Devices, Systems and Methods for Location Based Billing

• US 20110136468A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin Michael Anthony, Rector, Jay Daryl, Davis, John Potts III
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to billing users of a telecommunication network. A billing server is in communication with a geo-fence database. The geo-fence database contains a plurality of geo-fences. Some geo-fences are associated with a single mobile communication devices, such as a home geo-fence, work geo-fence, etc., while other geo-fences are global, such as a stadium geo-fence, toll geo-fence, etc. When a mobile communication device enters the perimeter of a geo-fence, a billing server changes the billing rate at which connections are billed to the user account or bills another user account. The mobile communication device may send a ticket code to the billing server for a reduced billing rate while within a geo-fence. If a mobile communication device enters a toll geo-fence, then the billing server charges the user account for the toll.

Claims

1. A system for billing a user of a telecommunication network based on location, the system comprising:

a mobile communication device on the telecommunication network;

a billing server on the telecommunication network;

a user account database in communication with the billing server, the user account database storing a plurality of user accounts;

a geo-fence database in communication with the billing server, the geo-fence database having a plurality of geo-fences, each geo-fence having a corresponding billing rate;

a billing logic on the billing server for

receiving a location of the mobile communication device during a connection;

determining the location to be within a first geo-fence; and

charging a first user account a billing rate associated with the first geo-fence for the connection.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein the billing logic

receives a second location of the mobile communication device during a second connection;

determines the second location to be within a second geo-fence; and

charges a second user account a second billing rate associated with the second geo-fence for the second connection.

3. The system in claim 1, further comprising a ticket database in communication with the billing server, the ticket database having a ticket code associated with a ticket time range, a ticket rate, and the first geo-fence.

4. The system in claim 3, wherein the billing logic

receives a third location of the mobile communication device during a third connection;

receives the ticket code from the mobile communication device;

receives a first time from the mobile communication device, the first time being within the ticket time range; and

charges the first user account the ticket rate for the connection.

5. The system in claim 1, further comprising a toll database in communication with the billing server, the toll database having a toll geo-fence and a toll amount.

6. The system in claim 5, further comprising a smart vehicle on the telecommunication network.

7. The system in claim 6, wherein the billing logic

receives a notification from the smart vehicle when the smart vehicle enters the toll geo-fence, the notification including an identification of the mobile communication device;

and

charges the first user account the toll amount.

8. A method for billing a user of a telecommunication network based on location, the method comprising:

receiving a first location of a mobile communication device during a first connection;

determining the first location to be within a first geo-fence; and

charging a first user account a first billing rate associated with the first geo-fence for the first connection.

9. The method in claim 8, further comprising

receiving a second location of the mobile communication device during a second connection;

determining the second location to be within a second geo-fence; and

charging a second user account a second billing rate associated with the second geo-fence for the second connection.

10. The method in claim 8, further comprising

receiving a third location of the mobile communication device during a third connection;

receiving a ticket code from the mobile communication device;

receiving a first time from the mobile communication device, the first time being within a ticket time range; and

charging the first user account a ticket rate for the third connection.

11. The method in claim 8, further comprising

receiving a notification from the smart vehicle when the smart vehicle enters the toll geo-fence, the notification including an identification of the mobile communication device;

and

charging the first user account the toll amount.

12. The method in claim 8, further comprising

receiving a notification from the smart vehicle when the smart vehicle enters the toll geo-fence, the notification including an identification of a passenger mobile communication device associated with a passenger user account;

and

charging the passenger user account the toll amount.

13. The method in claim 8, further comprising defining a geo-fence for one of a user'"'"'s home location and a work location.

14. A logic on a computer readable medium for billing a user of a telecommunication network based on location, the logic comprising:

a first portion for receiving a first location of a mobile communication device during a first connection;

a second portion for determining the first location to be within a first geo-fence; and

a third portion for charging a first user account a first billing rate associated with the first geo-fence for the first connection.

15. The logic in claim 14, further comprising

a further portion for receiving a second location of the mobile communication device during a second connection;

a fifth portion for determining the second location to be within a second geo-fence; and

a sixth portion for charging a second user account a second billing rate associated with the second geo-fence for the second connection.

16. The logic in claim 14, further comprising

a fourth portion for receiving a third location of the mobile communication device during a third connection;

a fifth portion for receiving a ticket code from the mobile communication device;

a sixth portion for receiving a first time from the mobile communication device, the first time being within a ticket time range; and

a seventh portion for charging the first user account a ticket rate for the third connection.

17. The logic in claim 14, further comprising

a fourth portion for receiving a notification from the smart vehicle when the smart vehicle enters the toll geo-fence, the notification including an identification of the mobile communication device;

and

a fifth portion for charging the first user account the toll amount.

18. The logic in claim 14, further comprising

a fourth portion for receiving a notification from the smart vehicle when the smart vehicle enters the toll geo-fence, the notification including an identification of a passenger mobile communication device associated with a passenger user account;

and

a fifth portion for charging a passenger user account the toll amount.

19. The logic in claim 14, further comprising a fourth portion for defining a geo-fence for one of a user'"'"'s home location and a work location.