Wireless fleet communications system for providing separable communications services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing personal and business mobile wireless communications service is described. A message is received having a message type. Message separability and cost allocation is performed based on the message type. The message is processed when the message is a fleet message, and the message is forwarded to a message management center when the message is a personal message. Once the message is forwarded, it is deleted. In one embodiment of the invention, the messages are transmitted via a wireless satellite link between a mobile communications terminal and a network management system. A fleet computer receives the messages from the network management system and, after determining whether they are personal or fleet messages, processes them accordingly.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method for providing business message and personal message communications service to a fleet of vehicles in communication with a central station, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a message by a central station, said message transmitted by a mobile communication terminal, said message having a message type field comprising either a business type or a personal type; 
 processing said message when said message type field comprises said business type; and 
 forwarding said message to a message management center when said message type field comprises said personal type. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said step of processing comprises the step of generating notification of said message. 
     
     
       3. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said step of processing comprises the step of storing said message. 
     
     
       4. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said step of processing comprises the step of displaying said message. 
     
     
       5. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said message also has a driver ID, and said step of forwarding step is further comprised of the step of selecting a message management center based on said driver ID. 
     
     
       6. The method as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising the step of deleting said message after said step of forwarding is performed. 
     
     
       7. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said message management center is an internet service provider. 
     
     
       8. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said message management center is a local exchange carrier. 
     
     
       9. The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said message management center is a paging service provider. 
     
     
       10. A wireless fleet communications system comprising:
 a mobile communication terminal for transmitting a message to a central station, said message having a message type field, said message type field comprising either a business type or a personal type, over a wireless link to a central station; and 
 a fleet computer for forwarding said message to a message management center when said message type field comprises said personal type and for processing said message when said message type field comprises said business type. 
 
     
     
       11. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 10  further comprising a network management system for routing said message to said fleet computer based on a driver ID contained in said message. 
     
     
       12. The wireless fleet communications system as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said fleet computer is further for deleting said message after forwarding to said message management center. 
     
     
       13. The wireless fleet communications system as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said network management system is an internet service provider that forwards said message to a home computer. 
     
     
       14. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 10  wherein said network management center is further for billing fleet management when said message type field is set to personal message and for bill a fleet driver when said message type field is set to personal message. 
     
     
       15. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 10  wherein said message type is selected by input into said mobile communications terminal. 
     
     
       16. A wireless fleet communications system comprising:
 a mobile communication terminal for transmitting a message to a central station, said message having a message type field, said message type field comprising either a business type or a personal type, over a wireless link; and 
 a network management center for receiving said message, and for forwarding said message to a message management center when said message type field comprises said personal type, and to a fleet computer when said message type field comprises said business type. 
 
     
     
       17. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 16  wherein said message has a driver ID, and said network management center is further for routing said message to one of a set of message management centers based on said driver ID. 
     
     
       18. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 16  wherein said message management center is an internet service provider. 
     
     
       19. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 16  wherein said message management center is a paging service. 
     
     
       20. The wireless fleet communications system of  claim 16  wherein said message management center is an voice messaging service. 
     
     
       21. A method for providing business message and personal message communications service to a fleet of vehicles in communication with a central station, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a message;   determining whether said received message comprises a business type message or a personal type message;   processing said received message in a first manner if said received message comprises said business type message; and   processing said received message in a second manner if said received message comprises said personal type message.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21 wherein said received message comprises a message type field that identifies whether said message comprises a business type message or a personal type message. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22 wherein said message type field comprises a message number, wherein the step of determining whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message comprises the steps of:
 designating at least one message number as corresponding to said personal type message;   comparing said message number associated with said received message to said at least one designated message number; and   determining that said received message comprises a personal type message if said message number associated with said received message matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 22 wherein said message type field comprises a message number wherein the step of determining whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message comprises the steps of:
 designating at least one message number as corresponding to business type messages;   comparing said message number associated with said received message to said at least one designated message number; and   determining that said received message comprises a business type message if said message number associated with said received message matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of processing said business type message in a first manner comprises the step of billing a fleet management center. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of processing said business type message in a first manner comprises the step of forwarding said business type message to a third party. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, further including the step of displaying said business type message. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 26, further including the step of storing said business type message. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises the step of forwarding said personal type message to a selected message management center. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of forwarding said personal type message comprises the steps of:
 storing an identification of said message management center associated with a first driver ID;   determining a second driver ID associated with said personal type message; and   matching said second driver ID to said first driver ID and selecting said message management center associated with said first driver ID.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 21, wherein said message comprises a voice message. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 29, wherein said message further comprises a destination address and the step of forwarding said personal type message comprises the steps of:
 determining said destination address of said personal type message; and   forwarding said personal type message to a destination corresponding to said destination address.   
     
     
       33. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises the step of billing a driver corresponding to said received message. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises the step of billing a fleet management center corresponding to a mobile communication terminal that transmitted said received message. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises the step of billing a service provider associated with a driver corresponding to said received message. 
     
     
       36. An apparatus for providing business message and personal message communications service to a fleet of vehicles in communication with a central station, comprising:
 a computer for receiving a message and for determining whether said message comprises a business type message or a personal type message; said computer further for processing said business type message in a first manner and for processing said personal type message in a second manner wherein said message comprises a message type field that identifies whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message.   
     
     
       37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field. 
     
     
       38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field and wherein said computer is further for:
 comparing a message number contained in said message number field to at least one designated message number, said at least one designated message number indicative of said personal type message; and   determining that said received message comprises said personal type message if said message number matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field and wherein said computer is further for:
 comparing a message number contained in said message number field to at least one designated message number, said at least one designated message number indicative of said business type message; and   determining that said received message comprises said business type message if said message number matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein processing said business type message in said first manner comprises billing an account associated with said fleet of vehicles. 
     
