This disclosure relates to communications systems and, more particularly, to an improved spontaneous messaging service.
Spontaneous messaging is a communications service feature that is invoked when a communications service provider""s network receives some indication that a call cannot be completed, due to a ring-no-answer or a busy-line condition at a called party""s telephone set. The network or a component thereof, spontaneously invites the caller to record a message for the called party. Such a message is hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cspontaneous messagexe2x80x9d. The recorded message is initially stored and subsequently delivered to the called party upon his or her availability. Specifically when the caller opts to record a spontaneous message for the called party, the network or a component thereof, attempts to deliver such spontaneous messages every thirty (30) minutes for example, for up to a certain number of hours. Spontaneous messaging service is presently available for credit card, calling card and conventional calls from communications carriers such as ATandT.
Over the last few years, however an increasing number of communications services users have evinced a preference for using pre-paid calling cards, as opposed to calling cards to complete telephone calls. Users"" preference for pre-paid calling cards over conventional calling cards can be attributed to a number of factors that include elimination of bill payment, certainty about the cost per minute for the call, cheaper rates than calling card calls and ease of use, to name a few. Such ease-of-use is evidenced by the fact that a pre-paid calling card user who wishes to complete a calling card call needs simply to dial a toll-free telephone number, and then key in the prepaid calling card number (and optional password) printed on the prepaid calling card) followed by the destination telephone number. The call is then completed by the service provider that issued the pre-paid calling card after the appropriate checks for the availability and sufficiency of a balance on the account associated with the pre-paid calling card number. At predetermined time intervals during the call, the service provider debits from the account associated with the pre-paid calling card the appropriate amount of calling time used by the caller. Because the pre-paid card billing system deducts a fixed rate only for completed calls or other services rendered, pre-paid calling card users do not pay for services when the call is not completed due to ring-no-answer or busy-line conditions.
In spite of the popularity of pre-paid calling cards, the spontaneous messaging service feature is still unable to allow a pre-paid card caller to record a message for an unavailable called party. This is because the spontaneous messaging service has no mechanism to deliver such service for a fee. Specifically, the spontaneous messaging service has to identify an unequivocal billing number before a caller is allowed to record a spontaneous message. Such billing number is used to charge the caller when the recorded spontaneous message is delivered to the called party. In the case of pre-paid calling cards, a series of factors operate to make this conventional billing technique unavailing. One such factor is the uncertainty with respect to the availability and sufficiency of a balance on the account associated with the pre-paid card number to pay for message delivery when it occurs. For example, the account associated with the pre-paid card number may have been depleted by the time the message is delivered to the called party. Equally problematic is the lack of a mechanism to credit pre-paid calling card accounts for undelivered messages. Specifically, if the pre-paid card caller is charged for delivery of a message that cannot be delivered within the pre-determined delivery time window, the pre-paid caller would be charged for service that has not been rendered. Thus, a problem of the prior art is the inability of pre-paid calling card callers to receive spontaneous messaging service.
From a general perspective, prepaid calling card users are unable to receive any communication service that requires a refund mechanism to credit such users for any service charge when the communication service cannot be delivered.
At a yet higher level of generality, debit card users are unable to receive any service that may require an electronic refund of the fees charged when such service cannot be delivered within a predicted period of time.
The present disclosure is directed to a method and a system that allow an account associated with a debit card to be debited to an escrow account when the user of such debit card elects to receive a service that is anticipated to be delivered or provided within a predetermined period of time. For example, an account associated with a pre-paid calling card number will be debited when a pre-paid calling card caller records a spontaneous message for a called party. The debited amount in the escrow account is either permanently deducted from the prepaid calling card account when the message is delivered, or partially or fully credited to the prepaid calling card account when the recorded message is deemed undeliverable.
In an exemplary embodiment of the principles disclosed herein, a pre-paid calling card caller is prompted to record a spontaneous message when the caller places a call to a called party who is unavailable due to a ring-no-answer or busy-line condition at the called party""s telephone set. If the pre-paid calling card caller indicates a desire to record a spontaneous message for the unavailable called party, the service provider""s network performs certain functions before such recording. One such function is to ascertain whether the remaining balance of the account associated with the pre-paid calling card number is sufficient to defray the anticipated cost of the spontaneous messaging service. Another one of such functions is to inform the caller that the cost of the service would be fully or partially refunded in the event that the message cannot be delivered to the called party within a predetermined time period. Yet another function performed by the network of the service provider is to create an electronic escrow account for the card number. Finally, the service provider""s network transfers the message delivery service fee from the account of the pre-paid calling card number to the newly created escrow account.
If the spontaneous message previously recorded by the caller is delivered to the called party, the amount of money in escrow is then transferred to the card issuer. When the messaging service is unable to deliver the spontaneous message to the called party before the expiration of the predetermined time period for such delivery, then the amount of money in escrow is returned to the account for the pre-paid calling card (less any agreed-upon usage fee, if any).