METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING SERVICES USING REUSABLE BEARER TAGS

• US 20100294835A1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bam, Ajay, Balsan, Damien
• Granted Patent: US 9,396,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing one or more services corresponding to a reusable prepaid bearer tag (e.g., near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, contactless card, or barcode). A request to manage a service is initiated by reading service information from a reusable prepaid bearer tag corresponding to the one or more services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a first user input for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag that is reusable by another user,

wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of monetary value for engaging one or more of the services by the first user input and a second amount of currency for the another user.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the first amount of currency and the second amount of currency are either from a common pool of currency associated with the bearer tag or independent to the first user and the other user respectively.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the bearer tag comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, barcode, contactless card, or a combination thereof corresponding to each of the services, and wherein the user input is indicated by tapping a user equipment one or more times on or near the bearer tag, by activating one or more buttons or menu options, by using the user equipment to read the bearer tag, or by a combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating determination of service information from the bearer tag in response to the input, the service information comprising at least in part a service code corresponding to each of the one or more selected services, the first amount of currency, predetermined limitations on the activation of the one or more selected services or on the use of the first amount of currency, or any combination thereof;

generating a request to activate the one or more selected services according to the service information;

initiating transmission of the request to a services platform for activating the one or more selected services and billing against the first amount of currency; and

initiating update of the service information based on the activation of the one or more selected services.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined limitations comprise a limitation on the number of uses of the bearer tag, a temporal limitation for using the bearer tag, a location limitation for using the bearer tag, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting another input from the user for selecting a currency conversion; and

converting the first amount of currency or the second currency amount based on the selected currency conversion,

wherein the first amount of currency and the second amount of currency are either monetary currency or currency specific to the one or more services.

20. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating further access to the service further comprising,

initiating determination of service information from the bearer tag in response to the input, the service information comprising at least in part a service code corresponding to each of the one or more selected services, the first amount of currency, predetermined limitations on the activation of the one or more selected services or on the use of the first amount of currency, or any combination thereof;

generating a request to activate the one or more selected services according to the service information;

initiating transmission of the request to a services platform for activating the one or more selected services and billing against the first amount of currency; and

initiating update of the service information based on the activation of the one or more selected services.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag that is reusable by another user,

wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and a second amount of currency for the other user.

8. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first amount of currency and the second amount of currency are either from a common pool of currency associated with the bearer tag or independent to the first user and the other user respectively.

9. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the bearer tag comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, barcode, contactless card, or a combination thereof corresponding to each of the services, and wherein the user input is indicated by tapping a user equipment one or more times on or near the bearer tag, by activating one or more buttons or menu options, by using the user equipment to read the bearer tag, or by a combination thereof.

10. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

initiate determination of service information from the bearer tag in response to the input, the service information comprising at least in part a service code corresponding to each of the one or more selected services, the first amount of currency, predetermined limitations on the activation of the one or more selected services or on the use of the first amount of currency, or any combination thereof;

generate a request to activate the one or more selected services according to the service information;

initiate transmission of the request to a services platform for activating the one or more selected services and billing against the first amount of currency; and

initiate update of the service information based on the activation of the one or more selected services.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the predetermined limitations comprise a limitation on the number of uses of the bearer tag, a temporal limitation for using the bearer tag, a location limitation for using the bearer tag, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

detect another input from the user for selecting a currency conversion; and

convert the first amount of currency or the second amount of currency based on the selected currency conversion,

wherein the first amount of currency and the second amount of currency are either monetary currency or currency specific to the one or more services.

13. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising:

user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and

a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.

14. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

detecting input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag that is reusable by another user,

wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and a second amount of currency for the other user.

15. A computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first amount of currency and the second amount of currency are either from a common pool of currency associated with the bearer tag or independent to the first user and the second user respectively.

16. A computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the bearer tag comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, barcode, contactless card, or a combination thereof corresponding to each of the services, and wherein the user input is indicated by tapping a user equipment one or more times on or near the bearer tag, by activating one or more buttons or menu options, by using the user equipment to read the bearer tag, or by a combination thereof.

17. A computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

initiating determination of service information from the bearer tag in response to the input, the service information comprising at least in part a service code corresponding to each of the one or more selected services, the first amount of currency, predetermined limitations on the activation of the one or more selected services or on the use of the first amount of currency, or any combination thereof;

generating a request to activate the one or more selected services according to the service information;

initiating transmission of the request to a services platform for activating the one or more selected services and billing against the first amount of currency; and

initiating update of the service information based on the activation of the one or more selected services.

18. A computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the predetermined limitations comprise a limitation on the number of uses of the bearer tag, a temporal limitation for using the bearer tag, a location limitation for using the bearer tag, or a combination thereof.

19. A method comprising:

facilitating access, including granting access rights to allow access, to an interface to allow access to a service via a network, the service comprising,

detecting input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag that is reusable by another user,

wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and a second amount of currency for the other user.