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3
2
Electronics & Handheld Devices
65
Seller:
Royal Thoughts, LLC
Featured IP Asset:
US 6,912,399
Related IP:
US 11/071,991
Expected Value:
$400,000+
Lot Summary:
This Lot is directed to the authorized use of
mobile phones. Specifically disclosed is the
capability of restricting specified incoming and
outgoing calls on a mobile phone.
Increasingly, mobile phones and other
PDA devices incorporating mobile phone
technology arethe most ubiquitous tools for
mobile communications. As more people are
carrying mobile phones, maintaining privacy
and preventing unauthorized use has become
a concern; if a user’s phone is lost or stolen, a
finder with improper intent could use the phone
to make gratuitous personal calls, potentially
mounting an unwarranted bill for the owner, or
otherwise obtain personal information which the
owner would not want distributed.
An additional concern with the escalating use of
mobile phones comes with the rising rate of use
by increasingly younger children and vulnerable
adults. There are benefits to allowing youth
and vulnerable adults to have mobile phones,
including providing the ability to communicate
with family and close friends, and enabling
contact with emergency services or telemedical
providers in the case of an emergency. However,
vulnerable adults and children may be bothered
by incoming calls from unknown parties, and
may also make outgoing calls to people they
should not contact. Further, parents may feel
that interruptions from a mobile phone can be
an unwelcome distraction in the academic lives
of their children. Resolving these concerns may
substantially expand the available market size for
mobile phone users.
This Lot resolves the aforementioned issues by
allowing a mobile phone user or a supervisory
authority to specify authorized use of a phone.
The disclosed technology provides a mobile
phone having restricted incoming and outgoing
telephone call capabilities. The user can
authorize outgoing and incoming calls to be made
and received only to and from specific phone
numbers. These numbers can be programmed
into the phone and only calls to and from those
authorized numbers will be allowed, while
incoming calls from unauthorized numbers will
not ring. By restricting the incoming and outgoing
calls from a mobile phone, parents and caregivers
can ensure their children or dependents are
not making calls to improper contacts with
their phones. The same concept applies in a
commercial application, where companies that
are hesitant to issue mobile phones to employees
may do so knowing that the phone can be
programmed for internal communication only.
Because of the Lot’s potential benefits to millions
of current and future mobile phone users, the
offered assets would be a valuable acquisition
for telecommunications companies, mobile
phone manufacturers, wireless network service
providers and consumer electronics brands.
Royal Thoughts is also a seller in other categories.
Please see related Lots numbered 61, 63, and 73
1
Mobile phone with programmable
dialable and receivable numbers
1
