Mobile keyless telephone instruments and wireless telecommunications system having voice dialing and voice programming capabilities

• US 6,400,967 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dot 23 Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Francine Berry
• Inventors: Nilsson, Byard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Application Number:
  US09/859,995
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 455/90, 455/575, 455/550, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349, 455/350, 455/351, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 455/569, 455/567, 455/563, 455/552, 455/551, 418/413, 418/403, 418/557, 418/412, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.04
• US Class Current: 455/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0285 Pen-type handsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0287 being disposable or recyclable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• 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, and custom-programmed operating characteristics, all enabled by cooperative operation with 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: program the operating characteristics as with respect to language, out call, anti-fraud, and available data, as well as 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, rapid dialing, emergency abort to an operator station, and security features supplement the basic system.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone system for communicating with remote telephone terminals through a public switched telephone network, comprising:

a plurality of mobile keyless telephone instruments;

at least one central station for communication with the mobile keyless telephone instruments to interface the mobile keyless telephone instruments with the public switched telephone network for select communication with remote telephone terminals, the central station including;

a voice generator for providing voice cues to individual mobile keyless telephone instruments;

a speech detector for receiving spoken number signals from the mobile keyless telephone instruments and converting the spoken number signals selectively into program signals for control and dial-up signals for actuating the public switched telephone network to attain communication with select remote telephone terminals;

a control system for driving the voice generator and the speech detector in accordance with stored program signals to cue for spoken number signals from the keyless telephone instruments during dial-up operations to provide dial-up signals for connection to a select remote telephone terminal and to cue for spoken number signals from the keyless telephone instruments during program operations to provide program signals for operation of the central station in communicating with individual mobile keyless telephone instruments; and

a memory for storing the program signals for individual mobile keyless telephone instruments, including program signals directed to the individual programs for the operation of the central station in communicating with the individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

2. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said control system includes an incrementing processor for increasing a prepaid balance for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

3. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said stored program signals relate to receiving incoming calls for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

4. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said stored program signals relate to word dialing data for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

5. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said stored program signals relate to language data for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

6. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said stored program signals relate to limiting calls for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

7. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said stored program signals relate to location data for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

8. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 said wherein memory further stores a current prepaid value for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

9. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said mobile keyless telephone instruments include a signal to command attention as for an incoming call.

10. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said stored program signals relate to PIN data for said individual mobile keyless telephone instruments.

11. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said mobile keyless telephone instruments include a memory for storing control data.

12. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes selective acceptance of incoming calls.

13. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said control system includes a wireless platform and a processor and control unit.

14. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes selective rejection of incoming calls.

15. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes voice translation program signals.

16. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes keyword dialing program signals.

17. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes time limitation program signals.

18. A system according to claim 1 herein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes area limitation program signals.

19. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes use limitation program signals.

20. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said control system includes a spoken series of number processor.

21. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said control system includes a signature number processor.

22. A system according to claim 1 wherein the stored program signals directed to the individual programs includes language data.

23. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said control system includes a back-up number processor.

24. A wireless telephone system according to claim 1 wherein said control system includes a customizing processor.

25. A system for accommodating a plurality of keyless mobile telephone instruments, to communicate with remote telephone terminals through a public switched telephone network, the system comprising:

a mobile wireless telephone platform for interfacing the keyless mobile telephone instruments;

a memory for storing program cues to be transmitted to the keyless mobile telephone instruments to prompt for operating instructions for the individual keyless mobile telephone instruments and for storing operating instructions for the individual keyless mobile telephone instruments;

a speech detector for converting audio signals from the keyless mobile telephone instruments to number signals in the form of operating instructions and dial-up instructions; and

a control unit to selectively actuate the platform during programming operations to transmit program cues from the memory to keyless mobile telephone instruments and to receive resulting audio program signals, to actuate the speech detector during programming operations to convert audio program signals to operating instructions, and to actuate the memory to store the operating instructions,

said control unit further to selectively actuate the platform during dial-up operations in accordance with the stored operating instructions, to receive resulting audio dial-up signals from the keyless mobile telephone instruments, to actuate the speech detector during dial-up operations to convert audio dial-up signals to dial-up number signals, and to actuate the public switched telephone network to selectively couple keyless mobile telephone instruments to remote terminals in accordance with received dial-up number signals.

26. A system according to claim 25 wherein received audio program signals convert to operating instructions regarding language of a user for a keyless mobile telephone instrument and the memory stores cues in a plurality of languages.

27. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores a record of incremental added values for a prepaid balance for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

28. A system according to claim 25 wherein received audio program signals convert to operating instructions regarding the voice of a user at a keyless mobile telephone instrument.

29. A system according to claim 25 wherein received audio program signals convert to operating instructions regarding limits on the use of a keyless mobile telephone instrument.

30. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores a record of at least one limitation imposed on calls for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

31. A system according to claim 30 wherein said limitation is directed to time of day.

32. A system according to claim 30 wherein said limitation is directed to area code.

33. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores geographical locations to provide location reports for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

34. A system according to claim 33 wherein said memory further stores data to identify stations for receiving the location reports.

35. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores a call record of most recently made calls for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

36. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores a current and a last prior prepaid value for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

37. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores language data to select a language for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

38. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores rejection data for incoming calls for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

39. A system according to claim 38 wherein said rejection data is to selectively accept incoming calls.

40. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores an instrument activation code for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

41. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores identification numbers for individual of said mobile telephone instruments.

42. A system according to claim 25 wherein the memory stores prepaid balances for the use of individual keyless mobile telephone instruments.

43. A system according to claim 25 wherein said memory stores representations of code words for command dialing.

44. A process of accommodating a plurality of keyless mobile telephone instruments to communicate with remote telephone terminals through a public switched telephone network, the process comprising the steps of:

interfacing the keyless mobile telephone instruments by wireless coupling;

storing program cues to be transmitted to the keyless mobile telephone instruments to prompt for operating instructions for the individual keyless mobile telephone instruments and for storing operating instruments for the individual keyless mobile telephone instruments;

during programming operations, converting speech source signals from the keyless mobile telephone instruments to number signals in the form of operating instructions for controlling the operation of the interface to transmit program cues from the memory to keyless mobile telephone instruments and to store the operating instructions;

and further, during dial-up operations in accordance with the stored operating instructions to receive and convert speech dial-up signals from the keyless mobile telephone instruments to dial-up number signals, and to actuate the public switched telephone network to selectively couple keyless mobile telephone instruments to remote terminals in accordance with received dial-up number signals.

45. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing a record of incremental added values for a prepaid balance for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.

46. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing a record of at least one limitation imposed on calls for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.

47. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing a record of most recently made calls for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.

48. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing rejection data for incoming calls for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.

49. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing a last prior prepaid value for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.

50. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing language data for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.

51. A process according to claim 44 wherein the storing step includes storing a code for individual of said keyless mobile telephone instruments.