PROVIDING AND CHARGING FOR DATA SERVICES IN ROAMING NETWORK ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20090061859A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: BENGTSSON, Henrik Sven
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/145 trading network capacity or selecting route based on tariff
• 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 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method provides detecting a roaming operator by a mobile communications device, where the mobile communications device is associated with a home operator; receiving a data service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator independent of the home operator; sending information, from the mobile communications device, to the roaming operator for the roaming operator to authenticate the mobile communications device with the home operator; and receiving a voice service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator based on the authentication by the roaming operator of the mobile communications device with the home operator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a roaming operator by a mobile communications device, where the mobile communications device is associated with a home operator;

receiving a data service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator independent of the home operator;

sending information, from the mobile communications device, to the roaming operator for the roaming operator to authenticate the mobile communications device with the home operator; and

receiving a voice service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator based on the authentication by the roaming operator of the mobile communications device with the home operator.

2. The method of claim 1, where detecting a roaming operator includes detecting a plurality of roaming operators, the method further comprising:

providing to a user of the mobile communications device a list of the plurality of roaming operators; and

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of roaming operators, where receiving the data service includes receiving the data service from the selected roaming operator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the roaming operator provides the data service independent of the home operator; and

providing to a user of the mobile communications device an option to receive the data service independent of the home operator or not independent of the home operator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the roaming operator provides the data service independent of the home operator includes:

requesting a universal resource indicator (URI) from the roaming operator; and

detecting a redirection to a different URI.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending payment information from the mobile communications device to the roaming operator for payment for the data service.

6. The method of claim 1, where receiving the data service includes receiving a first data service, the method further comprising:

receiving a second data service from the roaming operator, where the roaming operator interconnects with the home operator to provide the second data service.

7. The method of claim 6, where the second data service is one of a simple message system (SMS) message or a multi-media message system (MMS) message.

8. A method comprising:

sending rate information for a data service to a mobile communications device from a roaming operator, where the mobile communications device is associated with a home operator;

receiving authentication information from the mobile communications device;

authenticating the mobile communications device with the home operator;

providing a data service to the mobile communications device by the roaming operator independent of the home operator; and

providing a voice service to the mobile communications device by the roaming operator based on the authentication by the roaming operator of the mobile communications device with the home operator.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile communications device for the rate information for the data service.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving payment information from the mobile communications device for payment for the data service.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a request for a universal resource indicator (URI) from the mobile communications device; and

redirecting the mobile communications to a different URI.

12. The method of claim 8, where providing the data service includes providing a first data service, the method further comprising:

providing a second data service to the mobile communications device, where the roaming operator interconnects with the home operator to provide the second data service.

13. The method of claim 12, where the second data service is one of a simple message system (SMS) message or a multi-media message system (MMS) message.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether to provide the second data service by interconnecting with the home operator based on a type of the second data service.

15. A mobile communications device associated with a home operator, the device comprising:

a transceiver to transmit and receive communication signals to and from a roaming operator; and

a processor, coupled to the transceiver, to;

process a data service from the roaming operator independent of the home operator;

provide information to the roaming operator for the roaming operator to authenticate the mobile communications device with the home operator; and

process a voice service from the roaming operator based on the authentication by the roaming operator of the mobile communications device with the home operator.

16. The device of claim 15, where the transceiver receives communication signals from a plurality of roaming operators, the device further comprising:

a display to provide the user with a list of the plurality of roaming operators; and

a user interface to receive a selection of one of the plurality of roaming operators, where the processor processes the data service from the selected roaming operator.

17. The device of claim 15, where the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the roaming operator provides the data service independent of the home operator; and

provide to a user of the mobile communications device an option to receive the data service independent of the home operator or not independent of the home operator.

18. The device of claim 17, where the processor requests a universal resource indicator (URI) from the roaming operator and detects a redirection to a different URI.

19. The device of claim 17, where the processor sends payment information to the roaming operator for payment for the data service.

20. The device of claim 15, where the processor receives a second data service from the roaming operator, where the roaming operator interconnects with the home operator to provide the second data service.

21. The device of claim 20, where the second data service is one of a simple message system (SMS) message or a multi-media message system (MMS) message.

22. A method comprising:

detecting a roaming operator by a mobile communications device, where the mobile communications device is associated with a home operator;

determining whether the roaming operator provides the data service independent of the home operator; and

providing to a user of the mobile communications device an option to receive a data service independent of the home operator or dependent on the home operator.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving the data service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator independent of the home operator.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

sending information, from the mobile communications device, to the roaming operator for the roaming operator to authenticate the mobile communications device with the home operator; and

receiving a voice service, by the mobile communications device, provided by the roaming operator based on the authentication by the roaming operator of the mobile communications device with the home operator.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

sending payment information from the mobile communications device to the roaming operator for payment for the data service.