Telephone travel card system under the control of its customers

Abstract

A telephone system for travel card users where the users may program a switch processor so that it completes, re-routes, or refuses to complete calls as predetermined by the customer. Data is captured as it is transferred from the switching module to an internal buffer and is fed through a digital communications path and an analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converter to a switching station computer. The switching station computer is in communication with a data storage server computer and the data storage server computer is in communication with remote telephones and with computers and facsimile machines in remote customers' offices. The switching station computer is thus programmable by the customer and incoming calls are handled as predetermined by the customer. A voice response device provides verbal communication between the system and its users. The system enables its users to defeat or limit travel card fraud, to receive billing information on a real time or other preselected basis, and to gain miscellaneous business advantages from creative control of the switch processor.

1 . A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: 
 a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source;    switching computer means for processing the call data, said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;    call capture means for capturing the call data including a personal identification number;    said call capture means capturing the call data at a front end of a call; and    said switching computer means directing the switching station to prevent completion of an attempted call using a travel card from a location indicated by the captured call data of the attempted call that a caller would not have been able to travel to in the time between the attempted call and an immediately preceding call using the same personal identification number.    
     
     
         2 . A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: 
 a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source;    switching computer means for processing the call data, said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;    call capture means for capturing the call data including a personal identification number;    said call capture means capturing the call data at a front end of a call; and    said switching computer means directing the switching station to prevent repeated call attempts to enter the telephone system from a particular communication source by using a series of invalid personal identification numbers within a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         3 . A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: 
 a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source;    switching computer means capable of processing the call data, said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;    call capture means for capturing the call data including a personal identification number;    said call capture means capturing the call data at a front end of a call; and    a monitoring computer means, electrically connected to said switching computer means, for storing the captured call data; and    a data storage server means, for communication with the monitoring computer means and for providing access, through said monitoring computer means, by travel card customers of the telephone system to provide current telephone system user billing information including amounts due.    
     
     
         4 . The telephone system as described in  claim 3 , 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 facsimile machine or computer.  
     
     
         5 . The telephone system as described in  claim 3 , further comprising voice response means, in communication with said switching computer means and in dial-up communication with callers to the telephone system, for providing an oral report of current account status to travel card users.  
     
     
         6 . The telephone system as described in  claim 5 , wherein the voice response means enables an authorized person 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 message.  
     
     
         7 . The telephone system as described in  claim 3 , wherein said switching computer means is capable of rerouting calls by travel card users to the telephone system in accordance with instructions provided by travel card customers.  
     
     
         8 . A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: 
 a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source;    a switching computer means for processing the call data, said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;    call capture means for capturing the call data including a personal identification number;    said call capture means capturing the call data at a front end of a call; and    said switching computer means obtaining data for at least one call validation 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 the captured call data and the additional call validation parameter, whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; and    voice response means in communication with said switching computer means and capable of communication with customers so that a travel card customer can change the additional call validation parameter supplied to the switching computer means.    
     
     
         9 . A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: 
 a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source;    switching computer means for processing the call data, said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;    call capture means for capturing the call data including a personal identification number;    said call capture means capturing the call data at a front end of a call; and    said switching computer means obtaining data for at least one call validation 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 the captured call data and the additional call validation parameter, whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; and    said switching computer means determining from the captured call data and the data of the additional call validation 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, dual use of the same personal identification number, and geographically impossible calling with the same personal identification number.    
     
     
         10 . The telephone system as described in  claim 9  wherein said call capture means is integral with said switching computer means.  
     
     
         11 . A telephone system of a type controllable by travel cards, comprising: 
 a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source;    switching computer means for processing the call data, said switching computer means controlling said switch processor;    call capture means for capturing call data including a personal identification number;    said call capture means capturing the call data at a front end of a call;    said switching computer means obtaining data for at least one call validation 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 the captured call data and the additional call validation parameters, whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; and    data storage server computer means, in communication with at least one telephone, for providing accessibility to permit travel card customers to change the additional call validation parameters in the switching computer means to act upon in processing call data from at least one selected travel card of the telephone system.    
     
     
         12 . The telephone system as described in  claim 11  wherein said call capture means is integral with said switching computer means.  
     
     
         13 . The telephone system as described in  claim 1  wherein said call capture means is integral with said switching computer means.  
     
     
         14 . The telephone system as described in  claim 2  wherein said call capture means is integral with said switching computer means.  
     
     
         15 . The telephone system as described in  claim 3  wherein said call capture means is integral with said switching computer means.  
     
     
         16 . The telephone system as described in  claim 8  wherein said call capture means is integral with said switching computer means.  
     
     
         17 . The telephone system as described in  claim 9  wherein said call capture means is a DCP.  
     
