Apparatus and method for providing reduced cost cellular service

• US 7,054,642 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meadows, Vernon, Matz, William R., O'Neil, Douglas R., Bacon, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai
• Application Number:
  US10/260,262
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/438, 455/405, 455/406, 455/432.1, 455/455, 455/450, 455/422.1, 455/439, 455/453, 455/445, 455/560, 455/452.1, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing telephone service to transient or inaccessible customers include a stationary cellular telephone that operates like a land-line telephone in that its use is restricted to a single geographic area, such a house address. The stationary cellular telephone can only handoff between cell sites that are associated with the geographic area. The stationary cellular telephone can place calls using only cell sites in a list of permissible cell sites that is maintained at the network level. The stationary cellular telephone is activated by sending customer, device, and/or location identifiers to an activation center via a telephone call. The activation center validates service, and downloads the list of permissible cell sites to the stationary cellular telephone. Dynamic rates provide opportunities for further reduction in the cost of service, with real-time notification of capacity based pricing, and service levels that vary according to network capacity.

Claims

1. A cellular device for placing and receiving telephone calls from a predetermined and fixed geographic area, comprising:

a memory including a set of permissible cell site identifiers;

a baseband processor including operability to handoff to any cell site that corresponds to any of the permissible cell site identifiers; and

a transmitter for sending an originating cell site identifier to a switching center in response to a user'"'"'s attempt to place a telephone call so that the switching center verifies that the originating cell site identifier is in the set of permissible cell site identifiers before the switching center permits the telephone call to be routed to its intended recipient;

wherein the set of permissible cell site identifiers is based on identifying information that includes a physical address associated with the owner of the cellular device.

2. The cellular device of claim 1, wherein the physical address is established at the time the cellular device is activated.

3. The cellular device of claim 1, wherein the cellular device is located in a predetermined and fixed geographic area.

4. A cellular device for placing and receiving telephone calls from a predetermined and fixed geographic area, comprising:

a memory including a set of permissible cell site identifiers;

a baseband processor including operability to handoff to any cell site that corresponds to any of the permissible cell site identifiers; and

a transmitter for sending an originating cell site identifier to a switching center in response to a user'"'"'s attempt to place a telephone call so that the switching center verifies that the originating cell site identifier is in the set of permissible cell site identifiers before the switching center permits the telephone call to be routed to its intended recipient;

wherein the set of permissible cell site identifiers is based on identifying information that includes a physical address associated with the owner of the cellular device; and

wherein the physical address is established at the time the cellular device is activated.