Method and system for transmission-based billing of applications
First Claim
1. A method in a computer-based environment for providing transmission-based billing of content that transmits data over a network, comprising:
- determining billing tracking code; and
instrumenting the determined billing tracking code into the content thereby modifying the content, such that, when the modified content is executed on a target device, the billing tracking code automatically communicates billing data based upon an amount of data transmitted between the modified content and the network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Computer-and network-based methods and systems for transmission-based billing are provided. Example embodiments provide a Packet-Based Billing System (“PBBS”), which enables application providers, such as carriers and content providers, to bill subscribers for the use of content on mobile subscriber devices, such as wireless devices, on a per-application, per-user basis based upon the extent of the usage. Embodiments of the present invention can also be used to bill subscribers for the use of content on a per-application, per-user basis for wired subscriber devices as well, using the same techniques. In operation, the PBBS provides modified content by inserting billing and tracking code into content returned to a requesting device. The modified content, when executed, tracks the amount of data sent and received between the content and a network and posts the accumulated data to a proxy/billing server according to business rules for an interval/frequency to post such data. The proxy/billing server stores the raw billing data and an accounting program retrieves the billing data to generate customer (call) data records. Business rules that specific different charges for different content or users can be incorporated into the system.
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Citations
98 Claims
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1. A method in a computer-based environment for providing transmission-based billing of content that transmits data over a network, comprising:
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determining billing tracking code; and
instrumenting the determined billing tracking code into the content thereby modifying the content, such that, when the modified content is executed on a target device, the billing tracking code automatically communicates billing data based upon an amount of data transmitted between the modified content and the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. The method of claim I wherein the billing tracking code utilizes a proxy store and forward technique to transmit billing data and data transmission packets between the instrumented content and a plurality of server systems.
- 32. A network-based transmission medium containing content that has been instrumented with billing tracking code, whereby the billing tracking code automatically generating billing data on a transmission basis when the content is executed on a target device.
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50. A transmission-based billing system in a computer environment for automatically generating billing data for content that executes on a client device and that transmits data over a network, comprising:
code modifier that instruments the content with billing tracking code, that, when executed on the client device, automatically communicates billing data that reflects the amount of data transmitted over the network. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A computer-readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor in a wireless device to automatically transmit packet-based billing data on a per-content basis, by:
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when a packet of data is received by content from a network, logging the amount of data received with an identifier of the content;
when a packet of data is to be sent by the content over the network, logging the amount of data to be sent with an identifier of the content; and
transmitting the logged amount of data with the identifier of the content to a server system to be accumulated, thereby enabling the server system to bill a subscriber based upon the accumulated data. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A method in a wireless device for automatically transmitting packet-based billing data, comprising:
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when a packet of data is received from a network, logging the amount of data received;
when a packet of data is to be sent over the network, logging the amount of data to be sent; and
transmitting the logged amount of data to a server system to be accumulated, thereby enabling the server system to bill a subscriber based upon the accumulated data. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
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93. A wireless device that automatically transmits packet-based billing data, comprising:
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application with billing and tracking code that, when a packet of data is received from a network, logging the amount of data received;
when a packet of data is to be sent over the network, logging the amount of data to be sent; and
transmitting the logged amount of data to a server system to be accumulated, thereby enabling the server system to bill a subscriber based upon the accumulated data. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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Specification