Communication Platform and Method for Packet Communication Between a Service Provider and a Radio Communication Device

• US 20080045203A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swende, Martin, Edlund, Johan, Backelin, Thomas, Malmkvist, Daniel, Nordin, Andreas, Soderstrom, Gustav, Gertell, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication platform for packet communication between at least one service provider in a first network and a radio communication device in a second network, the second network comprises a first network node provided to, at least partly, handle communication between the radio communication device and a gateway located in the second network. The gateway is provided to handle communication between the second network and the communication platform, and the communication platform is provided to collect first data information relating to the radio communication device and second data information relating to a service provider application connected to the radio communication device through the communication platform. The communication platform is further provided to relate the first and second data information to each other to generate a user record specifying usage characteristics for usage of the service provider application by the radio communication device.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A communication platform for packet communication between at least one service provider in a first network and a radio communication device in a second network, said second network comprises a first network node provided to, at least partly, handle communication between said radio communication device and a gateway located in said second network, wherein

said gateway is provided to handle communication between said second network and said communication platform, and

said communication platform is provided to collect first data information relating to said radio communication device,

said communication platform is provided to collect second data information relating to a service provider application connected to said radio communication device through said communication platform, and

said communication platform is provided to relate said first and second data information to each other to generate a user record specifying usage characteristics for usage of said service provider application by said radio communication device.

23. The communication platform according to claim 22, wherein

said communication platform is provided to establish a first communication channel between said radio communication device and said communication platform upon request,

said communication platform is provided to establish a second communication channel between said service provider application and said communication platform upon request,

said communication platform is provided to relate said first and second communication channels to create a connection between said radio communication device and said service provider application.

24. The communication platform according to claim 22, wherein

said communication platform is connected to a data register in said second network.

25. The communication platform according to claim 24, wherein

said data register is a Home Location Register or a Home Subscriber Server.

26. The communication platform according to claim 24, wherein

said communication platform is provided to send said user record to said data register and said data register is provided to use said user record for generating billing information for billing said radio communication device user for the usage of said service provider application.

27. The communication platform according to claim 22, wherein

said user record is provided to be used for billing said radio communication device user for the usage of said service provider application.

28. The communication platform according to claim 22, wherein said first data information are data selected from a group of data comprising at least one of:

Mobile Station Information including IMSI and MSISDN,

Location information including ISDN number to a VLR and MSC where—

said radio communication device is located,

Service information including service subscription and service restrictions,

SS7 address to the SGSN used by said radio communication device,

IP address to an SGSN used by said radio communication device,

MNRG,

a list of nodes disclosing available GGSN, or

a PDP context including;

PDP type, PDP address, QoS Profile, VPLMN address, and GGSN address.

29. The communication platform according to claim 22, wherein said second data information are data selected from a group of data comprising at least one of:

service provider application identity, connection time, log on time, log off time, number of packets sent, number of packets received, socket ID, IP-address, QoS, downloaded files, and visited pages.

30. A method for packet communication between a service provider located in a first network and a radio communication device in a second network, said second network comprises a first network node provided to, at least partly, handle communication between said radio communication device and a gateway, and said gateway is provided for handling communication between said first network node and said first network, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting first data information relating to said radio communication device,

collecting second data information relating to a service provider application connected to said radio communication device,

relating said first data information to said second data information, and

generating a user record specifying usage characteristics for usage of said service provider application by said radio communication device.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising a communication platform and comprising the further steps of:

receiving a request for a communication channel between said radio communication device and said communication platform,

establishing a first communication channel between said radio communication device and said communication platform,

receiving a request for a communication channel between said communication platform and said service provider application,

establishing a second communication channel between said communication platform and said service provider application, and

relating said first communication channel to said second communication channel to create a connection between said radio communication device and said service provider application.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein

said communication platform is connected to a data register located in said second network, and comprising the steps of:

—

sending said user record to said data register, and

using said user record to generate billing information for billing a user of said radio communication device for usage of said service provider application.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein said first data information are data selected from a group of data comprising at least one of:

Mobile Station Information including IMSI and MSISDN,

Location information including ISDN number to a VLR and MSC where said radio communication device is located,

Service information including service subscription and service restrictions,

SS7 address to a SGSN used by said radio communication device,

IP address to said SGSN used by said radio communication device,

MNRG,

a list of nodes disclosing available GGSN,and

PDP context including;

PDP type, PDP address, QoS Profile, VPLMN address, and GGSN address.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein said first data information are data selected from a group of data comprising at least one of:

service provider application identity, connection time, log on time, log off time, number of packets sent, number of packets received, socket ID, IP-address, QoS, downloaded files, and visited pages

35. A communication platform for packet communication between at least one service provider in a first network and a radio communication device in a second network, said second network comprises a first network node provided to, at least partly, handle communication between said radio communication device and a gateway—

located in said second network, said second network comprises a network address translation functionality translating a set of public IP-addresses, disclosed to said first network, to a set of private IP-addresses used in said second network for TCP-based communication between said first and second network,

wherein said communication platform is provided to receive a request for UDP communication from a service provider application located in said first network to said radio communication device, and

wherein said communication platform is provided to set up a mapping from said public set of IP-addresses to said set of private IP-addresses for UDP communication between said service provider application and said radio communication device in said network address translation functionality.

36. The communication platform according to claim 35, wherein—

said communication platform is provided to receive said request using a control channel established between said service provider application and said communication platform.

37. The communication platform according to claim 35, wherein

said communication platform is provided to remove said mapping upon request from said service provider application or said radio communication device.

38. The communication platform according to claim 37, wherein

said request for removal of said mapping is sent using a control channel established between said communication platform and each of said service provider application and radio communication device.