MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATOR

• US 20110294463A1
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Fiatal, Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8221 Message based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a mobile virtual network are disclosed. A mobile virtual network operator is disclosed as an entity that provides a mobile networking service to a user, the mobile networking service being provided using a physical mobile network provided by a third party. The mobile virtual network operator may provide content distribution services, data access services, or messaging services to a user of a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of billing for a mobile network service provided to a mobile device by a virtual network operator comprising:

identifying a network service provided to the mobile device via a mobile network on behalf of the virtual network operator;

determining a price of the network service provided to the mobile device via the mobile network;

submitting information representative of an invoice for the network service provided to the mobile device,

wherein the user is billed on ‘

behalf of the mobile network service provider by the virtual network operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, functionalities of the virtual network operator is distributed between a virtual network operator server and client software on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, functionalities of the virtual network operator is distributed between a virtual network operator server, client software on the mobile device, and a server at the network service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, enforcing, by the virtual network operator, a network service policy associated with the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network service policy includes, one or more of, a number of minutes of voice service per billing period, a number of data bits transferred per billing period, and a number of Short Message Service (SMS) text messages processed per billing period.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the network service policy includes, one or more of, a number of picture or image files transferred per billing period, a number of audio files transferred per billing period, and a number of video files transferred per billing period.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the network service policy includes, one or more of, a number of stored voice mail messages, and an amount of utilized server data storage.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the network service policy specifies an available bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, the virtual network operator reformats digital content transferred to the mobile device based on the available bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, the reformatting includes one or more of, filtering, transcoding, refactoring, and resampling.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, the virtual network operator reformats digital content transferred to the mobile device based on a request received from the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein, the network service policy is further enforced by the mobile network service provider.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein, the available bandwidth is determined based upon a difference between the service plan policy limit and a measure of the service already utilized during a billing period.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an SMS message to the user of the mobile device via the mobile network to conduct a financial transaction relating to the invoice.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein, the SMS message in a premium SMS message encoded to enable the user to reploy to the SMS message to confirm agreement to pay a bill.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is billed for purchase of digital content.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is billed for purchase of digital content from a content provider;

wherein, the content provider bills the user via the virtual network operator.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein virtual network operator brands and bills its services independently from the mobile network service provider.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a service plan purchased by a user of the mobile device from the virtual network operator;

determining a price of the service plan purchased by the user of the mobile device;

submitting information representative of an invoice for the service plan purchased to the mobile device

20. A system for billing for a mobile network service provided to a mobile device, the system, comprising:

Means for, identifying a network service provided to the mobile device via a mobile network on behalf of a virtual network operator;

Means for, determining a price of the network service provided to the mobile device via the mobile network;

Means for, communicating a record of network usage of the network service between the mobile network service provider and the virtual network operator,

wherein the user is billed on ‘

behalf of the mobile network service provider by the virtual network operator using the record of network usage.