WO2008110658A1

WO2008110658A1 - Communication control

Info

Publication number: WO2008110658A1
Application number: PCT/FI2007/050132
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jens Benner; Andrew Daymond; Uwe Schwarz; Ossi PÖLLÄNEN; Jan Chipchase
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation
Priority date: 2007-03-09
Filing date: 2007-03-09
Publication date: 2008-09-18
Also published as: WO2008110658A9

Abstract

Controlling calls in a mobile telephone in which a user is allowed to switch on phone call limitation. A phone call limitation is imposed responsively and phone calls from the mobile telephone are allowed only up to a predetermined limit. After meeting the predetermined limit, placing of new phone calls and continuing of an ongoing phone call is prevented. The predetermined limit is based on call time, costs of a call or calls, or both the time and costs. The mobile telephone itself controls the call time. For cost control, the mobile telephone is configured to instruct its network based charging system to control the costs so that they will not exceed a cost limit. The phone call limitation is input from a user. To authorize the user for entering the call limitation, the user prompted for an authorization code.

Description

COMMUNICATION CONTROL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to communication control. The invention relates particularly, though not exclusively, to user defined control of new terminal originated mobile telephone calls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US 6,169,790 B1 disclosed a method for controlling a telephone for cost control. The telephone includes a processor that controls operation of the telephone, and a memory which stores user defined parameters used to control this operation. The parameters include call allowance categories and numbers, and call restriction categories and numbers. The call restriction categories and numbers have maximum duration independent of each other. The processor allows calls associated with the call allowance categories and numbers, and times calls associated with the call restriction categories and numbers. The processor interrupts a restricted call when one of the maximum durations associated with the restricted call is reached. Further, the processor provides an alarm prior to interruption of the restricted call. An elapsed time of the restricted call is initialized when a security code is entered prior to interruption of the restricted call. The processor also prevents calling back of a restricted call when this restricted call was the last called number.

However, in the summary of US 6,169,790 B1 it is stated that the call restrictions are set individually to each call such that after one call is terminated due to a call restriction, another call may be placed. Therefore, a phone lender has very limited control to the total period over which the phone is to be used by the borrower and therefore the method is best suited to restraining, not fully controlling, the costs incurred by children using mobile phones, for instance. A need for call control in a larger scale arises mainly in developing countries. Mobile telephones are supplied ever increasingly to developing countries where they quite often form the sole means for telecommunications. The mere access to telecommunications is of great significance to the people who previously had had to basically do by themselves. However, there are numerous people who cannot afford owning a mobile phone and an associated subscription. For such people, mobile phone booths offer accessibility to telecommunications without long-term commitments or substantial payments, as the equipment cost is shared among many. Rentees, i.e. the clients of the renter, pay only for the costs incurred by calls placed added by phone booth operator's charges. In developing countries, the mobile phone booths basically operate such that a phone owner manually dials a number and charges the phone call either in advance or afterwards. If a call is paid in advance, the phone owner may have to manually hang up the call as the paid time is met - an act prone to disagreement with the customer. Generally, operating a phone booth manually may involve disputes between kiosk operator and customer and the customers may not fully trust that their phone calls are terminated at a correct time. Further, in order to avoid a call proceeding to a new commencing minute (and thereby possibly adding an increment in charging), the phone owner or generally phone booth operator should terminate the call sufficiently before the limit. Hence, it is likely that some seconds paid by the customer cannot be used. On the other hand, if the phone calls are not charged in advance, the caller may run away without payment. Whilst the phone itself may be linked to a wall or other permanent structure to prevent the theft of the phone, the bill may thus be left to the phone booth operator if the customer runs away.

There is a need to further facilitate controlling the use of lent mobile phones for calls and more generally controlling the use of lent mobile devices for communications.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a mobile device, comprising: a user interface configured to allow a user to enable a communication limitation; and a processor configured to restrict communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit.

The mobile device may be a portable telephone, such as a cellular telephone, satellite phone or cordless phone.

Advantageously, mobile phones as mobile devices according to the first aspect allow any subscribers, be they pre-paid or contractual subscribers, to act as phone booth operators.

By allowing communication only up to the predetermined limit, it is made feasible for a person (generally referred to as a renter) to lend or rent the mobile device to another person and also stealing of the mobile device may be rendered less attractive thanks to the fact that communication using the mobile device is restricted.

The mobile device may be configured to provide any of: video; voice; audio; data communications; conferencing; messaging; Internet browsing; wireless application protocol (WAP) browsing; and l-mode browsing.

After the predetermined limit has been met, starting new communications and continuing pending communications may be prevented. The preventing may be continued until the communication limitation is disabled or the limit is extended.

The mobile device may be configured to allow, despite the communication limitation, contacting emergency numbers or other emergency addresses in general. The mobile device may be further configured to allow calling to particular other predetermined phone numbers or more generally addresses regardless whether the limitation is enabled.

By allowing particular phone calls or other communications regardless of the limitation, added security may be provided to the owner of the mobile device or a mobile device renting operator, as the restricting need not be removed for most common communications to employees, supervisor, home, fax, or answering service, for instance.

The predetermined limit may be expressed in any of: the amount of time; amount of communications; and the amount of data transmitted during the restricting.

