METHODS, DEVICES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR TRACKING USAGE OF A NETWORK BY A PLURALITY OF USERS OF A MOBILE PHONE

• US 20080132201A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Karlberg, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• 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 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/715 Activating new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/725 by the operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/771 per terminal or location, e.g. mobile device with multiple directory numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/774 per card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/888 severing connection after predetermined time or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/01 Cocot systems, i.e. private ownership of payphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0144 Release upon reaching limit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 : Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7027 : Activate new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7045 : Using Internet or WAP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7063 : Administer via operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 : Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7259 : per terminal or location; Mobile with multiple directory numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7272 : per card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 : Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8137 : Message, e.g. alphanumeric text, SMS, MMS, EMS or www-based messaging service

Abstract

Methods for tracking usage of a network by a plurality of users of a mobile phone include associating a plurality of user accounts with the mobile phone, where ones of the plurality of user accounts correspond to ones of the plurality of users of the mobile phone. Usage of the network by the mobile phone is automatically attributed to one of the plurality of user accounts responsive to receiving identifying information for a corresponding one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone. Charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts are calculated based on the usage attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts. Related devices and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method for tracking usage of a network by a plurality of users of a mobile phone, the method comprising:

associating a plurality of user accounts with the mobile phone, wherein ones of the plurality of user accounts correspond to ones of the plurality of users of the mobile phone;

automatically attributing usage of the network by the mobile phone to one of the plurality of user accounts responsive to receiving identifying information for a corresponding one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone; and

automatically calculating charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts based on the usage attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is configured to provide voice transmission over a wireless wide-area network communication connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile phone is further configured to provide the voice transmission based on a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) standard.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining usage units associated with the communication connection,

wherein automatically attributing the usage of the network comprises automatically attributing the usage units associated with the communication connection to the one of the plurality of user accounts as the usage of the network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the usage units comprises a number of sent and/or received calls, a number of sent and/or received text messages, a number of sent and/or received picture messages, an amount of sent and/or received data, and/or a time of and/or duration of the communication connection.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

establishing the wireless wide-area network communication connection as associated with the one of the plurality of user accounts.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein establishing the wireless wide-area network communication connection as associated with the one of the plurality of user accounts comprises:

receiving a log on request including the identifying information from a current user of the mobile phone via a user interface of the mobile phone;

authenticating the current user as one of the plurality of users based on the identifying information;

establishing a plurality of wireless wide-area network communication connections respectively including usage units associated therewith as associated with the one of the plurality of user accounts corresponding to the one of the plurality of users; and

then

receiving a log off request from the current user of the mobile phone via the user interface of the mobile phone,

wherein automatically attributing the usage comprises automatically attributing a sum of the usage units between receiving the log on request and receiving the log off request to the one of the plurality of user accounts as the usage of the network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein authenticating the current user comprises:

preventing use of the mobile phone responsive to a failure in authenticating the current user as one of the plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing usage information based on the usage units attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying usage information based on the usage units attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts and/or the charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically calculating the charges comprises:

automatically calculating the charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts based on the usage units attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts and a predetermined pricing scheme.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined pricing scheme includes a predetermined network tariff rate, and wherein automatically calculating the charges further comprises:

downloading the predetermined network tariff rate; and

calculating the charges based on the predetermined network tariff rate.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of user accounts is associated with a pre-paid spending limit, and further comprising:

preventing further usage of the network by the mobile phone when the charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts are greater than or equal to the pre-paid spending limit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is associated with a plurality of broadcast identifiers respectively corresponding to the plurality of user accounts, and further comprising:

activating one of the plurality of broadcast identifiers corresponding to the one of the plurality of user accounts responsive to receiving the identifying information for the corresponding one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is associated with a plurality of broadcast identifiers respectively corresponding to the plurality of user accounts, and wherein automatically attributing the usage comprises:

automatically attributing the usage of the network to the one of the plurality of user accounts based on a corresponding one of a plurality of broadcast identifiers that is broadcast from the mobile phone at a time of the usage.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically attributing comprises:

storing usage units associated with a wireless wide-area network communication connection established by the mobile phone including a corresponding time of the communication connection; and

correlating the usage units to the one of the plurality of user accounts based on a time of receipt of the identifying information for the one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone and the time of the communication connection.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically attributing the usage comprises automatically attributing the usage of the network to ones of the plurality of user accounts responsive to receiving identifying information for corresponding ones of the plurality of users, and wherein automatically calculating the charges comprises automatically calculating charges for the ones of the plurality of user accounts based on the usage attributed to the ones of the plurality of user accounts.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

billing ones of the plurality of user accounts associated with the mobile phone based on the usage attributed to the ones of the plurality of user accounts.

