Mobile wireless communication devices with airtime accounting and methods therefor

• US 20030045266A1
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Healy, Scott J., Staskal, Duane J.
• Application Number:
  US09/924,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20030045266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method in a mobile wireless communications device (300) including determining a communication time remaining, for example by decrementing (210) a communication time limit for communication time used, and providing a user alert (214) at an output (370) of the device before a total communication time used exceeds the communication time limit. In another embodiment, the communication time remaining is automatically reset (205) periodically to the communication time limit, for example in synchronism with a service provider billing statement. In another embodiment, the communication time remaining is indicated (211), for example visually on a display (320) of the device.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

programming a first and second communication time limits for corresponding first and second communication time intervals in the mobile wireless communications device;

determining a first communication time remaining in the first time interval by decrementing the first communication time limit for communication time used in the first time interval;

determining a second communication time remaining outside the first time interval by decrementing the second communication time limit for communication time used outside the first time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, displaying on the mobile wireless communications device the first communication time remaining, displaying on the mobile wireless communications device the second communication time remaining.

3. The method of claim 2, generating a user alert at the mobile wireless communications device before a first total communication time used in the first time interval exceeds the first communication time limit.

4. The method of claim 1, automatically resetting the first communication time remaining to the first communication time limit periodically, automatically resetting the second communication time remaining to the second communication time limit periodically.

5. A method in a mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

determining a communication time remaining by decrementing a communication time limit for communication time used by the mobile wireless communications device;

providing a user alert at the mobile wireless communications device before a total communication time used by the mobile wireless communications device exceeds the communication time limit.

6. The method of claim 5, indicating at the mobile wireless communications device the communication time remaining.

7. The method of claim 6, indicating the communication time remaining by displaying the communication time remaining on a display of the mobile wireless communications device.

8. The method of claim 5, automatically resetting the communication time remaining to the communication time limit periodically, automatically resetting the total communication time used periodically.

9. The method of claim 5, providing the user alert on the mobile wireless communications device by generating at least one of an audible and tactile signal.

10. A method in a mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

determining a communication time remaining based on a difference between a communication time limit mobile wireless communications device and communication time used by the mobile wireless communications device;

indicating at the mobile wireless communications device the communication time remaining;

automatically resetting the communication time remaining to the communication time limit periodically.

11. The method of claim 10, indicating the communication time remaining by displaying the communication time remaining on the mobile wireless communications device.

12. The method of claim 10, providing a user alert at the mobile wireless communications device before a total communication time used by the mobile wireless communications device exceeds the communication time limit.

13. A method in a communications device, comprising:

indicating at the communications device a first communication time remaining based on a difference between a first communication time used and first communication time limit in a first time interval;

indicating at the communications device a second communication time remaining based on a difference between a second communication time used and the second communication time limit in a second time interval.

14. The method of claim 13,

programming the first and second communication time limits for the corresponding first and second time intervals in the mobile wireless communications device;

determining the first and second communication times remaining at the mobile wireless communications device.

15. The method of claim 13, automatically resetting the first communication time remaining to the first communication time limit and automatically resetting the second communication time remaining to the second time limit periodically.

16. The method of claim 13, indicating the first and second communication times remaining by displaying the first and second communications time remaining on a display of the communications device.

17. The method of claim 13, generating a user alert at the communications device before a first total time of communications used in the first time interval exceeds the first communication time limit.

18. The method of claim 13, generating a user alert at the communications device not later than when transitioning between the first and second time intervals.