Personal area network for personal telephone services

Abstract

A personal area network (PAN) device enables the communication of data using galvanic properties of the skin. A person can wear a processor coupled to a PAN device. When the person touches a sensor capable of communicating with the PAN, the processor sends and receive data through the PAN and the sensor. In accord with the invention, the processor stores personal information related to the wearer's telephone service, such as the person's identification and billing information. The processor also may store information relating to the person's telephone subscriber profile, defining that person's individualized telephone services. When the wearer touches a sensor on a pay telephone, the processor supplies the data through the PAN and the sensor to a processor in the telephone. The telephone communicates the data through the telephone network, to enable the network to provide personalized services. For example, the network uses the billing information to bill any calls that the person makes to the person's normal telephone account, in a manner analogous to a credit card type billing procedure. A feature of the invention is that virtually positive identification of a person is implemented preferably using biometric characteristics of the actual caller.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.