Tracking And Notification Of Telephone Plan Minute Status

• US 20080187118A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
• Inventors: Short, Shannon M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/133
• 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 15/18 according to duration of the call , or the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home

Abstract

A method and system for tracking telephone usage and notifying a user of his telephone usage includes a software program for tracking telephone usage based on the time and day that a phone call is made. The software program designates a timer for tracking phone usage. The timer has a time block and a time usage variable associated therewith. When a call is made, the time used by the call is recorded to the time usage variable if the call was made within the time block. The user may then be notified of how much time has been used. The software may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on the user'"'"'s telephone.

Claims

1. A method for tracking telephone plan minute status, comprising the steps of:

initializing a first timer, wherein the timer has timer information, including a time block designation and time usage variable, associated therewith;

adding the time used by a call to the time usage variable if the call was made within the time block designation associated with the timer; and

notifying the user of predefined timer information.

2-30. -30. (canceled)