System for selection and monitoring telephone rates

• US 5,793,854 A
• Filed: 09/11/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leonid Kashepava
• Original Assignee: Leonid Kashepava
• Inventors: Kashepava, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/712,306
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/116, 379/130, 379/131, 379/143, 379/144, 379/199, 379/201, 379/204, 379/206, 379/140, 379/141
• US Class Current: 379/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection

Abstract

A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates including a telephone hand-set with a numeric keypad and a plurality of scroll keys and an enter key situated thereon. A modem is adapted to receive and download from a database information including a rate of charge for a long distance call made at the time of the download for a plurality of telecommunication companies. Also included is a monitor for viewing such data. Finally, control circuitry is connected to the modem, telephone handset, and monitor. The control circuitry is adapted to display on the monitor a time and a date of the most recent downloading of information, the rate of charge for a long distance call made at the time of the download for each telecommunication company, and the current monthly subtotal due to each telecommunication company. The control circuitry is further adapted to allow the selection of one of the telecommunication companies for a current long distance telephone call via the scroll keys and enter key.

Claims

1. A new and improved system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates comprising, in combination:

a housing with a generally rectangular configuration having a top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween defining an interior space;

a stationary telephone hand-set positioned on the top surface of the housing, the telephone having a numeric keypad, a plurality of scroll keys, an enter key, and a menu key situated thereon;

a mobile telephone hand-set positioned on the top surface of the housing, the telephone having a numeric keypad, a plurality of scroll keys, an enter key, and a menu key situated thereon;

a mobile telephone receiver situated within the interior space of the housing and adapted to communicate via free space with the mobile telephone handset for the remote operation thereof;

a modem situated within the interior space of the housing and adapted to automatically connect via a telephone line to a data base generated by a plurality of telecommunication companies upon the depression of a menu key of the numeric keypad and the automatic transmission of an encrypted access code thereto, the modem further adapted to receive and download from the database information including a rate of charge for a long distance call made at the time of the download for each telecommunication company and a current monthly subtotal due to each telecommunication company;

memory situated within the interior space of the housing and adapted to store the information received via the modem therein upon the downloading thereof;

monitor for viewing data; and

control circuitry situated within the interior space of the housing and connected to the modem, memory, telephone handset, mobile telephone receiver, and monitor, the control circuitry adapted to display on the monitor a time and a date of the most recent downloading of information, the rate of charge for a long distance call made at the time of the download for each telecommunication company, and the current monthly subtotal due to each telecommunication company, the control circuitry adapted to calculate a current monthly total due to all of the companies and further display the current monthly total on the monitor, the control circuitry further adapted to allow the selection of one of the telecommunication companies for a current long distance telephone call via the scroll keys and enter key, whereby a user may employ the telephone handset for stationary use of the present apparatus and the mobile telephone handset for the remote use thereof.

2. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates comprising:

a housing with a generally rectangular configuration having a top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween defining an interior space;

a stationary telephone hand-set positioned on the top surface of the housing, the telephone having a numeric keypad, a plurality of scroll keys and an enter key situated thereon;

a modem situated within the interior space of the housing and adapted to automatically connect via a telephone line to a data base generated by a plurality of telecommunication companies, the modem further adapted to receive and download from the database information including a rate of charge for a long distance call made at the time of the download for each telecommunication company and a current monthly subtotal due to each telecommunication company;

memory situated within the interior space of the housing and adapted to store the information received via the modem therein upon downloading;

monitor for viewing data; and

control circuitry situated within the interior space of the housing and connected to the modem, memory, telephone handset, and monitor, the control circuitry adapted to display on the monitor a time and a date of the most recent downloading of information, the rate of charge for a long distance call made at the time of the download for each telecommunication company, and the current monthly subtotal due to each telecommunication company, the control circuitry further adapted to allow the selection of one of the telecommunication companies for a current long distance telephone call via the scroll keys and enter key, whereby a user may employ the telephone handset for stationary use of the present apparatus.

3. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry is adapted to calculate a current monthly total due to all of the companies and further display the current monthly total on the monitor.

4. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry is adapted to track time and calculate a current running total duration and charge for a current call.

5. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 4 wherein the control circuitry is adapted to continuously update and display the current monthly subtotal due to each telecommunication company and the current monthly total due to all of the companies.

6. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 2 and further comprising:

a mobile telephone hand-set positioned on the top surface of the housing, the telephone having a numeric keypad, a plurality of scroll keys and an enter key situated thereon; and

a mobile telephone receiver situated within the interior space of the housing and adapted to communicate via free space with the mobile telephone handset for the remote operation thereof.

7. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 2 wherein the modem is adapted to connect to the data base upon the depression of a menu key.

8. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 2 wherein the modem is adapted to transmit an encrypted access code to the database thus identifying user.

9. A system for selecting and monitoring telephone rates as set forth in claim 2 and further comprising a disk drive connected to the control circuitry adapted to allow the recording of the information depicted on the monitor.