Radio telecommunication apparatus capable of controlling call charges

• US 5,109,401 A
• Filed: 07/06/1990
• Issued: 04/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Shinya, Hattori, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US07/549,397
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/381, 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/61, 379/62, 379/63, 379/91, 379/113, 379/130, 379/131, 379/140, 379/144, 379/56, 379/90, 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/143
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A radio telecommunication apparatus in which a telecommunication link is made between the user of the apparatus and a second party, a charge rate is obtained from a base station coupled to the apparatus, a first allowable call charge for one call is set, speech communication time in each call is counted to provide a count value, a current call charge is calculated based on the charge rate, the current call charge is compared with the first allowable call charge to determine whether the current call charge exceeds the first allowable call charge, and both the user of the apparatus and the second party are informed when the current call charge exceeds the first allowable call charge.

Claims

1. A radio telecommunication apparatus, comprising:

means for making a telecommunication link between the user of said apparatus and a second party to make a call for speech communication therebetween;

means for obtaining a charge rate from system data from a base station coupled to said apparatus;

means coupled to said obtaining means for storing the charge rate;

means for setting a first allowable call charge for one call;

means, coupled to said setting means, for storing the first allowable call charge;

means, coupled to said making means, for counting the time used for speech communication time in the call and providing a count value corresponding thereto;

means, coupled to said charge rate storing means and said counting means, for calculating a current call charge based on said charge rate and said count value;

means, coupled to said calculating means and said first allowable call charge storing means, for comparing said current call charge with the first allowable call charge to determine whether the current call charge exceeds the first allowable call charge; and

means, coupled to said comparing means, for informing both the user of the apparatus and the second party when the current call charge exceeds the first allowable call charge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

said setting means includes means for setting a second allowable call charge for a plurality of calls,

said first allowable call charge storing means includes means for storing the second allowable call charge and means, coupled to said calculating means, for sequentially storing an accumulated call charge calculated by said calculating means for previously made calls,

said comparing means is further coupled to the accumulated call charge storing means, and includes means for comparing said accumulated call charge with the second allowable call charge to determine whether the accumulated call charge exceeds the second allowable call charge, and

said informing means informs both the user of the apparatus and the second party when the accumulated call charge exceeds the second allowable call charge.

3. A radio telecommunication apparatus, comprising:

means for making a telecommunication link between the user of said apparatus and a second party to make a call for speech communication therebetween;

means for setting a charge rate and a first allowable call charge for each call;

means coupled to said setting means, for storing the charge rate;

means coupled to said setting means for storing the first allowable call charge;

means, coupled to said making means, for counting the time used for speech communication for the call and providing a count value corresponding thereto;

means, coupled to said charge rate storing means and said counting means, for calculating a current call charge based on said charge rate and said count value;

means, coupled to said calculating means and said first allowable call charge storing means, for comparing said current call charge with the first allowable call charge to determined whether the current call charge exceeds the first allowable call charge; and

means, coupled to said comparing means, for informing both the user of the apparatus and the second party when the current call charge exceeds the first allowable call charge.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein

said setting means includes means for setting a second allowable call charge for a plurality of calls,

said first allowable call charge storing means includes means for storing the second allowable call charge and means, coupled to said calculating means, for sequentially storing an accumulated call charge calculated by said calculating means for previously made calls,

said comparing means is further coupled to the accumulated call charge storing means, and includes means for comparing said accumulated call charge with the second allowable call charge to determine whether said accumulated call charge exceeds said second allowable call charge, and

said informing means informs both the user of the apparatus and the second party when said accumulated call charge exceeds said second allowable call charge.

5. A radio telecommunication apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a signal representing a charge rate transmitted over a radio channel;

means coupled to said detecting means for storing said signal representing a charge rate;

means for making a telecommunication link between the user of said apparatus and a second party over one or more radio channels;

means coupled to said making means for measuring an elapsed time from the time of making the telecommunication link;

means, coupled to said signal storing means and said time measuring means, for calculating a telecommunication charge based on said charge rate and said elapsed time; and

means, coupled to said calculating means, for alarming both the user of the apparatus and the second party when said telecommunication charge exceeds a first predetermined criterion.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising means, coupled to said calculating means, for breaking said telecommunication link when the telecommunication charge exceeds a second predetermined criterion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means for setting the apparatus in a registration mode, and input means, coupled to said alarming means and said telecommunication link breaking means, for inputting the first and second predetermined criteria when the apparatus is in the registration mode, wherein the first and second criteria represent allowable call charges.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said making means includes means for making the telecommunication link in response to a call request from the user of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said calculating means includes means for multiplying the elapsed time with the charge rate.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means, coupled to said calculating means, for storing data representative of an accumulated telecommunication charge which is updated each time the telecommunication link is broken.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said data storing means includes a non-volatile memory.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said alarming means includes means for alarming both the user of the apparatus and the second party when said data exceeds a third predetermined criterion.

13. A radio telecommunication apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a signal representing a charge rate transmitted over a radio channel;

means coupled to said detecting means for storing said signal representing a charge rate;

means for making a telecommunication link between the user of said apparatus and a second party over one or more radio channels;

means coupled to said making means for measuring an elapsed time from the time of making the telecommunication link;

means coupled to said signal storing means and said time measuring means for calculating a telecommunication charge based on said charge rate and said elapsed time;

means coupled to said calculating means for indicating the telecommunication charge to the user of the apparatus; and

means coupled to said calculating means for alarming both the user of the apparatus and the second party when the telecommunication charge exceeds a first predetermined criterion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means, coupled to said calculating means, for breaking said telecommunication link when the telecommunication charge exceeds a second predetermined criterion.