We request previously undiscovered prior art including patents and non-patent literature (for example academic papers, technical descriptions, etc.) in English and foreign languages that can help invalidate claims 1 through 6 of US patent 8,295,805 (‘805) - “Real-time replenishment with electronic confirmation for sale of prepaid long distance.” The patent describes a method and system to provide electronic receipts via SMS for adding to or subtracting from value stored in an account on a server.

Specifically, the patent describes communication with a server which stores phone numbers, unique personal identification numbers (PIN), and associated balances for prepaid long-distance calling accounts. It describes increasing or decreasing this balance, and communicating a receipt in the form of an SMS message to the purchaser.

In particular we are looking for patent and non-patent prior art demonstrating this type of remote account storage system where the PIN is the same as the phone number for each account. Submissions could include documentation of any type of account storage system; for example credit card, prepaid mobile phone or long-distance, refillable consumer gift card, or any other prepaid-style account system with the relevant features. The questions below will help determine if a located source discloses all the desired features.

If you are new, see patent and prior art basics and tips for Patexia's prior art contests, and refer to the submission notes below. The best qualifying submission that recites the elements embodied in the questions listed below is guaranteed to receive the prize. The following questions will help you understand what we are looking for in this study.

Questions

The following questions will help clarify the contest and eligible submissions, and will be asked in the submission process. To be eligible for full prize amount, users should answer “yes” to all 11 questions, and indicate for each question where in the submitted references we can locate this information.

1. Was the reference published before October 5th, 2009?
2. Does it describe an account system which stores a phone number, PIN, and balance for each account?
3. Does it disclose a user interface that accepts a phone number, a monetary amount, and an indication whether a decrease or increase is desired?
4. Is the account’s PIN the same as the associated phone number?
5. Does the user interface communicate with a server that receives requests to increase or decrease the balance of a particular account by an amount?
6. Does this server then compare the phone number to a list of stored numbers?
7. If the phone number is not found on the server, does it either create a new account to increase the balance, or indicate an error if a decrease in balance is requested?
8. Does it increase or decrease the balance depending on the choice entered by the user?
9. Does it then send an SMS message which contains an access phone number for using prepaid long distance minutes?
10. Does the SMS contain the monetary amount added?
11. Does the SMS contain the balance on the account?