Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
A method of subscriber accounting in a telephony system, comprising storing and updating subscriber prepayments on a subscriber account at a centralised billing location, monitoring subscriber calls and levying charges therefor against the subscriber account, and transmitting information relating to the subscriber's account to the subscriber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 including displaying the said information on a display means associated with a subscriber's telephone instrument.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 2 in which the accounting information includes the credit remaining in money or telephone usage units.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
58 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which pre-payment is made by a subscriber against the subscriber's account by the transmission of payment information by the subscriber using his telephone instrument, and in which such information causes an automatic transfer of funds from a subscriber's fund account to the subscriber's telephone account.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 4 in which subscriber outgoing calls are not permitted once a subscriber account has no prepaid credit recorded against it.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 including and connecting the telephone instrument to a display device, and displaying thereon said information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 6 in which the information is displayed automatically in a predetermined sequence, or alternatively, specific information is transmitted to a subscriber on transmission of specific requests by the subscriber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus for subscriber accounting in a telephony system, comprising payment means for receiving and updating subscriber prepayments on a subscriber account, monitoring and accounting means for monitoring subscriber calls and levying charges therefor against the subscriber account, and transmission means for transmitting information relating to the subscriber's account to the subscriber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 including display means for displaying the said information in association with a subscriber's telephone instrument.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the monitoring and accounting means is arranged to derive accounting information including the credit remaining, and the current or last charge levied, or any one or more thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 in which the subscriber's telephone instrument is arranged to enable payment to be made by a subscriber against the subscriber's account by the transmission of payment information by the subscriber using his telephone instrument, and interface means is provided, connectable to a subscriber's source of funds and operable to cause such information to automatically transfer funds from a subscriber's fund account to the subscriber's telephone account.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 in which the telephone instrument is arranged to be connectable to a display device for displaying said information thereon.