Packet communication charge pre-notification system

• US 20010038625A1
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Satoh, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 6,977,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/10 Metering calls from calling party , i.e. A-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/48 Sending information over a non-traffic network channel or another connection than the one actually used, e.g. signalling, D-channel, data and voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation

Abstract

A packet communication charge pre-notification system includes a mobile station, a packet communication network containing a mobile communication network connected to the mobile station by radio, and a terminal connected to the mobile station via the packet communication network. The mobile station has a control unit, counting unit, and display unit. The control unit forms packet data from digital data and transmits the packet data to the terminal via the packet communication network in accordance with transmission permission from the user. The counting unit counts the formed packet data before transmission. The display unit displays a communication charge calculated on the basis of the counting result of the counting unit before the packet data is transmitted.

Claims

1. A packet communication charge pre-notification system including:

a mobile station;

a packet communication network containing a mobile communication network connected to said mobile station by radio; and

a terminal connected to said mobile station via the packet communication network,

said mobile station comprising;

control means for forming packet data from digital data and transmitting the packet data to said terminal via the packet communication network in accordance with transmission permission from a user;

counting means for counting the formed packet data before transmission; and

display means for displaying a communication charge calculated on the basis of a counting result of said counting means before the packet data is transmitted.

2. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein

said mobile station further comprises charge calculation means for calculating a communication charge on the basis of the counting result of said counting means, and

said display means displays the communication charge output from said charge calculation means.

3. A system according to

claim 2

, wherein said charge calculation means comprises:

memory means which stores a first charge table for packet communication; and

calculation means for calculating a communication charge by looking up the first charge table in accordance with the counting result of said counting means before packet transmission.

4. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein

said mobile station further comprises transmission means for transmitting the counting result of said counting means to the packet communication network,

the packet communication network further comprises charge calculation means for calculating a communication charge on the basis of a counting result from said mobile station and notifying said mobile station of the communication charge, and

said display means displays the communication charge notified from the packet communication network.

5. A system according to

claim 4

, wherein said charge calculation means comprises:

memory means which stores a charge table for packet communication; and

calculation means for calculating a communication charge by looking up the charge table in accordance with the counting result transmitted from said mobile station.

6. A system according to

claim 4

, wherein

said terminal counts packet data to be transmitted from said terminal to said mobile station before transmission, and

said charge calculation means calculates a communication charge on the basis of a counting result from said terminal.

7. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said control means transmits packet data in accordance with transmission permission from the user on the basis of a communication charge look-up result displayed on said display means.

8. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein

said counting means counts packet data while the packet data is transmitted/received, and outputting a counting result after end of packet communication, and

said display means displays a packet communication charge calculated on the basis of the counting result of said counting means, and notifies the user of the packet communication charge after the packet data is transmitted/received.

9. A system according to

claim 3

, wherein

said memory means stores cumulative speech communication data of a circuit switching service, a second charge table, and a cumulative packet data amount of packet communication in addition to the first charge table,

said calculation unit calculates a cumulative communication charge of packet communication, a cumulative speech communication charge of the circuit switching service, and a sum of the cumulative charges by looking up the first and second charge tables in accordance with the cumulative packet data amount and the cumulative speech communication data, and

said display means displays at least the sum of the cumulative charges and notifies the user of a cumulative charge as the sum of the charges of the circuit switching service and packet communication.

10. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein said mobile station further comprises input means for allowing the user to input transmission permission.

11. A packet communication charge pre-notification system including:

a mobile station;

a packet communication network containing a mobile communication network connected to said mobile station by radio; and

a terminal connected to said mobile station via the packet communication network, comprising;

control means, installed in said mobile station, for forming packet data from digital data and transmitting the packet data to said terminal via the packet communication network in accordance with transmission permission from a user;

counting means, installed in one of said mobile station and said terminal, for counting the formed packet data before transmission;

memory means which is installed in one of said mobile station and the packet communication network and stores a charge table for packet communication;

calculation means, installed in one of said mobile station and the packet communication network, for calculating a communication charge by looking up the first charge table in accordance with a counting result of said counting means before packet transmission; and

display means, installed in said mobile station, for displaying the communication charge output from said calculation means before packet transmission.