Messaging services for pre-pay users

• US 20040117312A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lialiamou, Elena, Stura, Marco, Triebel, Guido
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS 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 2215/8166 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A communication system providing messaging services can have a receiving unit configured to receive a request to send a message, an authorization unit configured to authorize the sending of the message in response to the request, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the authorization to send the message.

Claims

1. A method of controlling transmission of messages in a communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to send a message, wherein the request identifies a content of the message;

determining an authorization for the request to send the message; and

transmitting the authorization to send the content of the message.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the authorization comprises the step of:

determining a credit level for a subscriber associated with the message.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the step of:

transmitting the authorization when the credit level corresponds to a predetermined credit required to send the message.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving the content of the message in response to the authorization.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the authorization is dependent upon an identification of the content of the message.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the request comprises the step of:

receiving the request to send a short messaging service message, an enhanced messaging service message, or a multi-media messaging service message.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the request comprises the step of:

receiving the request to send the message in a pre-pay or a post-pay mobile communication system.

8. A method of controlling transmission of messages in a communication system from a subscriber terminal to a network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request to send a message from a subscriber terminal to a network, wherein the request includes an identification of a content of the message;

determining an authorization at the network for the request to send the message, said authorization being based on the identification of the content of the message and a credit level associated with the subscriber;

transmitting the authorization to send the content of the message from the network to the subscriber terminal when the credit level equals to or is greater than a cost associated with sending the message; and

sending the content of the message from the subscriber terminal to the network when the authorization is transmitted.

9. A method according to claim, 8 wherein the step of transmitting the request comprises the step of:

transmitting the request to send a short messaging service message, an enhanced messaging service message, or a multimedia messaging service message.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of transmitting the request comprises the step of:

transmitting the request to send a message in a mobile communication system.

11. A system for controlling transmission of messages in a communication network, the system comprising:

a receiving means for receiving a request identifying a content of a message;

a determining means for determining an authorization to send the message; and

a granting means for granting authorization to send the message.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the receiving means comprises a message centre.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the determining means further determines a credit level for a subscriber associated with the message.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the granting means grants the authorization when the credit level corresponds to a predetermined credit level required to send the message.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the granting means grants the authorization when the credit level corresponds to a cost associated with sending the message to be billed to the subscriber.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined credit level required to send the message corresponds to the content of the message.

17. A system according to claim 11 wherein the message comprises a short messaging service message, an enhanced messaging service message, and a multi-media messaging service message.

18. A system according to claim 11, wherein the receiving means receives the request in a pre-pay or a post-pay mobile communication system.

19. A user terminal, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a request to send a message, said message includes an identification of a content of the message; and

a receiver configured to receive an acknowledgement of the request to send the content of the message.

20. A user terminal according to claim 19, wherein the message comprises a short messaging service message, an enhanced messaging service message, or a multi media messaging service message.

21. A communication system including at least one subscriber terminal and a network coupled with the subscriber terminal, the system comprising:

a first transmitting means for transmitting a request to send a message from a subscriber terminal to a network, the request including an identification of a content of the message;

a determining means for determining an authorization in response to the request to send the message to the network, said authorization being based on the content of the message and a credit associated with a subscriber;

a second transmitting means for transmitting the authorization to send the content of the message from the network to the subscriber terminal when the credit equals to or is greater than a cost associated with sending the message; and

sending means for sending the content of the message from the subscriber terminal to the network in response to said authorization.

22. The communication system according to claim 21, wherein the determining means for determining the authorization comprises:

a storing means for storing a credit level associated with the subscriber; and

a comparison means for comparing the credit level with a predetermined credit associated with sending the content of the message.

23. A communication system according to claim 21, wherein the first transmitting means transmits the request within a mobile telecommunications system.

24. A computer program product for storing computer program code for controlling transmission of messages in a communication system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to send a message, the request including an identification of a content of the message;

determining an authorization to send the message in response to the request; and

transmitting the authorization to send the content of the message.

25. A communication system providing messaging services, said system comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a request to send a message, said request identifies a content of the message;

an authorization unit configured to authorize the sending of the message in response to the request; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the authorization to send the content of the message.

26. A communication system according to claim 25, wherein the authorization unit is configured to authorize the sending of the message in response to the request when a credit level associated with a subscriber sending the request is equal to or is greater than a predetermined cost associated with sending the message.

27. A communication system according to claim 25, wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive a request to send a short messaging service message, an enhanced messaging service message, or a multi-media messaging service message.

28. A communication system according to claim 25, wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the authorization to send the message based on an identification of the message.