Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-30
2004-12-28
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C455S406000, C455S563000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06836651
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of portable telephone systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable cellular phone system having remote voice recognition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Portable cellular phones have been used with increasing popularity worldwide for a variety of personal and business uses. These systems typically require a subscription contract with a telephone service or company, which allow the cellular phone to access a cellular phone exchange, for the assignment of a communication line. The establishment of a subscription contract typically requires a good credit standing for the assigned user, as well as a long-term commitment to a cellular carrier; e.g. one year service contracts are common.
Subscription contracts for conventional cellular networks are typically based on two types of customer billing. The first billing architecture is a per call system, which is based upon a service plan for the customer. The second common billing architecture is a pay in advance system, which is based upon a unique credit identifier, i.e. a drop number for the customer.
There are commonly different contracted services for different types of communication, based on the location of the cellular phone, and the location of other connected parties. For example, one service rate may apply to outgoing or incoming local calls, such as within a local area code, or within a cellular calling region. A different service rate may apply to outgoing or incoming calls for long distance telecommunication connections. This complicated arrangement of service contracts typically requires the use of personal identification numbers (PIN) to identify the caller or to access different services, and frequently burdens the user with roaming charges as the mobile user moves through different cellular regions.
Payment of a monthly charge based upon an average maximum use of prepaid minutes may often be more costly than the amount needed by a particular user. No single billing plan can be optimized for any specific user, since plans are based on average users. For example, minimal use users, who may only carry portable phones for emergency use, e.g. such as for roadside assistance or “911” services, commonly establish and pay for service charges which far exceed the actual communication services used.
Common cellular phones are typically purchased by the user, or are provided, frequently at a discount, by a service provider upon the establishment of a long-term service contract. Conventional cellular phones are commonly purchased with several required accessories which allow them to be reused, such as removable and rechargeable batteries, an AC/DC recharger module, a phone stand, and flexible DC power cords for mobile power and/or recharging. There is commonly a significant cost in accessories alone. As well, the accessories commonly become damaged through use, are lost or misplaced (particularly for business people who travel frequently), or become outdated through use, or through normal wear and tear and time. Such phones and accessories are commonly impractical during international travel, frequently requiring a large variety of chargers and power converters.
Some recent, specialized portable phones and communication networks, such as multi-mode phones, e.g. IRIDIUM™, manufactured by Motorola, Inc., while designed for use while traveling, are prohibitively expensive.
As well, existing portable phones typically include complex dial pads, memory, batteries, functions, and displays, all of which are commonly expensive, take up space, and are prone to failure.
Another drawback of conventional cellular phone services is the need for the user to dial, in order to call any destination. Even for destination numbers which the user may place into memory, the user is required to manually enter a series of keystrokes, such as to convert from keystroke signals to voice signals. The physical action of dialing is often inconvenient and difficult, and can even be dangerous in various circumstances, such as while driving, or even while walking down a street. The action requires precision, and is time consuming, and to some extent even complicated. The smaller the phone, the harder it becomes for the user to dial, sometimes even requiring a pen or pointer to hit the correct buttons. In low light conditions, such as at night, in an automobile, or in a restaurant or bar, it is often difficult for the user to see and correctly operate the dial pad.
Conventional cell phones are each unique to the world, having both a serial number (which is typically stamped on the housing), as well as an installed electronic serial number (ESN), i.e. a drop number, which is established upon initial activation by a service provider, e.g. such as by authorized personnel at a phone retail outlet. Ongoing use of the cell phone is associated with the electronic drop number, in which the registered user of the conventional cellular phone is billed for the ongoing use. The installed electronic drop number is transmitted whenever the phone is powered. Therefore, incoming and outgoing calls are routed to the location of the cell phone, and billing for the cell phone is correctly logged to the registered user of the conventional cellular phone, based upon the transmitted electronic drop number.
However, since the installed electronic drop number is transmitted whenever a conventional phone is powered, an unauthorized user, i.e. a pirate, can intercept and receive a phone signal, capture the electronic drop number, and use the captured electronic drop number to enable unauthorized communication from an unauthorized mobile phone, using a process called cloning. Unauthorized use of the electronic drop number enables unauthorized access to the phone system, wherein charges for unauthorized calls are billed to the original authorized user.
While some cellular phone system signals are encrypted, there is continuous encryption of the same electronic drop number. Unauthorized decryption of the encrypted signal, while it may require some processing power, yields valuable access to the electronic drop number, again enabling unauthorized access to a phone system, while the original, authorized user is billed for the unauthorized access.
When a conventional cell phone is powered off, the cell phone is not able to receive calls. Therefore, as a mobile user uses a cell phone throughout the day, the user moves between one or more cell sites, and powers the phone, typically in a standby mode, to be able to receive incoming calls. When the cell phone is moved, from cell to cell, the cell phone talks to the closest cell site, and can be used to send or receive calls. In a powered state, a conventional cell phone is in constant communication with a base station, and requires a substantial amount of stored battery power.
Some recent conventional cell phones can receive calls, without being fully powered, or by being powered in a standby mode. Such conventional cellular phones include an internal paging circuitry, and can receive paging signals through the cell phone antenna. Upon receiving a paging signal from a paging transmitter, the paging circuitry activates an internal trip switch, which automatically turns on the cell phone RF circuitry. Once the pager/cell phone is fully activated, the incoming call is routed through the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) to the cell phone, and the phone rings. The mobile user then selectively chooses to accept the call. Such operation presently allows some conventional cell phones, having integrated paging assistance, to operate on limited pager power for up to eight days, with an energy storage capacity of about three hours of talk time.
D. Gaulke, T. Hanson, and R. Moleres, Pager-Controlled Wireless Telephone, U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,707 (7 Apr. 1998) disclose an integrated pager and cellular phone which includes “circuitry that responds to receipt by the pager of an incoming-call-indicative paging signal by connecting the cellular phone to a battery power source. This activa
Segal Alon
Segal Edna
Glenn Michael A.
Glenn Patent Group
Miller Brandon J
Telespree Communications
Trost William
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