Techniques for monitoring mobile telecommunications for shared accounts

• US 20060141994A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Northern Research, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fratti, Roger A., Hampton, Deborah A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques for monitoring mobile communications. In one aspect, a method of monitoring mobile telephone usage is provided. The method comprises the step of relaying usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones to one or more other mobile telephones.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring mobile telephone usage, the method comprising the step of relaying usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones to one or more other mobile telephones.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information comprises one or more of use duration, use count, minutes remaining in calling plan, text message content, telephone numbers to which calls were placed, telephone numbers from which calls were received, telephone numbers to which text messages were sent, telephone numbers from which text messages were received, electronic mail addressed to which text messages were sent and electronic mail addresses from which text messages were received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is relayed to the one or more other mobile telephones by a network service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information pertains to one or more sub-accounts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information is relayed to one or more primary accounts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information is relayed to a single primary account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information is relayed to a plurality of primary accounts, two or more of which share usage information with each other.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining that the one or more other mobile telephones are part of a shared account.

9. An apparatus for monitoring mobile telephone usage, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

relay usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones to one or more other mobile telephones.

10. An article of manufacture for monitoring mobile telephone usage, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the step of relaying usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones to one or more other mobile telephones.

11. A method of monitoring mobile telephone usage, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining usage information pertaining to one or more other mobile telephones; and

presenting the usage information to a user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable interface.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable interface comprising one or more of a visual display and an audio display.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable visual display comprising one or more of bar charts, pie charts, graphs, tables and numerical displays.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable audio display comprising one or more of spoken words, tones and audible code.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of the user modifying mobile telephone service based at least in part on the usage information.

17. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

obtain usage information pertaining to one or more other mobile telephones; and

present the usage information to a user.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 17, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable interface comprising one or more of a visual display and an audio display.

19. The mobile telephone of claim 17, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable visual display comprising one or more of bar charts, pie charts, graphs, tables and numerical displays.

20. The mobile telephone of claim 17, wherein the usage information is presented to the user through a user-definable audio display comprising one or more of spoken words, tones and audible code.