Developing mobile unit based estimates of metered packet charges

• US 20030003894A1
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Anil K.
• Application Number:
  US09/892,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003894A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7277 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A mobile unit-based system enables real time estimates of charges for both roaming and non-roaming services and for mobile originated and mobile terminated calls in some embodiments. In addition, each of a plurality of contexts or sessions may be separately estimated based on quality of service parameters associated with those sessions. Moreover, mobility management state information may be utilized to estimate the real time charges per session incurred during roaming and non-roaming situations in some embodiments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a plurality of sessions at a given packet data protocol address; and

separately assessing charges for each of those sessions.

2. The method of claim 1 including estimating the charges for all legs of mobile terminated calls.

3. The method of claim 1 including providing a real time estimate of charges for each of those sessions.

4. The method of claim 1 including using information from Advice of Charge supplementary services.

5. The method of claim 1 including using quality of service parameters to supplement the estimate of costs for each session.

6. The method of claim 1 including utilizing mobility management state information to estimate real time charges per session.

7. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:

establish a plurality of communication sessions at a given packet data protocol address; and

separately assess charges for each of those sessions.

8. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to estimate the charges for all legs of mobile terminated calls.

9. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to provide a real time estimate of charges for each of those sessions.

10. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to use information from Advice of Charge supplementary services.

11. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to use quality of service parameters to supplement the estimate of cost for each session.

12. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to utilize mobility management state information to estimate real time charges per session.

14. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said software stores instructions enable the processor to estimate the charges for all legs of mobile terminated calls.

15. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said software storage stores instructions that enable the processor to provide a real time estimate of the charges for each session.

16. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor to use information from the Advice of Charge supplementary services.

17. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor to use quality of service parameters to supplement the estimate of cost for each session.

18. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor to utilize mobility management state information to estimate real time charges per session.

19. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said telephone receives voice, data, and streaming video.

20. The telephone of claim 13 wherein said telephone is a third generation wireless telephone.

13. A wireless telephone comprising:

a processor; and

a storage storing instructions that enable the processor to establish a plurality of sessions at a given packet data protocol address and separately assess charges for each of said sessions.

21. A method comprising:

accessing mobility management information for call origination and call termination; and

using the mobility management information to assess a charge for a telephonic communication.

22. The method of claim 21 including using the mobility management information to determine if a telephone call is a roaming or non-roaming call.

23. The method of claim 21 including determining a charge for a non-roaming leg when a call is mobile terminated.

25. The article of claim 24 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to use the mobility management information to determine if a telephone call is a roaming or non-roaming call.

26. The article of claim 24 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to determine a charge for a non-roaming leg when the call is mobile terminated.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor to use the mobility management information to determine if a telephone call is a roaming or non-roaming call.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the processor to determine a charge for a non-roaming leg when a call is mobile terminated.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein said telephone is a third generation wireless telephone.

24. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:

access mobility management information for call origination and call termination; and

use the mobility management information to assess a charge for a telephonic communication.

27. A wireless telephone comprising:

a processor; and

a storage storing instructions that enable the processor to access mobility management information for both call origination and call termination and use the mobility management information to assess a charge for a telephonic communication.