Wireless prepaid telephone system with dispensable instruments

• US 6,405,029 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dot 23 Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Francine Berry
• Inventors: Nilsson, Byard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANTT, ALAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/685,169
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 455/409, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/410, 379/88.03
• 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 wireless telephone instrument for prepaid use with an approving central station to communicate with remote stations through a public switched telephone network, consisting 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 transceiver fixed to said housing and connected to, said earphone, 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 including a switch energizing structure and a memory for storing instrument data on said wireless telephone instrument, said control unit operating to control data flow from said memory for transmission to said central station by said transceiver on activation of said switch energizing structure for an outgoing call to initiate vocal communication with said central station and subsequently a remote station.

2. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 1 wherein said instrument data on said wireless telephone instrument includes an identification number for said instrument.

3. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 1 wherein said transceiver and said control unit comprise an electronics package comprising an integrated circuit chip.

4. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 1 wherein said housing is configured to be similar to that of a writing instrument.

5. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 1 wherein said switch energizing structure includes a switch device and a power supply.

6. A wireless telephone instrument according to claim 5 wherein said power supply comprises a battery pack.

7. A wireless telephone system for use with wireless telephone instruments for limited use, said system for enabling limited telecommunication from said wireless telephone instruments to target 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 dial-up 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 signals and voice representations from said wireless telephone instruments for providing dial-up telephone signals;

a memory for storing data for said wireless telephone instruments; and

control means for controlling said voice generator and said voice detector to cue said wireless telephone instruments for the provision of voice number signals to dial-up a target telephone through said dial-up network in accordance with said voice number signals from said wireless telephone instruments, said control means further including test means for testing the use limitations of said wireless telephone instruments in accordance with the content of said memory.

8. A wireless telephone system for use with wireless telephone instruments, said system for enabling telecommunication from wireless telephone instruments to target telephone stations through a dial-up network, said system comprising:

a voice generator for providing vocal cues;

a voice detector for translating voice representations to dial-up 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 voice representations from said wireless telephone instruments for providing dial-up telephone signals;

a memory for storing data for said wireless telephone instruments; and

control means coupled to said platform, said voice generator, said voice detector and said memory for controlling said platform, said voice generator said voice detector and said memory to cue said wireless telephone instruments for the provision of voice number signals and to dial up a target telephone through said dial-up network in accordance with said voice representations from said wireless telephone instruments, said control means further including a detector for code sequences of voice number signals to command a communication transfer.

9. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said memory includes a plurality of cells for storing data respectively on a plurality of said wireless instruments, each cell including a field for storing an identification number.

10. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said memory includes a section for storing call limitation data.

11. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said control means includes test means for testing the calling limits of said wireless telephone instruments in accordance with the contents of said memory.

12. A wireless telephone system for use with wireless telephone instruments 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 dial-up 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 dial-up telephone signals;

a memory for storing data for said wireless telephone instruments; and

control means for controlling said voice generator, said voice detector said platform and said memory to cue said wireless telephone instruments for the provision of voice number signals to dial-up a target telephone through said network in accordance with said voice representations from said wireless telephone instruments, said control means further including test means for testing the use limitations of said wireless telephone instruments in accordance with the content of said memory to limit the use of said wireless telephone instruments for telecommunication with other telephone instruments.

13. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said use limitations restrict certain of said wireless telephone instruments with respect to time.

14. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said use limitations restrict certain of said wireless telephone instruments with respect to area.

15. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said memory stores prepaid balance data for said wireless telephone instruments.

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

a platform for interfacing said wireless telephone instruments to receive representations from said wireless telephone instruments for accomplishing dial-up connections to said other telephone instruments through said dial-up network;

a memory for storing data for said wireless telephone instruments including identification data and area code data; and

a control means for controlling operation with said platform to accomplish dial-up connections to said other telephone instruments in accordance with said representations from said wireless telephone instruments and said area code data stored in said memory.

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

a platform for interfacing said wireless telephone instruments to receive number representations from said wireless telephone instruments for accomplishing dial-up connections to said other telephone instruments through said dial-up network;

a control means for controlling said platform to accomplish dial up connections to said other telephone instruments in accordance with said number representations from said wireless telephone instruments and further including a detector for code sequences of said number representations to command a communication transfer.

18. A wireless telephone system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said detector detects a spoken sequence of the same numeral.

