METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING PEER TO PEER BILLING RECORDS WHEN ONE OR MORE CLIENTS PAY FOR THE OTHER CLIENTS

• US 20070291915A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseitlin, Eugene R., Alonso, Leopold A., Kogan, Barry M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"

Abstract

A method and a system for generating peer-to-peer billing records for at least one peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to at least one communication service in a communication system. The method comprises the steps of: collecting a completion-billing-token corresponding to a peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to a communication service and evaluating the completion-billing-token along with a paid-authentication-token corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session. The completion-billing-token comprises a details corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session, the details being at least one of a signature and an agreement. The paid-authentication-token controls duration of a peer-to-peer communication session based on a communication service provider.

Claims

1. A method for generating peer-to-peer billing records for at least one peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to at least one communication service in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting a completion-billing-token corresponding to a peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to a communication service, wherein at least one pay wireless client pays for at least one free wireless client involved in the peer-to-peer communication session and each pay wireless client and each free wireless client involved in the peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to the communication service sends the completion-billing token, wherein the completion-billing-token comprises a details corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session, the details being at least one of a signature and an agreement; and

evaluating the completion-billing-token along with a paid-authentication-token corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session, wherein the paid-authentication-token controls duration of a peer-to-peer communication session based on a communication service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

registering each pay wireless client and each free wireless client; and

issuing at least one token corresponding to the at least one peer-to-peer communication session to each pay wireless client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the registering step comprises:

authenticating each pay wireless client and each free wireless client.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each token corresponding to the communication service comprises details of the communication service, a predefined criterion for the at least one pay wireless client to pay for the communication service utilization by the at least one free wireless client.

5. A method of managing at least one peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to at least one communication service in a communication system, wherein at least one pay wireless client pays a predefined amount for at least one free wireless client, the method comprising the steps of:

notifying each pay wireless client at least one of a real-time-cost of the at least one peer-to-peer communication session and the location of the each free wireless client, wherein each pay wireless client and each free wireless client calculate the real-time-cost of each peer-to-peer communication session;

determining whether the cost of the peer-to-peer communication session is exceeding the predefined amount; and

sending a completion-billing-token corresponding to each peer-to-peer communication session to a billing server, wherein the completion-billing-token comprises the details corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session, the details being at least one of a signature and an agreement.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

sharing at least one token corresponding to the at least one communication service with the at least one free wireless client, wherein each token corresponding to each communication service comprises details of the communication service, a predefined criterion for the at least one pay wireless client to pay for the communication service utilized by the at least one free wireless client.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the notifying step comprises updating each token corresponding to each communication service based on at least one of a communication service provider, a location corresponding to each pay wireless client and each free wireless client involved in the peer-to-peer communication session and a service rate corresponding to the communication service.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein based on the determining step the at least one pay wireless client performs at least one of the action of terminating the peer-to-peer communication session and extending the peer-to-peer communication session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein for extending the peer-to-peer communication session the at least one pay wireless client updates the completion-billing-token based on a session-extend request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one free wireless client issues the session-extend request.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one pay wireless client issues the session-extend request.

12. A system for managing at least one peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to at least one communication service in a communication system, wherein at least one pay wireless client pays a predefined amount for at least one free wireless client, the system comprising:

a notifying module, the notifying module notifies each pay wireless client at least one of a real-time-cost of the at least one peer-to-peer communication session and the location of the each free wireless client, wherein each pay wireless client and each free wireless client calculate the real-time-cost of each peer-to-peer communication session;

a determining module, the determining module determines whether the cost of the peer-to-peer communication session is exceeding the predefined amount; and

a sending module, the sending module sends a completion-billing-token corresponding to each peer-to-peer communication session to a billing server, wherein the completion-billing-token comprises the details corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session, the details being at least one of a signature and an agreement.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a sharing module, the sharing module shares at least one token corresponding to the at least one communication service with the at least one free wireless client, wherein each token corresponding to each communication service comprises details of the communication service, a predefined criterion for the at least one wireless client to pay for the communication service utilization by the at least one free wireless client.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the notifying module comprises:

an updating module, the updating module updates each token corresponding to each communication service based on at least one of a communication service provider, a location corresponding to each pay wireless client and each free wireless client involved in the peer-to-peer communication session and a service rate corresponding to the communication service.

15. A billing server (BS) for generating peer-to-peer billing records for at least one peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to at least one communication service in a communication system, the BS comprising:

a BS-transceiver; and

a BS-processor, the BS-transceiver adaptively coupled with the BS-processor, the BS-processor being configured to;

collect a completion-billing-token corresponding to a peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to a communication service, wherein at least one pay wireless client pays for at least one free wireless client involved in the peer-to-peer communication session and each pay wireless client and each free wireless client involved in the peer-to-peer communication session corresponding to the communication service sends the completion-billing token, wherein the completion-billing-token comprises details corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session, the details being at least one of a signature and an agreement; and

evaluate the completion-billing-token along with a paid-authentication-token corresponding to the peer-to-peer communication session;

wherein the paid-authentication-token controls duration of a peer-to-peer communication session based on a communication service provider.

16. The BS of claim 15, wherein the BS-processor is further configured to:

register the at least one pay wireless client and the at least one free wireless client; and

issue at least one token corresponding to the at least one peer-to-peer communication session to the at least one free wireless client.