Expressing the predetermined limit in the amount of time is particularly advantageous, when a mobile phone as the mobile device of the first aspect is provided with a fixed-charge subscription wherein each phone call either incurs a constant time based charge and/or in which calls up to an agreed limit do not incur separate charging.

Alternatively, the predetermined limit may be expressed in amount of costs. This is particularly advantageous, when the mobile device is provided with charging data and the mobile device is configured to monitor estimated spending caused by the communications. Further, the mobile device may be configured to add a predetermined surcharge to the estimated spending. The predetermined surcharge may be relative to the estimated spending, a fixed sum, or a combination thereof. The mobile device may be configured to set the surcharge using the user interface.

The mobile device may be configured to maintain a sub-account to maintain remaining usage until the predetermined limit. The sub-account may be configured to maintain the remaining usage over periods in which the mobile device is lent to other users and other limits are set. Hence, a mobile device renting operator may attract customers to return for their unused usage, which opens new business opportunities to the phone booth operator.

The mobile device may be configured to send a message to a predetermined number or address indicative of a current sub-account balance and/or location of the mobile device responsive to a predetermined condition. The message may be a short message; an e-mail message; a multimedia messaging service message; an instant messaging message; or a voice message

The predetermined condition may include meeting a particular time or receiving an over-the-air request.

The mobile device may be configured to display current status related to the predetermined limit.

The mobile device may be configured to warn before the predetermined limit is met. The warning may be presented by using any of: a visual indication; an audible indication and a tactual indication. The audible indication may involve producing an indication tone at a given interval. The interval may be constant or change (e.g. become shorter) when the limit is approached.

The presentation of the warning may depend on current status of the phone.

The mobile device may be configured such that during communication with a communication limitation or on providing the warning, the mobile device presents to the user an option to extend the period over which communication is allowed.

The mobile device may be configured to receive an authorization from a user and to responsively allow releasing, adjusting or setting the predetermined limit.

The mobile device may be configured to input an extension code to authorize extending the predetermined limit. The extension code may be a cryptographic code with a limited validity period or the mobile device may be configured to prevent re-use of the extension code.

The mobile device may be configured to provide an option of lifting the communication limitation during the communication limitation or on providing the warning.

The mobile device may be configured to lift the communication limitation for the duration of next communication responsively to providing a temporary release code.

The temporary release code may correspond to an authorization code using which the enabling or disabling the communication limitation is allowed.

The mobile device may be configured to allow setting of the predetermined limit within pre-set boundaries. A lower boundary for communication time may be set to a given amount of time and/or data such as 30 seconds and/or 4 MB. An upper boundary may be set to a given amount of time and/or data such as 23 hours and 59 seconds; 59 hours and 59 seconds; and/or 1 GB.

A mobile phone as the mobile device may be configured to cause a telecommunications network to impose a cost-based limit to the communication. The mobile phone may be configured to provide a user with a menu option with which to input the cost-based limit from the user. The mobile phone may further be configured to query from the network and display to the user the incurred costs or the amount of costs remaining up to the predetermined limit, or the network may be configured to provide the phone of its own initiative an indication of the incurred costs or the amount of costs remaining up to the predetermined limit.

By using a telecommunications network to provide cost control, the cost control may be accurate if performed within the network's normal billing system. Further, any network operators' tariff scheme changes will immediately be accounted for as the normal charging system also causes dropping calls when the limits are met. Further still, if the billing system in the network is a typical intelligent network system, the implementation of the cost control may not require any additional equipment or increase load in the intelligent network system. Additionally, normal SIM cards can be used without need to develop special SIM card applications.

The mobile phone may be configured to reject any incoming calls while the communication limitation is enabled. By rejecting incoming calls during the limitation, it is possible to avoid the cases where a rentee's call would be distracted by a call to a phone owner. Further, the rejecting of incoming calls may be useful for the phone owner as then the phone can only be used by the rentee such that the use incurs income to the phone owner. The mobile phone may be configured to allow the rentee to allow incoming calls. By allowing incoming calls, a rentee may become reachable by anyone aware of the rentees present possession of the mobile phone. The mobile phone may further be configured to conceal any incoming calls and only show them after a particular authorization has been given to the mobile phone. By concealing the incoming calls until the authorization has been given the privacy of the phone owner may be protected.

The mobile phone may be configured to prevent forming multi-party calls while the communication limitation is enabled. By preventing multi-party calls, the mobile phone may prevent unexpected operation as seen by the rentee.

The mobile phone may be configured to prevent setting up call-forwarding while the communication limitation is enabled. More generally, the mobile phone may be configured to prevent setting up any cost-bearing services while the communication limitation is enabled.

By preventing setting up of call-forwarding while the communication limitation is enabled, a rentee may be barred from setting up a call forwarding to a number that bears an increased charging rate and thereby inducing undue costs to the renter.

The mobile phone may be configured to enhance privacy of the renter by concealing the phone's telephone number in some or all communications while the communication limitation is enabled. The concealing may involve signalling to a network operator that the caller line identification (CLI) should be prevented and/or signalling to the network operator that the sender's telephone number should not be shown in sent short messages. The mobile phone may further be configured to input an identity (such as the name) of the rentee and to signal that identity to the network operator in addition to signalling that the phone's telephone number should be concealed in order to allow the network operator to register the rentee's identity for tracing the rentee afterwards if the phone is abused by the rentee.

