Multiple Access Internet Portal Revenue Sharing

• US 20120064860A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, Douglas R., Rivera, Jose F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Multiple access internet portal billing systems are provided. A representative system, among others, includes a communication facility, a wireless internet server, and a transaction billing system. The communication facility includes a billing platform, and is operable to connect to a plurality of wireless device platforms through a mobile network, and to connect to the wireless internet server. The wireless internet server provides internet access to the wireless devices and communicates at least one billing information record including a usage time to a transaction billing system. The transaction billing system receives the billing information record from the wireless internet server, formats the billing information record, and communicates the formatted record to the communication facility billing platform. Methods and other systems for multiple access internet portals are also provided.

Claims

1. A network billing system comprising:

an internet server operable to connect to a plurality of client devices on different platforms through a communication network, the plurality of client devices being provided internet content whose usage is being tracked for each of the client devices; and

an electronic billing system operable to generate billing reports for a network carrier and an internet content provider, wherein the transaction billing system electronically bills customers of the network carrier based on tracked usage of the internet content and distributes a share of revenue collected from the tracked usage of the internet content provided by the internet content provider to the internet content provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of client devices comprises at least one of a wireless access protocol enabled phone, a short message service enabled phone, an analog phone, and a computer with high speed wireless internet access.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic billing system comprises a pre-paid billing platform.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic billing system comprises a post-paid billing platform.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic billing system is further operable to provide the internet content provider with a formatted billing information record.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the internet server is accessed via a mobile network of the network carrier and the electronic billing system is further operable to bill at least one customer of the network carrier for time spent on the mobile network of the network carrier, the network carrier receiving proceeds of mobile network billing in addition to the revenue shared with the internet content provider.

7. A usage based system for a network portal, comprising:

an internet server operable to providing internet content from a content provider and track usage of the internet content per client device;

an electronic billing system operable to receive identification and usage information from the internet server and format the identification and usage information into a transaction record, and

the electronic billing system is configured to charge a customer of a network carrier differently based upon a type of content accessed through the internet server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic billing system is further operable to generate billing reports for the network carrier and the content provider.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the internet server is operable to route a text message to a short message service center.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the internet server is operable to route a wireless access protocol packet to a wireless access protocol gateway.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein content received from the content provider is formatted to a standard used by the internet server.

12. A method of billing clients for use of a service, the method comprising:

tracking a time period associated with usage of a server by a user, wherein the server transfers internet data to the user;

billing the user for use of the server; and

apportioning a share of revenue generated from billing the user for use of the server with a provider of content for the server that is consumed by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

generating at least one usage report based upon usage of the server that is consumed by the user.

14. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising:

transferring the at least one usage report to the provider.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user employs a telephone to receive the internet data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the telephone is cellular and enabled to receive a short message service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the telephone is further enabled to receive a wireless access protocol.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

billing the user for time spent on a mobile network, wherein the server is accessed via the mobile network, wherein the provider receives proceeds of mobile network billing in addition to the share of revenue generated from use of the server.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generate billing reports for a network carrier and the provider.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the client device comprises one of a wireless access protocol enabled phone, a short message service enabled phone, an analog phone, and a computer with internet access.