Automatic registration paging system

• US 5,839,054 A
• Filed: 01/02/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother International Corporation (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother International Corporation (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Wright, Christopher B., Bristow, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/581,932
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/70, 455/425, 455/411, 455/445, 340/825.44, 340/311.1
• US Class Current: 340/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

A dedicated paging system having single button paging, requiring only a single press of a dedicated button on a page base to automatically page a pager associated with the page base. Information associating the page base with the pager is stored in the page base and/or a database maintained by a paging service provider with which the paging system is registered. When the dedicated button on the page base is pressed, the page base automatically calls the paging service provider. The paging service provider strips the caller identification number from the incoming call, uses the number to look up the pager identification number stored in the database, and then uses the retrieved pager identification number to send a page signal to the pager. Additionally, the paging system is automatically registered with a single press of the button. When the button is pressed, the page base automatically calls a clearinghouse. The page base uploads a pager identification number to the clearinghouse, and the clearinghouse downloads a paging service provider access telephone number to a memory within the page base. The clearinghouse stores the pager identification number and the caller identification number of the telephone line the page base is using in the paging service provider database. Where possible, the clearinghouse also uses the caller identification number to automatically access billing information associated with the number and set up a billing account for the paging service.

Claims

1. A dedicated paging system, comprising:

a pager comprising a receiver and a memory for storing a predetermined pager identification code;

a page base unit separable from the pager including;

a page activation button for triggering an automatic paging process to page the pager,

a first connector for connecting the page base unit to a public switched telephone network line,

a memory for storing at least one of the pager identification code,

a phone number for a paging service clearinghouse, a page base unit identification code, paging service class information, and a paging service provider access telephone number, and

a phone call generating system connected to the page activation button, the memory, and the first connector, the phone call generating system including means for automatically calling the paging service provider when the page activation button is pressed to cause the pager to be paged.

2. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit further includes a sound generating circuit for providing information to a user of the page base unit.

3. The dedicated paging system of claim 2, wherein the sound generating circuit generates one of pulsing and continuous tones.

4. The dedicated paging system of claim 2, wherein the sound generating circuit comprises a voice synthesizer for generating speech messages.

5. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit further includes an LED display for providing information to a user of the page base unit.

6. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit further includes an LCD display for providing information to user of the page base unit.

7. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit further includes a control panel having at least one button, for controlling functions of the page base unit.

8. The dedicated paging system of claim 7, wherein the at least one button is a reset button for enabling the page base unit to re-register the dedicated paging system.

9. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit is incorporated into a telephone.

10. The dedicated paging system of claim 9, wherein the telephone is one of a mobile telephone and a cellular telephone.

11. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pagers; and

a plurality of page activation buttons, wherein each one of the plurality of page activation buttons is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of pagers.

12. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores information downloaded to the page base unit via the public switched telephone network line.

13. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit includes a second connector for connecting the page base unit to a telephone.

14. The dedicated paging system of claim 13, wherein the telephone is a touch tone telephone, and wherein the memory stores information entered into the page base unit via the touch tone telephone.

15. The dedicated paging system of claim 1, wherein the page base unit further includes a receptacle formed in the page base unit for receiving a card containing electronic information, wherein the page base unit reads information from the card when the card is in the receptacle.

16. The dedicated paging system of claim 15, wherein the electronic information contained in the card comprises at least one of the pager identification code,

the phone number for the paging service clearinghouse, the page base unit identification code, and the paging service class information.

17. The dedicated paging system of claim 16, wherein the paging service class information defines the geographical area over which paging service will be provided.

39. The dedicated paging system according to claim 1, wherein the phone call generating system automatically calls a clearinghouse to register the dedicated paging system.

40. The dedicated paging system according to claim 1, wherein the base unit is automatically registered upon pressing the page activation button.

41. The dedicated paging system according to claim 1, wherein the pager automatically receives a page when the page activation button is pressed.