19. A wireless telephone system according to claim 18 wherein said control means tests received representations from said wireless telephone instruments against area code numbers stored in said memory.

20. A wireless telephone system for use with wireless telephone instruments individually 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 limiting information indicative of select calling areas for said wireless telephone instruments; and

a 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 and said limiting information.

21. A wireless telephone system according to claim 20 wherein said memory further stores prepaid balances for said wireless telephone instruments and said control means further acts to selectively dial-up a target telephone unless control of said prepaid balances.

22. A wireless telephone system according to claim 20 wherein said limiting information comprises codes that are approved for calls for a wireless telephone instrument.

23. A wireless telephone system according to claim 22 wherein said codes comprise area codes.

24. 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:

establishing wireless telephonic communication with an active wireless telephone instrument;

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

further selectively receiving spoken transfer codes to transfer an active wireless telephone instrument to an operator terminal.

25. A process according to claim 24 wherein said spoken transfer codes include a sequence of similar numbers.

26. A telephonic communications system for use with a switched telephone network for communication with select telephone terminals, comprising:

plural wireless telephone instruments consisting of;

a transceiver, a microphone, an earphone, an actuating control element and a housing, the wireless telephone instruments being activated for linking by wireless communication to communicate with a central station comprising;

a platform including wireless capability for communication with activated of the plural wireless telephone instruments;

a voice generator for providing vocal cue signals for transmission to the activated wireless telephone instruments;

a voice recognition unit for translating spoken word signals from the activated wireless telephone instruments to dial-up telephone signals;

a control unit for activating the voice recognition unit to provide cue signals to the activated wireless telephone instruments, for controlling the central station to receive dial-up telephone signals originated from the activated wireless telephone instruments and for interfacing the switched telephone network to accomplish dial-up connections with select telephone terminals in accordance with the dial-up telephone signals received from activated wireless telephone instruments.

27. A system according to claim 26 wherein the voice recognition unit translates spoken word signals representative of numbers to dial-up telephone signals.

28. A system according to claim 26 wherein the voice recognition unit translates spoken word signals into DTMF signals.

29. A system according to claim 26 wherein the voice recognition unit translates spoken word signals representative of select remote terminals to dial-up telephone signals for such select remote terminals.

30. A system according to claim 26 wherein the platform communicates with the activated wireless telephone instruments transmitting voice signals and receiving voice and data signals.

31. A system according to claim 26 wherein the voice generator cues the activated wireless telephone instruments to speak dial-up telephone numbers for select telephone terminals.

32. A system according to claim 26 wherein the central station includes a memory storing prepaid balances for said wireless telephone instruments.

33. A system according to claim 32 wherein the control unit includes logic for controlling the accomplishment of dial-up connections dependant upon the stored prepaid balance of a wireless telephone instrument.

34. A system according to claim 33 wherein the control unit actuates the voice generator to provide signals indicating the stored prepaid balance of a wireless telephone instrument for transmission to the wireless telephone instruments.

35. A system according to claim 33 wherein said memory further stores data on the activated wireless telephone instruments.

36. A system according to claim 26 wherein the control unit receives and processes identification signals received from the activated wireless telephone instruments.

37. A system according to claim 26 wherein the control unit processes data solely for the accomplishment of outgoing calls from the wireless telephone instruments.

38. A system according to claim 26 wherein the dial-up signals received by the central processor are acknowledged to activated wireless telephone instruments.

39. A system according to claim 26 wherein said central station further includes operator terminals.

40. A telephonic communications system for use with a switched telephone network for communication, as cellular, with select telephone terminals, comprising:

a plurality of keyless mobile telephone instruments with manual control to communicate with a central processor comprising;

a platform including wireless capability for communication with activated of the plural keyless mobile telephone instruments;

a voice generator coupled to the platform for providing vocal cue signals for transmission to communicating keyless mobile telephone instruments;

a voice recognition unit coupled to the platform for translating spoken word signals from communicating keyless mobile telephone instruments to dial-up telephone signals;

a control unit, for activating the voice generator and the platform to provide vocal cue signals to the communicating keyless mobile telephone instruments, for controlling the platform to receive spoken word signals from the communicating keyless mobile telephone instruments, for controlling the voice recognition unit for translating the spoken word signals to dial-up telephone signals and for interfacing the switched telephone network to accomplish dial-up connections with select telephone terminals in accordance with the spoken word signals received from the communicating keyless mobile telephone instruments.

