Apparatuses and methods for determining usage of a wireless communication service

• US 10,116,805 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Tingting, Manno, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Russell S
• Application Number:
  US14/963,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 705 34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An apparatus includes means for accessing a communication service via a wireless network and for sending a first message and a second message via the wireless network. The apparatus also includes means for displaying a user interface and means for receiving a first selection and a second selection responsive to the user interface. The first and second selections respectively indicate work and personal billing accounts. The first message is associated with first usage profile-related information indicating work usage of the communication service that is to be billed to the work billing account. The second message is associated with second usage profile-related information indicating personal usage of the communication service that is to be billed to the personal billing account.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

means for accessing a network element via a wireless network to initiate a session of a communication service provided by the network element by sending a message to the network element;

means for displaying a user interface;

means for receiving user input, wherein the user input includes first user input that designates a user profile and includes second user input received after the first user input, wherein the second user input causes the message to be sent to the network element; and

means for generating the message responsive to the second user input, wherein the message includes a particular identifier from the user profile, wherein the message is configured to enable the network element to initiate the session, and wherein the message is configured to instruct the network element to cause the session to be billed to a first billing account of a plurality of billing accounts, the first billing account associated with the particular identifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for accepting connection of a subscriber identity module, wherein the particular identifier is independent of the subscriber identity module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for accessing, the means for displaying, the means for receiving, and the means for generating are included in a mobile phone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for accessing, the means for displaying, the means for receiving, and the means for generating are included in a handheld device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for accessing, the means for receiving, and the means for generating are included in a computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises an internet protocol network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the message comprises an internet protocol message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message is associated with a voice call.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a voice over internet protocol message.

10. A method comprising:

receiving user input at a user interface displayed by a wireless device, the wireless device configured to access a communication service, wherein the user input designates a user profile; and

after receiving the user input, receiving a selection at the wireless device to initiate a session of the communication service, and responsive to the selection;

generating, at the wireless device, a message associated with the session of the communication service, wherein the message includes a particular identifier of the user profile, wherein the particular identifier indicates that the session is to be billed to a first billing account of a plurality of billing accounts associated with the wireless device, each billing account of the plurality of billing accounts associated with a respective identifier; and

transmitting the message from the wireless device via a wireless network to a network element, wherein the messages is configured to instruct the network element to initiate the session and to cause the session to be billed to the first billing account based on the particular identifier in the message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular identifier is independent of a subscriber identity module within the wireless device, and wherein the subscriber identity module is operable for use in connection with each of the plurality of billing accounts.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular identifier indicates a persona profile.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first billing account comprises a work account.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of billing accounts includes the work account and further includes a personal account.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless network comprises an internet protocol network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message comprises an internet protocol message.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating, at the wireless device, a second message associated with second usage profile-related information, the second message indicating that usage of the communication service is to be billed to a second billing account of the plurality of billing accounts; and

sending the second message from the wireless device via the wireless network.

18. An electronic communication device comprising:

a network interface configured to access via a wireless network;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a user interface, user input that designates a user profile; and

after receiving the user input, receiving a selection to initiate a session of the communication service, and in response to the selection;

generating a message associated with the session of the communication service, wherein the message includes a particular identifier of the user profile, wherein the particular identifier indicates that the session is to be billed to a particular billing account; and

transmitting the message via the network interface to a network element, wherein the message is configured to instruct the network element to initiate the session and to cause the session to be billed to the particular billing account based on the particular identifier in the message.

19. The electronic communication device of claim 18, further comprising a slot interface configured to couple to a subscriber identity module, wherein the particular identifier is independent of the subscriber identity module.

20. The electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the network interface, the processor, and the memory are included in a mobile phone.

21. The electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the network interface, the processor, and the memory are included in a handheld device.

22. The electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the network interface, the processor, and the memory are included in a computer.

23. The electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the wireless network comprises an internet protocol network.

24. The electronic communication device of claim 23, wherein the message comprises an internet protocol message.

25. The electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise receiving media content during the session.

26. The electronic communication device of claim 25, wherein the media content comprises video content, music content, or both.

27. The electronic communication device of claim 18, further comprising a display device configured to display the user interface and an input device configured to receive user input corresponding to entries of the user interface.

28. The electronic communication device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, at the user interface, additional user input that designates a second user profile;

after receiving the additional user input and in response to a second selection to initiate a second session of the communication service;

generating a second message associated with the second session of the communication service, wherein the second message includes a second particular identifier, wherein the second particular identifier indicates that the second session is to be billed to a second billing account; and

transmitting the second message via the network interface to the network element, wherein the message is configured to instruct the network element to initiate the second session and to cause the second session to be billed to the second billing account based on the second particular identifier in the message.

29. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input via a user interface displayed by a wireless device, wherein the wireless device is configured to access a communication service, and wherein the user input designates a user profile; and

after receiving the user input, receiving a selection at the wireless device to initiate a session of the communication service, and responsive to the selection;

generating, at the wireless device, a message associated with the session of the communication service, wherein the message includes a particular identifier of the user profile, wherein the particular identifier indicates that the session is to be billed to a first billing account of a plurality of billing accounts associated with the wireless device; and

transmitting the message from the wireless device via a wireless network to a network element, wherein the message is configured to instruct the network element to initiate the session and to cause the session to be billed to the first billing account based on the particular identifier in the message.

30. The computer-readable storage device of claim 29, wherein the wireless device comprises a mobile phone.