Techniques for monitoring mobile telecommunications for shared accounts

• US 7,280,816 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Northern Research, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hampton, Deborah A., Fratti, Roger A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Danh
• Application Number:
  US11/022,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20060141994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/407, 455/41.2, 455/420, 455/558, 455/408, 455/406, 370/335, 370/338, 370/328, 379/114.01, 379/114.05
• US Class Current: 455/405
• 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 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques for monitoring mobile communications. In one aspect, a method of monitoring mobile telephone usage is provided. The method comprises the step of relaying usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones to one or more other mobile telephones.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring mobile telephone usage of an account comprising at least one primary account and at least one sub-account, the method comprising the steps of:

relaying usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account to one or more other mobile telephones comprising said at least one primary account; and

facilitating said at least one primary account to monitor mobile telephone usage of said one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account, wherein said at least one sub-account is associated with a telephone that is different than a telephone that is primarily associated with said at least one primary account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information comprises one or more of use duration, use count, minutes remaining in calling plan, text message content, telephone numbers to which calls were placed, telephone numbers from which calls were received, telephone numbers to which text messages were sent, telephone numbers from which text messages were received, electronic mail addressed to which text messages were sent and electronic mail addresses from which text messages were received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is relayed to the one or more other mobile telephones comprising said at least one primary account by a network service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information is relayed to a plurality of primary accounts, two or more of which share usage information with each other.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining that the one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account are part of a shared account.

6. An apparatus for monitoring mobile telephone usage, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

relay usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account to one or more other mobile telephones comprising said at least one primary account; and

facilitate said at least one primary account to monitor mobile telephone usage of said one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account, wherein said at least one sub-account is associated with a telephone that is different than a telephone that is primarily associated with said at least one primary account.

7. An article of manufacture for monitoring mobile telephone usage, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

relaying usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account to one or more other mobile telephones comprising said at least one primary account; and

facilitating said at least one primary account to monitor mobile telephone usage of said one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account, wherein said at least one sub-account is associated with a telephone that is different than a telephone that is primarily associated with said at least one primary account.

8. A method of monitoring mobile telephone usage, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account;

presenting the usage information to at least one user comprising said at least one primary account; and

facilitating said at least one user to monitor mobile telephone usage of said one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account, wherein said at least one sub-account is associated with a telephone that is different than a telephone that is primarily associated with said at least one primary account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user through a user-definable interface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user through a user-definable interface comprising one or more of a visual display and an audio display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the usage information is presented via an internet connection.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user through a user-definable visual display comprising one or more of bar charts, pie charts, graphs, tables and numerical displays.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the usage information is presented on a display portion of a mobile telephone.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user through a user-definable audio display comprising one or more of spoken words, tones and audible code.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of the at least one user modifying mobile telephone service based at least in part on the usage information.

16. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

obtain usage information pertaining to one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account;

present the usage information to at least one user comprising said at least one primary account; and

facilitate said at least one user to monitor mobile telephone usage of said one or more mobile telephones comprising at least one of at least one primary account and at least one sub-account, wherein said at least one sub-account is associated with a telephone that is different than a telephone that is primarily associated with said at least one primary account.

17. The mobile telephone of claim 16, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user through a user-definable interface comprising one or more of a visual display and an audio display.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 16, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user though a user-definable visual display comprising one or more of bat charts, pie charts, graphs, tables and numerical displays.

19. The mobile telephone of claim 16, wherein the usage information is presented to the at least one user through a user-definable audio display comprising one or more of spoken words, tones and audible code.

20. The mobile telephone of claim 18, wherein the usage information is presented on a display of said mobile telephone.