Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-30
2001-06-12
Trost, William (Department: 2746)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C455S412100, C455S414200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246870
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to communications systems and methods, in particular, to systems and methods for controlling costs associated with use of communications services.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The cost of premium communication services such as cellular telephone or packet data services tends to be a significant impediment to universal use of these services. As a result, service providers regularly introduce new price schedules, often referred to as tariff options or outlay schedules to make these services more attractive to a wider group of consumers. Typically, these series of price schedules represent a series of so-called “Pareto” improvements, a new tariff option being a Pareto improvement over an established set of tariff options if at least one person is better-off economically and no one is worse off as result.
An ideal tariff structure generally would compute service charges ex post, i.e., the most economic tariff option would be used based on the customer's actual use during a particular billing cycle so that the customer would be charged the lowest amount supported by any one of the possible tariff options. In practice, however, complex tariffs are normally used to compute service charges ex ante, i.e., the customer pre-selects a tariff option based on expected traffic pattern and lives with the result, even though other options were available that would have resulted in lower service charges had they been selected ex post. Once a particular tariff option is chosen ex ante, the customer has little insight into the charges accruing, and is therefore exposed to the risk of incurring excessive charges. In addition, an unauthorized user, e.g., an overly talkative child or a thief who steals a cellular telephone to make unauthorized calls, may incur excessive charges under a tariff option selected by the primary user in expectation of low usage.
Unfortunately, cellular subscribers typically are limited in their ability to determine their status with respect to the tariff structure of the systems to which they subscribe. Conventional cellular radiotelephones provide mechanisms for measuring duration of a present call, for measuring and storing duration of a last call, for measuring and storing cumulative call duration, and for measuring and storing cumulative on-time. However, these parameters typically are not readily usable by the operator of the phone for determining usage with an eye to minimizing usage charges.
Many radiotelephone terminals may operate in multiple modes to communicate with multiple radiotelephone systems. For example, a dual-mode analog (AMPS) and digital radiotelephone may be employed in those areas that include both analog and digital cellular communication systems. As another example, combined cellular and satellite radiotelephones may also be used in those areas where analog and/or digital cellular systems and a satellite system overlap. As yet another example, a conventional analog or digital cellular system may be usable in a local region and in a roaming region, where different tariff structures may apply.
Multi-mode use of a communications terminal may exacerbate the problems noted above because multiple tariff structures may be involved. These multiple tariff structures may make it even more difficult for a user to determine usage with an eye to minimizing usage charges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved systems and methods for controlling expenses incurred by a multiple mode communications terminal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide systems and methods for controlling a multiple-mode communications terminal which prevent incurring of excess charges by an unauthorized user.
These and other objects, features and advantages are provided according to the present invention, by multiple-mode communications terminals and methods of operation therefor in which cumulative usage of communications units in multiple modes is measured for comparison to stored critical values of tariffs for each of the modes, and in which measures to control usage are initiated based on an economic efficiency of the multiple modes. More specifically, expenses incurred by a communications terminal that communicates with a first mobile radiotelephone system and a second mobile radiotelephone system are controlled by storing first and second critical values which characterize a tariff structure of the respective first and second mobile radiotelephone communication systems. Communications units used by the communications terminal are measured. An economic efficiency associated with use of the terminal to communicate with the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems is determined from the measured communications units and the first and second stored critical values. Measures are initiated to control communications usage with the first and second radiotelephone communications systems by the terminal based on the determined economic efficiency.
The measures to control communications usage may initiate a communications session with one of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems based on the determined economic efficiency. A communications session with one of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems may be automatically initiated in response to user initiation of a radiotelephone communications session. Alternatively, a user may be directed to initiate a communications session with one of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communication systems based on the determined economic efficiency in response to user initiation of a radiotelephone communication. In this regard, the user may be directed to initiate a communications session by providing at least one of a visible indication and an audible indication to the user. Accordingly, the radiotelephone may automatically or manually initiate a communications session with a first or a second mobile radiotelephone communications system based on a determined economic efficiency. Thus, for example, if all of the free monthly usage for an analog cellular system has already been used, new outgoing calls may be automatically or manually directed to a satellite system where the minimum monthly free charges have not been used.
Similar operations may take place during a communications session between the communications terminal and one of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems. During the communications session, the communication units are measured. Then, during the communications session, measures are initiated to control communications usage based on the determined economic efficiency during the communications session. For example, handover of the communications session from one of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems to the other of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems may be performed based on the determined economic efficiency during the communications session. Alternatively, a user may be directed to initiate a new communications session with the other of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems based on the determined economic efficiency. In this regard, a visible indication and/or an audible indication may be used to indicate to a user to initiate a new communications session. In another alternative, a communications session with the one of the first and second mobile radiotelephone communications systems may be terminated based on the determined economic efficiency. Alternatively, the user may be directed to terminate the communications session, by an audible indication and/or a visible indication.
The first and second critical values may be stored in a smart card that is coupled to the communications terminal. Corresponding first and second billing cycle dates may also be stored in the smart card. In addition, user identification information that secures this information may also be stored in the smart card. T
Dent Paul Wilkinson
Humphreys Elizabeth Louise
Ericsson Inc.
Myers Bigel & Sibley & Sajovec
Tran Congvan
Trost William
LandOfFree
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