Call management system for wireless telephones

• US 6,256,515 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Metro One Telecommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: Huey, Christopher A., Cox, Patrick M., Powell, A. Peter, Kepler, Michael A., Filliger, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean Alland
• Application Number:
  US09/070,522
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414, 455/415, 455/434, 455/445, 455/565, 455/567, 455/404, 379/90.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/114, 379/196, 379/201, 379/207, 379/188, 379/199, 379/249, 379/200, 340/825.3, 340/562
• US Class Current: 455/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A call management system is provided to manage the use of specified wireless telephones in order to limit or manage their use for unofficial calls and to report on official as well as unofficial uses. Calls originated from or directed to a controlled wireless telephone are routed to a call management center from a wireless central office. The call management center determines whether the call is approved by consulting a database of approved telephone numbers. If the call is approved it is completed normally. If the call is not approved, the caller is prompted to provide an access code. The call is completed if the access code matches a predetermined security code. Customizable exception reports are generated to reflect unofficial usage, incorrect access attempts, and other detailed information concerning the use of the specified wireless telephones.

Claims

1. A method of controlling calls from a wireless telephone having a device identifier, the method comprising the steps of

receiving a call stream from the wireless telephone to a switching center in a first telephone network directed to a destination telephone having a destination telephone number in a second telephone network, wherein the call stream contains the device identifier transmitted with a telephone call made from a wireless telephone;

retrieving the device identifier from the call stream;

searching for the device identifier that corresponds to a control number in a database maintained at the switching center, wherein the control number identifies an approved wireless telephone;

connecting the call with the device identifier across a first communication link to a call management center, if the control number is found in the first database;

searching for the control number associated with the device identifier of the wireless telephone in a database containing a plurality of control numbers maintained at the call management center, wherein each control number in the first database point to a set of approved telephone numbers;

comparing the destination telephone number against the set of approved telephone numbers associated with the control number in the database;

requesting an approved access code from the wireless telephone, if the destination telephone number is not one of the telephone numbers associated with the control number in the database

receiving the access code from the wireless telephone;

comparing the access code received from the wireless telephone with the set of access codes associated with the control number residing in a second database at the call management center;

if the access codes is valid, connecting the call across a second communication link to a central office in the second telephone network; and

connecting the call through the second telephone network to the destination telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of releasing the call across the first communication link if the access code is not associated with the control number residing in the database at the call management center.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving an account number from the wireless telephone.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of generating a report of the call, said report including the destination telephone number, access code, and account number.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

maintaining one or more security codes for each access code associated with the control numbers residing in the database at the call management center; and

comparing the access code transmitted from the wireless telephone with the access codes associated with the control number found in the database to determine whether there are any security codes attributed to the received access code;

determining that the access code received from the wireless telephone matches an access code found in the database that have any associated security codes;

if the access codes has no restrictive security codes connecting the call across a second communication link to a central office in the second telephone network; and

connecting the call through the second telephone network to the destination telephone.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the access code received from the wireless telephone matches an access code has a security code, further comprising the step of restricting the wireless telephone.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the restricting step comprises rejecting an attempted call from the wireless telephone to the destination telephone.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the restricting step comprises rejecting an attempted call from the wireless telephone to a telephone having an associated telephone number that does not match one of the telephone numbers associated with the control number in said second database.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the restricting step comprises rejecting all attempted calls from the wireless telephone.

10. A method of controlling calls from wireless telephones at a call management center comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number being associated with one or more pre-approved telephone numbers;

maintaining a second database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number in said second database being associated with one or more access codes;

receiving a call from a caller using a wireless telephone having a controlled telephone number, the call being directed to a destination telephone having a destination telephone number;

identifying said controlled telephone number of the wireless telephone;

determining whether the call is pre-approved;

connecting the call to the destination telephone if the call is pre-approved;

alerting the caller that the call is not pre-approved if the call is not pre-approved;

receiving an access code from the caller; and

determining whether said received access code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of connecting the call to the destination telephone if said received access code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

12. The method of claim 10 in which said first database of controlled telephone numbers comprises said second database of controlled telephone numbers.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

determining that said received access code does not match one of said one or more access codes associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database of controlled telephone numbers; and

disabling the wireless telephone.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said disabling step comprises disallowing calls from the wireless telephone to destination telephones having destination telephone numbers that do not match any of said one or more pre-approved telephone numbers associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said first database.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said disabling step comprises disabling the wireless telephone for a predetermined period of time.

16. A method of controlling calls from wireless telephones at a call management center comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number being associated with one or more pre-approved telephone numbers;

maintaining a second database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number in said second database being associated with one or more caller codes, wherein each caller code identifies one or more callers;

receiving a call from a caller using a wireless telephone having a controlled telephone number, the call being directed to a destination telephone having a destination telephone number;

identifying said controlled telephone number of the wireless telephone;

determining whether the call is pre-approved;

connecting the call to the destination telephone if the call is pre-approved;

alerting the caller that the call is not pre-approved if the call is not pre-approved;

receiving a caller code with which to identify the caller; and

determining whether said received caller code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of connecting the call to the destination telephone if said received caller code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.