GB2215559A

GB2215559A - Monitoring of cordless telephone

Info

Publication number: GB2215559A
Application number: GB8804780A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John David Gill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-03-01
Filing date: 1988-03-01
Publication date: 1989-09-20
Also published as: GB8804780D0

Abstract

A monitoring device 24 is plugged into a mains socket, and the device 24 receives radio signals which indicate to which charge area a call made by a cordless telephone 10 is being made. The device 24 monitors the units used and it gives a print out of the cost of that call, eg. for use in a restaurant. <IMAGE>

Description

CORDLESS TELEPHONE MONITORING.

The present Invent ion relates to a method of and a device for monitoring telephone calls made by a cordless telephone. In this specification what is meant by the term "cordless telephone" Is a telephone which Is not directly plugged Into the telephone system and which can operate whilst not belng directly plugged Into the system.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of monitoring calls made by a cordless telephone comprises receiving radio signals indicating that a call by a cordless telephone call is commencing and monitoring that call. With such a method it is possible to monitor calls which are made by a cordless telephone, which Is particularly advantageous In locations such as restaurants where it may not be convenient to provide a telephone socket at each table or to manoeuvre a conventional phone attached to a socket around the restaurant to the desired table. The method may comprlse monitorIng calls at a region remote from the cordless telephone and remote from the line through which calls to or from the telephone pass.

The monitoring may be arranged to commence at the time when a call made wlth the cordless telephone Is connected to the destination. Alternatively or additionally the monitorlng may be arranged to stop at the cessation of the connection of a call made with the cordless telephone.

The method may comprise monitoring the duration of or destination of the call. The destination may be monitored by comparlng the area dialled witch stored Information.

The method may comprlse Indicating the monitoring and the indicating may comprise or Include indicating the duration of the call, the number of units used, the cost of the call or the charge to be made for the call. The charge to be made for the call may be proportlonal to the cost of the call. The Indicating may include a visual display which may comprlse a permanent Indlcatlon.

According to a further aspect of the present Invention, a cordless telephone call monitoring device Includes a receiver arranged to recelve signals at the commencement of a call witch a cordless telephone and monitorIng means arranged to monitor a call made by a cordless telephone.

The device may include indicating means arranged to Indlcate Information relating to a call made by a cordless telephone and monitored by the monitoring means.

The indicating means may Include or comprise a display which may comprIse a visual display which may include a prlnt out.

The device may be arranged to be powered by a malns electrical supply.

The device may be arranged to operate without belong connected to a cordless telephone on the line through which that telephone call makes calls.

The invention may be carried into practice In various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and witch reference to the accompanying diagram.

In the dlagram, a cordless telephone 10 Is located in a restaurant 12 and Is arranged to be able to make or recelve calls through a terminal 14 In the conventional way to or from any telephone through the conventlonal telephone I Ine network 16. Three such telephones 18, 20 and 22 are shown.

When a call Is made wlth the telephone 10 a radio frequency is emitted by the telephone 10 which activates the terminal 14, and subsequent radio signals from the telephone 10 dictate the number dialled by the terminal 14. The number of units which the call used is recorded by the telephone company by directly monitoring the calls made from the line associated wlth the terminal 14, and periodically the person who rents that llne Is sent a bill indlcating the units to be paid for.

When a cordless telephone Is used, and If the telephone Is used In a restaurant, there Is no way in which an IndIcation of the cost of Individual calls can be ImmedIately discerned In order to charge the person occupying a particular table.

Wlth the embodIment of the present Invent Ion, a monitoring device 24 Is plugged into a mains socket In the restaurant. When a customer requests the telephone, the device 24 can be informed which table the telephone Is going to be located at, possibly by enterIng a number into the device representative of the number of a table. Then, when the customer makes a call, the device 24 receives the radlo signals which Indicate to which charge area the call Is belong made relative to the locatlon of the restaurant. The device Is preprogrammed such that If the device Is located in Bolton, and a call Is made to the telephone 18 In London, the telephone 20 In Leeds, or the telephone 22 In Bolton the device will know whether the call Is respectively long distance, Intermedlate distance or local.

When the outgolng call Is connected and answered at the destination, the device 24 then monitors the units used by computing the time and distance of the call.

When the call is finIshed the device prints out the table number and either the number of units used or the charge to be made to the customer. If a unit charge by the telephone company Is 10p then the customer may be charged 15p per unit, for example. The relative charge made to the restaurant customer may be adjustable.

If a number of calls are made from the same table then a succession of charges to be made to that table will be noted. If the telephone Is transferred to another table then that InformatIon can be given to the device.

In a simplified embodiment, the monitoring device Is not provided with the facility for selecting at which table the telephone Is located.

Thus it can be seen that the restaurant are able to provide a telephone to customers without having numerous sockets or a length flex trailing over the floor and are also able to make an accurate charge for those callus.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A method of monltorlng calls made by a cordless telephone comprlsing receiving radio signals Indicating that a call by a cordless telephone Is commencing, and monitorlng that call.

2. A method as clalmed In ClaIm 1 executed at a region remote from the cordless telephone and remote from a I Ine through which calls are made.

3. A method as claimed in either of Claims 1 or 2 which is arranged to commence at -the time when a call made from the cordless telephone is connected to a destination.

4. A method as claimed In any of the Claims 1 to 3 which is arranged to stop upon the cessatlon of the connection of the call made with the cordless telephone.

5. A method as claimed in any of the Claims 1 to 4 as applied to the duration of the call.

6. A method as claimed in any of the Claims 1 to 5 as applied to the destination of the call.

7. A method as clalmed In Claim 6 comprising a comparison of the area code dlalled with stored I n format ion.

8. A method as clalmed in any of the Claims 1 to 7 In which an IndicatIon of the monitoring is given.

9. A method as claimed In ClaIm 8 including giving an Indication of the duration of the call.

10. A method as clalmed In Claim 8 or 9 Including giving an indication of the number of units used by the call.

11. A method as clalmed In Claim 8, 9 or 10 including glvlng an Indication of the cost of the call.

12. A method as claimed in any of the Claims 9 to 11 Including giving an Indlcatlon which comprises a visual display.

13. A method as clalmed In Claim 12 comprising giving a permanent display.

14. A method substantIally as herein described and with reference to the accompanying figure.

15. A cordless telephone call monitoring device Including a recelver arranged to receive signals at the commencement of a call from a cordless telephone and monitorIng means arranged to monitor the call.

16. A device as clalmed In Clalm 15 which includes Indicating means arranged to Indicate Information reflating to a call made from a cordless telephone and monitored by the monitoring means.

17. A device as claimed In Claim 16 In which the Indicating means comprise a visual display.

18. A device as claimed In Claim 17 in which the Indicating means comprises a prlnt out.

19. A device as clalmed in any of the Claims 15 to 18 arranged to be powered by a mains electrical supply.

20. A device as claimed In any of the Claims 15 to 19 arranged to operate at a region remote from cordless telephone or a line through which a call from the cordless telephone is arranged to pass.

21. A device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figure.

22. A device as claimed in any of Claims 15 to 21 when used in a method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 14.