41. A system according to claim 40 wherein the central processor includes a memory for storing prepaid balances for the keyless mobile telephone instruments and the control unit controls dial-up connections in accordance with prepaid balances.

42. A system according to claim 41 wherein the control unit controls the memory for actuating the voice generator to cue users at the keyless mobile telephone instruments announcing the present prepaid balance.

43. A system according to claim 41 wherein the control unit reflects the cost of calls for the keyless mobile telephone instruments in the prepaid balances for the keyless mobile telephone instruments.

44. A system according to claim 41 wherein the control unit cues users at the keyless mobile telephone instruments to reflect values from a credit card to the prepaid balances for individual keyless mobile telephone instruments.

45. A system according to claim 40 wherein at least certain of the keyless mobile telephone instruments include a battery as a power source for activation.

46. A system according to claim 40 wherein at least certain of the keyless mobile telephone instruments include switching structure for manual actuation.

47. A system according to claim 40 wherein the voice generator cues users at the activated keyless mobile telephone instruments instructing users to speak words for dial-up telephone numbers for select telephone terminals.

48. A system according to claim 40 wherein the keyless mobile telephone instruments transmit identification signals and the control unit receives and processes the identification signals received from the activated keyless mobile telephone instruments.

49. A system according to claim 40 wherein the control unit processes data solely for the accomplishment of outgoing calls from the keyless mobile telephone instruments.

50. A system according to claim 40 wherein the dial-up signals received by the central processor are acknowledged to users at activated keyless mobile telephone instruments.

51. A system according to claim 40 wherein the central processor further includes a memory for storing limitations on the calls processed for the individual keyless mobile telephone instruments.

52. A system according to claim 40 wherein the central processor further includes a memory for storing paging data for the individual keyless mobile telephone instruments.

53. A system according to claim 40 wherein the central processor further approves test criteria for individual keyless mobile telephone instruments.

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

a plurality of mobile keyless telephone instruments individually including an instrument memory for storing identification data for identifying prepaid data locations for individual mobile keyless telephone instruments, a control unit and a transceiver for transmitting the identification data;

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 communication with selected remote telephone terminals, the central station including,

an interface to receive signals from the mobile keyless telephone instruments,

a voice translator unit for translating vocal signals from the remote telephone terminals to dial-up telephone signals,

a central memory with memory cells for storing prepaid data for individual mobile keyless telephone instruments, and

a control system for interfacing the mobile keyless telephone instruments individually to receive identification data signals for addressing the memory cells for individual mobile keyless telephone instruments for prepaid data and for testing the prepaid data to selectively further communicate with individual mobile keyless telephone instruments to receive vocal signals for connection with remote telephone terminals through the public switched telephone network.

55. A wireless telephone system according to claim 54 wherein the control unit in the at least one of the plurality of mobile keyless telephone instruments transmits the signals upon the energizing of the at least one of the plurality of mobile keyless telephone instruments.

56. A wireless telephone system according to claim 54 wherein the control system further includes means for processing signals from the individual mobile keyless telephone instruments to confirm the identity of a user.

57. A process for interfacing a plurality of keyless mobile telephone instruments through a public switched telephone network with remote terminals, comprising the steps of:

receiving spoken telephone calling numbers at an active keyless mobile telephone instruments to formulate representative calling number signals for the active keyless mobile telephone instrument;

transmitting the representative calling number signals for the active keyless mobile telephone instrument to a central station;

at the central station, receiving the representative calling number signals for the active keyless mobile telephone instrument to provide dial-up calling number signals;

bridging the active keyless mobile telephone instrument to the public switched telephone network and supplying the dial-up calling number signals to dial-up a remote terminal; and

limiting the use of the keyless mobile telephone instruments in accordance with paid intervals of use for the keyless mobile telephone instruments.

58. A process according to claim 57 wherein the step of limiting the use of the keyless mobile telephone instruments comprises maintaining individual records of use for the keyless mobile telephone instruments.

59. A process according to claim 57 further including a step of transmitting identification signals from an active keyless mobile telephone instrument for processing at the central station.

60. A process according to claim 59 wherein the step of limiting the use of the keyless mobile telephone instrument comprises maintaining individual records of use for the keyless mobile telephone instruments is based on received identification signals.

61. A process according to claim 57 wherein the central station comprises a cellular central station.

62. A process according to claim 57 wherein the dial-up calling number signals comprise DTMF calling signals.