Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-10
2002-03-05
Hunter, Daniel (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C455S422100, C455S414200, C455S406000, C455S407000, C455S408000, C455S415000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353736
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information communication terminal with a charging management function which has a message originating function and, more particularly, to an information communication terminal with a charging management function, such as a radio pager, which has a destination pager call number directory (to be simply referred to as a telephone number directory hereinafter) function, an outgoing message creation function, and a tone dialer originating function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional information communication terminal such as a radio pager having a message originating function is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 06-209276. The disclosed technique provides an information communication terminal that can be used as a data transmission apparatus or auxiliary data transmission apparatus, which is used by a general user to provide information through the transmitter of a telephone set after creating a message containing character information to be transmitted, and converting the outgoing message information into a DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) signal.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram schematically showing the overall arrangement of the above information communication terminal as a prior art.
A radio signal from a radio base station is received through an antenna
101
. A radio section
102
demodulates the modulated signal. A decoder
103
checks whether the selective call number of the self-receiver coincides with the signal demodulated by the radio section
102
, and extracts call discrimination information and an information bit. The selective call number of the self-receiver is stored in an EEP-PROM
104
.
A key input section
105
outputs instructions based on various keys to a control section
106
. The control section
106
performs control on the basis of information from a memory storing various control programs, a timer, an input register for holding key input operation in the key input section
105
, and a peripheral interface. A conversion table
107
stores a unique matrix character table for converting character data into numerical data. A reverse conversion table
108
stores a unique matrix character table for converting numerical data into character data. A CG section
109
stores pattern data of characters. A reception buffer
110
temporarily stores incoming message information and is used as a work area. An incoming message memory
111
has a plurality of memory banks and stores pieces of incoming message information. A message buffer
112
temporarily stores message information and is used as a work area. A message memory
113
stores destination data and latest input message information, and has a plurality of memory banks storing stereotyped message information. A TEL bank memory
114
stores pieces of destination pager call number (to be simply referred to as telephone number hereinafter) information, together with their abbreviated numbers and identification information on the pagers. A tone signal generating section
115
converts the numerical data input from the control section
106
into a DTMF signal and outputs it from a speaker
116
. A conversion buffer
117
temporarily stores the incoming message read out from the incoming message memory
111
by the control section
106
. A display buffer
118
temporarily stores the character data or numeral data for display which is output from the control section
106
to a display section
119
.
The operation of this prior art will be described next.
When message input is directed by operation at the key input section
105
, the control section
106
reads out a character pattern corresponding to the input instruction from the CG section
109
, stores it in the display buffer
118
, and displays it on the display section
119
. This display data is also stored in the message buffer. In addition, the display data is stored in the latest input message information area in the message memory
113
in response to a registration instruction from the key input section
105
. Thus, the message input is terminated. When a link request to link the created message information to a destination telephone number is selected through the key input section
105
, a destination telephone number can be selected from telephone number information of the contents in the TEL bank memory
114
for which pager identification information flags are set (these pager identification information flags are registered in advance in the TEL bank memory). The selected destination telephone number is registered in the destination data area in the message memory
113
.
If the link request is not selected, and registration of the telephone number in the message memory
113
is complete, a “DTMF send request wait” state is set. If the user outputs a DTMF send request through the key input section
105
without selecting a link request, the control section
106
reads out the registered message information from the latest input message information area in the message memory
113
, and converts the character data of the message into numerical data on the basis of the unique matrix character table in the conversion table
107
. In addition, the control section
106
causes the tone signal generating section
115
to convert the converted numerical data into a DTMF signal following 2-digit numerical data “*7” designating a free message code, and outputs it from the speaker
116
. When a DTMF send request is generated through the key input section
105
after registration of the telephone number in the message memory
113
is completed, the telephone number registered in the destination data area of the message memory
113
is converted into a DTMF signal by the tone signal generating section, and the signal is output from the speaker
116
. When transmission of the telephone number as a tone is complete, the “DTMF send request wait” state is set again. When a DTMF send request is generated again through the key input section
105
afterward, the latest input message information in the message memory
113
is converted into numerical data by the same method as that described above, and the message information converted into the numerical data is converted into a DTMF signal by the tone signal generating section
115
. This signal is output from the speaker
116
. In addition, stereotyped message information is transmitted as a DTMF signal by the same procedure as that described above.
In a conventional information communication terminal having a charging function, a processing control section notifies the user of incoming information, and stores a message rate in a charge information storage means. When a charge information send request signal transmission means is accessed, the contents of the charge information storage means are converted into a predetermined frequency signal and sent to a host station. With this operation, in charging operation, the message rate is calculated only when the information communication terminal confirms the reception of the signal.
A conventional charging scheme of this type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-238363. According to an information communication terminal having the charging function disclosed in this reference, as shown in
FIG. 2
, when a radio reception means
920
confirms the reception of a call, the incoming information is converted into a signal sound to be notified, and its contents are displayed. At the same time, the charge information stored in a charge information storage means
930
is updated. Charge information in a predetermined period is read out from the charge information storage means
930
by operating a charge information send request signal output means
950
. This information is converted into a predetermined frequency signal and sent to a host station through a charge information output means
940
and the handset of a telephone set. When the host station transmits filed incoming information, the charge information is updated. Wi
Hunter Daniel
NEC Corporation
Whitham Curtis & Christofferson, PC
Woldetatios Yemane
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