US6023618A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for improving charging criteria in a mobile telephone network
Assignee: OL Security LLC
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Filing: 1995-12-20
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Granted: 2000-02-08
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Expires: 2015-12-20
Abstract
Abstract The charging criteria for determining the price for a call between two subscribers in a cellular mobile telephone network, is improved. One cell, or a group consisting of several cells, is chosen as a group of special cells. Upon establishing a call, a mobile switching center of a calling subscriber analyzes whether the location cell of the calling subscriber and/or that of the called subscriber are members of a group of special cells. If this is the case, the charging criteria determined for the group will be applied. Additionally, private branch exchanges may also be connected to the mobile switching center.
Inventors
- 👤 Risto Janhonen
- 👤 Markku Tuohino
- 👤 Erkki Ojala
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:44
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W4/00; H04W4/24; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/80; H04M15/8033; H04M15/8083; H04M2215/00; H04M2215/01; H04M2215/0184; H04M2215/20; H04M2215/2026; H04M2215/32; H04M2215/74; H04M2215/7435
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in the call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of the at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in the call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of the at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
86 words
A method as claim in claim 1, further comprising: forming a restricted subscriber group, each subscriber of the restricted group having a different number; determining whether the subscriber number of a subscriber participating in the call belongs to the restricted subscriber group; and applying the specially defined charging criterion to a call in which at least one of the subscribers is a member of the group of special cells and/or the subscriber number of at least one of the subscribers belongs to the restricted subscriber group.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein each number in the restricted subscriber group is a private number, whereby the private number of the called subscriber will be converted into a telephone number at the beginning of call setup.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein an exchange or part of a public switched telephone (PSTN)/integrated services digital (ISDN) network is set as a virtual cell, and when the subscriber number analysis of at least one of the subscribers indicates that the subscriber is a subscriber of the exchange or the part of said PSTN/ISDN network, the special charging criteria will be applied.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising forming a new message for transmitting the information on the location cell of the called subscriber.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
185 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas, transmitting in response to a request sent by the mobile switching center of the calling subscriber along with a call setup message during a call setup of a call; determining at the call setup whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in a call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
185 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas, transmitting in response to a request sent by the mobile switching center of the calling subscriber along with a call setup message during a call setup of a call; determining at the call setup whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in a call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
173 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber after a mobile station of the called subscriber has answered a paging message, when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in a call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of the at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
173 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber after a mobile station of the called subscriber has answered a paging message, when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in a call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of the at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
168 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the network comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber after the called subscriber has answered a call, when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of the call whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in the call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of the at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
168 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the network comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information associated with a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber after the called subscriber has answered a call, when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of the call whether the location cell of at least one of the subscribers participating in the call belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of the at least one subscriber is a member of said group of special cells.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
162 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information indicating a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of the called subscriber or the location cell of the calling subscriber belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of at least one of the called and calling subscribers belongs to said group of special cells.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
162 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a special charging criteria for said group of cells; transmitting information indicating a location cell of any called subscriber from a mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of any calling subscriber when the location cell of the calling subscriber and the location cell of the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; determining at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of the called subscriber or the location cell of the calling subscriber belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of at least one of the called and calling subscribers belongs to said group of special cells.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
178 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a specific charging criteria for said group of cells; analyzing by a switching center of any called subscriber at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of the called subscriber belongs to the group of special cells, when a calling subscriber and the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; transmitting a result of said analysis from the mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of the calling subscriber; determining at the call setup whether the location cell of the called subscriber or the location cell of the calling subscriber belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of at least one of the called and calling subscribers belongs to said group of special cells.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
178 words
A method for improving charging criteria in a cellular mobile telephone network, the method comprising: defining a group of special cells, the group of special cells including at least one cell of the mobile telephone network; defining a specific charging criteria for said group of cells; analyzing by a switching center of any called subscriber at a call setup of a call whether the location cell of the called subscriber belongs to the group of special cells, when a calling subscriber and the called subscriber are situated within separate mobile switching center areas; transmitting a result of said analysis from the mobile switching center of the called subscriber to a mobile switching center of the calling subscriber; determining at the call setup whether the location cell of the called subscriber or the location cell of the calling subscriber belongs to said group of special cells; and applying said special charging criteria in real time during the call when the location cell of at least one of the called and calling subscribers belongs to said group of special cells.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-02-07 | 2003-08-09 | 2004-02-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-02-07 | 2007-08-09 | 2008-02-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-02-07 | 2011-08-09 | 2012-02-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |