Patents by Inventor Ted G. Rich

Ted G. Rich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Cellular phone system wherein the air time use is predetermined
    Patent number: 5826185
    Abstract: A cellular phone system in which a cellular phone user (CPU) has a cellular phone with a predetermined amount of available airtime. The CPU prepays for a particular number of airtime units. When a cell site receives a call from the CPU, the cell site communicates with a mobile telecommunications switching office (MTSO), which recognizes a unique serial number from the cellular phone. The MTSO directs the call to a prepaid airtime transaction tracking interface (PATTI). The PATTI then checks whether the CPU's account has any available airtime units and may indicate the number of units to the CPU. If none, the PATTI does not answer the call; otherwise, the PATTI connects the call and deducts airtime units until the call is disconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Banana Cellular, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Wise, Ted G. Rich