Wireless internet services billing

• US 20060245562A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ostlund, John J., Miller, Quentin S.C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8278 Event based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/788 Event based

Abstract

Wireless internet services billing enables a telecommunications company to bill internet service events on a transaction level. In a described implementation, an internet service event, which occurs at least partially within an internet environment, is detected. An internet services proxy injects event billing information related to the detached event into an event billing information communication that is sent to a telecommunications billing gateway. At the telecommunications billing gateway, the event billing information is logged into an event billing log in association with an identity of a telecommunications user. By way of example, the event billing information may comprise an action indicator and an entity identifier. The action indicator indicates an action corresponding to the event, and the entity identifier identifies an entity that is associated with the event. The internet services proxy may be located at a telecommunications device of a user, at a provider of internet services, or both.

Claims

1. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that include a communications packet;

the communications packet capable of communicating event billing information, which is for an event that occurs at least partially in an internet environment, to a telecommunications network environment;

the communications packet comprising;

an action indicator indicating at least one action that is performed with respect to the event; and

an entity identifier identifying at least one entity related to the action that is performed with respect to the event.

2. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications packet further comprises:

a header portion;

wherein the header portion includes the action indicator and the entity identifier.

3. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 2, wherein the communications packet comports with a Web Services protocol format.

4. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications packet further comprises:

a source field indicating a source of the communications packet;

a destination field indicating a destination of the communications packet; and

a transaction participants field identifying at least one participant to the event;

wherein at least one of the source or the destination of the communications packet comprises an identity of a user device operating within the telecommunications network environment.

5. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processor-accessible media comprise at least one of (i) one or more storage media or (ii) one or more transmission media.

6. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications packet further comprises:

at least a part of the at least one entity as identified by the entity identifier;

wherein the action indicator and the entity identifier are transparent, and the at least a part of the at least one entity is opaque.

7. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications packet is further capable of being transmitted from an internet services proxy, which is located at a telecommunications device or an internet services device, to a telecommunications billing gateway.

8. A device comprising:

an internet services proxy that is capable of detecting an event that occurs at least partially in an internet environment;

the internet services proxy adapted to inject into one or more packets destined for a telecommunications network an action indicator and an entity identifier;

the action indicator indicating an action that is performed with respect to the detected event, and the entity identifier identifying an entity related to the action that is performed with respect to the detected event.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the internet services proxy is further adapted to transmit the one or more packets toward a telecommunications billing gateway of the telecommunications network.

10. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the device comprises a mobile device, and the telecommunications network comprises a mobile wireless network.

11. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the device comprises at least one of a personal computer, a server computer, an internet router or switch, an internet gateway, or a mobile device.

12. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the action that is performed with respect to the detected event comprises at least one of (i) accessing a database, (ii) accessing scheduling information, (iii) sending an email, (iv) ordering a product/service, or (v) accessing information from a web site; and

the entity related to the action comprises at least one of (i) information from a database entry, (ii) calendar appointment information, (iii) an email attachment and/or body, (iv) invoice information, or (v) weather or news information.

13. A method comprising:

detecting an internet service event that occurs at least partially within an internet environment;

determining an action corresponding to the internet service event;

ascertaining an entity associated with the internet service event; and

injecting an indicator of the action and an identifier of the entity into at least one packet.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

communicating the at least one packet toward a telecommunications gateway.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the method is performed by one or more internet services proxies located at a telecommunications device and/or at an internet service device, and wherein the telecommunications device and the internet service device are involved in the internet service event.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving at the telecommunications gateway the at least one packet having the indicator of the action and the identifier of the entity;

recognizing, at the telecommunications gateway, the indicator of the action and the identifier of the entity within the at least one packet; and

responsive to the recognizing, forwarding at least the indicator of the action and the identifier of the entity from the telecommunications gateway to a telecommunications billing unit.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

logging, by the telecommunications billing unit, the internet service event into a telecommunications event billing log using the indicator of the action and the identifier of the entity; and

logging, by an internet service involved with the internet service event, the internet service event into an internet event billing log using the indicator of the action and the identifier of the entity.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the detecting comprises:

detecting the internet service event;

wherein the internet service event comprises at least one of a database access, an email transmission or reception, a scheduling information access, or a website information access.

19. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the injecting comprises:

injecting the identifier of the entity into a header of the at least one packet, wherein the entity comprises a data object that is related to the action;

the method further comprising;

encrypting the data object, at least a portion of the encrypted data object included within the at least one packet.

20. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

formulating the least one packet; and

digitally signing the indicator of the action and the identifier of the entity.