US5790636A — Telephone travel card system under the control of…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 270 words

A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: a switching station including a switch processor capable of receiving call data from at least one dial-up communication source and a switching computer means capable of processing call data; said switching computer means controlling said switch processor; communication means capable of capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data including automatic number identification and a personal identification number; said communication means capturing call data at front side of the call data received by the switch processor and supplying said call data to the switching computer means, and capable of supplying processed data from switching computer means to the switching station; said switching computer means capable of obtaining data for at least one parameter related to a travel card in addition to said call data for the switching computer means to act upon in processing call data and determining from said data from the front side of the call data and additional parameter whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; said switching computer means capable of disallowing completion of a call through the switching station if determined from processing of call data and additional parameter by the switching computer means that the call is not placed by a caller in good standing; and said switching computer means capable of interrupting and terminating said call in progress through the switch processor if said switching computer means determines by data processing that the available account status of the travel card has been reached during the call.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 270 words

A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: a switching station including a switch processor capable of receiving call data from at least one dial-up communication source and a switching computer means capable of processing call data; said switching computer means controlling said switch processor; communication means capable of capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data including automatic number identification and a personal identification number; said communication means capturing call data at front side of the call data received by the switch processor and supplying said call data to the switching computer means, and capable of supplying processed data from switching computer means to the switching station; said switching computer means capable of obtaining data for at least one parameter related to a travel card in addition to said call data for the switching computer means to act upon in processing call data and determining from said data from the front side of the call data and additional parameter whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; said switching computer means capable of disallowing completion of a call through the switching station if determined from processing of call data and additional parameter by the switching computer means that the call is not placed by a caller in good standing; and said switching computer means capable of interrupting and terminating said call in progress through the switch processor if said switching computer means determines by data processing that the available account status of the travel card has been reached during the call.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 152 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, further comprising a voice response device in electrical communication with said switch processor and said switching computer means, and capable of being in communication with at least one remote telephone, said voice response device with said switching computer means providing at least one of the following: to deliver a message to a caller using a travel card to make a call through the telephone system, to prevent a caller using a travel card to make a call through the telephone system, to leave a message for at least one subsequent caller using a travel card to make a call through the telephone system, and to permit a caller using a travel card to make a call through the telephone system to be automatically rerouted to a call number supplied to the system by a travel card customer.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 71 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, further comprising a data storage server computer means in dial-up communication from at least one telephone and capable of providing accessibility to permit travel card customers to supply changes to the additional parameters in the switching computer means to act upon in processing call data from at least one selected travel card of the telephone system.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 54 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 3, further comprising a monitoring computer means capable of storing customer billing information and providing through the data storage server means to a travel card customer billing information at any time through a computer or facsimile machine of the customer.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 58 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, wherein said switching computer means performs a dual use test and directs the switching station through the communication means to prevent completion of an attempted call if by use of a personal identification number that is already in use within the telephone system.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 100 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, wherein said switch computer means performs a geographical impossibility determination and directs the switching station through the communication means to prevent completion of an attempted call if a call is attempted using a travel card from a location indicated by the call data of the attempted call such that a caller would not have been able to travel to in the time between the call and an immediately preceding call using the same personal identification number of the travel card used in making the call.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 65 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, wherein said switch computer means performs a repeated failed attempts determination and directs the switching station through the communication means to prevent repeated attempts to enter the telephone system from a particular dial-up communication source by using a series of invalid personal identification numbers within a predetermined period of time.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 67 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, further comprising monitoring computer means electrically connected to said switching computer means and capable of storing call data, and a data storage server means electrically connected to the monitoring computer means and capable of access by travel card customers of the telephone system to provide current billing information to travel card customers.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 49 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 8, wherein said data storage server means further enables a travel card customer of the telephone system to obtain a printed copy of said customer's current billing information through a customer's facsimile machine or computer.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 55 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, further comprising a voice response means being capable of communication with said switching computer means and in dial-up communication with callers to the telephone system, and capable of providing an oral report of current account status to travel card users.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 54 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 10, wherein the voice response means enables a customer of the system to leave an oral message in said voice response means so that at least one later travel card caller to the telephone system can hear said oral message.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 44 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, wherein said switching computer means is capable of rerouting calls by travel card users to the telephone system in accordance with an additional parameter supplied by travel card customers.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 51 words

The telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1, further comprising a voice response means connected to said switching computer means and capable of dial-up communication with customers so that a travel card customer can change the additional parameters supplied to the switching computer means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 90 words

A telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1 wherein the switching computer means determines from the call data and the data of the additional parameter at least one of the following for the switching station to act upon in processing call data: account balance status of the travel card at the beginning and during calls in progress, individual use test of the same personal identification number, geographically impossible calling with the same personal identification number, and unauthorized calling by the travel card user.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 76 words

A telephone system of the type controllable by travel card's as described in claim 1 wherein the switching station includes in addition an internal buffer capable of at least temporarily storing call data received by the switch processor, a conductor means capable of providing electrical communication of call data from the switch processor to the buffer, and said communication means captures call data transparent to call data transfer from the switch processor to the internal buffer.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 26 words

A telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 15 wherein said communication means is electrically connected to such conductor means.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 176 words

A method of handling telephone calls by use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: providing a switching station including a switch processor for receiving call data from at least one source capable of dial-up communication with said switch processor by use of a travel card and a switching computer means for processing call data received by said switch processor; capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data transmitted at dial-up including automatic number identification and a personal identification number; delivering at least some captured data to said switching computer means; supplying to said switch computer means at least one additional parameter related to the travel card to determine good standing; processing in the switching computer means call data in relation to the received additional parameter data to determine if calls are placed and continued in good standing; preventing connection of telephone calls if validation determines the call is not made by caller in good standing; and preventing continuation of telephone calls if validation determines the call is not continuing in good standing.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 176 words

A method of handling telephone calls by use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: providing a switching station including a switch processor for receiving call data from at least one source capable of dial-up communication with said switch processor by use of a travel card and a switching computer means for processing call data received by said switch processor; capturing call data received by said switch processor, said call data transmitted at dial-up including automatic number identification and a personal identification number; delivering at least some captured data to said switching computer means; supplying to said switch computer means at least one additional parameter related to the travel card to determine good standing; processing in the switching computer means call data in relation to the received additional parameter data to determine if calls are placed and continued in good standing; preventing connection of telephone calls if validation determines the call is not made by caller in good standing; and preventing continuation of telephone calls if validation determines the call is not continuing in good standing.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 66 words

The method of claim 17, further comprising the additional steps of a travel card customer controlling selection of the additional parameters received by the switching computer means including deactivating personal identification numbers; and providing a dial-up connection capability between a remote telephone and a voice response means so that a caller may activate said voice response means and may receive messages from said voice response means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 26 words

A telephone system of the type controllable by travel cards as described in claim 1 wherein the communication means includes a port in the switch processor.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-08-03	2002-02-02	2002-08-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-08-03	2006-02-02	2006-08-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-08-03	2010-02-02	2010-08-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Telephone travel card system under the control of its customers

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