     
         18 . The telephone system as described in  claim 1  wherein the captured call data further includes an automatic numbering identification.  
     
     
         19 . The telephone system as described in  claim 2  wherein the captured call data further includes an automatic numbering identification.  
     
     
         20 . The telephone system as described in  claim 3  wherein the captured call data further includes an automatic numbering identification.  
     
     
         21 . The telephone system as described in  claim 8  wherein the captured call data further includes an automatic numbering identification.  
     
     
         22 . The telephone system as described in  claim 9  wherein the captured call data further includes an automatic numbering identification.  
     
     
         23 . The telephone system as described in  claim 11  wherein the captured call data further includes an automatic numbering identification.  
     
     
         24 . The telephone system as described in  claim 9  further comprising data storage server means for communication with remote access means, said remote access allowing customers of the telephone system to access said data storage server means to obtain current billing information.  
     
     
         25 . A method of handling telephone calls by the use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data from at least one communication source using a travel card;    processing the call data produced by the switch processor and controlling the switch processor by use of a switching computer, said call data including a personal identification number;    capturing the call data at a front end of a call;    supplying the captured call data to the switching computer;    supplying processed data from the switching computer to the switching station; and    directing the switching station to prevent completion of an attempted call using a travel card from a location indicated by the call data of the attempted call that a caller would not have been able to travel to in the time between the attempted call and an immediately preceding call using the same personal identification number.    
     
     
         26 . A method of handling telephone calls by the use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data from at least one communication source using a travel card and providing a switching computer for processing the call data produced by the switch processor and controlling the switch processor, said call data including a personal identification number;    capturing call data at a front end of a call and supplying the captured call data to the switching computer, and supplying processed data from the switching computer to the switching station; and    directing the switching station to prevent repeated call attempts to enter the telephone system from a particular communication source by using a series of invalid personal identification numbers within a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         27 . A method of handling telephone calls by the use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source using a travel card and providing a switching computer for processing the call data and controlling said switch processor, said call data including a personal identification number;    capturing the call data at a front end of a call and supplying the captured call data to the switching computer, and supplying processed data from the switching computer to the switching station;    obtaining data for at least one call validation parameter related to a travel card, in addition to said call data, for the switching computer to act upon in processing call data and determining, from the captured call data and the additional call validation parameters, whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; and    providing voice response means in communication with the switching computer for communication with customers so that a travel card customer can change the additional call validation parameter supplied to the switching computer.    
     
     
         28 . A method of handling telephone calls by the use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data concerning calls from at least one communication source using a travel card and providing a switching computer for processing the call data and controlling the switch processor, said call data including a personal identification number;    capturing the call data at a front end of a call;    supplying the captured call data to the switching computer;    supplying processed data from the switching computer to the switching station;    obtaining data for at least one call validation parameter related to a travel card, in addition to said call data, for the switching computer to act upon in processing call data and determining from the captured call data and the additional call validation parameter whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; and    determining from the captured call data and the data of the additional call validation 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, dual use of the same personal identification number, and geographically impossible calling with the same personal identification number.    
     
     
         29 . A method of handling telephone calls by the use of travel cards, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a switching station including a switch processor for producing call data from at least one communication source and providing a switching computer for processing the call data and controlling said switch processor, said call data including a personal identification number;    capturing the call data at a front end of a call;    supplying the captured call data to the switching computer;    supplying processed data from the switching computer to the switching station;    obtaining data for at least one call validation parameter related to a travel card, in addition to the captured call data, for the switching computer to act upon in processing the call data and determining, from the captured call data and the additional call validation parameters, whether the attempted call is placed by a caller in good standing in accordance with parameters for the travel card; and    providing a data storage server computer in communication with at least one telephone, the data storage server computer providing accessibility to permit travel card customers to change the additional call validation parameters for the switching computer to act upon in processing call data from at least one selected travel card of the telephone system.    
     
     
         30 . The telephone system as described in  claim 3  wherein said data storage server means provides said current telephone system user billing information in real time.  
     
     
         31 . The telephone system as described in  claim 8  wherein said call capture means captures the call data from within said switching station.  
     
     
         32 . The telephone system as described in  claim 12  wherein said call capture means captures the call data from within said switching station.  
     
     
         33 . A method of handling telephone calls as described in  claim 25  wherein the capturing of call data is from within the switching station.  
     
     
         34 . A method of handling telephone calls as described in  claim 26  wherein the capturing of call data is from within said switching station.  
     
     
         35 . A method of handling telephone calls as described in  claim 27  wherein the capturing of call data is from within the switching station.  
     
     
         36 . A method of handling telephone calls as described in  claim 28  wherein the capturing of call data is from within the switching station.  
     
     
         37 . A method of handling telephone calls as described in  claim 29  wherein the capturing of call data is from within the switching station.