Method and apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections in a telecommunication switching network

A telecommunication device capable of prepayment of telecommunication connections established with a compatible device, said telecommunication device and compatible device each being operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network including a central switching station and a billing system utilizing rates to compute the cost of telecommunication connections, said telecommunication device comprising:

• a housing;
• dialing signal generation means in said housing, for generating a dialing signal to be transmitted to said telecommunication switching network so as to initiate a telecommunication connection between said telecommunication device and one or more of said compatible devices;
• data storage means in said housing, for storing telecommunication-time data, representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• timing measuring means in said housing, for measuring the time duration of said telecommunication connection between said telecommunication device and said compatible device;
• and
• data processing means in said housing, for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to indicate decrements in said prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time, said decrements being essentially equal to the measured time duration of said telecommunication connection.

A telecommunication device capable of prepayment of telecommunication connections with compatible devices, said telecommunication device and said compatible device each being operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network having a central switching station, said telecommunication device comprising:

• a housing;
• dialing signal generation means in said housing, for generating a dialing signal to be transmitted to said central switching station so as to initiate a telecommunication connection between said telecommunication device and at least one said compatible device;
• time measuring means in said housing, for measuring the time duration of said telecommunication connection between said telecommunication device and said compatible device;
• and
• data reading/writing means in said housing, for reading telecommunication-time data stored in a portable data storage device and for writing processed telecommunication-time data therein, said stored telecommunication-time data being representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• and
• data processing means in said housing, for processing telecommunication-time data read from said portable data storage device, so as to produce processed telecommunication-time data which reflects at least one decrement in said prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time, said at least one decrement being essentially equal to the measured time duration of said telecommunication connection.

A device for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telecommunication devices, each being operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network having a central switching station, said device being installable along a telecommunication line between said first telecommunication device and said central switching station and comprising:

• a housing;
• storage means in said housing, for storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• measuring means in said housing, for measuring the time duration of a telecommunication connection established between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween, said telecommunication connection being initiated by said first telecommunication device;
• and
• processing means in said housing, for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to reflect a decrement in said available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection.

Apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections between first and second telecommunication devices, each being operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication stitching network, said apparatus comprising:

• a central storage device maintained in operable association with said telecommunication network for storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• measuring means for measuring the time duration of a telecommunication connection established between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween, said telecommunication connection being initiated by said first telecommunication device;
• processing means for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to reflect a decrement in said available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• means for terminating said telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices in response to termination of said telecommunication process;
• means for ceasing the measurement of the time duration of said telecommunication connection in response to the termination of said telecommunication connection;
• and
• register means for registering a group of telecommunication-lines with said telecommunication switching network, wherein each said telecommunication line in said group has access to a bulk amount of prepurchased telecommunication-time represented by said telecommunication-time data stored in said central data storage device.

Apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telecommunication devices, each said telecommunication device being operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network, said apparatus comprising:

• a central storage device maintained in operable association with said telecommunication network for storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• measuring means for measuring the time duration of a telecommunication connection established between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween, said telecommunication connection being initiated by said first telecommunication device;
• processing means for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to reflect a decrement in said available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• means for terminating said telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices in response to termination of said telecommunication process;
• means for ceasing the measurement of the time duration of said telecommunication connection in response to the termination of said telecommunication connection;
• and
• register means for registering a group of subscriber numbers within said telecommunication switching network, wherein each said subscriber number in said group has access to a bulk amount of prepurchased telecommunication-time represented by telecommunication-time data stored in said central data storage device.

Apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections between first and second telecommunication devices, each being operably associatable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network, said apparatus comprising:

• storage means for storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• said storage means including a data storage device operably associated with a remote telecommunication-time metering device capable of providing prepayment of telecommunication connections for a plurality of telecommunication lines associated with said time metering device;
• measuring means for measuring the time duration of a telecommunication connection established between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween, said telecommunication connection being initiated by said first telecommunication device;
• and
• processing means for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to reflect a decrement in said available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection.

Apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telecommunication devices, each said telecommunication device being operably associatable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network, said apparatus comprising:

• storage means for storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• measuring means for measuring the time duration of a telecommunication connection established between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween, said telecommunication connection being initiated by said first telecommunication device;
• processing means for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to reflect a decrement in said available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• and
• telecommunication-time status advisement means for generating and transmitting status information to said first telecommunication device so as to advise said first telecommunication device that said prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time has been decremented to a predetermined threshold amount.

Apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telecommunication devices, each said telecommunication device being operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network, said apparatus comprising:

• storage means for storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• measuring means for measuring the time duration of a telecommunication connection established between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween, said telecommunication connection being initiated by said first telecommunication device;
• processing means for processing said stored telecommunication-time data so as to reflect a decrement in said available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• wherein said telecommunication-time data is representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available to said telecommunication device and for use by said first telecommunication device to initiate a telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices.

A method for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telecommunication devices each operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network having a central switching station, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) storing telecommunication-time data in a non-volatile data storage means contained within a portable device disposed along the telecommunication line between said first telecommunication device and said central switching station, said telecommunication-time data being representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• (b) at the initiation of said first telecommunication device, transmitting a dialing signal through said portable device to establish at said central switching station, a telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween;
• (c) measuring the time duration of said telecommunication connection using a timing means contained within said portable device;
• (d) processing said stored telecommunication-time data with a data processing means contained within said portable device and operably associable with said timing means and said non-volatile data storage means so as to indicate at least one decrement in said telecommunication-time, said at least one decrement being essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• (e) terminating said telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices in response to termination of said telecommunication process;
• and
• (f) in response to the termination of said telecommunication connection, ceasing the measurement of the time duration of said telecommunication connection.

A method for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telephonic-communication devices each operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network having a central switching station, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) storing telecommunication-time data in a non-volatile data storage means contained within said first telephonic-communication device, said telecommunication-time data being representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• (b) at the initiation of said first telephonic-communication device, transmitting a dialing signal to said central switching station so as to initiate a telephonic-communication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween;
• (c) measuring the time duration of said telecommunication connection using a timing means contained within said first telephonic-communication device;
• (d) processing said stored telecommunication-time data with a data processing means contained within said first telephonic-communication device and operably associable with said timing means and said non-volatile data storage means, so as to indicate at least one decrement in said telecommunication-time, said at least one decrement being essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• (e) terminating said telecommunication connection between said first and second telephonic-communication devices in response to termination of said telecommunication process;
• and
• (f) in response to the termination of said telecommunication connection, ceasing the measurement of the time duration of said telecommunication connection.

A method for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second facsimile devices each operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network having a central switching station, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) storing telecommunication-time data in a non-volatile data storage means contained within said first facsimile device, said telecommunication-time data being representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• (b) at the initiation of said first facsimile device, transmitting a dialing signal to said central stitching station so as to initiate a telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween;
• (c) measuring the time duration of said telecommunication connection using a timing means contained within said first facsimile device;
• (d) processing said stored telecommunication-time data with a data processing means contained within said first facsimile device and operably associable with said timing means and said non-volatile data storage means, so as to indicate at least one decrement in said telecommunication-time, said at least on decrement being essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• (e) terminating said telecommunication connection between said first and second telephonic-communication devices in response to termination of said telecommunication process;
• and
• (f) in response to the termination of said telecommunication connection, ceasing the measurement of the time duration of said telecommunication connection with said timing means.

A method for prepayment of telecommunication connections established between first and second telecommunication devices each operably associable with telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network having a central switching station, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) storing telecommunication-time data in a non-volatile data storage means contained within a device installed along a telecommunication line between said first telecommunication device and said central stitching station, said telecommunication-time data being representative of a prepurchased amount of telecommunication-time available for prepayment of telecommunication connections in said telecommunication switching network;
• (b) at the initiation of said first telecommunication device, transmitting a dialing signal to establish at said central switching station, a telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween;
• (c) measuring the time duration of said telecommunication connection using a timing means contained within said device;
• (d) processing said stored telecommunication-time data with a data processing means contained within said device and operably associable with said timing means and said non-volatile data storage means so as to indicate at least one decrement in said telecommunication-time, said at least one decrement being essentially equal to said measured time duration of said telecommunication connection;
• (e) terminating said telecommunication connection between said first and second telecommunication devices in response to termination of said telecommunication process;
• and
• (f) in response to the termination of said telecommunication connection, ceasing the measurement of the time duration of said telecommunication connection.