Mobile phone distribution system

• US 7,058,386 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telemac Corporation
• Original Assignee: Telemac Corporation
• Inventors: McGregor, Donald Scott, McGregor, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US10/251,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20030100290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/18, 455/405, 455/550.1, 455/411, 455/410
• 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 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• 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: H04M 2215/92 Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A mobile telephone programming and accounting system that includes an integrated hardware system interlinking a telephone unit, a telephone interlink receiver, and a central processing unit connected to the interlink receiver. The hardware system also preferably includes a receipt printer and a credit card reader. The telephone unit is preferably equipped with an internal real time clock and calendar circuit and memory store to record the time and date of calls for reporting to the central processing unit to enable tracking and detailed accounting of calls. The interlink receiver in the improved design includes a gang platform for programming multiple phone units, which may be phone units of different manufacturers, and provides for automatic programming of the multiple units and, in the retail distribution setting, programming the operating parameters and assignment of the phone unit to a service provider with encryption keys to reduce service churning.

Claims

1. A mobile phone programming and tracking system comprising:

a gang platform having a plurality of interface units, each interface unit configured to receive a mobile phone unit and transmit programming information to said mobile phone unit; and

an information processing unit connected to each of said gang platform interface units configured to control the gang platform interface units to simultaneously program a plurality of mobile phone units on an automated basis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of interface units include a plurality of interlink receivers.

3. The system of wherein claim 1 wherein one or more of the interface units receives instructions from said information processing unit for encrypting its corresponding mobile phone unit with an anti-churn code.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions received by each said mobile phone unit from said information processing unit include instructions for limiting use of said mobile phone unit when a predetermined credit amount is reached.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile phone units are programmed to collect call detail information for later transmission to the information processing unit.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions are modifiable to allow information unique to each mobile phone unit to be programmed.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a customer activation system connected to the information processing unit via a communication link, the customer activation system including customer information that is to be used to program operations for each of the plurality of mobile phone units with information which is specific to a particular customer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said information processing unit can initiate a polling routine directed to each of said interface units to determine whether a mobile phone unit is received within the interface unit.

9. A mobile phone programming and tracking system comprising:

a gang platform having a plurality of interface units, each interface unit configured to receive different types of mobile phone units and transmit programming information to its mobile phone unit; and

an information processing unit connected to each of said gang platform interface units configured to control the gang platform interface units to program a plurality of different types of mobile phone units on an automated basis in an way which is appropriate to each type of mobile phone unit.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the information processing unit can program different types of mobile phone units simultaneously.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said mobile phone units can be programmed to work with different telephone service providers.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein one or more of the interface units receives instructions from said information processing unit for encrypting its corresponding mobile phone unit with an anti-churn code.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the instructions received by each said mobile phone unit from said information processing unit include instructions for limiting use of said mobile phone unit when a predetermined credit amount is expended.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said mobile phone units are programmed to collect call detail information for later transmission to the information processing unit.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the instructions are modifiable to allow information unique to said type of mobile phone unit to be programmed.

16. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a customer activation system connected to the information processing unit via a communication link, the customer activation system including customer information that is to be used to program operations for each of the plurality of mobile phone units with information which is specific to a particular customer.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein said information processing unit can initiate a polling routine directed to each of said interface units to determine whether a mobile phone unit is received within the interface unit and, if so, what type of mobile phone unit it is.