18. A method for automatically registering a dedicated pager system with a paging service clearinghouse, the dedicated pager system comprising a pager and a page base separable from the pager having a dedicated page button and a memory storing a telephone number for the paging service clearinghouse and an identification code for the pager, the method comprising:

pressing the dedicated page button;

automatically dialing the clearinghouse by a phone call generating system using the paging service clearinghouse telephone number stored in the memory;

upon the clearinghouse answering the call from the page base, transmitting the pager identification code stored in the memory to the clearinghouse; and

receiving from the clearinghouse all protocol information necessary for the page base to automatically generate a page from a paging service provider to the dedicated pager, wherein the protocol information includes a paging service provider access number.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a line-pickup signal from the paging service clearinghouse; and

alerting a user to pick up a telephone connected to the page base,

wherein the user then talks with a human operator at the clearinghouse to exchange information necessary to complete the registering of the dedicated pager system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising pressing keys on a touch tone phone to transmit information to the clearinghouse via touch tones.

42. The method according to claim 18, wherein subsequent pressing of the dedicated page button causes dedicated paging of the pager, whereby the dedicated pager receives a page.

21. A method for automatically registering a dedicated pager system with a paging service clearinghouse, the dedicated pager system comprising a pager and a page base separable from the pager having a dedicated page button and a memory storing a telephone number for the paging service clearinghouse and an identification code for the pager, the method comprising:

receiving a call from the page base;

answering the call;

requesting the pager identification code; and

transmitting to the page base paging protocol information that the page base must use to request a page for the pager.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a caller ID of the call;

storing the caller ID and the pager identification code in a paging service provider database;

determining whether a telecommunications company, servicing a public switched telephone network line telephone number from which the page base called, has a billing information database accessible to the clearinghouse; and

if the billing information database is accessible, obtaining billing information from the billing information database, and

setting up a billing mechanism based on the obtained billing information.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

causing a human operator to obtain additional information necessary to complete the registration.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein causing the human operator to obtain additional information includes causing the human operator to obtain at least one of billing information and service class information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the billing information includes credit card information.

26. A method for automatically registering a dedicated pager system, the system comprising a page base separable from the pager having a dedicated page button and a memory for storing a telephone number for a clearinghouse and a pager identification code, a pager, and the clearinghouse, the method comprising:

the page base automatically calling the clearinghouse by a phone call generating system using the clearinghouse telephone number stored in memory;

the clearinghouse answering the incoming call from the page base;

uploading the pager identification code from the page base to the clearinghouse; and

downloading from the clearinghouse to the page base all protocol information necessary for the page base to automatically request a page from a paging service provider.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising determining the caller ID of the call.

28. A method for automatically placing a page request to a dedicated pager using a dedicated pager system, the system comprising a page base having a dedicated page button and a memory for storing a paging service provider access telephone number and an identification number of the dedicated pager, the dedicated pager, and a paging service provider having a database containing a) a caller identification number of a telephone line used by the page base, b) the identification number of the dedicated pager, and c) a logical link between the caller identification number and the pager identification number, the method comprising:

pressing the dedicated page button;

automatically calling the paging service provider by a phone call generating system using the stored access telephone number;

stripping the caller identification number from the incoming call from the page base;

retrieving the pager identification number from the database using the stripped caller identification number; and

sending a page signal to the pager using the pager identification number.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising terminating the call after a predetermined number of rings.

30. A method for automatically placing a page request to a dedicated pager using a dedicated pager system, the system comprising the pager, a page base separable from the pager having a dedicated page button and a memory storing all information necessary for placing a page request with a paging service provider, and the paging service provider, the method comprising:

pressing the dedicated page button on the page base;

using information stored in the semi-permanent memory to call the paging service provider; and

automatically uploading to the paging service provider from the memory all information necessary for the paging service provider to execute the page request.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein uploading the information comprises automatically conveying information to the paging service provider using a conventional paging dialogue.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving status information from the page service provider regarding the page request.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the uploaded information comprises message to be transmitted to the pager.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the uploaded information comprises a token representing a predetermined message to be transmitted to the pager.

35. A method for automatically placing a page request to a dedicated pager using a dedicated pager system, the system comprising the pager and a page base separable from the pager having a dedicated page button and a memory storing all information necessary for placing a page request with a paging service provider, the paging service provider having a database, the method comprising:

receiving a call from the page base;

determining the caller ID of the call;

using the caller ID to retrieve the pager identification code from the database; and

automatically paging the pager utilizing the pager identification code.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

answering the call;

receiving message information from the page base; and

transmitting the message information to the pager.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising transmitting page request status information to the page base.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving a page confirmation signal from the pager.