Secure valet telephone system apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A valet telephone system apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a dedicated wireless telephone assigned to a subscriberb. a central computer accessible by an operator, said central computer being configured to receive an outgoing call from said subscriber using said dedicated wireless telephone, said dedicated wireless telephone being configured to place said outgoing telephone call only to said central computer, said central computer being configured to connect said outgoing telephone call from said dedicated wireless telephone to said operator;
c. a private contact database accessible to said computer, said private contact database comprising a name of a private contact, a private contact location at which said private contact is to be reached and a private contact telephone number corresponding to said private contact location, said central computer being configured to allow said operator to connect said subscriber to said private contact at said private contact location as directed by said subscriber, said central computer being configured not to display said private contact telephone number to said operator, whereby said dedicated wireless telephone and said central computer are configured so that said outgoing call by said subscriber using said dedicated wireless telephone is completed only by said operator, wherein said private contact location is a one of a plurality of said private contact locations and wherein said private contact telephone number is a one of a plurality of said private contact telephone numbers, each of said plurality of said private contact locations having an associated one of said plurality of said private contact telephone numbers, said plurality of locations at which said private contact is to be reached being ranked by a time and a day of a week, whereby said operator will complete said outgoing call by said subscriber to a selected one of said ranked plurality of said locations at which said private contact is to be reached.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Invention is an apparatus and method of providing a valet telephone service. A dedicated wireless telephone is provided to a subscriber as a benefit of subscription. The dedicated wireless telephone will place calls only to and receive calls only from a service provider central computer. Incoming and outgoing calls to or from subscriber over said dedicated wireless telephone are screened or completed by an operator. Outgoing calls are completed by the operator to private contacts at locations ranked by time of day and day of the week. Incoming calls to subscriber are connected to subscriber at locations ranked by time of day and day of the week. Calls to subscriber outside telephone numbers are forwarded permanently to the central computer and screened by the operator.
81 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A valet telephone system apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a dedicated wireless telephone assigned to a subscriber b. a central computer accessible by an operator, said central computer being configured to receive an outgoing call from said subscriber using said dedicated wireless telephone, said dedicated wireless telephone being configured to place said outgoing telephone call only to said central computer, said central computer being configured to connect said outgoing telephone call from said dedicated wireless telephone to said operator; c. a private contact database accessible to said computer, said private contact database comprising a name of a private contact, a private contact location at which said private contact is to be reached and a private contact telephone number corresponding to said private contact location, said central computer being configured to allow said operator to connect said subscriber to said private contact at said private contact location as directed by said subscriber, said central computer being configured not to display said private contact telephone number to said operator, whereby said dedicated wireless telephone and said central computer are configured so that said outgoing call by said subscriber using said dedicated wireless telephone is completed only by said operator, wherein said private contact location is a one of a plurality of said private contact locations and wherein said private contact telephone number is a one of a plurality of said private contact telephone numbers, each of said plurality of said private contact locations having an associated one of said plurality of said private contact telephone numbers, said plurality of locations at which said private contact is to be reached being ranked by a time and a day of a week, whereby said operator will complete said outgoing call by said subscriber to a selected one of said ranked plurality of said locations at which said private contact is to be reached.
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2. A valet telephone system apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a dedicated wireless telephone assigned to a subscriber b. a central computer accessible by an operator, said central computer being configured to receive an outgoing call from said subscriber using said dedicated wireless telephone, said dedicated wireless telephone being configured to place said outgoing telephone call only to said central computer, said central computer being configured to connect said outgoing telephone call from said dedicated wireless telephone to said operator; c. a private contact database accessible to said computer, said private contact database comprising a name of a private contact, a private contact location at which said private contact is to be reached and a private contact telephone number corresponding to said private contact location, said central computer being configured to allow said operator to connect said subscriber to said private contact at said private contact location as directed by said subscriber, said central computer being configured not to display said private contact telephone number to said operator, whereby said dedicated wireless telephone and said central computer are configured so that said outgoing call by said subscriber using said dedicated wireless telephone is completed only by said operator, wherein said dedicated wireless telephone is configured to receive an incoming telephone call only from said central computer, said central computer being configured to receive said incoming call to said subscriber and to connect said operator to said incoming call, said central computer being configured to allow said operator to screen said incoming call and to connect said incoming call to said dedicated wireless telephone, whereby each said incoming call to said dedicated wireless telephone assigned to said subscriber is screened by said operator. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of providing a valet telephone service, the method comprising:
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a. traveling by a service provider representative to a location specified by a subscriber; b. inputting a plurality of contact names and a plurality of contact telephone numbers of said subscriber into a memory of a portable computing device; c. encrypting said plurality of contact names and contact telephone numbers to form an encrypted data file while said service provider representative is present at said location specified by said subscriber; d. placing said portable computing device in communication with a central computer using a direct dial wireline telephone connection while said service provider representative is present at said location specified by said subscriber; e. transmitting by said portable computing device of said encrypted data file to said central computer over said direct dial wireline telephone connection; f. performing an action while said service provider representative is present at said location specified by said subscriber, said action being selected from a list consisting of transferring ownership and custody of said portable computing device to said subscriber, removing physically said memory of said portable computing device and transferring ownership and custody of said memory to said subscriber, destroying said portable computing device memory, and erasing said portable computing device memory; g. storing by said central computer of said encrypted data file in encrypted form as a private contact database for said subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for providing a valet telephone service, the apparatus comprising:
- a central computer, said central computer being configured to store a private contact database associated with a subscriber, said private contact database including a name of a contact and a plurality of possible locations at which to reach said contact, each of said plurality of possible locations at which to reach said contact having an associated telephone number, said central computer being configured to display said plurality of said possible locations at which to reach said contact to an operator upon receipt by said central computer of an outgoing telephone call from said subscriber, said central computer being configured to display said plurality of possible locations at which to reach said contact to said operator in a ranked list, said central computer being configured to connect said outgoing call by said subscriber to a top-ranked possible location at which to reach said contact upon direction by said operator, said central computer being configured to re-rank said ranked list of said plurality of possible locations at which to reach said contact based upon receipt by said central computer of an incoming telephone call by said contact to said subscriber within a predetermined period of time prior to a time of said outgoing call by said subscriber to said contact.
- View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
Specification