Method for tracking outgoing telephone calls for multiple maritime vessels

• US 6,834,188 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Govind Prasad Menon
• Original Assignee: Govind Prasad Menon
• Inventors: Menon, Govind Prasad
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D
• Application Number:
  US10/054,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/427, 455/428, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/13.3, 455/98, 455/450, 455/406, 455/422
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A method of using a satellite based handheld phone system for generating a telephone call from a maritime vessel using a handheld unit.

Claims

1. A method of using a satellite based handheld phone system for generating a telephone call from a maritime vessel using a handheld unit comprising a dial pad, transmit button, disconnect button, lifetime timer and a call control button and an integral antennae, a base secured to said maritime vessel for cradling said handheld unit, and an antennae secured to said maritime vessel for receiving calls initiated from said handheld unit and transmitting them to a satellite phone network, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

(i) dialing a desired number on the dial pad of the handheld unit to initiate a telephone call and pressing the transmit button;

(ii) transmitting from said handheld unit to the antennae secured to the maritime vessel;

(iii) transmitting from the antennae to a satellite phone network;

(iv) communicating from the satellite phone network to a voice server;

(v) connecting from the voice server to a local country voice server to connect with the target phone number for a specific duration;

(vi) disconnecting from the target phone number when the specific duration is complete by engaging the disconnect button;

(vii) using said call control button for viewing the specific duration of said telephone call;

(viii) tracking each initiated and completed telephone call with a user log, wherein said user log comprises;

a date of the telephone call, a UTC time when the telephone call was initiated, a code assigned to a user of the handheld unit, the target number, the duration of the call;

a cost for the call, and a maritime vessel identification number;

(ix) creating a monthly report of all telephone calls made with a given maritime vessel identification number denoting a date for each telephone call, a UTC time when the telephone call was initiated, a code assigned to a user of the handheld unit, each target number, the duration of each call, and a cost for each call;

(x) using the lifetime timer to view the total duration of all telephone calls made from the handheld unit;

(xi) correlating the monthly report with the lifetime timer to determine if there is any unallocated time and the cost associated with that time;

(xii) computing the cost for each code assigned to a user of the satellite based phone system and creating a cost report;

(xiii) using the cost report to deduct the cost associated with a particular code from pay of the user corresponding to that particular code; and

(xiv) using the cost report to deduct the cost of any unallocated time from a pre-established credit for the maritime vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of a satellite telephone company providing a report indicating the date, UTC time, country location, target number, via email on the simcard number of the handheld unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the code of the caller comprises 2 digits of a passport number, a two-digit rank for a caller on the maritime vessel, and identification number of the maritime vessel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the maritime vessel'"'"'s identification number is one of a related group of numbers assigned to an owner.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a software program installed on a PC of the maritime vessel'"'"'s for computing the various reports.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said maritime vessel is a drilling platform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said maritime vessel is a moveable floating vessel selected from the group consisting of ships, tugs, semi-submersible tenders, hovercrafts, hydrofoils, tankers, boats, luxury yachts and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said base is permanently secured to the maritime vessel.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of maritime vessels, each having a satellite based handheld phone system installed thereon.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said antennae is a fixed mast antennae.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said duration of the telephone call and the lifetime timer utilize minutes for tracking purposes.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the monthly report is faxed to the satellite phone network prior to correlation with the lifetime timer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the monthly report is emailed to the maritime vessel for correlation with the lifetime timer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the monthly report is used by the satellite telephone network to produce an invoice to each maritime vessel.

15. The method of claim 1, where all inbound telephone calls are blocked.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising a locking feature on the hand held unit to prevent electronic use of the handheld unit.