INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, USAGE CHARGE CALCULATION METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20150011183A1
• Filed: 01/21/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawai, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/835 Time or frequency of notifications, e.g. Advice of Charge [AoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Provided is an information processing device including a calculation unit which calculates a usage charge to be imposed by a first provider on a second provider which provides a radio communications service using a physical network possessed by the first provider. The calculation unit calculates the usage charge based on a value of a parameter depending on efficiency of use of radio resources in the radio communications service.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising:

a calculation unit which calculates a usage charge to be imposed by a first provider on a second provider which provides a radio communications service using a physical network possessed by the first provider,

wherein the calculation unit calculates the usage charge based on a value of a parameter depending on efficiency of use of radio resources in the radio communications service.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the parameter is an amount of radio resources consumed in the radio communications service.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the parameter includes a resource efficiency achieved in the radio communications service and a reference resource efficiency, and

the calculation unit calculates the usage charge based on a ratio of the achieved resource efficiency to the reference resource efficiency.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein

the achieved resource efficiency and the reference resource efficiency are each measured as a throughput on a predetermined amount of radio resources.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the calculation unit calculates the usage charge using a basic usage charge depending on an amount of traffic measured between a core network of the first provider and a network of the second provider, and a rate of discount determined based on the value of the parameter.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the calculation unit calculates the usage charge, additionally taking into account a rate of adjustment based on a degree of traffic congestion.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which, in a situation that the physical network possessed by the first provider and a physical network possessed by a third provider are available to allow the second provider to provide the radio communications service, determines which of the physical networks of the first and third providers is to be used, based on usage charges which are predicted to be imposed by the first provider and the third provider.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which, in a situation that the physical network possessed by the first provider and a physical network possessed by a third provider are available to allow the second provider to provide the radio communications service to a user terminal, informs the user terminal of an end user usage charge to be imposed when each of the physical networks is used, and based on a response from the user terminal, determines which of the physical networks of the first provider and the third provider is to be used.

9. A method for calculating a usage charge to be imposed by a first provider on a second provider which provides a radio communications service using a physical network possessed by the first provider, the method comprising:

calculating, by a processor of an information processing device, the usage charge based on a value of a parameter depending on efficiency of use of radio resources in the radio communications service.

10. A program for causing a computer which controls an information processing device to function as:

a calculation unit which calculates a usage charge to be imposed by a first provider on a second provider which provides a radio communications service using a physical network possessed by the first provider, based on a value of a parameter depending on efficiency of use of radio resources in the radio communications service.