Mobile phone with internal accounting

• US 5,577,100 A
• Filed: 01/30/1995
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telemac Cellular Corporation
• Original Assignee: Telemac Cellular Corporation
• Inventors: McGregor, Donald S., McGregor, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maung, Nay Aung
• Application Number:
  US08/381,704
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/62, 379/63
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/92 Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile phone system with a mobile phone having internal accounting capabilities for real time call debiting to account for the billing parameters of a mobile phone unit that is operated in a multi zone communication network with a complex rate structure, the mobile phone unit having an internal processor with accessible internal memory for storing the accounting program and call data for each call, a clock and circuit means for activating and deactivating the phone, the accounting program including an updatable rate table and a complex billing algorithm for calculating the account status on the fly including multiple rate structure factors such as long distance calls, international calls with country independent local charges, charges for roaming per day and/or roaming per minute, and call surcharges, where the account status of the mobile phone is calculated in real time for decrementing a debit account or calculating an account charge on demand, the mobile debit phone having a signal for alerting the user of account status which is preferably a display of real time account status, the mobile phone system including a communication system for activating and programming a new phone unit over the airways and upgrading the account status in rate table in the phone unit over the airways.

Claims

1. A mobile phone system comprising a system provider having a host processor unit and a plurality of system users each having at least one mobile phone unit wherein:

the host processor unit has communication means for selectively establishing a communication link with each mobile phone unit; and

,

each phone unit includes a processor, a clock chip, memory associated with the processor, program means including a complex billing algorithm and rate data for internally calculating call charges as calls are made, wherein the phone unit includes internal accounting means for generating a debit account with an account amount in the phone unit and decrementing the account amount in the debit account in real time, and wherein the system provider has payment verification means under system provider control for setting a phone use account amount and communicating the account amount to the phone unit, wherein the internal accounting means adds the account amount to the debit account.

2. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the program means further includes means for storing call charges as record data in the memory.

3. The mobile phone system of claim 2 wherein the communication means of the host processor unit has program means for initiating the communication link at a time controlled by the system provider and activating the communication of the record data of stored call charges from the mobile phone unit to the system provider.

4. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the host processor unit includes program means for increasing the amount of the debit account in the mobile phone unit during a communication link with the phone unit.

5. The mobile phone system of claim 4 wherein the mobile phone unit has an RF transceiver and the communication link is established over the airways by RF signals.

6. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone unit has control means for deactivating the mobile phone unit when the debit account is exhausted.

7. The mobile phone system of claim 6 wherein the mobile phone unit has paging means for establishing a communication link with the host processor unit when deactivated.

8. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the phone system includes a transaction station wherein the phone unit has means for establishing a communication link with the transaction station and upon verification of a set payment account amount increasing the amount of the debit account in the phone unit.

9. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the payment verification means for setting a phone use account amount and communicating the account amount to the mobile phone unit has security means for securely communicating the account amount to the mobile phone unit.

10. The mobile phone system of claim 9 wherein the security means of the payment verification means includes encryption means for encrypting account communications with the mobile phone unit.

11. The mobile phone system of claim 5 wherein the RF signals include security means for securely communicating the set account amount to the mobile phone unit.

12. The mobile phone system of claim 3 wherein the communication means for the host processor unit includes security means for securely activating and communicating the record data or stored call charges from the mobile phone unit to the system provider.

13. The mobile phone system of claim 3 wherein the program means for initiating the communication link at a time controlled by the system provider has means for initiating a periodic polling of the mobile phone unit during off-peak hours.

14. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the payment verification means under system provider control includes a transaction station wherein the transaction station has means for communicating with a system user and the user'"'"'s mobile phone unit and verifying the authenticity of a transaction setting an account amount added to the debit account of a mobile phone unit.

15. The mobile phone system of claim 14 wherein the transaction station includes prepayment means for prepayment of a set account amount for adding to the internal debit account of the mobile phone unit.

16. The mobile phone system of claim 14 wherein the transaction station includes security means for secure communications between the transaction station and the mobile phone unit.

17. The mobile phone system of claim 16 wherein the security means includes direct electronic coupling of the mobile phone unit with the transaction station.

18. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone unit has communication means for communicating in a communication network through a wireless service provider.

19. The mobile phone system of claim 18 wherein the wireless service provider and the system provider comprise a single entity.

20. The mobile phone system of claim 18 wherein the wireless service provider and the system provider comprise different entities.

21. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone unit includes a visual display and the program means generates a visual display of current debit account status in the visual display.

22. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone unit is a hand-held device with the complex billing algorithm and rate data retained in the memory of the hand-held device.

23. The mobile phone-system of claim 1 wherein the rate data comprises a rate table under control of the system provider and secure from the mobile phone unit user.

24. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the complex billing algorithm includes a multiple factor accounting protocol.

25. The mobile phone system of claim 24 wherein the multiple factor accounting protocol includes code means for factoring in call charges based on the location of the phone unit in a multi-zone communication network.

26. The mobile phone system of claim 24 wherein the multiple factor accounting protocol include code means for factoring in call charges based on the location of the mobile phone unit when called.

27. The mobile phone system of claim 24 wherein the multiple factor accounting protocol includes code means for factoring in call charges based on a location of a party being called.

28. The mobile phone system of claim 24 wherein the multiple factor accounting protocol includes code means for factoring in call surcharges and deductions based on a data content of a call.

29. The mobile phone system of claim 24 wherein the multiple factor accounting protocol includes code means for classifying calls for calculating call charges based on a telephone number called from the mobile phone unit.

30. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the communication means of the host processor unit has means under control of the system provider secure from the mobile phone unit user for periodically updating the rate data in the mobile phone unit.

31. The mobile phone system of claim 24 wherein the clock chip of the mobile phone unit is a real time clock chip and the multiple factor accounting protocol includes code means for calculating call charges based on the time of day of calls on the mobile phone unit.

32. The mobile phone system of claim 31 wherein the phone unit has circuit means for deactivating the phone unit at a predetermined time and date.

33. The mobile phone system of claim 1 wherein the processor system includes multiple host processor units and a central processor unit with means for communicating with the host processor units.