System and method for managing end user approval for charging in a network environment

• US 20060047814A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Menditto, Louis F., White, John G., Batz, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

An apparatus for managing information in a network environment is provided that includes a content service gateway operable to communicate with an end user in order to facilitate a communication session. The communication session relates to a request by the end user for content or for a service. A quota server coupled to the content service gateway is operable to receive a service authorization request from the content service gateway relating to the communication session. The service authorization request operates to authorize access to the service or to the content for the end user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing information in a network environment, comprising:

a content service gateway operable to communicate with an end user in order to facilitate a communication session, wherein the communication session relates to a request by the end user for content or for a service; and

a quota server coupled to the content service gateway and operable to receive a service authorization request from the content service gateway relating to the communication session, wherein the service authorization request operates to authorize access to the service or to the content for the end user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quota server may be informed of an identity of the end user and the service or the content that is to be billed to the end user via the service authorization request.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quota server responds to the service authorization request with a service authorization response, which indicates a level of quota associated with the end user, and wherein the quota server prohibits a release of quota until the end user agrees to pay for the quota.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client service gateway may communicate a service verification request to the quota server that includes an identity of the end user and the service or the content that was requested.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quota server may reference a table in order to determine that the end user has not previously agreed to pay for the content or for the service that was requested, and wherein this results in a redirect message being communicated to the end user.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a notification server coupled to an Internet protocol (IP) network, wherein the redirect message specifies a location that is sought to be accessed by the end user and an address of the notification server.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the notification server is further operable to send an additional redirect message, which includes the content or the service that was requested by the end user, the additional redirect message including a token that represents an appended state, which reflects that the end user has agreed to proposed billing associated with the content or the service.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the content service gateway may receive an additional request from the end user associated with the content or the service that was requested by the end user, the client service gateway responding to the additional request by providing a service verification request that is sent to the quota server, and wherein the content service gateway may identify the token in the additional request and recognize that the end user has agreed to pay for the content or the service such that a response is spawned that includes quota, which allows the communication session to be facilitated.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the quota server responds to the additional request with the quota such that a transaction associated with the end user can be facilitated, the quota being included a response that includes a forward action, the forward action resulting in the end user being permitted to access the content or the service.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein service verification for the communication system is turned OFF in response to the additional request such that additional service verification requests are not issued for the end user who may be accessing the content or the service.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the content service gateway is operable to identify the forwarding action, to remove the token, and to forward the request that was originally made by the end user to a target server that includes the content or the service.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the end user is able to freely access selected information in subsequent requests after having been authorized for the content or the service.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a billing system element coupled to the client service gateway, the client service gateway being operable to communicate with the billing system element in order to manage distribution of quota provided to the end user.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access to the service or to the content is granted for the end user on a per-service basis such that the end user is not queried for subsequent authorizations for the communication session.

15. A method for managing information in a network environment, comprising:

communicating with an end user in order to facilitate a communication session, wherein the communication session relates to a request by the end user for content or for a service; and

receiving a service authorization request relating to the communication session, wherein the service authorization request operates to authorize access to the service or to the content for the end user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

responding to the service authorization request with a service authorization response, which indicates a level of quota associated with the end user; and

prohibiting a release of quota until the end user agrees to pay for the quota.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicating a service verification request to the quota server that includes an identity of the end user and the service or the content that was requested.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

referencing a table in order to determine that the end user has not previously agreed to pay for the content or for the service that was requested, wherein the determination results in a redirect message being communicated to the end user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the redirect message specifies a location that is sought to be accessed by the end user and an address of a notification server.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending an additional redirect message, which includes the content or the service that was requested by the end user, the additional redirect message including a token that represents an appended state, which reflects that the end user has agreed to proposed billing associated with the content or the service.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein access to the service or to the content is granted for the end user on a per-service basis such that the end user is not queried for subsequent authorizations for the communication session.

22. A system for managing information in a network environment, comprising:

means for communicating with an end user in order to facilitate a communication session, wherein the communication session relates to a request by the end user for content or for a service; and

means for receiving a service authorization request relating to the communication session, wherein the service authorization request operates to authorize access to the service or to the content for the end user.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for responding to the service authorization request with a service authorization response, which indicates a level of quota associated with the end user; and

means for prohibiting a release of quota until the end user agrees to pay for the quota.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for communicating a service verification request to the quota server that includes an identity of the end user and the service or the content that was requested.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for referencing a table in order to determine that the end user has not previously agreed to pay for the content or for the service that was requested, wherein the determination results in a redirect message being communicated to the end user.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the redirect message specifies a location that is sought to be accessed by the end user and an address of a notification server.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for sending an additional redirect message, which includes the content or the service that was requested by the end user, the additional redirect message including a token that represents an appended state, which reflects that the end user has agreed to proposed billing associated with the content or the service.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein access to the service or to the content is granted for the end user on a per-service basis such that the end user is not queried for subsequent authorizations for the communication session.

29. Software for managing information in a network environment, the software being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer code such that when executed is operable to:

communicate with an end user in order to facilitate a communication session, wherein the communication session relates to a request by the end user for content or for a service; and

receive a service authorization request relating to the communication session, wherein the service authorization request operates to authorize access to the service or to the content for the end user.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to:

respond to the service authorization request with a service authorization response, which indicates a level of quota associated with the end user; and

prohibit a release of quota until the end user agrees to pay for the quota.

31. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to:

communicate a service verification request to the quota server that includes an identity of the end user and the service or the content that was requested.

32. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to:

reference a table in order to determine that the end user has not previously agreed to pay for the content or for the service that was requested, wherein the determination results in a redirect message being communicated to the end user.

33. The medium of claim 29, wherein the redirect message specifies a location that is sought to be accessed by the end user and an address of a notification server.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the code is further operable to:

send an additional redirect message, which includes the content or the service that was requested by the end user, the additional redirect message including a token that represents an appended state, which reflects that the end user has agreed to proposed billing associated with the content or the service.

35. The medium of claim 34, wherein access to the service or to the content is granted for the end user on a per-service basis such that the end user is not queried for subsequent authorizations for the communication session.