Hands free calling system for telematics users using a network-based pre-pay system

• US 8,565,837 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Yi, Ki Hak, Madhavan, Sethu K., Cepuran, Lawrence D., Holt, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/959,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-411, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 4554561-457, 455/466, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths

Abstract

The described invention provides a method and system for allowing subscribers of a telematics service provider (TSP) to make hands-free phone calls within their vehicles through a telematics unit over a network or hardware-based pre-pay system, wherein the telematics unit or a wireless network provider associated with the TSP controls the ingoing and outgoing hands-free calling (HFC) processes. The wireless network provider, through its system at a remote call center or through the telematics unit, may determine whether the subscriber has subscribed to the TSP'"'"'s HFC service, whether the subscriber has a sufficient remaining balance to initiate, receive or continue a call, and whether a user of the telematics unit is “roaming.” When a user attempts to make or receive a call through the telematics unit, the wireless network provider or the telematics unit may handle the incoming or outgoing call processing, and may further provide subscriber account balance notifications to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing pre-pay hands-free calling (HFC) services to a subscriber of a telematics service provider (TSP) through a telematics unit over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a service provider, from the telematics unit over the network, at least one of an outgoing call request and an incoming, call request;

determining, at the service provider, whether the user of the telematics unit is connected to one of a home network and a visited network;

determining, at the service provider, an account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account;

sending, to the telematics unit over the network, authorization to connect a call between a user of the telematics unit and another party, if the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is greater than a predetermined threshold amount;

monitoring, at the service provider while the call is connected, whether the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is sufficient to continue to the call; and

sending, to the telematics unit over the network, a command to terminate the call if a condition from a group of conditions is satisfied, the group consisting of;

the service provider receives an end call request from the telematics unit indicating at least one of the user and the another party has requested the call be terminated, at least one of the user and the another party disconnects from the call, and the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is insufficient to continue the call;

wherein the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account and the predetermined threshold amount are measured in at least one of units of time and units of currency;

wherein the predetermined threshold amount is based on whether the user of the telematics unit is connected to one of a home network and a visited network; and

wherein the monitoring comprises;

deducting, at the service provider, at regular intervals while the call is connected, a predetermined amount from the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account to update the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account, wherein the predetermined amount corresponds to the length of the interval, and

comparing the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account after the deduction to the predetermined threshold amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is at least one of a 2G GSM network and a 3G WCDMA network.

3. A method for providing pre-pay hands-free calling (HFC) services to a subscriber of a telematics service provider (TSP) through a telematics unit over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a service provider, from the telematics unit over the network, at least one of an outgoing call request and an incoming call request;

determining, at the service provider, whether the user of the telematics unit is connected to one of a home network and a visited network;

determining, at the service provider, an account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account;

sending, to the telematics unit over the network, authorization to connect a call between a user of the telematics unit and another party, if the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is greater than a predetermined threshold amount;

sending, to the telematics unit, information regarding the subscriber'"'"'s remaining account balance, wherein the telematics unit further communicates the information to the user, in at least one of the group of situations consisting of;

after determining whether the account balance is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold;

when the call connection is terminated; and

upon request by the user through the telematics;

monitoring, at the service provider while the call is connected, whether the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is sufficient to continue to the call; and

sending, to the telematics unit over the network, a command to terminate the call if at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;

the service provider receives an end call request from the telematics unit indicating at least one of the user and the another party has requested the call be terminated,

at least one of the user and the another party disconnects from the call, and

the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is insufficient to continue to the call;

wherein the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account and the predetermined threshold amount are measured in at least one of units of time and units of currency; and

wherein the predetermined threshold amount is based on whether the user of the telematics unit is connected to one of a home network and a visited network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the network is at least one of a 2G GSM network and a 3G WCDMA network.

5. A system for providing pre-pay hands-free calling (HFC) services to a subscriber of a telematics service provider (TSP) through a telematics unit over a network, the system comprising:

a vehicle equipped with a telematics unit, wherein the telematics unit is adapted to send and receive data to and from a service provider and connect calls between a user of the telematics unit and another party over a network; and

a service provider adapted to send and receive data to and from the telematics unit and to store and access information regarding a subscriber'"'"'s account the service provider being configured to include a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for carrying out the steps of a method comprising;

receiving, at a service provider, from the telematics unit over the network, at least one of an outgoing call request and an incoming call request;

determining, at the service provider, an account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account;

determining, at the service provider, whether the user of the telematics unit is connected to one of a home network and a visited network;

sending, to the telematics unit over the network, authorization to connect a call between a user of the telematics unit and another party, if the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is greater than a predetermined threshold amount;

monitoring, at the service provider while the call is connected, whether the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is sufficient to continue to the call; and

sending, to the telematics unit over the network, a command to terminate the call if a condition from a group of conditions is satisfied, the group consisting of;

the service provider receives an end call request from the telematics unit indicating at least one of the user and the another party has requested the call be terminated, at least one of the user and the another party disconnects from the call, and the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account is insufficient to continue the call;

wherein the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account and the predetermined threshold amount are measured in at least one of units of time and units of currency;

wherein the predetermined threshold amount is based on whether the user of the telematics unit is connected to one of a home network and a visited network, and

wherein the monitoring comprises;

deducting, at the service provider, at regular intervals while the call is connected, a predetermined amount from the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account to update the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account, wherein the predetermined amount corresponds to the length of the interval, and

comparing the account balance of the subscriber'"'"'s account after the deduction to the predetermined threshold amount.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network is at least one of a 2G GSM network and a 3G WCDMA network.