Advanced air time management
US6564047B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 13, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2215/32
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method of communications usage management for multiple networked devices such as cellular telephones in a telecommunications network. A management database is provided for storing communications attributes for at least one networked device. The stored communications usage attributes serve as criteria for regulating access of the networked devices to the system. The users of the devices may purchase a quantity of transferable units, such as usage minutes over the system network, with the units being redeemable for goods and/or services on the system, thus facilitating transfer of units between users. A user interface is provided as a system management device for accessing the management database to configure the communications usage attributes for defining the transfer and usage criteria. Communications usage software operable with the network devices computes usage times to provide an accounting of usage and regulation in accordance with the management database. In the described embodiment, short message service (SMS) traffic is used for messages between networked devices used by several users to purchase quantities of redeemable units for exchange, commercial activiti…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.