OPTIMIZED RECHARGING OF PREPAID ACCOUNTS
The invention relates to a method for recharging an electronic credit prepaid by a user, particularly for paying for services in a data or telecommunication system. The inventive method comprises the following steps: a) setting a lower account threshold value for the credit; b) signalling if the account falls below the threshold value; and c) triggering a recharging function if the value falls below the threshold value.
1 . A method for recharging electronic prepaid credit of a user, comprising:
setting a lower account threshold value for the credit;
signaling the undershooting of the threshold value; and
triggering a recharging function if the threshold value is undershot.
2 . The method according to claim 1 ,
further comprising,
transmitting a signal to the user to signal the undershooting of a threshold value; and
confirming the recharging by the user after the recharge function is triggered.
3 . The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein,
after the signal is transmitted to the user, the user receives the signal and triggers the recharging function and then the recharging function is processed.
4 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is activated when the threshold value is undershot and is superimposed on a service paid for by the electronic prepaid credit currently used by the user.
5 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function when the threshold value is undershot is placed in a waiting state until a service paid for by the electronic prepaid credit currently being used by the user ends.
6 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is also automatically repeatedly activated.
7 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is not activated until after a defined time period.
8 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function remains active even if it is initially cancelled or ignored by the user by triggering a cancel or ignore signal.
9 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function increases the credit by a fixed amount.
10 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the recharging function increases the credit by an amount that can be set by the user.
11 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is triggered by the user by confirming a predetermined payment amount and/or predetermined payment condition.
12 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function can be modified by the user by entering a payment amount and/or payment conditions.
13 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is executed via a keypad by a voice menu and DTMF input.
14 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is implemented by entering a SMS message via a keypad.
15 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function is controlled based on an IP protocol via a WAP mobile telephone and/or an Internet computer/WAP server.
16 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the exchange of signals and/or data is protected by a cryptographic process.
17 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function can be performed by the user only within a specified time interval from a last recharging of the account.
18 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the recharging function accesses a reference account of the user.
19 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the application to charge for a service, particularly a data provision service, in a GPRS or UMTS mobile radio system is based on a prepaid credit.
20 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the application to charge for the provision of video and/or music and/or voice files in a video-on-demand system or audio-on-demand system is based on a prepaid credit.