Mobile phone system with host processor coordination and internal mobile phone accounting capabilities

• US 6,650,887 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telemac Corporation
• Original Assignee: Telemac Corporation
• Inventors: McGregor, Donald Scott, McGregor, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/745,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 455/433, 455/405, 379/58, 379/60, 379/62, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.03, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/114.21
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• 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 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• 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 2215/018 On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• 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 2215/92 Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile phone system with a mobile phone having internal accounting capabilities for real time call debiting to account for the billing parameters of a mobile phone unit that is operated in a multi zone communication network with a complex rate structure, the mobile phone unit having an internal processor with accessible internal memory for storing the accounting program and call data for each call, a clock and circuit means for activating and deactivating the phone, the accounting program including an updatable rate table and a complex billing algorithm for calculating the account status on the fly including multiple rate structure factors such as long distance calls, international calls with country independent local charges, charges for roaming per day and/or roaming per minute, and call surcharges, where the account status of the mobile phone is calculated in real time for decrementing a debit account or calculating an account charge on demand, the mobile debit phone having a signal for alerting the user of account status which is preferably a display of real time account status, the mobile phone system including a communication system for activating and programming a new phone unit over the airways and upgrading the account status in rate table in the phone unit over the airways.

Claims

1. Software for a telephone system comprising:

internal accounting software for a cordless hand-held mobile telephone unit to establish an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, to store a plurality of charge rates and to store a billing algorithm which can classify each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories, select a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculate an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and apply this appropriate charge to said account; and

software for one or more system provider host processors which stores mobile telephone unit identification information, stores operating codes needed for mobile phone unit activation and stores operating codes needed for setting prepaid funds or available credit amounts in mobile phone unit accounts whereby, upon receipt of mobile telephone unit identification information from a particular mobile phone unit or its user, said host processor software is capable of ascertaining the operating codes needed to activate that particular mobile phone unit or to set its account amount.

2. The telephone system software of claim 1 wherein the internal accounting software for said cordless handheld mobile telephone can ascertain whether a telephone call being dialed belongs to a long distance call category.

3. The telephone system software of claim 1 wherein the internal accounting software for said cordless handheld mobile telephone can ascertain whether a telephone call being dialed belongs to a local call category.

4. The telephone system software of claim 1 wherein the internal accounting software for said cordless handheld mobile telephone can ascertain whether a telephone call being dialed belongs to a roaming call category.

5. The telephone system software of claim 1 wherein the internal accounting software for said cordless handheld mobile telephone can ascertain whether a telephone call being dialed belongs to an international call category.

6. The telephone system software of claim 1 wherein the internal accounting software for said cordless handheld mobile telephone will prevent further telephone calls from being made if there are insufficient prepaid funds or available credit to initiate the next telephone call.

7. Software for a telephone system comprising:

internal accounting software for a cordless hand-held mobile telephone unit to establish an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, to store a plurality of charge rates and to store a billing algorithm which can classify each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories including categories for local, long distance and roaming telephone calls, select a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculate an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and applying this appropriate charge to said account; and

software for one or more system provider host processors which stores mobile telephone unit identification information, stores assignable telephone numbers, stores operating codes needed for mobile phone unit activation and stores operating codes needed for setting prepaid funds or available credit amounts in mobile phone unit accounts whereby, upon receipt of mobile phone unit identification information from a particular mobile phone unit or its user, said host processor software is capable of ascertaining the operating codes needed to activate that particular mobile phone unit, to set its account amount or to select an assignable telephone number corresponding to the user'"'"'s locale.

8. A mobile telephone unit operating within a telephone system comprising:

a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, memory and internal accounting software, wherein said internal accounting software includes an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, a plurality of charge rates, memory allocation for a phone number to be assigned at the time of activation, coding to allow the telephone unit to accept and implement operating codes generated by one or more system provider host processors and a billing algorithm which can classify each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories including billing categories for local calls, long distance calls and roaming calls, select a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculate an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and apply this appropriate charge to said account.

9. The mobile telephone of claim 8 wherein said operating codes are encrypted.

10. A telephone system comprising:

a plurality of cordless hand-held mobile telephone units, wherein each of said hand-held mobile telephone units includes a processor, memory and internal accounting software,

said internal accounting software including an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, a plurality of charge rates and a billing algorithm which classifies each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories, selects a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculates an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and applies this appropriate charge to said account;

a system provider having one or more host processors for coordination of mobile phone accounts, wherein said host processor(s) stores mobile telephone unit information including mobile telephone unit identification information, operating codes needed for mobile telephone unit activation and operating codes needed for setting prepaid funds or available credit in mobile telephone unit accounts whereby, upon receipt of mobile telephone unit identification information from a particular mobile telephone unit or its user, said host processor(s) ascertains the operating codes needed to activate that particular mobile telephone unit, to set its account amount, whereupon appropriate operating codes are communicated to the particular mobile phone unit or its user.

11. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein said billing categories include billing categories for local calls and long distance calls.

12. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein said billing categories include billing categories for roaming calls.

13. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein said billing categories include billing categories for local calls, long distance calls, roaming calls and international calls.

14. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein said billing categories include billing categories for calls placed within the United States and calls made internationally.

15. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein the charge rates corresponding of each billing category are different.

16. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein the charge rates corresponding to different billing categories may be the same.

17. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein the host processor stored operating codes are communicated to the user by a system provider operator who has access to said host processor(s).

18. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein the user enters the operating codes into the mobile telephone unit by manually punching keys on the mobile telephone unit.

19. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein host processor stored operating codes are communicated over the airwaves directly from a host processor to the mobile telephone unit.

20. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein calls are prevented from being made when the account has insufficient prepaid funds or available credit to initiate the next telephone call.

21. The telephone system of claim 10 further including a visual display of the remaining prepaid funds or available credit.

22. The telephone system of claim 10 wherein said mobile telephone unit further includes a real time clock chip.

23. A telephone system comprising:

a plurality of cordless hand-held mobile telephone units, wherein each of said hand-held mobile telephone units includes a processor, memory and internal accounting software,

said internal accounting software including an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, a plurality of charge rates and a billing algorithm which can classify each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories including categories for local calls, long distance calls and roaming calls, select a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculate an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and apply this appropriate charge to said account;

a system provider having one or more host processors for coordination of mobile phone accounts, wherein said host processor(s) stores mobile telephone unit information including mobile telephone unit identification information, operating codes needed for mobile telephone unit activation and operating codes needed for setting prepaid funds or available credit amounts in mobile telephone unit accounts whereby, upon receipt of mobile telephone unit identification information from a particular mobile telephone unit or its user, said host processor(s) ascertains the operating codes needed to activate that particular mobile telephone unit or set its account amount, whereupon appropriate operating codes are then communicated to the particular mobile phone unit or its user.

24. The telephone system of claim 23 wherein the host processor generated operating codes are communicated to the user by a system provider operator who has access to said host processor(s).

25. The telephone system of claim 23 wherein the user enters the operating codes received into the mobile phone unit by manually punching keys on the mobile phone unit.

26. The telephone system of claim 23 wherein host processor stored operating codes are communicated over the airwaves directly from the host processor to the mobile telephone unit.

27. The telephone system of claim 23 wherein telephone calls will be prevented from being made when the account has insufficient prepaid funds or available credit to initiate the next telephone call.

28. The telephone system of claim 23 further including a visual display of the remaining prepaid funds or available credit.

29. A telephone system comprising:

a plurality of cordless hand-held mobile telephone units, wherein each of said hand-held mobile telephone units includes a processor, memory and internal accounting software,

said internal accounting software including an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, a plurality of charge rates and a billing algorithm which can classify each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories, select a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculate an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and apply this appropriate charge from said account;

a system provider having one or more host processors for coordination of mobile phone accounts, said host processor(s) stores mobile telephone unit information including mobile telephone unit identification information, assignable telephone numbers, operating codes needed for mobile telephone unit activation and operating codes needed for setting prepaid funds or available credit amounts in mobile telephone unit accounts whereby, upon receipt of mobile telephone unit identification information from a particular mobile telephone unit or its user and, at the time of activation, information identifying the user'"'"'s locale, said host processor(s) ascertains the operating codes needed to activate that particular mobile telephone unit or to set its account amount and, at the time of activation, ascertains an assignable telephone number which corresponds to the mobile telephone user'"'"'s locale, whereupon appropriate operating codes and assignable telephone number are communicated to the particular mobile phone unit or its user.

30. A debit telephone system comprising:

a plurality of cordless hand-held mobile telephone units, wherein each of said hand-held mobile telephone units includes a processor, memory and internal accounting software,

said internal accounting software including an account with a representation of prepaid funds or available credit, a plurality of charge rates and a billing algorithm which can classify each telephone call into one of a plurality of billing categories including categories for local, long distance and roaming telephone calls, select a charge rate corresponding to that billing category, calculate an appropriate charge for that telephone call in real time by using said selected charge rate and subtract this appropriate charge from said account;

a system provider having one or more host processors for coordination of mobile phone accounts, said host processor(s) stores mobile telephone unit information including mobile telephone unit identification information, assignable telephone numbers, operating codes needed for mobile telephone unit activation and operating codes needed for setting prepaid funds or available credit amounts in mobile telephone unit accounts whereby, upon receipt of mobile telephone unit identification information from a particular mobile telephone unit or its user and, at the time of activation, information identifying the user'"'"'s locale, said host processor ascertains the operating codes needed to activate that particular mobile telephone unit or to set its account amount and, at the time of activation, ascertains an assignable telephone number which corresponds to the mobile telephone user'"'"'s locale, whereupon said operating codes and assignable telephone number are then communicated to the particular mobile phone unit or its user.