BILLING SYSTEM WITH AUTHENTICATED WIRELESS DEVICE TRANSACTION EVENT DATA

• US 20070232263A1
• Filed: 06/03/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bryan Minear, Jun Yamada, Ravinder Chandhok, Richard Gardner, Stephen Sprigg
• Original Assignee: Bryan Minear, Jun Yamada, Ravinder Chandhok, Richard Gardner, Stephen Sprigg
• Inventors: MINEAR, Brian, SPRIGG, Stephen, YAMADA, Jun, GARDNER, Richard, CHANDHOK, Ravinder
• Application Number:
  US11/757,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232263A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• 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 2215/0196 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: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a server is provided. The server is operable to gather authenticated transaction data to generate billing for wireless devices conducting transactions across a wireless network, receive transaction event data from one or more wireless devices, authenticate the transaction event data, and aggregate the authenticated transaction event data into transaction event billing data such that each transaction event is billable to a specific wireless device that effected the transaction event. The transaction event data is caused by one or more billable transaction events generated by the specific wireless device interacting with a computer device over the wireless network. Each of the billable transaction events is capable of generating an authenticated transaction event data configured to verify that a specific billable transaction event has been generated by a specific wireless device. Each authenticated transaction event data includes a first key and a second key.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a server operable to;

gather authenticated transaction data to generate billing for wireless devices conducting transactions across a wireless network;

receive transaction event data from one or more wireless devices;

authenticate the transaction event data; and

aggregate the authenticated transaction event data into transaction event billing data such that each transaction event is billable to a specific wireless device that effected the transaction event,

wherein the transaction event data is caused by one or more billable transaction events generated by the specific wireless device interacting with a computer device over the wireless network, each of the billable transaction events being capable of generating an authenticated transaction event data configured to verify that a specific billable transaction event has been generated by the specific wireless device, and

wherein each authenticated transaction event data includes;

a first key from the computer device participating in the billable transaction event, the first key identifying the billable transaction event, and

a second key from the specific wireless device, the second key identifying the specific wireless device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the server is a billing computer in selective communication with the wireless network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a service provider is operable to provide the wireless computer device access to the wireless network, and the wireless device is configured to have a subscriber, and the server is further operable to bill the wireless device subscriber for the transaction events caused by the wireless device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the server is further operable to generate a bill to the subscriber of each wireless device based upon the authenticated and aggregated transaction event data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the server is further operable to:

generate transaction event billing data based upon the authenticated transaction event data; and

transmit the transaction event billing data to a wireless service provider.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second key is a digital signature associated with the wireless device.

7. A server for gathering authenticated transaction data to generate billing for wireless devices conducting transactions across a wireless network, the server comprising:

means for receiving transaction event data from one or more wireless devices;

means for authenticating the transaction event data; and

means for aggregating the authenticated transaction event data into transaction event billing data such that each transaction event is billable to a specific wireless device that effected the transaction event,

wherein the transaction event data is caused by one or more billable transaction events generated by the specific wireless device interacting with a computer device over the wireless network, each of the billable transaction events being capable of generating an authenticated transaction event data configured to verify that a specific billable transaction event has been generated by the specific wireless device, and

wherein each authenticated transaction event data includes;

a first key from the computer device participating in the billable transaction event, the first key identifying the billable transaction event, and

a second key from the specific wireless device, the second key identifying the specific wireless device.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the means for aggregating the authenticated transaction event data is a billing computer in selective communication with the wireless network.

9. The server of claim 7, wherein a service provider is operable to provide the wireless computer device access to the wireless network, and the wireless device is configured to have a subscriber, and the server further comprises:

means for billing the wireless device subscriber for the transaction events caused by the wireless device.

10. The server of claim 9, further comprising:

means for generating a bill to the subscriber of each wireless device based upon the authenticated and aggregated transaction event data.

11. The server of claim 9, further comprising:

means for generating transaction event billing data based upon the authenticated transaction event data; and

means for transmitting the transaction event billing data to a wireless service provider.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein the second key is a digital signature associated with the wireless device.

13. A wireless device operable to generate authenticated transaction data from conducting transactions across a wireless network with a computer device, the wireless device comprising:

means for interacting with the computer device across the wireless network to cause a billable transaction event;

means for generating authenticated transaction event data, the authenticated transaction event data verifying a performance of a specific billable transaction event by a specific device, the authenticated transaction event data comprising a first key associated with the billable transaction event received from the computer device, and a second key identifying the specific wireless device; and

means for selectively transmitting the authenticated transaction event data to a billing device in selective communication with the wireless network.

14. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the wireless device further includes means for transmitting the authenticated transaction event data to a wireless service provider for that wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the means for causing a billable transaction event includes means for downloading an application to the wireless device from the computer device.

16. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the means for causing a billable transaction event includes means for effecting a subscription to a service provider by the computer device to the wireless device.

17. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the means for transmitting the authenticated transaction event data operates to transmit the authenticated transaction event data at the time the billable transaction event occurs.

18. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the second key is a digital signature associated with the specific wireless device.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for interacting with a computer device across a wireless network to cause a billable transaction event;

at least one instruction for generating authenticated transaction event data, the authenticated transaction event data verifying a performance of a specific billable transaction event by a specific wireless device, the authenticated transaction event data comprising a first key associated with the billable transaction event received from a computer device, and a second key identifying the specific wireless device; and

at least one instruction for selectively transmitting the authenticated transaction event data to a billing device in selective communication with the wireless network.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, the instructions further comprising:

at least one instruction for transmitting the authenticated transaction event data to a wireless service provider for that wireless device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one instruction for causing a billable transaction event comprises:

at least one instruction for causing a billable transaction event for downloading an application to the wireless device from the computer device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one instruction for causing a billable transaction event comprises:

at least one instruction for effecting a subscription to a service provider by the computer device to the wireless device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the at least one instruction for transmitting the authenticated transaction event data comprises:

at least one instruction for transmitting the authenticated transaction event data at the time the billable transaction event occurs.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second key is a digital signature associated with the specific wireless device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

at least one instruction for storing the authenticated transaction event data; and

at least one instruction for selectively transmitting the stored authenticated transaction event data to another computer device on the network.