The mobile phone may be configured to use a first telephone number as an A- subscriber number (e.g. caller's number) and to use a second telephone number as an A-subscriber number while the communication limitation is enabled. By using another number for the rentee, the rentee may be allowed to receive phone calls intended to him or her.

The mobile phone may be configured to carry two different subscriber numbers out of which one number is assigned to the use when the communication limitation is not enabled and another number is assigned to the use when the communication limitation is enabled. To carry two different subscriber numbers, the phone may comprise two different subscriber identity modules. Alternatively, or additionally, the mobile phone may comprise a subscriber identity module configured to operate for any of two or more different numbers. If another number is assigned by the mobile phone for the rentee, then the mobile phone may be configured to signal to the network operator the subscription (or other number of the phone) which the network operator should charge for the use of the phone while the communication limitation is enabled. Alternatively, the mobile phone may be configured to instruct the network operator to transfer a given amount of balance from one account to another account that corresponds to the number used by the rentee.

Advantageously, the mobile phone may allow using either one or another phone number depending on whether the phone is used by its owner (or other, not limited user) or by a rentee such that the rentee may receive phone calls. Alternatively to assigning another phone number to a rentee by the mobile phone, the mobile phone may be configured to request the network operator to assign another number for the mobile phone while the communication limitation is enabled. The network may be configured to maintain the assigned another number for a predetermined period and to assign new numbers to different rentees so that a rentee may re-use the another number even if one ore more other users have rented the mobile phone after the last use of the rentee. Further, the network may be configured to maintain a voice mail box for the rentee and assigned to the rentee's phone number.

The mobile phone may be configured to enable or disable the communication limitation based on network operator's customization. The mobile phone may be configured to receive an over-the-air command to adapt to the network operator's customization or the customization may be configured before the mobile phone has been delivered to the phone owner.

The enabling or disabling of the communication limitation may cause the mobile phone to allow or prevent imposing limitations to call time limitation, to call cost limitation, or to both of call time and cost limitation.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method in a mobile device, comprising: allowing a user to enable a communication limitation; and restricting communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program comprising computer executable program code configured to cause a mobile device to perform the method according to the second aspect of the invention. According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a memory medium comprising the computer executable program code according to the third aspect.

The memory medium may comprise a solid state, optical, magnetic or magneto- optical storage medium. The medium may be such as a flash-ram, memory tape, memory disc, floppy disc, compact disc (CD), digital versatile data disc (DVD).

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided system comprising a mobile communications network and for the mobile communications network a mobile device associated with a given subscription to the mobile communications network, the mobile device comprising: a user interface configured to allow a user to enable communication limitation; a processor configured to restrict communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing communication only up to a predetermined limit, wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to select the communication limitation based on communication amount and incurred cost; and a communication unit configured to send a cost limit to the mobile communication network responsive to selecting the communication limitation based also on the incurred cost; the mobile communications network comprising: a charging system configured to obtain the cost limit, to monitor subsequent spending of said given subscription, and to stop the mobile device from incurring further costs responsive to the monitoring indicating that the cost limit is met.

The mobile device may be configured to monitor the amount of communication provided by the mobile device and to prevent further communication when the limitation based on communication amount has been met. Simultaneously, the network may monitor the cost limit and prevent further communication when the cost limit has been met such that when either amount based or cost based limit is met, further communication is prevented. The network may be configured to receive from the mobile device a number concealment request and to responsively conceal the number of the mobile device on placing telephone calls for the mobile device.

The network may be configured to receive from the mobile device a number change request and to responsively temporarily replace the number of the mobile device.

The network may be configured to maintain a secondary account for a particular user of the mobile device in order to charge communications caused by that particular user with the mobile device.

The secondary account may be a pre-paid subscription account. The mobile device may be configured to instruct the network to transfer a given balance from an account associated to a basic number of the mobile device to the secondary account. The mobile device may contain a subscriber identity module that is associated with the basic number.

The network may be configured to obtain the cost limit from an in-band signalling. The in-band signalling may contain a pre-fix and/or a postfix to a B-subscriber number.

The network may be configured to recognise a balance query from the mobile device and to responsively indicate the extent to which the cost limit has been used.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided a mobile device comprising: means for allowing a user to enable a communication limitation; and means for restricting communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit. Various embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated only with reference to certain aspects of the invention. It should be appreciated that corresponding embodiments may apply to other aspects as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic picture of a system according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a server according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of a terminal of Fig. 1 ; and Fig. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating operation in the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, like numbers denote like elements.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic picture of a system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The system comprises a first mobile phone or generally subscriber terminal 10 that is considered here as a phone in which the calls are controlled. The system further comprises a second mobile phone 30 in sake of illustrating embodiments of the invention and a telecommunications network 20 that comprises, among other usual elements, a mobile switch centre 21 and a service control point (SCP) 22. Fig. 1 suppresses other network elements in sake of simplicity of description such as an intelligent network (IN) that provides a charging system for the telecommunications network 20. The mobile phone may be a portable telephone, such as a cellular telephone (e.g. GSM, PDC, W-CDMA, CDMA, AMPS, NMT or IS-95 phone), satellite phone or cordless phone. In the system, a communication (typically call) time limit is set to the terminal 10 which then monitors its usage and prevents communications after the time limit is met.

