System for facilitating use of a single telecommunication device by multiple users

• US 8,131,255 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Bradburn, Travis L., Parks, Jason J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US12/511,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20110028123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users

Abstract

A system for facilitating the use of a single telecommunication device by multiple users is disclosed herein. The system includes, but is not limited to, a telecommunication component that is adapted for attachment to a vehicle and that is configured to utilize a telecommunication network that is configured to allot a predetermined amount of usage time units to the telecommunication component. The system also includes an electronic processing device that is associated with the telecommunication component. The electronic processing device is configured to allocate a portion of the usage time units to each user of a plurality of users of the telecommunication component.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating use of a single telecommunication device by multiple users, the system comprising:

a telecommunication component adapted for attachment to a vehicle and configured to utilize a telecommunication network that is configured to allot usage time units to the telecommunication component; and

an electronic processing device associated with the telecommunication component, the electronic processing device being configured to allocate a portion of the allotted usage time units to each user of a plurality of users of the telecommunication component.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic processing device includes a register configured to decrement the portion of the usage time units allocated to each user as each user uses the telecommunication component to utilize the telecommunication network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to associate a respective security password with a respective user, and to prevent use of the portion of the usage time units allocated to the respective user until the respective security password has been received by the electronic processing device.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an internet web site in communication with the electronic processing device, the internet web site being configured to permit at least one of the plurality of users to specify a size of the portion of the usage time units to be allocated to each user.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit a designation of a primary user and to permit the primary user to use the portion of the usage time units allocated to each of the users.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit the primary user to designate a size of each portion of the usage time units.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit the primary user to change the size of each portion of the usage time units.

8. A system for facilitating use of a single telecommunication device by multiple users, the system comprising:

a telecommunication network configured to allot usage time units to a telecommunication device;

a telecommunication component adapted for attachment to a vehicle and configured to utilize the telecommunication network; and

an electronic processing device associated with one of the telecommunication network and the telecommunication component, the electronic processing device being configured to allocate a portion of the allotted usage time units that have been allotted to the telecommunication component to each user of a plurality of users of the telecommunication component.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the electronic processing device is associated with the telecommunication network.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the electronic processing device includes a register configured to decrement the portion of the usage time units allocated to each user as each user uses the telecommunication component to utilize the telecommunication network.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to associate a respective security password with a respective user, and to prevent use of the portion of the usage time units allocated to the respective user until the respective security password has been received by the electronic processing device.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising an internet web site in communication with the electronic processing device, the internet web site being configured to permit at least one of the plurality of users to specify a size of the portion of the usage time units to be allocated to each user.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit a designation of a primary user and to permit the primary user to use the portion of the usage time units allocated to each of the users.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit the primary user to designate a size of each portion of the usage time units.

15. A system for facilitating use of a single telecommunication device by multiple users, the system comprising:

a telecommunication component adapted for attachment to a vehicle and configured to utilize a telecommunication network that is configured to allot usage time units to the telecommunication component;

a call center configured to interface between the telecommunication component and the telecommunication network to facilitate allotment of the usage time units to the telecommunication component; and

an electronic processing device associated with one of the telecommunication component and the call center, the electronic processing device being configured to allocate a portion of the allotted usage time units to each user of a plurality of users of the telecommunication component.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the electronic processing device is associated with the call center.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to associate a respective security password with a respective user, and to prevent use of the portion of the usage time units allocated to the respective user until the respective security password has been received by the electronic processing device.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit a designation of a primary user and to permit the primary user to use the portion of the usage time units allocated to each of the users.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the electronic processing device is further configured to permit the primary user to designate a size of each portion of the usage time units.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising an internet web site in communication with the electronic processing device, the internet web site being configured to permit at least one of the plurality of users to specify a size of the portion of the usage time units to be allocated to each user.