19. A system for tracking usage of a network by a plurality of users of a mobile phone, wherein the system is configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

20. A computer program product for tracking usage of a network by a plurality of users of a mobile phone, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code therein configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

21. A method of operating a mobile phone configured to be shared by a plurality of users, the method comprising:

associating ones of a plurality of broadcast identifiers with respective ones of the plurality of users of the mobile phone;

receiving identifying information for one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone via a user interface; and

activating a corresponding one of the plurality of broadcast identifiers responsive to receiving the identifying information for the one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of broadcast identifiers comprise a plurality of mobile identification numbers associated with the mobile phone, and further comprising:

establishing a wireless wide-area network communication connection; and

broadcasting a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile identification numbers responsive to receiving the identifying information for the associated one of the plurality of users.

23. A computer program product for operating a mobile phone configured to be shared by a plurality of users, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code therein configured to carry out the method of claim 21.

24. A mobile phone, comprising:

a transceiver configured to establish a wireless wide-area network communication connection; and

a controller configured to associate a plurality of user accounts with the mobile phone, automatically attribute usage of a network by the mobile phone to one of the plurality of user accounts responsive to receiving identifying information for a corresponding one of a plurality of users of the mobile phone, and automatically calculate charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts based on the usage attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts.

25. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the mobile phone is configured to provide voice transmission over the communication connection.

26. The mobile phone of claim 25, wherein the mobile phone is further configured to provide the voice transmission based on a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) standard.

27. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to determine usage units associated with the communication connection and is configured to automatically attribute the usage units associated with the communication connection to the one of the plurality of user accounts as the usage of the network.

28. The mobile phone of claim 27, wherein the usage units comprises a number of sent and/or received calls, a number of sent and/or received text messages, a number of sent and/or received picture messages, an amount of sent and/or received data, and/or a time of and/or duration of the communication connection.

29. The mobile phone of claim 24, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a log on request including the identifying information from a current user of the mobile phone and configured to receive a log off request from the current user of the mobile phone,

wherein the controller is configured to authenticate the current user as one of the plurality of users based on the identifying information, establish a plurality of wireless wide-area network communication connections respectively including usage units associated therewith as associated with the one of the plurality of user accounts corresponding to the one of the plurality of users, and automatically attribute a sum of the usage units between receipt of the log on request and receipt of the log off request to the one of the plurality of user accounts as the usage of the network.

30. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the controller is further configured to prevent use of the mobile phone if the controller is unable to authenticate the current user as one of the plurality of users.

31. The mobile phone of claim 29, further comprising:

a memory unit configured to store user account data for the one of the plurality of user accounts including usage information based on the usage units attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts.

32. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the user interface is configured to display usage information based on the usage units attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts and/or is configured to display the charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts.

33. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically calculate the charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts based on the usage units attributed to the one of the plurality of user accounts and a predetermined pricing scheme.

34. The mobile phone of claim 33, wherein the predetermined pricing scheme includes a predetermined network tariff rate, wherein the transceiver is configured to download the predetermined network tariff rate, and wherein the controller is configured to automatically calculate the charges based on the predetermined network tariff rate.

35. The mobile phone of claim 31, wherein the memory unit is configured to store a pre-paid spending limit associated with the one of the plurality of user accounts, and wherein the controller is configured to prevent further usage of the network by the mobile phone when the charges for the one of the plurality of user accounts are greater than or equal to the pre-paid spending limit.

36. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to automatically attribute the usage of the network to ones of the plurality of user accounts responsive to receiving identifying information for corresponding ones of the plurality of users, and is configured to automatically calculate the charges for the ones of the plurality of user accounts based on the usage attributed to the ones of the plurality of user accounts.

37. A mobile phone, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive identifying information for one of a plurality of users of the mobile phone; and

a controller configured to associate ones of a plurality of broadcast identifiers with respective ones of the plurality of users of the mobile phone and activate a corresponding one of the plurality of broadcast identifiers based on receipt of the identifying information for the one of the plurality of users of the mobile phone.

38. The mobile phone of claim 37, wherein the plurality of broadcast identifiers comprise a plurality of mobile identification numbers associated with the mobile phone, and further comprising:

a transceiver configured to establish a wireless wide-area network communication connection and broadcast the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile identification numbers responsive to activation thereof by the controller.