Telephone call management system and method

• US 20010044325A1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Metro One Telecommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: Huey, Christopher A., Cox, Patrick M., Powell, A. Peter, Kepler, Michael A., Filliger, Paul W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A call management system is provided to manage the use of specified wireless telephones in order to limit or manage their use for unofficial calls and to report on official as well as unofficial uses. Calls originated from or directed to a controlled wireless telephone are routed to a call management center from a wireless central office. The call management center determines whether the call is approved by consulting a database of approved telephone numbers. If the call is approved it is completed normally. If the call is not approved, the caller is prompted to provide an access code. The call is completed if the access code matches a predetermined security code. Customizable exception reports are generated to reflect unofficial usage, incorrect access attempts, and other detailed information concerning the use of the specified wireless telephones.

Claims

1. A method of controlling calls from a wireless telephone having a control number, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call at a switching center from the wireless telephone in a first telephone network directed to a destination telephone having a destination telephone number in a second telephone network;

searching a first database of control numbers in the switching center for the control number associated with the wireless telephone;

connecting the call across a first communication link to a call management center if the control number is found in said first database;

searching a second database of control numbers in the call management center for the control number, each control number in said second database being associated with one or more telephone numbers;

determining whether the destination telephone number is associated with the control number in said second database;

if the destination telephone number is not associated with the control number in said second database, receiving an access code from the wireless telephone;

connecting the call across a second communication link to a central office in the second telephone network; and

connecting the call through the second telephone network to the destination telephone.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the step of releasing the call across the first communication link if the access code is not associated with the control number in a third database of control numbers in the call management center.

3. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the step of receiving an account number from the wireless telephone.

4. The method of

claim 3

further comprising the step of generating a report of the call, said report including the destination telephone number, access code, and account number.

5. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a third database of control numbers in the call management center, each control number in said third database being associated with one or more security codes; and

determining whether the access code received from the wireless telephone matches a security code associated with the control number in said third database.

6. The method of

claim 5

wherein said second database comprises said third database.

7. The method of

claim 5

wherein the access code received from the wireless telephone does not match a security code associated with the control number in said third database, further comprising the step of restricting the wireless telephone.

8. The method of

claim 7

wherein the restricting step comprises rejecting an attempted call from the wireless telephone to the destination telephone.

9. The method of

claim 7

wherein the restricting step comprises rejecting an attempted call from the wireless telephone to a telephone having an associated telephone number that does not match one of the telephone numbers associated with the control number in said second database.

10. The method of

claim 7

wherein the restricting step comprises rejecting all attempted calls from the wireless telephone.

11. A method of controlling calls from wireless telephones at a call management center comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number being associated with one or more pre-approved telephone numbers;

receiving a call from a caller using a wireless telephone having a controlled telephone number, the call being directed to a destination telephone having a destination telephone number;

identifying said controlled telephone number of the wireless telephone;

determining whether the call is pre-approved; and

connecting the call to the destination telephone if the call is pre-approved.

12. The method of

claim 11

wherein the call is not pre-approved, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a second database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number in said second database being associated with one or more access codes;

alerting the caller that the call is not pre-approved;

receiving an access code from the caller; and

determining whether said received access code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

13. The method of

claim 12

further comprising the step of connecting the call to the destination telephone if said received access code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

14. The method of

claim 11

wherein the call is not pre-approved, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a second database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number in said second database being associated with one or more caller codes, wherein each caller code identifies one or more callers;

alerting the caller that the call is not pre-approved;

receiving a caller code with which to identify the caller; and

determining whether said received caller code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

15. The method of

claim 14

further comprising the step of connecting the call to the destination telephone if said received caller code is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database.

16. The method of

claim 11

wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

searching said first database of controlled telephone numbers for said identified controlled telephone number;

retrieving a record in said first database corresponding to said identified controlled telephone number; and

determining whether the destination telephone number matches one of said one or more pre-approved telephone numbers associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said first database.

