Abstract:
Apparatus for monitoring the time usage of a cellular phone to avoid over usage within a billing period, and thereby avoid unexpected high costs over and above the basic cost of the billing plan.  
     Three embodiments of the invention are disclosed for retrofitting standard commercial cells for the time monitoring function without interfering with normal operation of the cell phone.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and more particularly to apparatus and method for monitoring and displaying time usage data for cellular phone service provided during a billing period.  
           [0002]    Mobile cellular phone technology is one of the fastest growing sectors of today&#39;s global economy and it is expected that the use of cell phones will continue to grow dramatically in the future. Subscribers to cell phone service generally choose from a number of monthly billing packages offered by the cell phone service providers and those billing packages normally include a combination of various services which are geared to particular customer needs. For example, a billing plan may offer a certain amount of free time within a local area, a certain amount of free time of long distance calling out of the local area, reduced rates for different times of the day, graduated rates based upon volume usage and so forth Regardless of the billing package employed it has been said that more than half of the revenue or income obtained by the cell phone service providers is derived from over usage billing accounts through subscribers exceeding the usage time allowed by their basic billing plans. Clearly, a cell phone subscriber has a primary interest in tracking the amount of time his telephone is in use so as to avoid exceeding the time usage permitted under the basic billing plan and thereby avoid unexpected high monthly bills due to that over usage time which is normally billed at the highest rates.  
           [0003]    Cell phones themselves are often programmed with an options menu including such features as access internet, phone book, call related features, messages, phone set up, network selection, and others. Some phones can display the length of time of a single call. However, presently there is no known commercial device which is either part of a standard cell phone or which may be used with a standard cell phone that allows a subscriber to monitor accrued talk time minutes used within a billing period so that the subscriber may avoid exceeding the number of minutes permitted by the basic billing plan and thereby avoid having to pay an unexpectedly large cell phone bill at the end of the month.  
           [0004]    It should be understood that it is to the advantage of the cellular service provider not to afford the time usage monitoring function on the cell phones since, as mentioned above, a substantial part of their income is derived from the over usage billing by subscribers who have no idea what the status of their time usage is when they are exceeding the time allotted by their basic billing plan. Cellular service providers have a significant influence over the cell phone manufacturers and this may explain why the cell phones themselves, when originally manufactured, are not programmed to provide any total time or over usage information to the subscriber.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,861 discloses a rather complex, costly system for monitoring time usage of a cell phone but, to applicant&#39;s knowledge, neither that system nor any other system has been successfully commercialized.  
           [0006]    The total time monitoring system of the invention as described hereinbelow was developed to satisfy the needs of the subscriber as discussed above.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Accordingly the primary object of this invention is to provide monitoring or talk time managing systems that can be readily incorporated into standard cellular phones to provide a variety of time usage information to the subscriber at any time during a normal billing period.  
           [0008]    Another object of the invention resides in the provision of the above novel systems which enable phone subscribers to monitor usage, programmable minutes, (child usage monitor), billing period information, minutes available, minutes used, minutes remaining, and to signal an alarm to notify the consumer approaching over usage. The novel systems operate without disrupting normal phone functions and 911 dialing which are initially programmed into the circuitry of the cell phone when the phone is manufactured  
           [0009]    A further object of the invention is to provide the above novel systems which are manually operated, inexpensive, quickly installed into the phone and reliable in operation, to provide a time usage feature which supplements the various other features programmed originally into the phone.  
           [0010]    Still another object of the invention is to provide the above novel systems as after market devices which can be readily installed into standard commercial cell phones without interfering with or disrupting normal phone functions. The only cost borne by a subscriber is the initial cost of the purchase of the devices, and there are no additional costs for their continued use.  
           [0011]    The above objects of the invention are accomplished by providing several embodiments of the novel system which when retrofitted into a standard cellular phone enable the subscriber to quickly and easily obtain time usage information at any time during the monthly billing period.  
