Method for selecting a service provider for a service, which can be received by a mobile station via a radio access network and which is provided by at least two service providers, and a corresponding selecting device

• US 20060166668A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Eckert, Michael, Hans, Martin, Choi, Hyung-Nam
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/145 trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A method for selecting a service provider for a service, which can be received by a mobile station via a radio access network and which is provided by at least two service providers, as well as to a corresponding selecting device are shown. During a method for selecting a service provider for a service, which can be received by a mobile station via a radio access network and which is provided by at least two service providers, a selecting device receives a request for selecting the service provider from the mobile station via an interface. The service providers are requested by the selecting device for indicating a value of a selection parameter, and the selecting device selects one of the service providers for the service according to the indicated values of the selection parameter.--

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for selecting a provider that provides a service that can be received by a mobile station via a radio access network of a radio communication system and is provided by a plurality of service providers via the radio access network, the method comprising:

receiving from the mobile station via a radio interface of the radio access network a request to select a provider for the service from the plurality of service providers by a selecting device;

requesting the plurality of service providers to indicate a value of a selection parameter by the selecting device; and

selecting the provider by the selecting device based on the values received from the indication request.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mobile station is informed about the selected provider.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selecting device assigns the mobile station to the selected provider for a connection setup via the radio interface.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of service providers can indicate the value within a first time interval, or wherein after a second time interval the provider is selected.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein

after a first time interval the values received are compared with each other,

a provider is selected by a most favorable value from the values received, and

at least a portion of the plurality of service providers are re-requested to indicate the value of a selection parameter by the selecting device.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the portion of the plurality of service providers are re-requested to indicate the value of a selection parameter within a third time interval.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the portion of the plurality of service providers are notified of the most favourable value.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the portion of the plurality of service providers are informed if the most favourable value has been indicated by at least two of the plurality of service providers.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the value from the request is different than the value from the re-request.

22. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selection parameter is defined by the mobile station.

23. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selection parameter includes a price of the service.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selection parameter includes a quality of service.

25. A selecting device for selecting a provider for a service that can be received by a mobile station via a radio access network of a radio communication system and is provided by a plurality of service providers via the radio access network, the selecting device comprising:

a receiver capable of receiving a request sent by the mobile station via a radio interface of the radio access network to select a provider for the service;

a transmitter capable of sending a request to indicate a value of a selection parameter to the plurality of service providers, the receiver capable of receiving response having an indicated value from each of the plurality of service providers; and

a selector capable of selecting a provider from the plurality of service providers based on the indicated value from each response.

26. The selecting device according to claim 25, further comprising a first timer that after expiring, the values received are compared with each other, and a most favorable value is determined from the values received.

27. The selecting device to claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of service providers are re-requested to indicate the value of a selection parameter by the selecting device.

28. The selecting device to claim 26, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of service providers are re-requested to indicate the value of a selection parameter by the selecting device and that the portion of the plurality of service providers are informed of the most favourable value.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the value from the request is different than the value from the re-request.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the selection parameter includes a price of the service and/or a quality of service

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the selection parameter is defined by the mobile station.