Automated vending of cellular hand-held telephones and cellular telephone services
US4951308A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1988 |
| Grant date | Aug 21, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2215/32
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Mobile cellular telephone services are automatically vended through a microprocessor controlled vending machine which inventories a plurality of mobile cellular telephones and selectively delivers one of the phones after reading a credit card number from a customer and obtaining credit card approval. The mobile cellular telephone is dispensed and later returned by the customer. When returned by the customer, the mobile cellular telephone is disposed within a receiving unit which uniquely verifies the mobile cellular telephone through its phone number, reads the usage made by the customer of the mobile telephone, and senses the charged condition of the battery within the mobile telephone. The customer's credit card is again read and the bill for rental of the mobile cellular telephone unit, including all telephone usage charges, is computed and directly billed to the credit card number. The vending unit then produces a printed record of the credit card billing and returns the mobile telephone unit to inventory to be fully recharged and reinitialized for revending.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.