Patent ID: 6516190
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: H04M,H04W

Abstract:
A method of determining a call charge rate to be applied in a cellular mobile telephone network covering a plurality of coverage areas and that includes a mobile switching center that produces a call data record for each call, and a plurality of base transceiver stations that each transmits the calls of subscriber mobile stations located in the coverage areas served by the each base transceiver station, wherein at least one of the coverage areas is designated a special area in which a special charge rate is applied to calls originating from the special area, and wherein each of the mobile stations comprises mobile equipment, receives and sorts by relative signal strength received base station broadcast signals, decodes from at least a strongest of the sorted broadcast signals the base transceiver station identifying data, and repeatedly determines its current location at a first predetermined time interval, said method comprising the steps of:storing a list of location identifiers denoting the designated at least one special area in each of the mobile stations; comparing in each mobile station, with each determination of the current location of the each mobile station, the determined location with the stored list of location identifiers to determine whether the each mobile station is currently located in the designated at least one special area; storing in a memory of the each mobile station for the first predetermined time interval, where it is determined that the each mobile station is currently located in the designated at least one special area, location data for the determined location; generating during a call originating from the each mobile station, where the originating call is initiated from the each mobile station while the location data is stored in the memory, a compensation record associated with the originating call and comprising the location data and data identifying the originating call; transmitting the generated compensation record from the each mobile station to the mobile telephone network; combining, in the mobile telephone network, data in the transmitted compensation record received from the each mobile station for the originating call with data in the call data record for the originating call to determine a proper call charge rate to be applied to the originating call; and sending to the mobile equipment a Provide Local Information message at a second predetermined time interval and, in response to a Terminal Response return message, to determine whether the decoded base transceiver station identifier data is included in the stored list.