Tracking and notification of telephone plan minute status

• US 7,310,415 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T BLS Intelectual Property Inc (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Short, Shannon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/943,109
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.28, 379/128, 379/130, 379/140, 379/131, 379/114.2, 455/405, 455/550, 455/406, 455/426.1, 455/432.1, 705/1, 705/400
• US Class Current: 379/130
• 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 15/18 according to duration of the call , or the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home

Abstract

A method and system for tracking telephone usage and notifying a user of his telephone usage includes a software program for tracking telephone usage based on the time and day that a phone call is made. The software program designates a timer for tracking phone usage. The timer has a time block and a time usage variable associated therewith. When a call is made, the time used by the call is recorded to the time usage variable if the call was made within the time block. The user may then be notified of how much time has been used. The software may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on the user'"'"'s telephone.

Claims

1. A method for tracking telephone plan minute status, comprising:

initializing a first timer, having timer information, including a time block designation having time limits and a timer usage variable, associated therewith, wherein the time block designation comprises a predetermined period of time comprising a portion of a twenty-four hour period for which the telephone plan provides a finite number of minutes for making calls during a recurring period, the recurring period comprising at least one of the following;

a calendar day, a calendar week, and a calendar month;

adding time used by a call to the timer usage variable when the call was made within the time block designation associated with the first timer; and

notifying a user of predefined timer information wherein the predefined timer information includes the time limits minus a value of the timer usage variable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a second timer, having timer information, including a second time block designation and a second timer usage variable, associated therewith wherein the first timer usage variable and the second timer usage variable can accumulate time simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined timer information includes the value associated with the timer usage variable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user time block information to initialize a timer.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

setting each time block designation associated with each timer based on a time block defined by a calling plan structure.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein each time block designation associated with each timer comprises at least one beginning time and at least one ending time.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein each time block designation associated with each timer comprises at least one beginning date and at least one beginning time and at least one ending date and at least one ending time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the timer usage variable.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

resetting the timer usage variable periodically.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said notifying further comprises:

sending an electronic message to the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said notifying further comprises:

transmitting timer information on a computer network to the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said notifying further comprises:

receiving a user request for timer information through a voice mail system; and

transmitting timer information to the user through the voice mail system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

protecting the predefined timer information with a user password.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging a fee to access the predefined timer information.

15. A computer-implemented system for tracking telephone plan minute status, comprising:

means for initiating a timer, wherein the timer has information, including a time block designation having a time limit and a timer usage variable, associated therewith, wherein the time block designation comprises a predetermined period of time comprising a portion of a twenty-four hour period for which the telephone plan provides a finite number of minutes for making calls during a recurring period, the recurring period comprising at least one of the following;

a calendar day, a calendar week, and a calendar month;

means for adding time used by a call to the timer usage variable when the call was made within the time block designation associated with the timer; and

means for notifying a user of predefined timer information wherein the predefined timer information includes the time limit minus a value of the timer usage variable.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the predefined timer information includes the value of the timer usage variable.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for resetting the timer usage variable periodically.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for protecting information associated with the timer with a password.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a computer network in communication with the computer and configured for allowing the user to access the predefined timer information.

20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for tracking telephone plan minute status, the method comprising:

initializing a first timer, having timer information, including a time block designation having time limits and a timer usage variable, associated therewith, wherein the time block designation comprises a predetermined period of time comprising a portion of a twenty-four hour period for which the telephone plan provides a finite number of minutes for making calls during a recurring period, the recurring period comprising at least one of the following;

a calendar day, a calendar week, and a calendar month;

adding time used by a call to the timer usage variable when the call was made within the time block designation associated with the first timer; and

notifying a user of predefined timer information wherein the predefined timer information includes the time limits minus a value of the timer usage variable.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises initializing a second timer, having timer information, including a second time block designation and a second timer usage variable, associated therewith wherein the first timer usage variable and the second timer usage variable are enabled to accumulate time simultaneously.

22. A method for tracking telephone plan minute status, comprising:

initializing a first timer, having timer information, including a user-defined time block designation having time limits and a timer usage variable, associated therewith, the time limits comprising time values entered by a user in a user interface, the time values comprising beginning and ending times for the time block;

adding time used by a call to the timer usage variable when the call was made within the time block designation associated with the first timer; and

notifying a user of predefined timer information wherein the predefined timer information includes the time limits minus a value of the timer usage variable.