Advanced air time management

• US 6,564,047 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobson, Jeremy, Murdock, Brett, Steele, Scott Alan, Alberth, William P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US09/648,776
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/435, 455/418, 455/410, 455/407, 455/414, 455/411, 455/461, 455/430, 455/403, 455/428, 379/58, 379/93.03, 379/283, 379/361, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/79 Virtual purses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method of communications usage management for multiple networked devices such as cellular telephones in a telecommunications network. A management database is provided for storing communications attributes for at least one networked device. The stored communications usage attributes serve as criteria for regulating access of the networked devices to the system. The users of the devices may purchase a quantity of transferable units, such as usage minutes over the system network, with the units being redeemable for goods and/or services on the system, thus facilitating transfer of units between users. A user interface is provided as a system management device for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the transfer and usage criteria. Communications usage software operable with the network devices computes usage times to provide an accounting of usage and regulation in accordance with the management database. In the described embodiment, short message service (SMS) traffic is used for messages between networked devices used by several users to purchase quantities of redeemable units for exchange, commercial activities, or recreation which may be facilitated through the system operator.

Claims

1. A system for communications usage management of multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a management database for storing communications usage attributes for at least one networked device, the stored communications usage attributes defining a plurality of criteria regulating access of the at least one networked device to the telecommunications network, wherein said management database provides a data structure for organizing the plurality of criteria into a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device, and wherein a limited access associated with at least one bin of said plurality of bins of air time is time based for regulating communications during a predefined period of time,

wherein at least one person is authorized to change entries in the management database;

a user interface operable as a system management device for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of the at least one networked device; and

communications usage software operable with the at least one networked device for computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network, said communications usage software providing an accounting of usage and regulating the usage in accordance to the management database, wherein when the at least one networked device attempts communications not allowed by the communications usage software, the at least one networked device facilitates sending a message to at least the at least one person authorized to change entries in the management database.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said management database provides a data structure for organizing the plurality of criteria into a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device according to an unrestricted bin, a restricted bin, and a forbidden bin.

3. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said management database associates the unrestricted bin with communications which the user may access on an unrestricted basis.

4. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said management database associates the restricted bin with communications to which the user has limited access.

5. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein said management database comprises a plurality of restricted bins.

6. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said management database comprises a forbidden bin defining communications which the user is prohibited from using in the absence of special authorization.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a cellular telephone wireless interface to the cellular telecommunications network.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a computer interface in communication with a network.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein said user interface comprises an internet link.

10. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said communications usage software is operable with each networked device for computing the usage minutes associated with each of the bins of allocated air time for each networked device.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored in the at least one networked device.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one person can use a networked device to change entries in the management database.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the attempted communication is allowed to proceed with permission from the at least one person authorized to change entries in the management database.

14. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one network device has at least one corresponding entry in the management database, the system further comprising a second network device that has at least one corresponding entry in the management database, wherein the user of the first at least one network device authorizes transfers from the at least one corresponding entry in the management database to the at least one entry in the management database corresponding to the second network device.

15. A method of communications usage management for multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

storing communications usage attributes in a management database for each networked device, the stored communications usage attributes defining a plurality of criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access of each networked device to the telecommunications network, wherein said plurality of criteria comprises a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device, and wherein at least one bin of time is limited by a predefined time period, allowing or prohibiting communications therein;

interfacing at least one networked device as a system management device operable for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of others of the multiple networked devices; and

computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network with communications usage software operable with each networked device to provide an accounting of usage minutes for each of the stored communications usage attributes with respect to each of the criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access of each networked device to the telecommunications network,

wherein multiple devices, each corresponding to at least one user may purchase a quantity of units, the units being redeemable for services on the communication system, wherein a user may cause units to be transferred to another user.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said storing step organizes the plurality of criteria in a data structure of the management database to provide a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device according to an unrestricted bin, a restricted bin, and a forbidden bin.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said storing step associates the unrestricted bin with communications which the user may access on an unrestricted basis.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said storing step associates the restricted bin with communications to which the user has limited access.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said storing step stores a plurality of restricted bins.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said storing step defines a forbidden bin for communications which the user is prohibited from using in the absence of special authorization with the interfacing step.

21. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said computing step computes the usage minutes associated with each of the bins of allocated air time for each networked device.

22. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the communication system supports games between a plurality of users, and airtime minutes are used as prizes in the games.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein at least one of the users participating in the game is the communication system operator of the telecommunications network.

24. A system for communications usage management of multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

means for storing communications usage attributes in a management database for each networked device, the management database using the communications usage attributes for defining a plurality of criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access to each networked device to the communications network, wherein said plurality of criteria comprises a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device, and wherein at least one bin of time is limited by a predefined time period, allowing or prohibiting communications therein;

means for interfacing at least one networked device as a system management device operable for accessing the storing means to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of others of the multiple networked devices; and

means for computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network with communications usage software operable with each networked device to provide an accounting of usage minutes for each of the stored communications usage attributes with respect to each of the criteria for allowing, forbidding, and limiting access of each networked device to the communications network.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said means for storing provides a data structure for organizing the plurality of criteria into a plurality of bins of air time associated with each networked device according to an unrestricted bin, a restricted bin, and a forbidden bin in the management database.

26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said means for interfacing comprises a cellular telephone wireless interface to the cellular telecommunications network.

27. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said user interface comprises an internet computer interface via the telecommunications network.

28. A system for communications usage management of multiple networked devices in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a management database for storing communications usage attributes for at least one networked device, the stored communications usage attributes defining a plurality of criteria regulating access of the at least one networked device to the telecommunications network, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored in the at least one networked device;

a user interface operable as a system management device for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the plurality of criteria of the at least one networked devices; and

communications usage software operable with the at least one networked device for computing the communications usage time for each networked device on the telecommunications network, said communications usage software providing an accounting of usage and regulating the usage in accordance to the management database,

wherein when the at least one networked device attempts communications not allowed by the communications usage software, the at least one networked device facilitates sending a request to at least one designated networked device authorized to change entries in the management database.