Mobile phone with internal call accounting controls

• US 5,625,669 A
• Filed: 06/23/1994
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1991
• 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): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/265,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/91, 379/130, 379/59, 379/114, 455/38.2, 364/436
• US Class Current: 455/418
• 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 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• 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 2215/92 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 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A mobile telephone programming and accounting system that includes an integrated hardware system interlinking a telephone unit, a telephone interlink receiver, and a central processing unit connected to the interlink receiver. The hardware system also preferably includes a receipt printer and a credit card reader. The telephone unit is preferably equipped with an internal real time clock and calendar circuit and memory store to record the time and date of calls for reporting to the central processing unit to enable tracking and detailed accounting of calls.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone with internal call accounting controls, the telephone comprising:

a unitary hand-held telephone unit, the telephone unit having;

transceiver means for communicating to a communication network of discrete mobile phone service areas, each mobile phone service area having a corresponding area identification code, said mobile telephone unit being moveable from one service area to another when communicating to the network, and at least one of the network and said telephone unit being capable of establishing a call communication session between the communication network and said mobile telephone unit;

an internal microprocessor with a process control program;

a read/write memory;

an electronic time clock having a clock output which is representative of the time of said clock; and

,

memory output means for transferring the contents of said read/write memory to an external device;

wherein the transceiver means includes receiver means responsive to a call communication session being established between the network and said mobile telephone for receiving the area identification code of the service area in which said mobile telephone in the session is located;

wherein the process control program includes process control means for automatic storing in said read/write memory the received area identification code and the clock output of said time clock representative of the timing of the call communication session and wherein on transferring the contents of said read/write memory, the stored area identification codes and the clock outputs are transferred to the external device.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1 wherein at least one of the communication network and said mobile telephone has switch means for terminating said call communication session, and wherein said process control means further includes storing means for storing the clock output of said clock in said read/write memory in response to the establishment of the call communication session and in response to the termination of said call communication session.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 1 wherein said electronic clock further comprises a real time clock that provides a representation of the current day at its clock output.

4. A mobile telephone of claim 1 wherein said receiving means receives the area identification code of each subsequent mobile phone service area which said mobile telephone enters during said call communication session, and wherein said process control means includes additional storing means for storing each subsequent received area identification code.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 4 wherein said storing means is further for storing the output of said clock near the time each said subsequent service area code was received.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 1 further comprising a readable memory for storing a home service area identification code.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1 in combination with an external device that receives the contents of said read/write memory, said external device having translating means for processing the received contents of said read/write memory.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 1 further comprising transmitting means for transmitting to the network a telephone number for establishing a call communication session, and wherein said process control means includes additional storing means for storing the transmitted telephone number in said read/write memory.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 1 wherein said read/write memory cumulatively stores a plurality of received service area identification codes at one time.

10. The mobile telephone unit of claim 1 wherein said read/write memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

11. The mobile telephone of claim 1 wherein said receiver means includes receiving means for receiving a most recently received area identification code, and readable memory means for retaining the most recently received area identification code, and wherein said process control means includes retrieval means for reading the most recently received area identification code retained in the readable memory means of said receiver means.

12. The mobile telephone of claim 1 further comprising reset means for clearing said read/write memory of stored area identification codes and stored clock output.

16. The mobile telephone of claim 1 further comprising reset means for clearing said read/write memory of stored area identification codes.

13. A mobile telephone with internal call accounting controls, the telephone comprising:

a hand-held unitary telephone unit having transceiver means for communicating to a communication network, said network having discrete mobile phone service areas, each mobile phone service area having a corresponding area identification code, said mobile telephone being moveable from one mobile phone service area to another when communicating with the communications network, and at least one of the communication network and said mobile telephone having communication means for establishing a call communication session between the communication network and said mobile telephone, said mobile telephone having;

receiver means responsive to a call communication session being established between the communication network and said mobile telephone for receiving the area identification code of the mobile phone service area in which said mobile telephone is located during the call communication session;

a read/write memory means for cumulatively storing a plurality of received area identification codes at one time;

storing means for storing in said read/write memory each area identification code received by said receiver means;

an electronic time clock having a clock output;

an internal microprocessor with a process control program wherein the process control program has control means for controlling the cumulative storage of received area identification codes and the storage of the clock output at the time each area identification code is received; and

memory output means for transmitting the stored contents of said read/write memory to an external device.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 13 wherein said read/write memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 13 wherein said receiver means includes processing means for processing a most recently received area identification code and a readable memory for retaining the most recently received area identification code, and wherein said storing means comprises means for reading the readable memory of said receiver means.

17. The mobile telephone of claim 13 further comprising transmitter means for transmitting to the communications network a telephone number for establishing a call communications session, wherein said control means cumulatively stores a plurality of transmitted telephone numbers in said read/write memory at one time.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 17 wherein said read/write memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

19. The mobile telephone of claim 17 wherein said receiver means includes processing means for processing a most recent received area identification code and a readable memory for retaining the most recently received area identification code, and wherein said storing means comprises means for reading the readable memory of said receiver means.

20. The mobile telephone of claim 17 further comprising reset means for clearing said read/write memory of stored area identification codes numbers and transmitted telephone numbers.