In addition, the system 100 of Fig. 1 is suited to describe applying a network based cost control in which an originating terminal 10 instructs the network to set a temporary limit and to monitor the temporary limit so as to avoid a subscription (e.g. when a phone is lent or rented to another person) exceeding pre-defined cost. The terminal 10 is also suited to locally impose a call time restriction, as will be explained after the network based control. In sake of simplicity, these restrictions are generally denoted as a "limit" unless necessary to specify either one expressly.

The terminal 10 is typically a simple mobile telephone, but it may be provided with browsing, e-mail, fax and other capabilities. In this case, the limit typically defines a cap for an amount of use (number of communications, total duration of communications, data transmission caused by the communication or the amount of data transferred within the communications, or any combination of these options).

In order to demonstrate the basic operation on using a time based limit, one exemplary embodiment is next described. A renter defines the limit (cost or time, or both which ever limit is reached first while the call is ongoing) using the user interface of the terminal 10. After defining the limit, she may hand over the terminal to a rentee who is then able to make calls or generally communicate with the terminal. The terminal 10 keeps track of the limit. If a time limit of 5 minutes has been set, the terminal 10 ends any ongoing call when the 5 minutes were up and prevents placing any new calls when the limit has been met or if the remainder of the limit does not suffice for placing a new call.

The terminal 10 may allow extending the limit during the call. The terminal 10 may input an extension to the limit, using its user interface or an external user interface accessory such as headset and its buttons, For example, if the time limit was set at 5 minutes, the rentee may be allowed to access the user interface and to add more time by accepting a suggested added time on the Ul. As a result the new time interval is added to the 'remaining time' counter. Typically, extending the limit, that is, increasing available use right, is subjected to an authorization to force the rentee to obtain a permission to the extension from the lender of the terminal 10. Corresponding operation may be provided for using data services such as browsing or messaging.

To facilitate the following description, the subscription that the subscriber controls and uses, and that has an associated account for charging, can be referred to as a main account. Further, the use of the subscription within bounds of a temporary limit defined as explained in the following can be referred to as using a sub- subscription and respectively an actual or virtual account for charging purpose can be referred to as a sub-account.

In order to apply a temporary cost based limit to her subscription (main- subscription), a user of the subscriber terminal 10 first defines the temporary limit and then causes the terminal 10 to send an initiation signal 1 to a charging system of the network in order to create a sub-account.

The embodiment of Fig. 1 provides for cost control by using intelligence in the telecommunications network, in a simplified process for controlling the cost of a call: 1. A new call is established by sending a request from the terminal 10 with the particular call control postfix string such as #2*50.

2. The MSC triggers the call to the SCP 22 as any usually with prepaid calls (the subscription of the terminal 10 may be a prepaid subscription).

3. The SCP has service logic that identifies the call as a call control call based on analysis of the dialled number and instructs the MSC to connect the call to the number obtained by removing the #2*50

4. The call is connected to the second mobile phone 30.

5. The SCP service logic charges for the call and monitors the mounting of cost. 6. When the limit is reached the service logic of the SCP 22 instructs the MSC 21 to disconnect the call (i.e. the call is not ended by either of the caller or called party).

7. Optionally, the call cost is sent to the terminal 10 by a short message.

In an embodiment of the invention, the temporary limit contains one or more of the following items: a monetary amount or a charging unit amount; a start date for application of the limit; a start time for application of the limit; an end date for expiry of the limit; an end time for expiry of the limit; the number of service events the limit applies to; and tariffing information elements. In yet further embodiment of the invention, the temporary limit contains a maximum rate in which charging is allowed to be induced such as a maximum daily, weekly, monthly or yearly rate. This embodiment is also useful when the subscription is lent for a longer period. The temporary limit may contain additionally or instead of the preceding items a maximum amount of data to be transferred.

In an embodiment of the invention, the tariffing information elements are adapted to modify the tariffing of the subscriber while the temporary limit applies. For instance, a network operator may provide special rates for particular types of subscription lending. Moreover, in an embodiment of the invention, a network operator allows the subscriber to price the lent subscription more or less expensive than the actual subscription terms provide for the lent subscription. If the tariffing is modified more expensive than usually, in a further embodiment the network operator charges the balance of the sub-subscription less than the main subscription. Hence, the network operator can award the main subscription for providing a temporary sub-account and thus increasing revenue of the network operator.

The initiation signal is in one embodiment provided by means of in-band signalling. In an alternative embodiment, the initiation signal is provided by means of out- band signalling. For instance, if a call is to be limited then the temporary limit is provided in an embodiment of the invention as part of the call setup info such as dialled number, calling party number or calling party category. If a short messaging is to be limited then the limit information is provided in an embodiment of the invention along with the short message submission, for instance as part of the destination address, SMSC address or embedded in the short message content. Dedicated SMS or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) messaging is used in different embodiments making use of the out-band-signalling by transferring the temporary limit generally independently of the service to be limited.

