Wireless account management application for a wireless device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10623583-B2
Application number	US-201916666779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A method for displaying wireless service usage information and account information using an account management application operating on a wireless device includes receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a service provider over a wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the service provider being different from the wireless device and the wireless network, and enabling presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for displaying wireless service usage information and account information using an account management application operating on a wireless device, comprising:
receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module implemented by a wireless service provider, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, the wireless service provider being different from the wireless device and a wireless network that provides wireless service to the wireless device;
receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device that is stored in an account information database implemented by the wireless service provider;
receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the tracking module implemented by the wireless service provider and from the wireless service provider over the wireless network, other wireless service usage information, the other wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used;
enabling presentation, on a display of the wireless device, of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device;
receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, a request to obtain additional wireless services through a graphical user interface that includes a number of units of wireless service or a monetary value associated;
forwarding, from the account management application operating on the wireless device and to a service provider over the wireless network, the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated; and
depositing, at the service provider, the number of units of wireless service or the monetary value associated with the request to obtain additional wireless services, in an account associated with the wireless subscriber,
wherein the wireless device comprises a smartphone; and
wherein the wireless services comprise voice service, Short Message Service messaging service, and data service.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, an indication that the wireless subscriber has selected to view the wireless service usage information for the wireless subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the indication that the wireless subscriber would like to view the wireless service usage information for the wireless subscriber comprises receiving the indication that the wireless subscriber has selected a button in the account management application.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, a payment graphical user interface for payment of a cost of the wireless service.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, advertisement information selected for the wireless subscriber according to the account information associated with the wireless subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enabling presentation of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device comprises the enabling presentation of the account management application including the wireless service usage information, the other wireless service usage information, and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the account management application operating on the wireless device, a request to find a wireless service retailer; and
displaying a listing of physical locations of wireless service retailers on the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless service usage information includes one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used over a first time period, and
the other wireless service usage information includes one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used over a second time period that is before the first time period.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless service usage information includes one or more units of a first type of wireless service that the wireless subscriber has used, and
the other wireless service usage information includes one or more units of a second type of wireless service that the wireless subscriber has used, the second type of wireless service being different from the first type of wireless service.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to obtain additional wireless services that includes the number of units of wireless service comprise a request to purchase particular amounts of voice minutes, Short Message Service messages, and data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the enabling presentation of the account management application including the wireless service usage information and the account information for the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device comprises:
determining that the wireless service usage information is below a predetermined threshold; and
enabling presentation, in response to the determination that the wireless service usage information is below the predetermined threshold, of options to purchase additional usage of wireless services available to the wireless subscriber.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device comprises a service end date for the wireless subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account information comprises an identifier of the wireless device, an identifier of a transaction, an identifier of a vendor, and billing information.

14. A wireless device comprising at least one processor connected to at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, at an account management application operating on the wireless device and from a tracking module implemented by a wireless service provider, wireless service usage information for a wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device, the wireless service usage information including one or more units of wireless services that the wireless subscriber has used, the wireless service provider being different from the wireless device and a wireless network that provides wireless service to the wireless device;
receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from a service provider over the wireless network, account information associated with the wireless subscriber associated with the wireless device that is stored in an account information database implemented by the wireless service provider;
receive, at the account management application operating on the wireless device and from the tracking module implemented by the wireles

Assignees

• Tracfone Wireless Inc

Inventors

• Ramprasad Satish

Classifications

• G06Q30/0267

  Wireless devices · CPC title

• H04M15/58

  based on statistics of usage or network monitoring · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04M15/723

  using the user's device · CPC title

• H04W8/205

  Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title