Wireless prepaid payphone system and cost control application
First Claim
1. A prepaid payphone system for providing payphone service in a communications network, comprising:
- a prepaid server containing information representing a prepaid amount of communications network use corresponding to a user, said prepaid server including a payphone interface;
wherein the prepaid server is configured to calculate an amount due for a call; and
wherein said payphone interface is configured to output the amount due to the user in real time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless prepaid payphone system provides simple and efficient payphone service in a wireless communications network. A payphone interface is added to a prepaid server of the wireless network, enabling real-time communication between the prepaid server and a payphone application running in a wireless/mobile handset. This real-time communication allows the payphone application to automatically and accurately calculate the amount to be charged for each call, as well as keeping track of an accumulated total for all the calls made. The total price/cost for a made call and the accumulated price/cost for all the calls made are displayed on the handset for easy viewing. Additionally, a cost control application allows limits to be placed on the usage, as it relates to the cost incurred, of the wireless handset.
85 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A prepaid payphone system for providing payphone service in a communications network, comprising:
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a prepaid server containing information representing a prepaid amount of communications network use corresponding to a user, said prepaid server including a payphone interface;
wherein the prepaid server is configured to calculate an amount due for a call; and
wherein said payphone interface is configured to output the amount due to the user in real time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A prepaid payphone system for providing payphone service in a communications network, comprising:
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a prepaid server containing information representing a prepaid amount of communications network use corresponding to a user, and representing a current balance, said prepaid server including a payphone interface, and a payphone application configured to calculate an amount due for a call;
wherein said payphone interface is operable to transfer the amount of the current balance to the payphone application in real time. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A payphone application, comprising:
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software instructions for enabling a computer to perform predetermined operations, and a computer readable medium bearing the software instructions;
wherein the predetermined operations include;
determining a first balance owed before initiation of a service of a communications network;
when the service is terminated, determining a second balance; and
automatically calculating an amount to be charged for the service, based at least on the difference between the first balance and the second balance. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A prepaid payphone interface for communicating with a prepaid server, said prepaid server containing information representing a prepaid amount of communications network use corresponding to a user, comprising:
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software instructions for enabling a computer to perform predetermined operations, and a computer readable medium bearing the software instructions;
wherein the predetermined operations include;
upon initiation of a call, automatically accessing the prepaid server to determine a current balance owed and transmitting the current balance; and
upon termination of the call, automatically accessing the prepaid server to determined a new balance owed and transmitting the new balance. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method for providing prepaid payphone service, comprising:
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upon initiation of a call, determining a first prepaid balance;
upon termination of the call, determining a second prepaid balance;
calculating a cost for the call by determining the difference of the second prepaid balance and the first prepaid balance; and
outputting the calculated cost of the call. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A cost control method for a prepaid phone service, comprising:
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setting a use limit on a prepaid phone service, said use limit applying to a second user;
determining when the use limit is reached; and
discontinuing use of the prepaid phone service by the second user when the use limit is reached. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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Specification