invalid attempts the user is blocked from the system for security ) The system validates the alphanumeric security code and marks it off as used 16) If the authentication of the code fails the user gets added to the blocked user table. 17) The system identifies the Network of the originating MSISDN based on which network the SMS comes in from data is stored for future use 18) Number, Network & Serial Number Database 19) The MSISDN is sent an SMS requesting Top-Up serial number ) The MSISDN user submits Top-Up serial number 21) The system decides whether the format of the Top-Up serial number is valid 22) Database of Network Serial Number formats for validation 23) System sends SMS to Request Confirmation of serial number entered 24) User submits a response of YES to confirm or another serial number ) Confirmation Received 26) The system stores the confirmed serial number. 27) The system compiles a file containing in the correct format the MSISDN, Top-Up Serial Number, Monetary Amount to top-up & an expiry date 28) Batch submit to Top-Up processor 29) Ends ¢040574 It will of course be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific details herein described which are given by way of example only, and that various alterations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON, Applicant’s Agents, 47 Merrion Square, DUBLIN 2. ipv * 05 74

Claims (5)

1. An improved method of applying credit to a user’s account of a pre-paid telephone comprising the steps of: (a) sending a pre-determined serial code by SMS to a server using any telephone network; (b) the server identifying the telephone network the SMS messagejariginated on; (c) validating the serial code sent by SMS; Z (d) identifying transaction data required to apply credit (o the pre-paid telephone: and (e) submitting the transaction data to the appropriate telephone network together with the serial code to apply credit to the pre-paid telephone on the appropriate telephone network.

2. An improved method as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising the steps of: (f) marking the serial code as used after validating at st^> (c): (g) sending the user a message by SMS requesting them to reply with a ‘TopUp’ serial number after identifying the network that the SMS message originated on at step (b) and validating at step (c); (h) the user entering the ‘Top-Up’ serial number; and (i) receiving and validating the ‘Top-Up’ serial number using telephone network data.

3. An improved method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 further comprising the steps of: (j) the server identifying a telephone subscriber number and an alphanumeric security code; (k) the server validating the telephone subscriber number and checking a blocked user table to assess if the telephone subscriber number is blocked; (l) the server sending an SMS to the user stating that the telephone subscriber number is blocked if it is blocked; (n) the server blocking and subsequently sending the same message as outlined at step (I) if the user makes three invalid attempts to send a ‘Top-Up’ serial number; ¢04 0574 (o) the server validating the alphanumeric security code and marking it as used; and (p) the server adding the user to the blocked user table if validation of the alphanumeric security code fails.

4. An improved method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of; (q) the server sending the telephone subscriber number an SMSirequesting a ‘Top-Up’ serial number, the user submitting a ‘Top-Up’ serial number, the server validating the format of the ‘Top-Up’ serial number, the server sending an SMS confirming the ‘Top-Up’ serial number, the user submitting a YES response to confirm if ‘Top-Up’ serial number is correct or another correct ‘Top-Up’ serial number; (r) the server storing the confirmed ‘Top-Up’ serial number and compiling a file containing the transaction data which is submitted in a batch to the appropriate telephone network together with the serial code to apply the credit to the prepaid telephone on the appropriate telephone network; or/ 1 (s) storing the telephone network information obtained at step (b), determining whether the telephone network is a PIN compatible network, if the telephone network is a PIN compatible network sending an appropriate ‘Top-Up’ PIN by SMS to the telephone subscriber number for the user to submit to the appropriate telephone network and storing the data for future use.

5. An improved method of applying credit to a user’s account of a pre-paid telephone substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON, Applicants’ Agents, 47 Merrion Square, DUBLIN 2. 1/2 £040574 FIGURE 1 (MSISDN & Winning Code) 2/2 £040574