Wireless prepaid telephone system with dispensable intruments

• US 6,149,353 A
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dot 23 Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bettina Jean Thompson, Kimberly Nanette Engen
• Inventors: Nilsson, Byard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/465,127
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 455/408, 455/407, 455/405, 455/409
• US Class Current: 455/409
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0285 Pen-type handsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• 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 17/005 Disposable prepaid communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/026 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A telecommunication system incorporates individual station instruments simplified by wireless operation, voice dialing, prepaid accounting and out-call operation, all enabled by cooperative system operation including supporting central equipment. Wireless operation of the central equipment involves a multiple port wireless platform along with other units for interfacing a multitude of mobile station instruments simultaneously for interactive audio communication to, regulate control, monitor and record operations of the instruments, and bridge communication with selected remote terminals through the public switched telephone network. Message capability, emergency abort to an operator station and security features supplement the basic system.

Claims

1. A process of wireless operation whereby a plurality of wireless telephone instruments with stored prepaid balances are interfaced with a public switched telephone network to communicate with other telephone terminals, comprising the steps:

establishing wireless telephonic communication with an active wireless telephone instrument;

identifying the active wireless telephone instrument;

testing the active wireless telephone instrument for calling approval;

cueing the active wireless telephone instrument for spoken calling data signals to identify a called telephone terminal;

selectively receiving and converting the spoken calling data signals to converted telephone dial up signals;

bridging the active wireless telephone instrument through the public switched telephone network to the called telephone terminal for a dial-up connection in accordance with the converted telephone dial-up signals and communication between the active wireless telephone instrument and the called telephone terminal; and

monitoring the communication between the active wireless telephone instrument and the called telephone terminal to reflect call charges in the stored prepaid balance for the active wireless telephone instrument.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein said step of testing the active wireless telephone instrument for calling approval includes verifying the wireless telephone instrument as proper.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein said step of testing the active wireless telephone instrument for calling approval includes testing the current prepaid balance for the active wireless telephone instrument to support a call.

4. A process according to claim 3 wherein said step of testing the current prepaid balance includes enabling an increment to the current prepaid balance.

5. A process according to claim 1 wherein said step of testing the active wireless telephone instrument for calling approval includes testing the active wireless telephone instrument for imposed limits on use after converting the spoken calling data signals to telephone dial up signals.

6. A process according to claim 4 wherein the testing for imposed limits includes reference to area code numbers.

7. A process according to claim 1 wherein said step of testing the active wireless telephone instrument includes testing both identification data registered by the active wireless telephone and spoken identification data from the active wireless telephone.

22. A process according to claim 1 further including a step of storing a record of calls that were made most recently by an instrument.

23. A process according to claim 1 further including a step of storing indications to indicate limits on the approved use of an instrument.

24. A process according to claim 1 further including a step of storing location data for an instrument.

26. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 1 wherein said identification data is digital and includes an identification number and wherein said control means facilitates only outgoing calls.

8. A process of wireless operation whereby a plurality of wireless telephone instruments are interfaced with a public switched telephone network to communicate with other telephone terminals, comprising the steps of:

upon actuation of a wireless telephone instrument to be active, receiving identification data registered by the active wireless telephone instrument to identify the active wireless telephone instrument;

testing received identification data for the active wireless telephone instrument for calling approval;

cueing the active wireless telephone instrument for spoken calling data signals to identify a called telephone terminal;

bridging the active wireless telephone instrument through the public switched telephone network to the called telephone terminal for communication between the active wireless telephone instrument and the called telephone terminal; and

monitoring the spoken calling data signals for a transfer command and responsively transferring the active wireless telephone instrument.

9. A process of wireless operation according to claim 8 wherein said testing step includes testing a prepaid value for the active wireless telephone instrument.

10. A process of wireless operation according to claim 8 further including the steps of cueing the active wireless telephone instrument for a spoken code and testing the spoken code for approval.

11. A process of wireless operation according to claim 8 further including a step of monitoring the communication between the active wireless telephone instrument and the called telephone terminal to reflect call charges.

12. A wireless telephone instrument for prepaid use with an approving central station to communicate with remote stations through a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a housing configured in a compact form and defining an interior space;

an earphone fixed to said housing for providing voice sounds from audio signals;

a microphone fixed to said housing for providing audio signals representative of voice sounds;

a power supply;

a switch coupled to said power supply to energize said instrument;

a transceiver fixed to said housing and connected to said earphone for wireless communication with said approving central station and selected ones of said remote stations; and

a control unit fixed to said housing and including a memory for storing data on said wireless telephone instrument including identification data, said control unit operating initially with said transceiver to transmit data including identification data from said memory to said approving central station upon said instrument being energized, and thereafter operating with the transceiver and the microphone to then transmit voice data including spoken numbers for identifying remote stations.

13. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 12 wherein said housing defines an external configuration of a writing instrument.

14. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 12 wherein said power supply comprises a battery pack.

15. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 12 wherein said transceiver receives cue signals operating with said earphone to produce cues.

16. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 12 wherein said switch further includes a pilot lamp for indicating an "on" state.

17. A wireless telephone system including a plurality of wireless telephone instruments and a central station, whereby to communicate with telephone terminals through a switched telephone network, the wireless telephone instruments comprising of:

a housing defining an interior space;

an earphone fixed to said housing for providing voice sounds from audio signals;

a microphone fixed to said housing for providing audio signals representative of voice sounds;

a power supply;

a switch coupled to said power supply to energize said instrument;

a transceiver fixed to said housing for operation with said earphone and said microphone for wireless communication with said approving central station and selected ones of said remote stations; and

an instrument control unit fixed to said housing and including a memory for storing data on said wireless telephone instrument including identification data, for accessing data for a wireless telephone instrument and thereafter operating with the transceiver and the microphone to then selectively transmit voice data including spoken numbers to identify a target telephone terminal for connection and communication words; and

said central station comprising;

a platform for interfacing said plurality of wireless telephone instruments for wireless communication;

a voice recognition unit for selectively translating voice data representative of spoken numbers to dial up signals and transfer command signals;

a memory storing data for said wireless telephone instruments addressed by identification from said wireless telephone instruments; and

a central control unit operating with said platform and said memory to verify the use of a wireless telephone instrument, thereafter operating with said platform, said voice recognition unit, and said switched telephone network to dial up a telephone terminal in accordance with said dial up signals.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein said data for a wireless telephone instrument includes prepaid data and said central control unit verifies the use of a wireless telephone instrument based on said prepaid data.

19. A system according to claim 17 wherein said data for a wireless telephone instrument includes time data and said central control unit verifies the use of a wireless telephone instrument based on said time data.

20. A system according to claim 17 wherein said data for a wireless telephone instrument includes area data and said central control unit verifies the use of a wireless telephone instrument based on said area data.

21. A system according to claim 17 wherein said data for a wireless telephone instrument includes anti-cloning data and said central control unit verifies the use of a wireless telephone instrument based on said anti-cloning data.

25. A wireless telephone instrument for prepaid use with an approving central station to communicate with remote stations through a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a housing configured in a compact form and defining an interior space;

an earphone fixed to said housing for providing voice sounds from audio signals;

a microphone fixed to said housing for providing audio signals representative of voice sounds;

a power supply;

a switch coupled to said power supply to energize said instrument;

a transceiver fixed to said housing and connected to said earphone and said microphone for wireless communication with said approving central station and selected ones of said remote stations; and

a control unit fixed to said housing and including a memory for storing data on said wireless telephone instrument including identification data, said control unit operating with said transceiver to transmit identification data from said memory to said approving central station upon said instrument being energized, then subsequently to receive prompting signals from the transceiver for the earphone to prompt for spoken numbers to the microphone for dialing a select remote station to attain a connection through the public switched telephone network to the select remote station.

27. A wireless telephone instrument for prepaid use by a person and with an approving central station to communicate with remote stations through a public switched telephone network, comprising of:

a housing configured in a compact form and defining an interior space;

an earphone fixed to said housing for providing voice sounds from audio signals;

a microphone fixed to said housing for providing audio signals representative of voice sounds;

a transceiver fixed to said housing and connected to said earphone and said microphone for wireless communication with said approving central station and selected ones of said remote stations; and

a control unit fixed to said housing for enabling a prepaid test and including a memory for storing data on said wireless telephone instrument, said control unit operating with said transceiver to sequence communication including the transmission of identification signals from said memory followed by control and message words spoken by the person.

28. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 27 wherein said data on said wireless telephone instrument includes an identification number and a code.

29. A wireless telephone system for use with wireless telephone instruments individually prepaid for limited use, said system for enabling limited telecommunication from said wireless telephone instruments to other telephone instruments through a dial-up network, said system comprising:

a voice generator for providing vocal cues;

a voice detector for translating voice representations to digital telephone signals;

a platform for interfacing said wireless telephone instruments to provide vocal cues from said voice generator to said wireless telephone instruments and to receive identification data and voice representations from said wireless telephone instruments for providing digital telephone signals;

a memory for storing prepaid balances for said wireless telephone instruments; and

control means for controlling said voice detector to receive voice signals from the wireless telephone instruments selectively;

to dial-up a target telephone through said network in accordance with said voice representations from said wireless telephone instruments, to express vocal communication and to express a unique control code for commanding a specific control operation.