     
       41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein processing said business type message in said first manner comprises forwarding said business type message to a third party. 
     
     
       42. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said computer is further for displaying said business type message. 
     
     
       43. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said computer is further for storing said business type message. 
     
     
       44. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises forwarding said personal type message to a selected message management center. 
     
     
       45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein selecting said selected message management center comprises said computer storing an identification of said message management center associated with a first driver ID, determining a second driver ID associated with said personal type message, and matching said second driver ID to said first driver ID and selecting said message management center associated with said first driver ID. 
     
     
       46. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said message comprises a voice message. 
     
     
       47. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said message further comprises a destination address and said computer is further for forwarding said personal type message by determining said destination address of said personal type message, and forwarding said personal type message to a destination corresponding to said destination address. 
     
     
       48. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises billing a driver associated with said received message. 
     
     
       49. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises billing a fleet management center corresponding to a mobile communication terminal. 
     
     
       50. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises billing a service provider associated with a driver corresponding to said received message. 
     
     
       51. An apparatus for providing business message and personal message communications service to a fleet of vehicles in communication with a central station, comprising:
 means for receiving a message;   means for determining whether said received message comprises a business type message or a personal type message; and   means for processing said business type message in a first manner and means for processing said personal type message in a second manner.   
     
     
       52. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field. 
     
     
       53. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field and wherein said means for determining whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message is further for:
 comparing a message number contained in said message number field to at least one designated message number, said at least one designated message number indicative of said personal type message; and   determining that said received message comprises a personal type message if said message matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       54. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field and wherein said means for determining whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message is further for:
 comparing a message number contained in said message number field to at least one designated message number, said at least one designated message number indicative of said business type message; and   determining that said received message comprises said business type message if said message number matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       55. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein processing said business type message in said first manner comprises billing an account associated with said fleet of vehicles. 
     
     
       56. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein processing said business type message in said first manner comprises forwarding said business type message to a fleet management center. 
     
     
       57. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises forwarding said personal type message to a selected message management center. 
     
     
       58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein selecting said selected message management center comprises said means for determining whether said message comprises a business type message or a personal type message further for storing an identification of said message management center associated with a first driver ID, determining a second driver ID associated with said personal type message, and matching said second driver ID to said first driver ID and selecting said message management center associated with said first driver ID. 
     
     
       59. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said message further comprises a destination address and said means for determining whether said message comprises a business type message or a personal type message is further for forwarding said personal type message by determining said destination address of said personal type message, and forwarding said personal type message to a destination corresponding to said destination address. 
     
     
       60. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises billing a driver associated with said received message. 
     
     
       61. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises billing a fleet management center corresponding to a mobile communication terminal. 
     
     
       62. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises billing a service provider associated with a driver corresponding to said received message. 
     
     
       63. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for providing business message and personal message communications service to a fleet of vehicles in communication with a central station that when executed, performs the following method:
 receiving a message;   determining whether said message comprises a business type message or a personal type message;   processing said received message in a first manner if said received message comprises said business type message; and   processing said received message in a second manner if said received message comprises said personal type message.   
     
     
       64. The computer readable medium of claim 80, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field. 
     
     
       65. The computer readable medium of claim 63 further comprising instructions for processing said business type message in a first manner and instructions for processing said personal type message in a second manner. 
     
     
       66. The computer readable medium of claim 80, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field and wherein said instructions for determining whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message comprise:
 instructions for comparing a message number contained in said message number field to at least one designated message number, said at least one designated message number indicative of said personal type message; and   instructions for determining that said received message comprises said personal type message if said message number matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       67. The computer readable medium of claim 80, wherein said message type field comprises a message number field and wherein said instructions for determining whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message comprise:
 instructions for comparing a message number contained in said message number field to at least one designated message number, said at least one designated message number indicative of said business type message; and   instructions for determining that said received message comprises said business type message if said message number matches said at least one designated message number.   
     
     
       68. The computer readable medium of claim 65 wherein said instructions for processing said business type message in said first manner comprises instructions for billing an account associated with said fleet of vehicles. 
     
     
       69. The computer readable medium of claim 65 wherein said instructions for processing said business type message in said first manner comprises instructions for forwarding said business type message to a third party. 
     
     
       70. The computer readable medium of claim 65 wherein said instructions for processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises instructions for forwarding said personal type message to a selected message management center. 
     
     
       71. The computer readable medium of claim 70, wherein the process of selecting said selected message management center comprises instructions for storing an identification of said message management center associated with a first driver ID, instructions for determining a second driver ID associated with said personal type message, and instructions for matching said second driver ID to said first driver ID and selecting said message management center associated with said first driver ID. 
     
     
       72. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said message comprises a destination address, said computer readable medium further comprising:
 instructions for forwarding said personal type message to a destination corresponding to said destination address.   
     
     
       73. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said instructions for processing said personal type message in said second manner comprises instructions for billing a driver associated with said received message. 
     
     
       74. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said instructions for processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises instructions for billing a fleet management center corresponding to said mobile communication terminal. 
     
     
       75. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said instructions for processing said personal type message in a second manner comprises instructions for billing a service provider associated with a driver corresponding to said received message. 
     
     
       76. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said message is transmitted by a mobile communication terminal disposed in a fleet vehicle. 
     
     
       77. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said message is transmitted by a mobile communication terminal disposed in a fleet vehicle. 
     
     
       78. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said message comprises a message type field that identifies whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message. 
     
     
       79. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said message is transmitted by a mobile communication terminal disposed in a fleet vehicle. 
     
     
       80. The computer readable medium of claim 63, wherein said message comprises a message type field that identifies whether said message comprises said business type message or said personal type message.