Airtime usage limiting system

Details Airtime usage limiting system Airtime usage limiting system

1999-10-15

2002-08-27

Nguyen, Lee (Department: 2683)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Radiotelephone equipment detail

C455S407000, C455S411000, C379S200000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06442406

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to an internal limiting system on a cellular telephone.
BACKGROUND
Charges for cellular telephones are often conducted on an airtime basis where the user is charged based on how much airtime is used. User's can often subscribe to a plan in which they get a certain amount of included airtime, after which the charge for the airtime can increase.
In addition, sometimes a user can lend their cellular telephone to another person. One concern is that the other person abuses this by using more call airtime than is intended.
Systems are known, such as prepaid systems, in which the user pays for a certain amount of time. After that time expires, the user can make no further use of the telephone. However, once this time is used up, no one can use the phone. In the case of lending the telephone to one's children, the children could use all of the available time to call their friends, and then would have no time left. The children could not use the phone to call home or receive calls from home.
SUMMARY
The present application, in recognition of the above, defines a cellular telephone with a user interface that allows setting limits on calls. According to the present system, a predetermined limit is placed on at least one of maximum time a call can last, and/or maximum use of the telephone. The limit is placed for an interval and automatically expires at the end of the interval. However, certain telephone calls to specified numbers are allowed even after those limits have expired.
At the end of the interval, the limits are terminated and calls can again be made using the phone. This prevents the user from needing to reset the telephone after, for example, lending it to someone.
This allows the user to set limits on the telephone usage. Those limits persist only for the interval. After the interval, the limits are reset.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4908848 (1990-03-01), Hanawa
patent: 4924499 (1990-05-01), Serby
patent: 5062134 (1991-10-01), Laird
patent: 5438612 (1995-08-01), Norimatsu
patent: 5862470 (1999-01-01), Damghani
patent: 5995823 (1999-11-01), Stephens

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