Methods and systems for top-up

Abstract

Methods and systems for top-up are provided. A representative top-up system includes a top-up gateway that receives a recipient phone number associated with a phone user's account. A home location register (HLR) look up service (HLR) look up service that receives the recipient phone number from the top-up gateway determines the telephone service company associated with the recipient phone number and transmits the information related to the determined telephone service company to the top-up gateway. The top-up gateway tops up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the phone number based on the phone number, and requested telephone service company.

Therefore, having thus described the disclosure, at least the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A top-up system comprising:
 a top-up gateway that receives a recipient phone number associated with a phone user's account; and   a home location register (HLR) look up service (HLR) look up service that receives the recipient phone number from the top-up gateway determines the telephone service company associated with the recipient phone number and transmits the information related to the determined telephone service company to the top-up gateway,   wherein the top-up gateway tops up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account based on the recipient phone number, and the determined telephone service company from the HLR look up service.   
     
     
         2 . The top-up system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a database that receives and stores information related to the top up of the phone minutes and/or money of the phone user's account from the top-up gateway. 
     
     
         3 . The top-up system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the top-up gateway verifies whether the phone user's account is a valid phone number having phone minutes and/or amount of money that can be top-up, recharge, add, and/or transfer the phone minutes and/or money into the phone user's account. 
     
     
         4 . The top-up system as defined in  claim 1  wherein the HLR look up service receives the phone number from the top-up gateway and a request for the geographical location associated with the phone number from the top-up gateway, wherein the HLR look up service determines the geographical location associated with the phone number and transmits the information related to the determined geographical location to the top-up gateway, wherein the top-up gateway tops up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the phone number based on the phone number, determined telephone service company and determined geographical location. 
     
     
         5 . The top-up system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the top-up gateway top-ups, recharges, adds, and/or transfers the phone minutes and/or money from a purchased pin-based card into the phone user's account. 
     
     
         6 . The top-up system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the top-up gateway provides a notification of whether the inputted phone number is new or previously inputted based on a phone user's historical inputted phone numbers. 
     
     
         7 . The top-up system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the top-up gateway facilitates processing a top-up and/or a money transfer in at least one of the following systems:
 a top-up system using an interactive voice response (IVR) system, and a pin and fixed denomination platform;   a top-up system using a short message system (SMS), and a pin and fixed denomination platform;   a top-up system using a real time refill (RTR) and select denomination platform;   a top-up system using an interactive application and open denomination platform; and   a top-up system using a mobile wallet.   
     
     
         8 . A top-up application that is stored in memory and has instructions that are executed by a processing device, the instructions including the following logics:
 receive a recipient phone number associated with a phone user's account;   determine a telephone service company associated with the recipient phone number via a home location register (HLR) look up service,   transmit information related to the requested telephone service company associated with the phone number via the HLR look up service;   top-up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the recipient phone number based on the phone number, and the determined telephone service company from the HLR look up service.   
     
     
         9 . The top-up application as defined in  claim 8 , further including the logic of storing information related to the top up of the phone minutes and/or money of the phone user's account. 
     
     
         10 . The top-up application as defined in  claim 8 , further including the logic of verifying whether the phone user's account is a valid phone number having phone minutes and/or amount of money that can be top-up, recharge, add, and/or transfer the phone minutes and/or money into the phone user's account. 
     
     
         11 . The top-up application as defined in  claim 8 , further including the logics of:
 requesting for a geographical location associated with the phone number from a home location register (HLR) look up service;   receiving information related to the requested geographical location associated with the phone number from the HLR look up service; and   topping up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the phone number based on the phone number, received telephone service company, and received geographical location.   
     
     
         12 . The top-up application as defined in  claim 8 , further including the logic of topping up, recharging, adding, and/or transferring the phone minutes and/or money from a purchased pin-based card into the phone user's account. 
     
     
         13 . The top-up application as defined in  claim 8 , further including the logic of providing a notification of whether the inputted phone number is new or previously inputted based on a phone user's historical inputted phone numbers. 
     
     
         14 . The top-up application as defined in  claim 8 , further including the logic of processing a top-up and/or a money transfer in at least one of the following systems:
 a top-up system using an interactive voice response (IVR) system, and a pin and fixed denomination platform;   a top-up system using a short message system (SMS), and a pin and fixed denomination platform;   a top-up system using a real time refill (RTR) and select denomination platform;   a top-up system using an interactive application and open denomination platform; and   a top-up system using a mobile wallet.   
     
     
         15 . A computing device comprising:
 a processing device;   memory storing a top-up application which has instructions that are executed by the processing device, the instructions including the following logics:
 receive a recipient phone number associated with a phone user's account; and 
 determine a telephone service company associated with the phone number via a home location register (HLR) look up service, 
 transmit information related to the requested telephone service company associated with the phone number via the HLR look up service; 
 top up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the recipient phone number based on the phone number, and the determined telephone service company from the HLR look up service. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computing device as defined in  claim 15 , further including the logic of storing information related to the top up of the phone minutes and/or money of the phone user's account. 
     
     
         17 . The computing device as defined in  claim 15 , further including the logic of verifying whether the phone user's account is a valid phone number having phone minutes and/or amount of money that can be top-up, recharge, add, and/or transfer the phone minutes and/or money into the phone user's account. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device as defined in  claim 15 , further including the logics of:
 requesting for a geographical location associated with the phone number from a home location register (HLR) look up service;   receiving information related to the requested geographical location associated with the phone number from the HLR look up service; and   topping up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the phone number based on the phone number, received telephone service company, and received geographical location.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device as defined in  claim 15 , further including the logic of topping up, recharging, adding, and/or transferring the phone minutes and/or money from a purchased pin-based card into the phone user's account. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device as defined in  claim 15 , further including the logic of providing a notification of whether the inputted phone number is new or previously inputted based on a phone user's historical inputted phone numbers.