Method and apparatus of minimizing incurred charges by the remote origination of telephone calls

• US 6,308,070 B1
• Filed: 02/04/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Selex Communications Llc (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Selex Communications Llc (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Laster, Maurice Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, James K.
• Application Number:
  US09/244,715
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/466, 455/414, 455/461, 455/575, 455/422, 455/432, 455/406, 455/405, 455/407, 455/408, 455/417
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus for placing a long distance call using a mobile telephone with a data messaging device communicating via a separate data network (rather than the call signaling network) to a Remote Telephone Call Origination (RTCO) platform. The mobile telephone analyzes each number dialed to determine whether to utilize the RTCO platform or to dial normally. If RTCO is utilized, the mobile telephone transmits a data message with instructions for setting up the call. The RTCO platform then makes a call to the mobile phone and bridges this to a second call made to the dialed party.

Claims

1. A method of placing a long distance call using a mobile telephone of the type having a data messaging device for communicating with a data network and using an RTCO platform to avoid charges in one locale and to incur charges in a second locale, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing a telephone number dialed by a user of the mobile telephone,

transmitting a data message from the mobile telephone to the data network using the data messaging device of the mobile telephone without requiring that the user dial the telephone number of the RTCO platform itself, the data message including the dialed telephone number and identifying the mobile telephone;

relaying the data message from the data network to the RTCO platform;

placing a first call from the RTCO platform to the mobile telephone; and

placing a second call from the RTCO platform to the number dialed in a manner to connect the first and second calls to each other.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first call is automatically answered by the mobile telephone.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the message relayed from the data network to the RTCO platform includes the telephone number of the mobile telephone.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mobile telephone uses Short Messaging for the data network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of comparing the telephone number dialed by the user with a look-up table to determine if the telephone number dialed should be placed directly or should instead be placed using the RTCO platform.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the look-up table is updated from time to time using data messages transmitted to the mobile telephone.

7. A mobile telephone for use with a telephony network, for use with a RTCO platform, and for use with a data messaging network configured to relay messages to the RTCO platform, said mobile telephone comprising:

circuitry for connecting said mobile telephone to the telephony network;

an internal data messaging device for communicating with the data network;

a user input interface for initiating telephone calls, including for dialing telephone calls; and

control means for monitoring a telephone number dialed by the user, for determining if a telephone call should be placed using the RTCO platform, and responsive to the dialing of certain telephone numbers for transmitting a RTCO message from the internal data messaging device to the data network to initiate an RTCO call from the RTCO platform.

8. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 7 wherein said control means is operative to automatically answer a call from the RTCO platform.

9. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 7 wherein said control means is operative for transmitting the RTCO message without requiring that the user do anything more than dial the telephone number.

10. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 7 wherein said mobile telephone is adapted for Short Messaging.

11. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for monitoring is operative for monitoring a telephone number dialed by the user to determine whether the telephone call should be placed directly or instead the call should be placed using the RTCO platform.

12. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 7 wherein said control means is operative for comparing the telephone number dialed by the user with a look-up table to determine if the telephone number dialed should be placed directly or should instead be placed using the RTCO platform.

13. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 12 wherein the look-up table within said control means is updated from time to time using data messages transmitted to the mobile telephone.

14. In a mobile telephone of the type for use with a telephony network and having an internal data messaging device and a keypad for dialing a telephone number, the improvement therein comprising that control means are provided for monitoring the dialing of a telephone number by a user of the mobile telephone, and for determining if telephone call should be placed using an RTCO platform, and further that the internal data messaging device is operative for communicating a message to a data messaging network for relaying the message to the RTCO platform to complete the call using the RTCO platform without requiring that the user dial any additional numbers.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said control means is operative to automatically answer a call from the RTCO platform.

16. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said control means is operative for transmitting the RTCO message without requiring that the user do anything more than dial the telephone number.

17. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said mobile telephone is adapted for Short Messaging.

18. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said means for monitoring is operative for monitoring a telephone number dialed by the user to determine whether the telephone call should be placed directly or instead the call should be placed using the RTCO platform.

19. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said control means is operative for comparing the telephone number dialed by the user with a look-up table to determine if the telephone number dialed should be placed directly or should instead be placed using the RTCO platform.

20. The improvement of claim 19 wherein the look-up table within said control means is updated from time to time using data messages transmitted to the mobile telephone.

21. In a mobile telephone of the type for use with a telephony network and having internal data messaging device and a keypad for dialing a telephone number, the improvement therein comprising that control means are provided for monitoring the dialing of a telephone number by a user of the mobile telephone and further that the internal data messaging device is operative for communicating a message to a data messaging network for relaying the message to an RTCO platform to complete the call using the RTCO platform without requiring that the user dial any additional numbers, the control means being operative for determining whether to place the call directly on to place the call using the RTCO based on the relative costs of each.