17. The method of

claim 11

in which said connecting step comprises connecting the call to the destination telephone only if the destination telephone number is associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said first database of controlled telephone numbers.

18. The method of

claim 12

in which said first database of controlled telephone numbers comprises said second database of controlled telephone numbers.

19. The method of

claim 12

further comprising the steps of:

determining that said received access code does not match one of said one or more access codes associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said second database of controlled telephone numbers; and

disabling the wireless telephone.

20. The method of

claim 19

wherein said disabling step comprises disallowing calls from the wireless telephone to destination telephones having destination telephone numbers that do not match any of said one or more pre-approved telephone numbers associated with said identified controlled telephone number in said first database.

21. The method of

claim 19

wherein said disabling step comprises disabling the wireless telephone for a predetermined period of time.

22. The method of

claim 11

further comprising the steps of:

receiving an account code from the caller; and

generating a report of the call, wherein the call is assigned to said account code.

23. The method of

claim 22

wherein said account code identifies a party financially responsible for the call.

24. The method of

claim 11

further comprising the step of recording the call at the call management center.

25. A method of controlling calls placed to a wireless telephone, the wireless telephone having a corresponding control number, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database of control numbers, each control number being associated with one or more pre-approved telephone numbers corresponding to originating telephones that are approved for making calls to the corresponding wireless telephone;

receiving a call at a call management center, the call being addressed to a destination party at the wireless telephone by a caller at an originating telephone;

identifying a telephone number of the originating telephone;

determining whether the call is approved; and

connecting the call to the wireless telephone if the call is approved.

26. The method of

claim 25

further comprising the steps of:

storing a security code in said database with the control number corresponding to the wireless telephone;

eliciting an access code from the destination party;

comparing said access code to said security code; and

if said access code matches said security code, completing the call to the wireless telephone.

27. The method of

claim 25

further comprising the steps of:

recording a message from the caller; and

playing said message for the destination party.

28. The method of

claim 25

further comprising the step of providing the destination party with the telephone number.

29. The method of

claim 25

further comprising the step of disconnecting the call from the call management center if said access code does not match said security code.

30. The method of

claim 26

further comprising the step of disabling all calls to the wireless telephone from the originating telephone if said access code does not match said security code.

31. The method of

claim 25

further comprising the step of recording the call at the call management center.

32. A method of managing the use of controlled telephones at a call management center, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database of controlled telephone numbers, each controlled telephone number being associated with an access code and one or more pre-approved telephone numbers;

receiving a call between a controlled telephone having a controlled telephone number and a telephone having a telephone number; and

determining whether said call is pre-approved.

33. The method of

claim 32

, in which said call is not pre-approved, the method further comprising the steps of:

indicating that the call is not pre-approved;

receiving an access code; and

determining whether said received access code is associated with said controlled telephone number in said database.

34. The method of

claim 33

further comprising the step of completing the call if said received access code is associated with said controlled telephone number.

35. The method of

claim 32

in which said determining step comprises the steps of:

searching said database of controlled telephone numbers for said controlled telephone number;

retrieving a record in said database corresponding to said controlled telephone number; and

determining whether said telephone number matches one of said one or more pre-approved telephone numbers in said database record.

36. The method of

claim 32

further comprising the step of disconnecting said call from the call management center if said call is not pre-approved.

37. The method of

claim 32

further comprising the steps of:

completing said call; and

generating a report of the call.

38. The method of

claim 33

further comprising the steps of:

completing said call only if said received access code is associated with said controlled telephone number in said database of controlled telephone numbers; and

disconnecting said call from the call management center if said received access code is not associated with said controlled telephone number in said database of controlled telephone numbers.

39. The method of

claim 32

wherein said call is directed from the controlled telephone to the telephone.

40. The method of

claim 32

wherein said call is directed to the controlled telephone from the telephone.

41. The method of

claim 32

further comprising the step of receiving an account number to which said call is to be assigned.

42. The method of

claim 32

wherein the controlled telephone is a wireless telephone.