Multiple channel automated refill system

An automatic refill system for pre-paid accounts provides enhanced funding flexibility for customers and additional revenue streams for a telecommunication service provider. The automatic refill system solves the technical challenges 5 involved with implementing a scheduled refill channel co-existing with a triggered refill channel for funding a pre-paid account. The scheduled channel regularly refills the pre-paid account. The telecommunication service provider also coordinates funding through a triggered refill channel that refills the pre-paid account when specific conditions are met, such as account balance falling below a threshold. 12/08/08,117429 - claims.doc, E CD) S? E C') E a) .2 0) 0 0) _D U)) Coo 'I CN1L 1-1 K] Iu cco -6 1< -I C) C ULJ C)CDL C C) O) C:)( 04 Z C : "0 cli ~ 0) _ Co 0 E :0 co Ucu C.,Ci 0~ _0 n CD U) 0 (DC Cn C - co 00 (N) 0N 'r Billing System jj2 Memory Device Scheduled Refill Channel 1 j Processor 30 Triggered Refill Channel jj4 Configuration Communication 306 Information Interface Network Figure 3 Start Create customer account 411 Ir Populate customer account with customer account 40-4 data Store customer account Figure 4 Receive request for a new customer account 5a2 Pre-paid Pre-paid or post-paid Post-Daid customer account? Create a pre-paid configuration [ Create a post-paid configuration EIQ record associated with customer record associated with customer account account Prepare data fields for pre-paid Prepare data fields for post-paid configuration record configuration record Create a customer account identifier linked with the configuration record Figure 5 Rciecustomer accoutietfe 602 Retrieve configuration record linkedwihcsoe 7utme 5ccut m r Pplte autoaticreficanelfieds Pplate customer biling addresfed L Polteserce planinfotinfieds ~ Poate rice paninforaifields 618 Figure 6 Receive request to populate automatic refill channel fields Triggered Only < opulate triggered refill fields Scheduled Only or scheduled refill fields? Triggered and Scheduled Populate refill amount field Populate refill amount field Populate refill amount field Populate triggered refill 716 Populate scheduled amount field Populate triggered refill - condition field 4 [amount field Populate payment method Populate payment method I ield I Populate scheduled 71 field f ___[ condition field j Populate post-paid account Populate payment method Populate post-paid account ZM identifier field [field identifier field Populate post-paid account Iidentifier fie