           [0012]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description of the invention wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a first embodiment of the invention which includes a self-contained cover device including a battery operated programmable liquid crystal display (LCD), the device being attachable to the outside of an existing mobile phone;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a side view of the device taken along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the way in which the device is attached to the mobile phone;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a rear view of the device taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 2;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a flexible diaphragm switch which is part of the device of FIG. 1 and which covers the “send/talk” and “end” keys of the mobile phone;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 6A through 6F illustrate a second embodiment of the invention in which a new talk time management (TTM) keypad and TTM faceplate are substituted for the original keypad and original faceplate on an original conventional phone to monitor the time usage of the phone without interfering with the functions which were originally programmed into the phone;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the switches provided in association with the “send/talk” or “end” keys of the new TTM keypad and the flat wire assembly leading from those switches to a battery operated programmable LCD timer and display on the TTM faceplate;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention in which a conventional mobile phone is provided with specific software designed to selectively override the software programmed originally into the existing LCD of the mobile phone so that talk time information may be made available to the subscriber;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 schematically illustrates a system for programming the new TTM software into the phone illustrated in FIG. 8;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is a bottom view taken along line  10 - 10  of FIG. 8 illustrating the data ports normally provided on mobile phones which can be utilized to receive the programming information in the system of FIG. 9. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, a first embodiment of the invention includes a talk time managing (TTM) device  20  formed by a molded plastic cover  21  which mounts on the front faceplate  22  of a conventional standard cell phone  24 , the cover  22  having side arms  26  which snap together with a strap  28  which passes around the body of phone  24  to hold cover  21  in place on the phone.  
         [0024]    Mounted within cover  21  is a battery operated, programmable liquid crystal display (LCD)  30  which has been pre-programmed to monitor and display time usage information such as programmable minutes (child usage monitor), billing period information (date, month, year) minutes total, minutes remaining, minutes overage alarm, notify the consumer of set program usage through selected tones or alarms, time/LCD clock (date, month and year) and any other time usage information. A soft flexible diaphragm button  32  is mounted on cover  21  and overlies each of the “send/talk” and “end” keys  33  on the keypad of the cell phone and protruding through faceplate  22 . Each of the buttons  32  includes a membrane switch  34  connected by way of a flat wire  36  to LCD  30  so as to activate or de-activate the LCD timer  30  when the “send/talk” and/or “end” keys are depressed to initiate or end the conversation using the phone.  
         [0025]    The self-contained manually operated TTM  20  is simple in construction, inexpensive, reliable, and quickly installed on the phone, and it does not interfere with the existing functions or information displayed on the LCD  40  which is normally part of the cell phone  24 .  
         [0026]    As a result the TTM device  20  can be sold as an after market product and then readily attached to a standard cell phone  24  to provide a subscriber with valuable time usage information so that the subscriber can avoid exceeding the times allotted by his basic billing plan and thereby avoid having to pay excessive over usage charges under that billing plan. The only cost incurred by a subscriber is the original purchase price of device  20 . There is no charge for the continued use of the device.  
         [0027]    As already mentioned attachment of TTM device  20  onto the outside of faceplate  22  does not interfere with or block the usage of any of the functions or features which are normally provided on a standard cell phone  24 .  
         [0028]    Each time the soft diaphragm button  32  and the normal send/talk button  33  are depressed to activate the phone LCD the time clock is activated to record the total talk time in minutes used until the end key is activated and the call is terminated. The total talk time is continually added each time the talk and end keys are pushed, thus giving a running total of talk time minutes used. The LCD display  30  is programmed to provide not only the total talk time used but also to inform the subscriber of other desirable information such as the programmable minutes, the billing information, minutes available, minutes used, minutes remaining and to signal an alarm to notify the subscriber when the total minutes available under the billing plan have been exceeded.  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIGS. 6A through 6F and FIG. 7, a second embodiment of the invention includes a talk time manager assembly  50  having a novel TTM keypad  52  (FIG. 6D) and a novel TTM faceplate  54  (FIG. 6F) which has a programmable LCD display  56  mounted within.  
         [0030]    Keypad  52  and faceplate  54  are constructed so as to fit a particular conventional phone, for example the Nokia phone  60  illustrated in FIG. 6A. To do this, the conventional faceplate  62  and keypad  64  are removed from base  63  of phone  60  as illustrated in FIGS. 6B and 6C. The rest of the phone remains in tact within base  63  including the original display  61  and operating circuitry  66  as shown in FIG. 6C so that the various functions and features offered with the original phone  60  are not disturbed.  
