Method and apparatus for selective real time authorization and billing of calls in a public telepoint system

A method, in a base station providing communications within a coverage area for authorizing and processing calls initiated by portable communication units (PCUs), whereby the base station is coupled to a network control center, the method comprising:

• (a) receiving registration information, including a value indicating a type of PCU, from a PCU;
• (b) determining, in response to step (a), the PCU type indicated by the value;
• (c) requesting, in response to determining that the PCU is of a first type, authorization from the network control center for a call initiated by the PCU;
• (d) coupling, if authorization is received from the network control center, the call to the telephone system;
• (e) receiving, subsequent to step (c), a call termination signal from the PCU of the first type at completion of the call;
• (f) providing, in response to step (e), call information for the PCU of the first type to the network control center;
• and
• (g) processing, in response to determining that the PCU is of a second type, the call from the PCU in a conventional manner without requesting authorization, wherein call information for the PCU of the second type is not provided to the network control center in response to a call termination signal from the PCU of the second type.

A method for real-time billing of calls initiated by portable communication units (PCUs) in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising at least one base station, the at least one base station providing communications for a limited coverage area, and the at least one base station coupled to a telephone system, whereby calls from the PCUs may be transferred over the telephone system, the wireless communication system further comprising a network control center for authorizing the calls from the PCUs and processing customer billing, wherein billing information may be further provided to an external electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) programming a PCU with a value, the value indicating one of at least two PCU types;
• (b) the PCU transmitting data, including the value, to a base station during initiation of a call;
• (c) the base station determining, in response to step (b), the PCU type;
• (c1) the base station coupling the call from the PCU to the telephone system without obtaining authorization from the network control center in response to determining that the PCU is not of a first type, wherein call information is not provided to the network control center in response to termination of the call when the PCU is not of the first type;
• (d) the base station obtaining, in response to the base station determining that the PCU is of the first type, authorization from the network control center for the call initiated by the PCU, wherein the authorization is obtained via the telephone system;
• (e) the base station coupling, in response to step (d), the call to the telephone system;
• (f) the PCU, subsequent to step (e), transmitting a call termination signal to the base station;
• (g) the base station providing, in response to step (f), call information to the network control center via the telephone system;
• (h) the network control center updating billing information in response to reception of the call information;
• (i) the network control center receiving a billing request from the external electronic device;
• and
• (j) the network control enter providing, in response to step (i), the updated billing information to the external electronic device.

A base station for providing communications for a limited coverage area, comprising:

• a transceiver for transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals to an external portable communication unit (PCU) and for receiving RF signals from the PCU, the received RF signals comprising a value indicating a PCU type;
• determination circuitry coupled to the transceiver for determining that the PCU is of a first type or of a second type responsive to the received RF signals;
• communication means coupled to the determination circuitry and the transceiver for communicating with an external network control center at least once per call, to authorize the call prior to processing the call, in response to the determination circuitry determining that the calling PCU is of the first type;
• and
• providing means coupled to the communication means for providing call information to the external network control center in response to termination of the call when the PCU is of the first type, wherein call information is not provided to the external network control center in response to termination of the call when the PCU is of the second type.

A wireless communication system for transporting calls across a telephone system and providing billing information to an external electronic device, comprising:

• a plurality of portable communication units (PCUs) for transmitting RF signals, the RF signals comprising data which includes a value indicating a PCU type;
• a network control center for authorizing, when necessary, calls from the PCUs;
• at least one base station for receiving the RF signals transmitted by a PCU and determining a PCU type indicated by the value included in the data, wherein the at least one base station processes a call from the PCU in a conventional manner without providing call information about the call to the network control center in response to termination of the call when the PCU is of a first type, and wherein the at least one base station provides information about the call to the network control center in response to termination of each call from the PCU when the PCU is of a second type;
• and
• a communication channel coupled between the at least one base station and the network control center, wherein the communication channel is activated at least once per call to provide the call information to the network control center when the at least one base station determines that a calling PCU is of the second type.