METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LOCATION-DEPENDENT BILLING FOR SERVICES

• US 20070184815A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: AEBI, PAUL
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for location-dependent billing for a service available to a user with a mobile terminal having an identification module. Via a wireless interface of the identification module, a local communication connection is set up to at least one external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface. The method includes determining a location identification through evaluation of data of the at least one external location tag; and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the determined location of the at least on external location tag.

Claims

1. A method for location-dependent billing for a service being available to a user with a mobile terminal having an identification module, wherein, via a wireless interface of the identification module, a local communication connection is set up to at least one external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface, the method comprising:

determining a location identification through evaluation of data of the at least one external location tag; and

selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the determined location of the at least one external location tag.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local communication connection is set up via an interface based on the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a NFC standard.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting through the identification module, data of the location tag to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged;

evaluating the data of the location tag by the central unit; and

selecting a billing rate in accordance with a result of the evaluating a in the billing unit of the mobile communication network.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

decrypting the data of the location tag by a central unit based on an electronic key stored in the central unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing the local communication connection to a location tag secured through security means.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the location tag to a communication channel.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining by a central unit via which base station the mobile terminal is logged into the mobile communication network; and

comparing data of the determined base station with data of the location tag.

8. A system for location-dependent billing of a service being available to a mobile terminal including an identification module, the system comprising:

the identification module comprises a wireless interface for configured to set up a local communication connection to at least one external location tag including a corresponding wireless interface;

the at least one external location tag including data stored for determining a location identification of the external location tag; and

a billing unit configured to bill for the service available to the user in accordance with a billing rate assigned to the location identification.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the wireless interface of the identification module is implemented according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a NFC standard.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the identification module is configured to transmit data from the location tag to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged in, the data of the location tags being evaluated by the central unit, and in accordance with the evaluation, a billing rate is selected in the billing unit of the mobile communication network.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a central unit configured to decrypt the data of the location tag based on an electronic key stored in the central unit.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the location tag comprises security means for securing the location tag.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the location tag is configured to be connected to a communication channel.

14. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a central unit configured to determine via which base station the mobile terminal is logged into the mobile communication network, and to compare data of the determined base station to data of the location tag.

15. A system for billing a service provided to a user based on a location of the user, comprising:

at least one external location tag configured to exchange data with a mobile terminal of the user, and to store data indicative of the location of the at least one external location tag; and

a billing unit of a communication network used by the mobile terminal and configured to assign a billing rate to the service used by the user based on the location of the at least one external location tag.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a wireless interface provided in the at least one external location tag and configured to communicate with the mobile terminal.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a central unit configured to receive via the mobile terminal, data indicative of the location of the at least one external location tag.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the central unit comprises:

an electronic key for decrypting the data indicative of the location of the at least one external location tag.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the location tag comprises:

security means for securing the location tag.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the location tag is configured to be connected to a supplementary communication channel.