         [0031]    The faceplate  54  is identical to the original faceplate  64  except for the LCD display  56  mounted within faceplate  54 .  
         [0032]    The TTM keypad  52  of FIG. 6D may be identical to the original keypad  64  provided in phone  60  except that the send key  70  and end key  72  have associated therewith switches  76  and  78  which will be connected to the LCD display  56  of the TTM faceplate  54  by way of the flat wire assembly  74  mounted directly on TTM keypad  52  when keypad  52  and faceplate  54  are assembled on base  63 .  
         [0033]    Once the original faceplate  62  and keypad  64  are removed, TTM keypad  52  is mounted in base  63  as shown in FIG. 6E in place of the original keypad. Finally as shown in FIG. 6F, TTM faceplate  54  is snapped into place on base  63 . As shown in FIG. 7, with TTM keypad  52  and TTM faceplate 54  assembled on the base  63 , the LCD timer  56  on faceplate  54  is connected via flat wire assembly  74  to micro switches  76  and  78  mounted on send and end keys  70  and  72 , respectively.  
         [0034]    Consequently, when the send key  70  is pushed down to initiate usage of the phone switch  76  is also closed to activate the LCD timer  56  which continues to run until the end key  72  and end switch  78  are pushed down The LCD display  56  adds up the total time minutes used for all conversations and, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, provides talk time information to the subscriber as described hereinabove to avoid over usage and unexpected high billings for the particular billing period.  
         [0035]    As with the TTM device  20  of the first embodiment of the invention, the components  52  and  54  of assembly  50  are quickly and easily assembled on the body of a conventional phone once the original faceplate and keypad are removed therefrom. Assembly  50  then provides a talk time management function without disturbing the features and functions of the phone originally programmed into the initial original circuitry  66  when the phone was manufactured. Thus, the time management information displayed to a subscriber by LCD  56  is totally separate from and supplements the information displayed on the original display  61 .  
         [0036]    Thus, the TTM assembly  50  is installed on the body  63  of an original phone  60  to provide a manually operated, enchanced phone  80  which not only provides all of the functions of the original phone  60  but also affords the subscriber with the talk time information accumulated and displayed by LCD  56 . Assembly  50  is manually operated in conjunction with the normal manual operation of the send and end keys of the cell phone and it is inexpensive, reliable, quickly installed and it does not interfere with the normal operation of the phone. It is however invaluable to a subscriber in that it enables the subscriber to keep track of the total time used and/or remaining under his billing plan and thus enables him to avoid additional expensive billing due to over usage. Again, the only cost borne by the subscriber is the initial cost of the purchase of assembly  50 , and there are no additional costs for their continued use.  
         [0037]    Referring now to FIGS. 8 through 10, a third embodiment of the invention includes specific talk time and management software which is programmed directly into a conventional cell phone  100  to provide the various time minutes information discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 8. The program may be installed by way of a system illustrated in FIG. 9 which includes the cell phone  100  which has at least one data port  102  connected by way of a cable  104  to a computer  106  which is loaded with the select program that is to be installed in the cell phone  100 . Alternatively, the program may be installed by a wireless system employing for example, satellites.  
         [0038]    As with the previous embodiments of the invention, cell phone  100  may be programmed to selectively display or hide the billing period, minutes available, minutes used, minutes remaining and to signal an alarm to notify the consumer the set usage or program usage.  
         [0039]    The software embodiment can be particularly useful for businesses having a large number of employees who have been provided with cell phones and who normally have very little understanding of control over the time usage of the phone until the bills are received at the end of the billing period. A business may periodically use the computer  106  to check each of the cell phones  100  that are in the field to gain knowledge of the actual usage within a billing period and therefore try to cut down on the actual usage during the remaining period and thereby avoid outrageous bills at the end of the period.  
         [0040]    It is apparent that the various embodiments of the invention as described above satisfy the objectives initially set forth hereinabove and provide cell phone subscribers with time usage systems that help avoid excessive over billing at the end of a billing period.  
         [0041]    The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.