Billing in mobile communications system employing wireless application protocol

• US 20070060102A1
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Data Advisors LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Juntunen, Ari, Huostila, Tero, Immonen, Marko, Keinanen, Kimmo
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• 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 2215/2073 Multipoint, e.g. messaging, broadcast or group SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 : SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

The invention relates to a network part and a method for generating billing data in a mobile communications system employing a wireless application protocol. The network part of the mobile communications system comprises: means for setting up a bi-directional wireless data transmission connection to a subscriber terminal; means for transmitting a service request sent by the subscriber terminal to a contents server providing the service; means for transmitting response data generated in the contents server on the basis of the service request to the subscriber terminal; identifying means for identifying transactions associated with the service from among the service requests and the response data on the basis of the identification of the Internet address of the service referred to in the service request and the response data; and billing means for generating billing data for the service using the transactions identified on the basis of the service'"'"'s Internet address.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method adapted for use in a mobile communication system employing a wireless application protocol, the method comprising:

transmitting a service request received from a mobile subscriber to a contents server associated with the service, said service request including a first Internet address Universal Resource Locator (URL);

receiving associated response data generated by said contents server, at least in part, on the basis of said service request, said associated response data including a second Internet address URL; and

analyzing at least a part of each of said first Internet address URL and second Internet address URL to identify a billable transaction for said service.

20. The method of claim 19, and further comprising:

forwarding said associated response data to said mobile subscriber.

21. The method of claim 20, and further comprising:

generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

22. The method of claim 19, and further comprising:

generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

truncating said first Internet address URL to eliminate at least a file name included therein.

24. The method of claim 19, and further comprising:

receiving said service request from said mobile subscriber.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

comparing said first Internet address URL to a service identification table including at least a stored Internet address URL and, associated with said stored Internet address URL, at least one element selected from the group consisting of a service name, one or more service parameters, and a service priority.

25. A method adapted for use in a mobile communication system employing a wireless application protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a service request received from a mobile, said service request including a first Internet address Universal Resource Locator (URL);

generating associated response data, at least in part, on the basis of said service request, said associated response data including a second Internet address URL; and

analyzing at least a part of each of said first Internet address URL and second Internet address URL to identify a billable transaction for said service.

26. The method of claim 25, and further comprising:

forwarding said associated response data to said mobile subscriber.

27. The method of claim 26, and further comprising:

generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

28. The method of claim 25, and further comprising:

generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

truncating said first Internet address URL to eliminate at least a file name included therein.

30. The method of claim 25, and further comprising:

receiving said service request from said mobile subscriber.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

comparing said first Internet address URL to a service identification table including at least a stored Internet address URL and, associated with said stored Internet address URL, at least one element selected from the group consisting of a service name, one or more service parameters, and a service priority.

33. Apparatus adapted for use in a mobile communication system employing a wireless application protocol, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a service request received from a mobile subscriber to a contents server associated with the service, said service request including a first Internet address Universal Resource Locator (URL);

means for receiving associated response data generated by said contents server, at least in part, on the basis of said service request, said associated response data including a second Internet address URL; and

means for analyzing at least a part of each of said first Internet address URL and second Internet address URL to identify a billable transaction for said service.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, and further comprising:

means for forwarding said associated response data to said mobile subscriber.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, and further comprising:

means for generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, and further comprising:

means for generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said means for analyzing further comprises:

means for truncating said first Internet address URL to eliminate at least a file name included therein.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, and further comprising:

means for receiving said service request from said mobile subscriber.

46. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

means for comparing said first Internet address URL to a service identification table including at least a stored Internet address URL and, associated with said stored Internet address URL, at least one element selected from the group consisting of a service name, one or more service parameters, and a service priority.

39. Apparatus adapted for use in a mobile communication system employing a wireless application protocol, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a service request received from a mobile, said service request including a first Internet address Universal Resource Locator (URL);

means for generating associated response data, at least in part, on the basis of said service request, said associated response data including a second Internet address URL; and

means for analyzing at least a part of each of said first Internet address URL and second Internet address URL to identify a billable transaction for said service.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, and further comprising:

means for forwarding said associated response data to said mobile subscriber.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, and further comprising:

means for generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, and further comprising:

means for generating billing data based, at least in part, on said billable transaction for said service.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

means for truncating said first Internet address URL to eliminate at least a file name included therein.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, and further comprising:

means for receiving said service request from said mobile subscriber.

45. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said analyzing further comprises:

means for comparing said first Internet address URL to a service identification table including at least a stored Internet address URL and, associated with said stored Internet address URL, at least one element selected from the group consisting of a service name, one or more service parameters, and a service priority.