SYSTEM AND METHOD TO INDICATE IP-BASED WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE AVAILABILITY AND RELATED INFORMATION

• US 20120069776A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Caldwell, Christopher E., Linkola, Janne P., Hassan, Omar
• Application Number:
  US13/073,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069776A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A service availability and pricing indication facility provides information about service options to a subscriber of mobile telecommunications services including IP-based services and non-IP-based services. The facility, which may be implemented in one or more components of a telecommunications service provider system, receives a notification including information based, at least partially, on a current location of the subscriber'"'"'s mobile device. The facility uses this information to determine availability of an access point that allows for the mobile device to access IP-based services from the current location. If it is determined that at least one access point is available, the facility determines pricing associated with the subscriber utilizing the access point to conduct a communication using the mobile device and then provides information to the mobile device that allows the mobile device to present an indication of the availability of the access point and/or an indication of the pricing determination.

Claims

1. A method of providing information about the pricing of services to a subscriber of mobile communications services, wherein the mobile communications services include IP-based services and non-IP-based services and are implemented, at least in part, via a service provider network, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a mobile device associated with a subscriber through a network access point, the communication including information about a current or near current location of the mobile device;

comparing the received location information of the mobile device with a service plan associated with the subscriber to make a determination of pricing associated with service through the access point, the determination of pricing based at least in part on the current or near current location of the mobile device; and

providing information to the mobile device that allows the mobile device to display an indication to the subscriber of the determined pricing of service through the network access point.

2. A method of providing information about the availability of service in a mobile device to a subscriber, wherein the mobile device receives IP-based and non-IP-based mobile communications services from a service provider network, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of a network access point from a mobile device;

establishing connectivity with the network access point;

receiving an indication from the network access point that the access point has sufficient capacity to support voice-over-IP (VoIP) service; and

if the network access point has sufficient capacity to support VoIP service, displaying a visual indication on the mobile device to the subscriber that service is available through the network access point.