Pay telephone communication system

• US 5,793,851 A
• Filed: 05/17/1993
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange Communications SA (Orange S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Orange Communications SA (Orange S.A.)
• Inventors: Albertson, David V.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/061,249
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 389/112, 389/13, 389/114, 389/115, 389/143, 389/144, 389/145, 389/154, 389/155
• US Class Current: 379/144.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• 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 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900

Abstract

A telephone communication system having a plurality of pay telephones operatively connected to a local telephone carrier, which in turn, is connected to a long distance carrier. The pay telephones are located in booths that contain advertising materials of business locations. The advertising materials have predetermined telephone numbers that are only associated with the selected advertised business location. The advertised telephone numbers are free from the pay telephone, which can be a conventional pay telephone or a smart pay telephone. All of the telephone calls to the selected business locations are monitored which information is used to render a statement and a monetary bill for the advertising and telephone calls to the business location.

Claims

1. A method of communication with a pay telephone connected to selected business locations through a local telephone carrier and a long distance telephone carrier:

assigning a separate 1+800-XXX telephone number to each business location, placing the assigned telephone numbers on advertising materials located adjacent the pay telephone and indicating to the caller that telephone calls to the assigned telephone numbers are free to the caller, recording the telephone calls of the assigned telephone numbers by the long distance carrier, monitoring and recording all telephone calls of the assigned telephone numbers that are handled by the long distance carrier, and accessing the recorded telephone calls and rendering a statement to each selected business location for the cost of each telephone call to each selected business location, cost of 1+800-XXX service, and cost of advertising associated with each selected pay telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the monitoring of all telephone calls of the assigned telephone numbers including recording the telephone number of each pay telephone and each assigned telephone number coming from each pay telephone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the rendering of a statement to each business location that includes a record of each pay telephone used to make telephone calls to the selected telephone number of each business location and a monetary charge for each telephone call.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the rendering of a statement to each business location that includes a record of each pay telephone used to make the telephone calls to the selected telephone number of each business location and charge of $.25 for each telephone call.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the monitoring of all telephone calls of the assigned telephone numbers includes recording the telephone phone numbers of each pay telephone and each assigned telephone number coming from each pay telephone, and the rendering of a statement to each business location that includes a record of each pay telephone used to make the telephone calls to the selected telephone numbers of each business location and a monetary charge for each telephone call.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the monetary charge for each telephone call is $.25.

7. A method of communication with a smart pay telephone having a telephone communication software program connected to selected business locations through a local telephone carrier, said local telephone carrier being connected to a long distance carrier:

assigning a local telephone number to each selected business location, placing the assigned telephone number on advertising materials located adjacent the pay telephones and indicating to the caller that telephone calls to the assigned telephone numbers are free to the caller, recording all telephone calls to the assigned telephone number as information in each smart pay telephone, monitoring the information in each smart pay telephone of all telephone calls to the assigned telephone numbers, and accessing the monitored information and rendering a statement to each selected business location for the cost of each telephone call to the assigned telephone number from each pay telephone for the cost of each telephone call and the cost of advertising associated with each pay telephone.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the monitoring of all telephone calls of the assigned telephone numbers including recording the telephone number of each pay telephone and each assigned telephone number coming from each pay telephone.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the rendering of a statement to each business location that includes a record of each pay telephone used to make telephone calls to the selected telephone number of each business location and a monetary charge for each telephone call.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the rendering of a statement to each business location that includes a record of each pay telephone used to make the telephone calls to the selected telephone number of each business location and charge of $.25 for each telephone call.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the monitoring of all telephone calls of the assigned telephone numbers includes recording the telephone phone numbers of each pay telephone and each assigned telephone number coming from each pay telephone, and the rendering of a statement to each business location that includes a record of each pay telephone used to make the telephone calls to the selected telephone numbers of each business location and a monetary charge for each telephone call.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the monetary charge for each telephone call is $.25.