IP Library Granted Patent US 8,064,579
Granted Patent B2
US 8,064,579 · App. 11/862,731 · Granted Nov 22, 2011

Prepaid services accounts with multi-user customers and individualized quotas

Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,064,579
App. No.
11/862,731
Granted
Nov 22, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Prepaid services include a multi-user prepaid services account as well as a prepaid balance associated with the account. A plurality of user records associated with the account each includes a quota. A service monitoring component may be configured to repeatedly draw down the prepaid balance by providing one or more allocations of the prepaid balance during a service period to a user associated with a respective user record.

Claims (45)

1. A system, comprising:

a multi-user account;

a balance associated with the account;

a plurality of user records associated with the account, where each user record includes a quota;

a service monitoring component to repeatedly draw down the balance by providing one or more allocations of the balance during a service period to a user associated with a respective user record; and

an account balance recharge component to recharge the balance to a predetermined level, and

where the service-monitoring component is further to accept a recharge preference that defines a minimum level of the balance that will trigger the balance recharge component to recharge the account balance.

2. The system of claim 1 , where the one or more allocations are determined according to at least a service rate and a length of time.

3. The system of claim 1 , where the service monitoring component is further to limit the allocations that are provided to the user based on the quota of the user record.

4. The system of claim 3 , where a sum of the allocations that are provided to the user is less than or equal to the quota.

5. The system of claim 1 , where the quota included in at least one user record of the plurality of user records encompasses an entirety of the balance.

6. The system of claim 1 , where the quota is based on a percentage of the balance.

7. The system of claim 1 , where the quota is based on a fixed amount of the balance.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a management interface to provide access to the account and the plurality of user records.

9. The system of claim 8 , where the management interface is further to allow a management user to set the quota associated with each user record.

10. A method, implemented by at least one non-transitory device, the method comprising:

providing a multi-user account;

associating a balance with the account;

associating a plurality of user records with the account, where each user record includes a quota;

repeatedly drawing down the balance by providing one or more allocations of the balance during a service period to a user associated with a respective user record;

recharging the account balance to a predetermined level; and

accepting a recharge preference that defines a minimum level of the account balance that will trigger the recharging.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising calculating the allocations according to at least a service rate and a length of time.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising limiting the allocations that are provided to the user based on the quota of the user record.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising limiting a sum of the allocations that are provided to the user to an amount that is less than or equal to the quota.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising setting the quota of at least one user record of the plurality of user records to an entire amount of the balance.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising basing the quota on a percentage of the balance.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising basing the quota on a fixed amount of the balance.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a management interface to provide access to the account and the plurality of user records.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising allowing a management user to set the quota associated with each user record.

19. A non-transitory memory device comprising:

one or more instructions to provide a multi-user account;

one or more instructions to associate a balance with the account;

one or more instructions to associate a plurality of user records with the account, where each user record includes a quota;

one or more instructions to repeatedly draw down the balance by providing one or more allocations of the balance during a service period to a user associated with a respective user record;

one or more instructions to recharge the account balance to a predetermined level; and

one or more instructions to accept a recharge preference that defines a minimum level of the account balance that will trigger the recharging.

20. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to calculate the allocations according to at least a service rate and a length of time.

21. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to limit the allocations that are provided to the user based on the quota of the user record.

22. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to limit a sum of the allocations that are provided to the user to an amount that is less than or equal to the quota.

23. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to set the quota of at least one user record of the plurality of user records to an entire amount of the balance.

24. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to base the quota on a percentage of the balance.

25. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to base the quota on a fixed amount of the balance.

26. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to provide a management interface to provide access to the account and the plurality of user records.

27. The non-transitory memory device of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions to allow a management user to set the quota associated with each user record.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 10342096;10671117; 10716375; 10716376;10795407;10795408; AND 10827591 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58314 FRAME: 657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 29, 2024
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 068066/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2017
From: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 042103/0675 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2009
From: VERIZON BUSINESS NETWORK SERVICES INC.
To: VERIZON BUSINESS GLOBAL LLC
Reel/Frame 023250/0521 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2009
From: VERIZON BUSINESS GLOBAL LLC
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 023233/0899 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2007
From: MUMFORD, GREGORY L.; ABEL, JON E.; FITZGERALD, DAVID A.; GUNASEKAR, RADHIKA; APPLEBY, ANNA M.; LESLEIN, JOHN M.
To: VERIZON BUSINESS NETWORK SERVICES INC.
Reel/Frame 019890/0502 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090088128A1 · Apr 2, 2009