Cellular telephone with programmable authorized telephone number

• US 20020098874A1
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Royal Thoughts LLC
• Inventors: Menard, Raymond J., Zirul, Jocelyn
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6775 by providing access to preprogrammed keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A cellular telephone having restricted dialing authority and a simplified keypad. The keypad includes a plurality of preprogrammed hot keys. Incoming telephone calls from authorized telephone numbers are answerable and incoming telephone calls from other numbers do not ring. The authorized telephone numbers are programmable. In one embodiment, predetermined encoded messages can be transmitted silently.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cellular telephone transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver;

a first memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of a plurality of predetermined telephone numbers;

a keypad having a plurality of user operable buttons coupled to the processor;

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the transceiver to dial a particular predetermined telephone number selected from the plurality of predetermined telephone numbers upon operation of a button selected from the plurality of buttons;

a second memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of an authorized telephone number;

a talk button coupled to the processor; and

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the processor to generate a signal upon the transceiver detecting an incoming telephone call from the authorized telephone number and adapted for causing the incoming telephone call to be answered upon activating the talk button and adapted for rejecting an incoming telephone call from a telephone number disparate from the authorized telephone number.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of an encoded message; and

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the transceiver to transmit the encoded message upon operation of the button.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the transceiver is adapted for transmitting the encoded message using a short message service.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a location module coupled to the processor and adapted for determining a geographical location of the module.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further wherein the encoded message includes the geographical location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver coupled to the processor and adapted for wirelessly communicating digital data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the digital data includes a program adapted for execution on the processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver operates at a frequency of approximately 2.45 GHZ.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver is substantially compatible with standards under IEEE 802.15.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the spread spectrum frequency hopping transceiver is substantially compatible with BLUETOOTH®

technical specification version 1.0.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display coupled to the processor and adapted for displaying the predetermined telephone number.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an interface coupled to the processor and adapted for communicating the predetermined telephone number.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the interface includes an electrical connector.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the interface includes a wireless coupling.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the wireless coupling includes an infrared coupling.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the wireless coupling includes a radio frequency coupling.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sound generator coupled to the processor and adapted for generating a sound based on the signal generated upon the transceiver detecting the incoming telephone call.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting a signal to the cellular telephone to indicate an incoming call.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting a signal to the cellular telephone to indicate termination of the incoming call.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein wirelessly transmitting the digital data stream includes transmitting using a control channel.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein wirelessly transmitting the digital data stream includes transmitting using a voice channel.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising authenticating the identity of the subscriber.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein providing an Internet website having user selectable options includes providing an Internet website adapted for receiving an authorized incoming telephone number.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein providing an Internet web site having user selectable options includes providing an Internet website adapted for receiving an outgoing telephone number.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein providing an Internet website having user selectable options includes providing an Internet website adapted for receiving an outgoing telephone number and button assignment.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein providing an Internet website having user selectable options includes providing an Internet website adapted for receiving a request to install a program for operating the cellular telephone.

28. The method of claim 18 further comprising determining a time of nonuse for the cellular telephone.

29. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting a signal to the cellular telephone to indicate completion of the transmission of the digital data stream.

30. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying an order confirmation upon receiving a user selected option.

18. A method comprising:

providing an Internet website having user selectable options for operating a cellular telephone;

receiving a user selected option for the cellular telephone from a subscriber;

encoding the user selected option into a digital data stream;

determining the geographical location of the cellular telephone;

forwarding the digital data stream to a transmitter having a communication protocol compatible with the cellular telephone and located within range of the location of the cellular telephone; and

wirelessly transmitting the digital data stream from the transmitter to the cellular telephone.

31. A method comprising:

offering to provide commercial wireless carrier services to a potential cellular telephone subscriber at a first usage rate for a first telephone having unrestricted incoming and outgoing call capability;

offering to provide commercial wireless carrier services to the potential cellular telephone subscriber at a second usage rate for a second telephone having restricted incoming and outgoing call capability; and

offering to provide commercial wireless carrier services to the potential cellular telephone subscriber at a third usage rate for the second telephone for a telephone call between the first telephone and the second telephone where the potential cellular telephone subscriber accepts the offer to provide services at the first usage rate for the first telephone.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein offering to provide commercial wireless carrier services to the potential cellular telephone subscriber at a third usage rate includes offering to provide commercial wireless carrier services to the potential cellular telephone subscriber at a rate below that of the second usage rate.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising providing an Internet website allowing the potential cellular telephone subscriber to select an option for wirelessly establishing a configuration for the first telephone.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising providing an Internet website allowing the potential cellular telephone subscriber to select an option for wirelessly establishing a configuration for the second telephone.

35. An apparatus comprising:

a cellular telephone transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver;

a first memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of a plurality of predetermined telephone numbers;

a second memory coupled to the processor and adapted for storage of an authorized telephone number;

a keypad having a user operable selection button coupled to the processor and wherein the keypad is devoid of individual number digits;

a user operable talk button coupled to the processor;

a display coupled to the processor and adapted for displaying a text string corresponding to a particular telephone number selected from the plurality of predetermined telephone numbers; and

a program accessible to the processor and having instructions adapted for causing the processor to scroll the plurality of telephone numbers in the display upon operation of the selection button, and adapted for causing the transceiver to dial a particular predetermined telephone number appearing in the display upon operation of the talk button, and adapted for causing the processor to generate a signal upon detecting a telephone call from the authorized telephone number and causing the telephone call to be answered upon operating the talk button, and adapted for causing the processor to render the telephone call unanswerable upon detecting the incoming telephone call from a number disparate from the authorized telephone number.