Method for using radiotelephone terminal as remote control for automatic devices supplying fee-paying services

• US 7,330,719 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Societe Francaise De Radiotelephone SA (Altice Europe NV)
• Original Assignee: Societe Francaise Du Radiotelephone
• Inventors: Foucher, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US10/521,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20060160521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/414.1, 455/552.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

The invention concerns a method providing a user with the use of a radiotelephone terminal for remotely controlling automatic devices supplying fee-paying services. In particular, the invention concerns a method including a call by the user to a central server, the user dialing, using his terminal, a control number, storing the control number and the identification number of the terminal in a storage unit of the central server, followed by the central server freeing the line without disconnection, verifying the identification of the device at least based on the control number, verifying the user'"'"'s rights, then, in case of authorization for the user to use his terminal for remotely controlling a device. The method further includes transmission by the central server to the device a command for a specific operation, and execution of the operation by the device.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user (2) to use a radiotelephone terminal (1) as a remote control for an automatic device (3) providing one or more pay services, characterized in that it comprises:

a calling step from the user (2) to at least one central server (5), through the radiotelephone network, the user (2) dialling a control number with the help of his/her terminal (1),

a step for receiving the call without opening the line by the central server(s) (5), by using identification means and a memory (53) of the central server (5), in order to respectively identify and store the control number and the identification number of the terminal, followed by an end-of-communications step using means for hanging up without opening the line allowing the central server(s) (5) to hang up without having opened the line,

a step for identifying the device (3) at least from the control number,

a step for investigating and checking the rights of the user (2), then, if the user is authorized to use his/her terminal (1) for remotely controlling a device (3), a step for transmitting by the central server(s) (5) to the device (3), a command for a determined operation, and a step for executing the operation by the device (3).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control number is indicated to the user who wants to use his/her radiotelephone terminal (1) as a remote control for an automatic device (3), by a first interface (31) of the device (3) orally.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the control number is indicated to the user who wants to use his/her radiotelephone terminal (1) as a remote control for an automatic device (3), by a message written on a first interface (31) of the device (3).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step for identifying the device (3) consists of consulting, by the central server (5), a look-up table (52) between the control numbers and the types of devices (3), each device being unambiguously identified by a control number, and extracting the device (3) type from the look-up table (52), from the control number received by the central server (5).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step for identifying the device (3) consists of a step for querying the operator (6) by the central server (5) to be informed on the geographical localization of the user (2), i.e., a defined area covered by the base ground station(s) (4) near which the user (2) and the device (3) are found, followed by a step for consulting, by the central server (5), a look-up table (52) between the control numbers, the devices (3) and the geographical localization of the device (3), the device being unambiguously identified by a control number and a geographical localization, and extracting the device (3) type from the look-up table (52), from the control number received by the central server (5).

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the step for investigating and checking the rights of the user (2) consists of consulting, by the central server (5), a list of registered users (51), this list comprising identification numbers, notably the numbers of users (2) authorized to use their radiotelephone terminal (1) as a remote control for one or several determined automatic devices, and comparing the identification and control numbers received with the list of registered users.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, if the user is not authorized to use his/her radiotelephone terminal (1) as a remote control for the device (3), the central server (5) establishes a radiotelephone communication with the user (2) and notifies him/her that he/she is not authorized to use his/her radiotelephone terminal (1) as a remote control for the device (3).

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step for transmitting by the central server (5) to the device (3), a command for a determined operation, consists in sending an execution command message, through the radiotelephone network or through the wired network, in order to order the device (3) to execute the operation and in receiving the execution command message by a radiotelephone communications module (32) of the device (3).

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the device (3) executes the operation by means of a control module (33).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, if the device (3) proposes a single service, execution of the operation by the device (3) consists of the device (3) providing said service to the user (2).

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, if the device (3) proposes several services, a different control number being associated with each service, execution of the operation by the device (3) consists of the device (3) providing to the user (2) the service associated with the control number dialed by the user (2).

12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, if the device (3) proposes several services, a unique control number being associated with the device (3), execution of the operation by the device (3) consists of the device (3) enabling a second tactile interface of the device (3) so that the user selects a service, and in that the device (3) provides the service selected by the user (2).

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the device (3) has provided the desired service to the user (2), this step for executing the operation by the device (3) is followed by a step for storing the service provided by the device (3) in a memory (34) of the device (3), and by a step for billing the service by the radiotelephone operator (6) via the central server (5) and the device (3).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, the billing step consists in sending a successful operation execution message from the device (3), via its communications module (32), to the central server (5), the successful operation execution message comprising at least an identifier of the device (3), the performed service, the price of the service and the time at which the service was provided.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the successful operation execution message is stored in the memory (53) of the central server (5) and associated by the central server (5) with the identification number of the terminal (1) of the user (2), the central server (5) then sending to the operator (6), a message for billing the service to the user (2), the billing message comprising at least the identification number of the terminal of the user (2) and the price that the latter should pay.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the operator (6) stores the billing message in a memory (61) of the server of the operator (6).

17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the device (3) has not provided the desired service to the user (2), the device (3) uses its first interface (31) to inform the user (2) that an error occurred, and sends an error message to the central server (5), the error message comprising at least an identifier of the device (3), the service which was desired, and the time at which the error occurred.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, the central server (5) stores the error message in its memory (53) and sends an information message to the user (2) through the radiotelephone network to inform him/her that an error occurred.