In an embodiment of the invention, the in-band signalling for a voice call makes use of a postfix or prefix, such as a dial string. For example, by dialling at +123456789#2*50 the subscriber can indicate that the call to the number +123456789 should be limited to 2.50 EUR. In this case the dial string will be communicated to the prepaid charging system and can be analyzed there to extract the information. The call can then be connected by removing the temporary limit to obtain the intended destination routing address (B-party number).

In an embodiment of the invention, in-band signalling for a Short Message (SM) includes a temporary limit either in the destination number as in case of voice call or in the body or text of the message itself.

In general, any parameter from the service setup information sent by the terminal 10 that is transferred in the signalling to the prepaid platform can be used to encode and convey the temporary limit.

At simplest, according to one embodiment of the invention, the temporary limit is entered directly by the phone user. In another embodiment, the temporary limit is inserted transparently by the subscriber terminal. The inserting of the temporary limit is realized in one embodiment by changing the dialled number to appropriate format or by sending a hidden message such as short message of the short messaging service based on some previous user input received on the subscriber terminal's user interface.

The format in which a dialled number should be represented to the network to cause the network to impose a cost limit may be pre-configured to the terminal 10. The terminal may further or alternatively be configured to obtain the format from an over-the-air format provisioning message.

The terminal 10 may also be configured to send a message to a predetermined number (or more generally address) with information that is of likely interest to the lender of the terminal 10. That information of likely interest typically contains an indication of the current spending of the limit and/or an indication of the current location. The message may be an SMS message, an e-mail message, a multimedia message of an multimedia messaging service, an instant message, or a voice message. The message is typically sent responsive to meeting a predetermined condition such as meeting a particular time, spending of a given proportion of the limit, and/or receiving an over-the-air request.

It should be understood that any cost control limits advantageously (though not necessarily) restrict all cost-bearing activities of the terminal 10. In the foregoing, it was described how existing equipment can be used to set a network based cost limit to commencing call. Further advantageously (not necessarily), the terminal 10 is configured to re-set the cost limit to zero until the terminal 10 receives a statement from the network and then to reset the cost limit according to the statement. In this embodiment, if the network is configured to provide a statement (cost incurred by the call or remaining value), the terminal 10 resets the cost limit such that any remaining value can be used for other calls. Even if the cost balance would be thus maintained by the phone, a phone borrower could not abuse the subscription by simply transferring its subscriber identity module (SIM) to another phone if the SIM is configured to prompt for a personal identity number (PIN) that is a code hard to guess and then becomes locked after repeated false entries. Such an operation of a SIM is typical for GSM and UMTS phones and may apply to other standards as well. Further, if the phone has no separable SIM, then there is no such an option that the user could move the SIM to another phone and it is still sufficiently safe to maintain the balance in the phone.

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a server 200 configured to operate as an MSC 21 or as an SCP 22. The server 200 comprises a memory 203 for storing computer program code 204, a processor 201 for controlling the operation of the server using the computer program code 204, a work memory 205 for running the computer program code 204 by the processor 201 , a communication port 207 for communicating with other network elements and/or with subscriber terminals, a user interface 208 including data input and output circuitry, and a database 209 for storing any subscriber data and state information needed for the operation of the server.

Fig. 3 presents a general structure of the subscriber terminal 10. The subscriber terminal 10 comprises a communications block 310, a work memory 320, a nonvolatile memory 330 comprising operating instructions, a processor 340 for executing the operating instructions and accordingly controlling other blocks of the user terminal, a user interface 350 for providing output to a user and reading user input and a subscriber identity module (SIM) 360 for authenticating the terminal 10 to the network 20. The user interface 350 typically comprises, for data output, a display and/or a speaker. For data input, the user interface 350 typically comprises one or more of the following: dedicated buttons, soft keys, touch screen, roller, microphone, voice recognition circuitry, and pointing device. The processor is typically a master control unit MCU. Alternatively, the processor may be a microprocessor, a digital signal processor or an application specific integrated circuit. The subscriber terminal may be a fixed network terminal such as a PSTN or ISDN terminal or a mobile terminal such as a cellular or satellite terminal compatible with a standard or proprietary communications protocol. The processor 340 is typically a master control unit MCU. Alternatively, the processor 340 may be a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a microcontroller or a combination of such elements. It should be appreciated that other types of mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptop computers, as well as other types of electronic systems including both mobile, wireless devices and fixed, wireline devices, can readily employ different embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating operation in the system of Fig. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The flow chart starts from step 410 in which the terminal 10 and the telecommunications network 20 are initially configured. The initial configuration involves, in different embodiments any of the following:

• factory setting the limit initially off

• resetting to factory settings will disable the limit.

• setting that if the limit is enabled, the factory reset is only allowed after an authorization is made in order to avoid circumventing the limit. • adjusting or enabling the limit by an over-the-air limit-adaptation command.

This is particularly useful in the embodiment in which the terminal 10 reports its position over the air and the terminal 10 may be effectively disabled if taken beyond a permitted area such as a given cell or location area to further inhibit theft of the terminal 10. • Setting the terminal 10 to perform a validity check for any limits. The validity check may be based on pre-set boundaries for acceptable values. For instance, a lower limit for a calling time may be set to 30 seconds. An upper boundary may be set to 23 hours and 59 seconds or 59 hours and 59 seconds. • Defining a surcharging for the benefit of the owner of the terminal 10. The terminal 10 may be configured to permanently instruct the network 20 to charge a given share of the calls made by the terminal, when a cost limit is applied, and refund to an account of said owner. The given share may be defined as a fixed sum, as a proportion of charging induced by the call, or as a combination of the fixed sum and proportional charging.

