Patent ID: 9094890
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a telephony service, the method comprising: detecting, at a first mobile switching center, an attempt by a calling device to place a voice call to a recipient device; querying, by the first mobile switching center, a platform to determine whether a pre-determined amount of credit exists in an account associated with the calling device to establish the voice call; receiving, at the first mobile switching center, an indication that the account associated with the calling device has less than the pre-determined amount of credit to establish the voice call; and responsive to detecting the attempt by the calling device to place the voice call to the recipient device and receiving the indication that the account associated with the calling device has less than the pre-determined amount of credit to establish the voice call: transmitting a command to a first device that causes the first device to generate a message for transmission to the recipient device via a second mobile switching center servicing the recipient device without transmitting a call setup request to the second mobile switching center, wherein the message comprises a request to place a call to the calling device; and wherein the account is identified as a prepaid subscriber account that has less than the pre-determined amount of credit or airtime remaining on a prepayment mechanism that is being used to make the voice call.