Recharging prepaid accounts within a telecommunications network

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for recharging prepaid accounts within a telecommunications provider, such as a network carrier, using information provided by postpaid account subscribers. For example, the systems and methods facilitate the receipt of instructions from mobile devices associated with postpaid accounts. Upon receipt of the messages, the systems and methods (such as systems within a charging system of the network carrier or provider) identify intended or recipient mobile devices associated with prepaid accounts. Once identified, the systems and methods recharge the prepaid accounts, based on the instructions received from the postpaid account mobile devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A charging system of a network carrier that provides telecommunications services to mobile devices over a telecommunications network, the charging system comprising:
 a message reception component that receives input from users associated with postpaid accounts provided by the network carrier; and   a cross-account component that recharges or credits mobile devices associated with prepaid accounts provided by the network carrier based on receiving the input from the users associated with the postpaid accounts provided by the network carrier.   
     
     
         2 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein messages are received as input by the message reception component via a core network component of the telecommunications network, which generates and transfers recharging or credit requests to the message reception component based on contents of the messages, and wherein the charging system further comprises:
 a signal transfer point component that routes the request generated by the core network component to the charging system of the telecommunications network.   
     
     
         3 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein messages are received as input by the message reception component via a core network component of the telecommunications network, which generates and transfers recharging or credit requests to the message reception component based on contents of the messages. 
     
     
         4 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the input is received by the message reception component via a web portal provided by the network carrier in communication over an https connection between the web portal and a mobile device associated with a postpaid account with the network carrier. 
     
     
         5 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications network is a 5 th  Generation (5G) network. 
     
     
         6 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the input is received from the mobile devices over an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) channel provided by the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         7 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the message is received from the mobile devices via a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol provided by the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         8 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the input received from users includes information that identifies an amount of currency to recharge the prepaid account for prepaid subscribers of the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         9 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the input received from users includes information that identifies an amount of a data bucket to recharge a prepaid account for a prepaid subscriber of the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         10 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications network includes is a Telephony Application Server (TAS) configured to perform message control and handling operations for the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a charging system of a network carrier that provides telecommunications services to mobile devices over a telecommunications network, input from users associated with postpaid accounts provided by the network carrier; and   recharging or crediting, by the charging system, mobile devices associated with prepaid accounts provided by the network carrier based on receiving the input from the users associated with the postpaid accounts provided by the network carrier.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein messages are received as input via a core network component of the telecommunications network, which generates and transfers recharging or credit requests based on contents of the messages, and wherein the method further comprises:
 routing the request generated by the core network component to the charging system of the telecommunications network.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the input is received via a web portal provided by the network carrier in communication over an https connection between the web portal and a mobile device associated with a postpaid account with the network carrier. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the telecommunications network is a 5 th  Generation (5G) network. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the input is received from the mobile devices over an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) channel provided by the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the message is received from the mobile devices via a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol provided by the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the input received from users includes information that identifies an amount of currency to recharge the prepaid account for prepaid subscribers of the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         18 . The charging system of  claim 1 , wherein the input received from users includes information that identifies an amount of a data bucket to recharge a prepaid account for a prepaid subscriber of the telecommunications network. 
     
     
         19 . At least one computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signals and carrying instructions, which, when executed by at least one data processor of a charging system associated with a network carrier that provides telecommunications services to mobile devices over a telecommunications network, cause the system to:
 receive input from users associated with postpaid accounts provided by the network carrier; and   recharge or credit mobile devices associated with prepaid accounts provided by the network carrier based on receiving the input from the users associated with the postpaid accounts provided by the network carrier.   
     
     
         20 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the input received from users includes information that identifies an amount of currency to recharge the prepaid account for prepaid subscribers of the telecommunications network.