• Allowing an authorized user to enable or disable calling free-of-charge numbers free of the call limitation.

• Setting the network 20 to never impose cost limitation or charge a share of call cost for the benefit of the phone renter. • Configuring the terminal 10 to expressly instruct the network 20 not to impose the cost limitation for a call to a free-of-charge number if the terminal 10 has instructed the network 20 to impose a cost limitation. • Configuring the terminal 10 to detect from dialled numbers whether they are free-of-charge numbers and to responsively refrain from limiting calls to such numbers.

• Configuring the network 20 to inform the terminal 10, for instance by using the short messaging service, of the cost of a call after the termination of the call.

• Configuring the terminal 10 to present informed cost and/or remainder of the cost limit responsively to the terminal informing the terminal of the cost of an ongoing or ended call. • Configuring to the terminal 10 a set of numbers (e.g. phone book) by an authorized user, typically the phone owner, and configuring the terminal 10 to allow calling to numbers within the set regardless whether the call limitation is enabled in order to facilitate the use of the terminal 10 by the authorized user. • Configuring the terminal 10 to maintain sub-account or sub-accounts for different unauthorized (rentee) users for storing the remaining amount of call-time or cost to the limit.

• Further configuring the terminal to allow the users to set a secret code corresponding to their sub-accounts so that if the terminal 10 cannot be used to the limit, it is possible to later return to use the same terminal 10 again for the remaining amount. By maintaining the sub-accounts, the terminal 10 may provide further business to a phone booth operator by attracting the customers back again.

• Configuring the terminal 10 to prevent setting up call-forwarding while the communication limitation is enabled, or more generally, configuring the terminal 10 to prevent setting up any cost-bearing services while the communication limitation is switched on. By preventing call-forwarding, it may be possible to avoid fraud in which the terminal 10 is rented, a call- forwarding is set to a cost-bearing service number, and a call is made to that service number via the rented terminal 10 with the call-forwarding.

• Configuring the terminal 10 to enhance privacy of the renter by concealing the phone's telephone number in some or all communications while the communication limitation is enabled. The concealing may involve signalling to a network operator that the caller line identification (CLI) should be prevented. GSM, for example, readily supports instructing the network to conceal the callers identity on phone calls. However, GSM does not support similar concealment of short message originators. Hence, to protect the privacy of the renter in case that short messages should be sent by the rentee, the terminal 10 may be configured to signal to the network operator that the sender's telephone number should not be shown in sent short messages. Responsively, the network may replace the caller's number with a dummy number or with another number assigned to the rentee. • Configuring the terminal 10 to input an identity (such as the name) of the rentee and to signal that identity to the network operator in addition to signalling that the terminal's number or address should be concealed in order to allow the network operator to register the rentee's identity for tracing the rentee afterwards if the phone is abused by the rentee. • Configuring the terminal 10 to use a first telephone number as an A- subscriber number (e.g. caller's number) and to use a second telephone number as an A-subscriber number while the communication limitation is enabled. By using another number for the rentee, the rentee may be allowed to receive phone calls intended to him or her. • Configuring the network to replace the A-subscriber number of the terminal in an intelligent network (IN) system or generally in a system responsible for charging in the telecommunications network.

• Configuring the terminal 10 to carry two different subscriber numbers out of which one number is assigned to the use when the communication limitation is not enabled and another number is assigned to the use when the communication limitation is enabled. o To carry two different subscriber numbers, the phone may comprise two different subscriber identity modules. o The mobile phone may comprise a subscriber identity module configured to operate for any of two or more different numbers. o If another number is assigned by the mobile phone for the rentee, then the mobile phone may signal to the network operator the subscription (or other number of the phone) which the network operator should charge for the use of the phone while the communication limitation is enabled.

Especially in case of prepaid subscription, it is relatively straightforward to adapt the charging system in the telecommunications network to set up or maintain a secondary account for the rentee and to transfer an amount of balance from the primary or main account (corresponding to the normal subscription number of the terminal 10) to the secondary account. Then, the rentee may simply place calls until as if the terminal 10 were having a normal pre-paid subscription: call forwarding may be set, calls may be received, voice mail box service may be provided by the network, and so on. As the cost control is implemented in the network, the charging is also accurate to the degree provided by the network itself.

The secondary account may correspond to the number used by the rentee. The mobile phone itself need not be configured to carry to different accounts, but the terminal may be configured to instruct the network to disable its normal subscription while the secondary account is being used so that the network (or typically an IN system therein) translates calls to and from the terminal 10 as if they were originating from a terminal having the secondary subscription.

Advantageously, the mobile phone may allow using either one or another phone number depending on whether the phone is used by its owner (or other, not limited user) or by a rentee such that the rentee may receive phone calls.

The initial configuration may further or alternatively involve any of the following: • Alternatively to assigning another phone number to a rentee by the mobile phone, the mobile phone is configured to request the network operator to assign another number for the mobile phone while the communication limitation is enabled.

