US Patent 7310415 Tracking and notification of telephone plan minute status

A method and system for tracking telephone usage and notifying a user of his telephone usage includes a software program for tracking telephone usage based on the time and day that a phone call is made. The software program designates a timer for tracking phone usage. The timer has a time block and a time usage variable associated therewith. When a call is made, the time used by the call is recorded to the time usage variable if the call was made within the time block. The user may then be notified of how much time has been used. The software may be implemented in a number of environments, including a computer system accessible remotely or a processor located on the user's telephone.