GB2433680A

GB2433680A - Audible phone credit notification

Info

Publication number: GB2433680A
Application number: GB0525924A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Anthony Kean
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-20
Filing date: 2005-12-20
Publication date: 2007-06-27
Also published as: GB0525924D0

Abstract

In the use of a phone, such as a mobile phone operating on a credit or pay as you go basis, a sound or sounds of a progressive nature, such as a series of 'beeps' or similar aural notifications towards the end of the conversation, will serve as a warning to the user that his/her credit level is coming to an end. The sound or sounds can be of any other form apart from 'beeps' and can be used alone, in combination, in progression or otherwise to signify credit is drawing to an end. The warning/s can apply to other phones as well as mobiles. To give effect to such warnings there will be addition/s, amendment's, alteration/s to the internal working structure of the phone incorporating microchip/s (2, Fig.1), wires or wiring (3, Fig.1), sound unit and/or timer (4, Fig.1) and such like to create sounds (5, Fig.1) via the earpiece (6, Fig.1).

Description

Mobile Phone Notification Unit This invention relates to phones that

operate on a cash or like basis and in particular to mobile phones using a pay as you go' system of operation.

At present the user of a mobile phone must press keys/buttons, such as 453 or the like in pay as you go' phones, in order to ascertain the exact level of credit he/she has left available. Also, at present, the user of a cash only phone, such as one in a public place (kiosk or otherwise), is notified as to the remaining credit balance visually on screen -a "bip, bip, bip" sound, issued when credit is about to expire, signifies impending cut off from further use and acts as a method of telling the user to immediately insert more money.

However in all instances, both mobile, and pay as you go' in particular, as well as general cash, there is no audible/aural warning as to when and to what extent the credit level is reducing during a call. Thus the mobile pay as you go' user can find himself/herself cut off without any warning whilst the public access cash only phone user can find himself/herself reaching the cut-off sound without audible warning to accompany the visual screen signification of credit left.

According to the invention there will be an audible/aural warning, such as the use of a series of "beeps", to tell the user during a call the fact and extent of the reduction of credit left for him/her in the use of the mobile pay as you go' or cash only phone. The sound/s are technically effected via use of microchip/s wire/s or such like structural amendment/s or addition/s to the internal workings of a mobile pay as you go' phone or cash only phone.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:- Figure 1 shows the technical changes to the internal structure of a mobile phone to so effect the audible/aural warning sounds.

With reference to Figure 1, and using mobile pay as you go' phones as the specific illustration of the invention, so the amendment's, addition/s of a technical nature within the circuit board I or other such internal structure of the mobile pay as you go' phone are made in order to give effect to the warning sounds 5.

This technical amendment/s addition/s can comprise a microchip 2, or such like, and/or wiring 3, or such like, a sound unit and/or timer 4 or any like technical addition/amendment to the internal structure of a mobile pay as you go' phone or any other like telephonic cash or like equipment. This technical amendment/addition can cause a series of sounds 5 via the ear-piece 6 to so warn the user that his/her credit is coming to an end.

An example would be, that where credit level drops to 3 then 3 "beeps" occur, when it falls to 2 so 2 "beeps" occur and when 1 then 1 (one) "beep" -until cut off at zero'. Thus a staggered warning of an audible/aural nature to indicate that the credit level is reducing.

Such warnings must be distinguished from the cut off sounds ("bips") at the end of a call, and issued without prior warning, in a public access cash (or similar) phone as well as being distinct from any visual warnings such as on screen. The sounds of the invention are of a progressive aural nature commencing whilst a call is on-going (in operation) and they serve as a warning/notice to the user prior to any cut off.

These warning "beeps" during the call can apply to pay as you go', cash-card and pre-paid card or token mobiles and to any other cash, cash-card, pre-paid or similar telephonic equipment. Any variation in technical application/s and audible/aural notification/s can be used.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. Technical alterations to the internal working structure of a phone, such as a mobile phone operating on a credit or pay as you go basis, whereby a sound or sounds of a progressive nature, such as a series of beeps', will emanate and serve as a warning to the user that his/her credit level is coming to an end.

2. The warning or warnings according to Claim 1 will be of an aural and not a visual nature.

3. The warning sounds according to Claims 1 and 2 can be of a progressive nature such as three beeps' signifying 3 credit left, two beeps' for 2 credit remaining and one beep' for the balance of 1 credit.

4. The sound or sounds according to the preceding claims to warn the user of reducing credit levels can be of any other form apart from a beep' beeps' or beeping'.

5. The warning sound or sounds according to the preceding claims can be used in any variation such as alone, together, in a combination or a progression or any such like.

6. The warning sound or sounds according to the preceding claims must be distinguished from the separate act of dialing, such as using keys 453, in order to ascertain credit remaining.

7. The warning sound or sounds according to the preceding claims must be distinguished from the bips' at the end of a transaction such as that in a public access phone be it cash, credit, card, token or the like which bipping' sound signifies to the user that his/her conversation is to be terminated forthwith.

8. The warning or warnings according to the preceding claims will apply to all mobile phones including those operating on credit and in particular to pay as you go mobiles as well as to other phones using credit account, cash, card, tokens or such like be they available to the public or otherwise.

9. According to the preceding claims in order to give effect to the audible notification/s there will be additionls, amendmentis, alteration/s to the technical internal working structure of the mobile or other phone, in by or near the circuit board or otherwise, by the use of microchip/s. wire/s, wiring/s, sound unit/s, timer/s or such like.