Broadcasting of different tariff periods in a telephone system

• US 6,577,717 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pendragon Wireless LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Henon, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/320,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/130, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/114.13, 455/407, 455/408, 455/412, 455/421, 455/466, 455/38.4, 455/406, 455/67.1
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• 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 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Broadcasting of different tariff periods in a telephone system. Subscribers of a telecommunication system are advised of service charging tariffs of services to said subscribers. In the telecommunication system, a service charging tariff message is sent to subscriber stations operated by the subscribers. The service charging tariff message comprises a starting time of a future tariff period and a tariff indication of the future tariff period. A subscriber station receiving such a service charging tariff message processes the starting time and the tariff indication. The service charging tariff information is stored and retrieved, and is displayed on a display of the subscriber station. The tariff indication comprises an early indication of off-peak time charge free minutes, usually forming part of a calling plan of a subscriber, which off-peak time free charge minutes can be spent during peak time.

Claims

1. A method for advising subscribers of a telecommunication system of service charging tariffs of services to said subscribers, said method comprising:

broadcasting at a current time when a current tariff in a current tariff period applies of service charging tariff message from said telecommunication system to said subscribers, said service charging tariff message comprising a scheduled starting time of a future tariff period and a tariff indication of said future tariff period, said tariff indication indicating a more favorable tariff than said current tariff and the starting time being strictly later than the current time wherein;

upon reception of said service charging tariff message, a subscribers station processes said starting time of said future tariff period and said tariff indication.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said service charging tariff message further comprises an ending time of said future tariff period.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said service charging tariff message comprises at least one further starting time of at least one further future tariff period and corresponding tariff indications.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said service charging tariff message comprises service charging tariff information for a current day.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said service charging tariff message further comprises.a date indicating on which day said starting time and future tariff period apply.

6. A method as claimed in claims 4 or 5, wherein said service charging tariff message is broadcast at irregular times throughout a day.

7. A method as claimed in claims 4 or 5, wherein said service charging tariff message is broadcast after an operator of said telecommunications system has updated the contents of said service charging tariff message, said contents reflecting a change in said tariff indication.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said service is a data service and said future tariff period is less than five minutes.

9. A subscriber station for use in a telecommunication system, said subscriber station comprising:

means for receiving at a current time when a current tariff in a current tariff period applies a service charging tariff message from said telecommunication system, said service charging tariff message at least comprising a starting time, strictly later than the current time, of a future tariff period and a tariff indication of said future tariff period, said tariff indication indicating a more favorable tariff than said current tariff; and

means for processing said service charging tariff message.

10. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 9, further comprising display means, wherein said means for processing retrieve said starting time of said future tariff period and said tariff indication from said service charging tariff message, and control said display means to display said starting time and said tariff indication.

11. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 9, further comprising storage means, wherein said means for processing retrieve said starting time of said future tariff period and said tariff indication from said service charging tariff message, and control said storage means to store said starting time and said tariff indication.

12. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 11, further comprising display means and a control key, wherein said starting time and tariff indication are retrieved from said storage means and are displayed by said display means, upon activation of said control key.

13. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 9, wherein said service charging tariff message further comprises an ending time of said future tariff period.

14. A subscriber station as claimed in claims 10 or 12, wherein tariff information comprised in said service charging tariff message is displayed in the form of a icon such that information as regards lower tariffs is differentiated from information as regards higher tariffs.

15. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 14, wherein said icon has the form of a bar chart of which a first side indicates time and a second side indicates a level of service charging tariffs.

16. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 15, wherein said tariff indication indicates off-peak charge free minutes and said display is controlled such that time periods of said off-peak charge free minutes are displayed as bars in inverse-video, said bars extending over a full length of said second side within said bar chart.

17. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 15, wherein said tariff indication indicates reduced peak charge minutes and said display is controlled such that time periods of said reduced peak charge minutes are displayed as further bars in normal, highlighted video, said further bars extending over a length along said side within said bar chart in proportion to charging tariffs of said reduced peak charge minutes.

18. A subscriber station as claimed in claims 10 or 12, wherein tariff information.comprised in said service charging tariff message comprises off-peak free minute periods, a current off-peak free minute period being displayed in the form of a triangular icon such that an off-peak free minute period is distinguished from a peak time period.

19. A subscriber station as claimed in claim 9, wherein said starting time and said tariff indication have the form of a free-format alphanumerical message.