Patent ID: 7853287

Claim:
A mobile communication terminal adapted to access a communication service, the terminal comprising: a wireless unit adapted to maintain a call connection state of a wireless communication channel allocated for the communication service and to send and receive payment information via an Internet connection in response to a complete depletion of prepaid charges for the communication service, wherein the payment information is sent to a selected entity configured to facilitate prepayment of charges for the communication service and is related to a payment request and a payment permission for the prepayment of the charges, and wherein the wireless unit is further adapted to set and release a hold condition to maintain the call connection state; a memory unit adapted to record information related to the prepayment of the charges for the communication service; an alert unit adapted to generate at least one of an audio alert signal and an announcement signal to indicate the complete depletion of prepaid charges for the communication service; and a control unit adapted to control and monitor the wireless unit and the memory unit in order to monitor prepayment, control the wireless unit to maintain the call connection state of the wireless communication channel during the hold condition while preventing sending and receiving of communication signals, inform a user of another mobile communication terminal with which the terminal is in wireless communication regarding the hold condition, charge and subtract of the charges for the communication service, establish the Internet connection and set and release the hold condition and further adapted to control the alert unit to generate the at least one of the audio alert signal and the announcement signal.