Wireless telephone usage management
AssigneeTeledigital, Inc.
InventorsDaniel E. Kobylarz, Eric M. Dahlen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method, system, and device embodiments including a wireless device having a processor, a memory in communication with the processor, and a transceiver are provided. The transceiver is in communication with the processor and is operable to transmit and receive information via a wireless connection. The device is operable to provide a wireless connection based upon a plan having a predetermined number of available units. The plan usage is tracked by a provider through use of a calculation method utilizing unit calculations that are not equal to exact time usage to decrement available units. The device is operable to emulate the calculation method of the provider in order to track the remaining available units on the device.
Claims43
A wireless device, comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory in communication with the processor;
- a transceiver in communication with the processor and operable to transmit and receive information via a wireless connection;
- wherein the device is operable to provide a wireless connection based upon a plan having a predetermined number of available units, wherein plan usage is tracked by a provider through use of a calculation method utilizing unit calculations that are not equal to exact time usage to decrement available units;
- and
- wherein the device is operable to emulate the calculation method of the provider in order to track the remaining available units on the device.
A wireless device, comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory coupled to the processor;
- a transceiver operable to transmit and receive information via a wireless connection;
- wherein the transceiver is operable to receive a wireless connection;
- wherein the device is operable to receive a provider roaming list having a number of connection locations, each connection location having at least one roaming characteristic associated therewith;
- and
- wherein the device is operable to identify if the device is roaming based upon the roaming characteristic.
A wireless device, comprising:
- a transceiver operable to transmit and receive information via a wireless connection;
- wherein the device is operable to transmit and receive a first type of wireless communication to a first provider and a second type of wireless communication to a second provider;
- wherein the device is operable to conduct the first and second types of wireless connections based upon predetermined number of units to be used and wherein usage is determined by the first and second providers that determine a number of remaining units through use of a calculation method;
- wherein the device includes a set of executable instructions operable to emulate a calculation method of the first provider.
A wireless device, comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory coupled to the processor;
- a transceiver operable to transmit and receive information via a wireless connection;
- and
- wherein the device is operable to switch between a post-paid platform and a pre-paid platform.
A wireless system, comprising:
- a wireless network operable to provide a wireless connection based upon a plan having a number of available units, wherein plan usage is tracked by the wireless network by utilizing a set of executable instructions operable to use a calculation method that uses unit calculations that are not equal to exact time usage to decrement available units;
- and
- a wireless device operable to receive a wireless connection from the provider and to transmit and receive information via the wireless connection;
- wherein the device includes a set of executable instructions operable to emulate the calculation method of the provider to track the remaining available units.
A method for emulating a wireless provider's post paid plan on a prepaid device, comprising:
- assigning a first number of available units, of access to a wireless connection, to be decremented based upon usage during a first time interval;
- assigning a second number of available units, of access to a wireless connection, to be decremented based upon usage during a second time interval;
- decrementing the assigned first and second numbers of units;
- restricting access to a wireless connection if the at least the first units have been decremented to zero;
- and
- adding additional units to the first and second units to replenish the numbers of available units.
A method for determining the classification of a wireless communication, comprising:
- comparing an identification code with a table of rate codes to see if at least a portion of the identification code matches a rate code in the rate table;
- assigning a connection rate based upon a match between the identification code and at least one rate code in the rate code table;
- and
- wherein the comparing an identification code with a table of rate codes includes comparing an identification code with a table of special rate codes to see if at least a portion of the identification code matches a special rate code in the special rate table.
A method for determining the classification of a wireless communication, comprising:
- comparing an identification code with a table of rate codes to see if at least a portion of the identification code matches a rate code in the rate table;
- comparing the identification code with a table of special codes to see if at least a portion of the identification code matches a special code in the special code table;
- comparing the identification code with a table of blocking codes to see if at least a portion of the identification code matches a blocking code in the blocking code table;
- comparing the identification code with a table of home area codes to see if at least a portion of the identification code matches a home area code in the home area code table;
- and
- wherein assigning a connection rate includes assigning a connection rate based upon a match between the identification code and at least one code in at least one code table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.