• The network is configured to maintain the assigned another number for a predetermined period and to assign new numbers to different rentees so that a rentee can re-use the another number even if one ore more other users have rented the mobile phone after the last use of the rentee. • The network is configured to maintain a voice mail box for the rentee and assigned to the rentee's phone number.

• The terminal 10 is configured to allow extending the limit.

After any, some or all of the foregoing initial configurations have been done, the terminal 10 is taken into use. It can be operated by its owner or other authorized user such as an employee of a mobile phone booth, generally someone having a right to use the terminal 10 without a communication limitation and who has the right to enable the communication limitation.

During the use of the terminal 10, any of the following events may occur or be provided by the terminal 10 and/or by the network 20:

A communication limit is set in step 420. Any of the following options may be used: • A rentee pays for a phone booth operator for a given increase of calling time or call cost and responsively receives a code entering which into the terminal causes the terminal to correspondingly adjust the limit. The code may be such that its reuse is prevented. For example, the code may be computed by a personal computer (not shown) with an algorithm and shared secret known by the computer and the terminal 10 such that the code further depends on a running serial number or current date or time and optionally on the amount of desired increment.

• A code for adjusting the limit is be provided to the user for entering into the terminal 10 over its user interface. • A code for adjusting the limit is sent to the terminal 10 over-the-air.

• The terminal 10 is configured to provide the user with a menu option or otherwise to allow a user to enter an authorization, after which the limit is permissible to remove, adjust or reset.

• The terminal 10 is configured to receive the authorization as an over-the-air code.

• The terminal 10 is configured to authorize any received code solely or partly based on the identity of the sender of the code, such as an A-subscriber number. After setting the limit, the terminal 10 is usable by the rentee and the terminal 10 (and optionally also the network 20) monitor the use of the terminal 10 with relation to the limit. When the limit approaches, the terminal 10 may provide a warning to the rentee in step 430. The warning may use any of the following options:

• The terminal 10 warns its user of an approaching forced end of an ongoing call or communication by displaying or playing a notice of remaining call time at predetermined time or times before meeting the limit.

• The terminal 10 presents either automatically after a call (or generally cost- incurring transaction) has ended or on-demand regardless whether the limit has been met or how much of the limit is still unused. By presenting a balance or usage indication, a phone rentee may be refunded the portion of the rent that the rentee has not used.

• The warning is presented using any of: a visual indication; an audible indication and a tactual indication.

• The method of presenting the warning is subject to use conditions such as whether an external user interface accessory (e.g. hands-free accessory) is in communication with the terminal 10.

During and after the warning, the rentee may keep on communicating with the terminal 10. Optionally, the terminal may prompt for an extension and the rentee may enter a request to extend the limit, step 450. The request may be subjected to an authorization as described in the foregoing. If so, and if the request is granted (step 460), the limit is correspondingly adjusted in step 420, otherwise the limit will be met and the further communication be prevented in step 440.

During the communication, the rentee may also request either at any stage, or at the limit warning (step 430) for lifting the communication limit altogether. For instance, the rentee may realise an urgent need for extensive communications and the renter may grant the rentee with an unlimited use (possibly up to the balance of a prepaid account used as the main account). In this case, the rentee requests for lifting the limit in step 470, typically via a menu option of the terminal 10. The terminal may require an authorization 480 as described in the foregoing and responsive to positive authorization (or not requiring such) the terminal 10 disables the communication limit until the communication limit is re-enabled at step 420.

The terminal 10 is typically configured to allow an authorized user and/or the network 20 to change any of the settings listed in connection with the initial configurations as in step 410. When the call limitation is disabled, the settings may be changed without further authorization. In order to allow a rentee to lift the time limit but not gain access to the configuration of the terminal 10, the rentee may be provided with an authorization code that lifts the limit but does not qualify to access the configuration of the terminal. Another authorization is then required to access the configuration.

The foregoing description has provided by way of non-limiting examples of particular implementations and embodiments of the invention a full and informative description of the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. It is however clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to details of the embodiments presented above, but that it can be implemented in other embodiments using equivalent means without deviating from the characteristics of the invention.

Furthermore, some of the features of the above-disclosed embodiments of this invention may be used to advantage without the corresponding use of other features. As such, the foregoing description shall be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention, and not in limitation thereof. Hence, the scope of the invention is only restricted by the appended patent claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A mobile device, comprising: a user interface configured to allow a user to enable a communication limitation; and a processor configured to restrict communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit.

2. A mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is selected from a group consisting of: a portable telephone; a cellular telephone; a satellite phone; a cordless phone; personal digital assistant (PDA); and a voice over IP (internet protocol) device.

3. A mobile device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mobile device is configured to provide any of: video; voice; audio; data communications; conferencing; messaging; Internet browsing; wireless application protocol (WAP) browsing; and l-mode browsing.

4. A mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is configured to allow, despite the communication limitation, contacting emergency numbers or other emergency addresses in general.

5. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is further configured to allow calling to particular other, predetermined phone numbers or more generally addresses regardless whether the limitation is enabled.

6. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined limit is expressed in any of: the amount of time; amount of communications; and the amount of data transmitted during the restricting.

7. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined limit is expressed in amount of costs the incurring of which is allowed.

8. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is configured to maintain a sub-account to maintain remaining usage until the predetermined limit.

9. A mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the sub-account is configured to maintain the remaining usage over periods in which the mobile device is lent to other users and other limits are set.

10. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is configured to send a message to a predetermined number or address indicative of a current sub-account balance and/or location of the mobile device responsive to a predetermined condition.

11. A mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the message is a short message; an e-mail message; a multimedia messaging service message; an instant messaging message; or a voice message

12. A mobile device according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the predetermined condition includes meeting a particular time or receiving an over-the-air request.

13. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is configured to display current status related to the predetermined limit.

14. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive an authorization from a user and to responsively allow releasing, adjusting or setting the predetermined limit.

15. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is configured to allow setting of the predetermined limit within pre-set boundaries.

16. A mobile device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone configured to cause a telecommunications network to impose a cost-based limit to the communication.

17. A mobile device according to claim 16, further configured to provide a user with a menu option with which to input the cost-based limit from the user.

18. A mobile device according to claim 17, further configured to query from the network and display to the user the incurred costs or the amount of costs remaining up to the predetermined limit

19. A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 18, further configured to provide of its own initiative an indication of the incurred costs or the amount of costs remaining up to the predetermined limit.

20. A mobile device according to any one of claims 16 to 19, further configured to reject any incoming calls while the communication limitation is enabled.

21. A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 20, wherein the mobile phone is further configured to conceal any incoming calls and only show them after a particular authorization has been given to the mobile phone.

22.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 21 , further configured to prevent forming multi-party calls while the communication limitation is enabled.

23.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 22, further configured to prevent setting up call-forwarding while the communication limitation is enabled.

24.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 23, wherein the mobile phone is configured to enhance privacy of the renter by concealing the phone's telephone number in some or all communications while the communication limitation is enabled.

25.A mobile device according to claim 24, wherein the concealing includes:

- signalling to the network that the caller line identification (CLI) should be prevented; and/or

- signalling to the network that the sender's telephone number should not be shown in sent short messages.

26.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 25, further configured to use a first telephone number as an A-subscriber number and to use a second telephone number as an A-subscriber number while the communication limitation is enabled.

27.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 26, further configured to request the network to assign another number for the mobile phone while the communication limitation is enabled.

28.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 27, wherein the mobile device is configured to warn before the predetermined limit is met, by using any of: a visual indication; an audible indication and a tactual indication.

29.A mobile device according to claim 28, further configured such that during communication with a communication limitation or on providing the warning, the mobile device presents to the user an option to extend the period over which communication is allowed.

30. A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 29, further configured to input an extension code to authorize extending the predetermined limit.

31. A mobile device according to claim 29, further configured to input an extension code to authorize extending the predetermined limit.

32.A mobile device according to any one of claim 16 to 31 , further configured to provide an option of lifting the communication limitation during the communication limitation or on providing the warning.

33.A method in a mobile device, comprising: allowing a user to enable a communication limitation; and responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation, restricting communication by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit.

34.A memory medium comprising a computer program comprising computer executable program code configured to cause a mobile device to: allowing a user to enable a communication limitation; and responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation, restricting communication by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit.

35.A system comprising a mobile communications network and for the mobile communications network a mobile device associated with a given subscription to the mobile communications network, the mobile device comprising: a user interface configured to allow a user to enable communication limitation; a processor configured to restrict communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing communication only up to a predetermined limit, wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to select the communication limitation based on communication amount and incurred cost; and a communication unit configured to send a cost limit to the mobile communication network responsive to selecting the communication limitation based also on the incurred cost; the mobile communications network comprising: a charging system configured to obtain the cost limit, to monitor subsequent spending of said given subscription, and to stop the mobile device from incurring further costs responsive to the monitoring indicating that the cost limit is met.

36.A system according to claim 35, wherein the mobile device is configured to monitor the amount of communication provided by the mobile device and to prevent further communication when the limitation based on communication amount has been met.

37.A system according to claim 35 or 36, wherein the network is configured to receive from the mobile device a number concealment request and to responsively conceal the number of the mobile device on placing telephone calls for the mobile device.

38.A system according to any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein the network is configured to receive from the mobile device a number change request and to responsively temporarily replace the number of the mobile device.

39.A system according to any one of claims 35 to 38, wherein the network is configured to maintain a secondary account for a particular user of the mobile device in order to charge communications caused by that particular user with the mobile device.

40. A system according to claim 39, wherein the secondary account is a pre-paid subscription account.

41. A system according to claim 39 or 40, wherein the mobile device is further configured to instruct the network to transfer a given balance from an account associated to a basic number of the mobile device to the secondary account.

42.A system according to any one of claims 35 to 41 , wherein the network is configured to obtain the cost limit from an in-band signalling.

43.A system according to claim 42, wherein the in-band signalling contains a pre- fix and/or a postfix to a B-subscriber number.

44.A system according to any one of claims 35 to 43, wherein the network is configured to recognise a balance query from the mobile device and to responsively indicate the extent to which the cost limit has been used.

45.A mobile device comprising: means for allowing a user to enable a communication limitation; and means for restricting communication responsive to the enabling of the communication limitation by allowing use of the mobile device for communication only up to a predetermined limit.