Method of billing for information services in conjunction with utilities service

• US 6,018,726 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsumura, Mihoji
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US08/997,123
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 705/400, 705/412, 455/406, 379/106.03, 379/114, 379/130, 364/528.11
• US Class Current: 705/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for automatically billing information services in conjunction with utilities services. The system includes a main unit having a host computer with a database for storing data of various types, and a transceiver for radio communications. The system also includes a plurality of terminal units for receiving said data of various types. In operation, the main unit transmits data tagged with a unique data identification code, and each of the plurality of terminal units is provided with a utilization status counter for storing data identification codes of data actually executed. Each terminal unit then calculates service fee based on the stored data identification codes in the utilization status counter referring to fee conversion data which the main unit transmits at regular intervals. Service fee information is sent to a fee conversion adaptor connected to said terminal unit, and a signal provided from the adaptor is used to control the integrating meter which indicates the rate of usage of a public utility.

Claims

1. A billing system in radio communications comprising:

a main unit having a host computer with a database for storing data of various types and a transceiver for radio communications, and

a plurality of terminal units for receiving said data of various types, whereby

said main unit transmits data tagged with a unique data identification code,

each of the plurality of terminal units is provided with a utilization status counter for storing data identification codes of data actually processed,

said terminal unit calculates an information service fee based on the data identification codes stored in the utilization status counter by referring to fee conversion data which the main unit transmits at regular intervals,

said information service fee is sent to a fee conversion adaptor connected to said terminal unit, and a signal provided from the adaptor is used to control an integrating meter which indicates the consumed amount of a utility.

2. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 1, wherein said integrating meter is an AC watthour integrating meter, and said fee conversion adaptor converts said information service fee into an analog current that has a billable value which is equivalent to the billable value of the information service fee, and said integrating meter is driven by the analog current output by said fee conversion adaptor.

3. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 1, wherein said integrating meter is a digital integrating wattmeter, and said fee conversion adaptor converts said information service fee into an analog current that has a billable value which is equivalent to the billable value of the information service fee, and said integrating meter is driven by a digital signal output by said fee conversion adaptor.

4. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 1, wherein said integrating meter is a digital integrating gas meter, and said fee conversion adaptor converts said information service fee into a value that represents a volume of gas that has an billable value equivalent to the billable value of the information service fee, and said integrating meter is controlled by a digital signal output by said fee conversion adaptor.

5. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 1, wherein said integrating meter is a digital integrating water meter, and said fee conversion adaptor converts said information service fee into a value that represents a volume of water that has an billable value equivalent to the billable value of the information service fee, and said integrating meter is controlled by a digital signal output by said fee conversion adaptor.

6. A billing system in radio communications comprising:

a main unit having a host computer with a database for storing data of various types and a transceiver for radio communications, and

a plurality of terminal units for receiving said various types of data, whereby

said main unit is coupled to said plurality of terminal units via both a radio link and a telephone line,

each of said plurality of terminal units is provided with a digital integrating meter which measures the consumed amount of one or more utilities services, wherein each terminal unit is further provided with a memory for storing the consumed amount as consumption data, and each terminal unit is provided with means for uploading the consumption data stored in the memory to said main unit via the telephone line in response to a control signal which the main unit transmits as a satellite signal,

and each terminal unit is provided with a delay means which determines the timing at which each of the plurality of terminal units accesses said main unit and each delay means provides a different delay time delay.

7. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 6, wherein said main unit transmits toll value added information to said terminal unit via said radio link, and wherein

said terminal unit has means for processing said value added information.

8. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 6, wherein said radio link is a satellite link.

9. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 7, wherein said terminal unit uploads a frequency of utilization of said value-added information and said consumption data to said main unit.

10. The billing system in radio communications according to claim 7, wherein said terminal unit uploads the information service fee of said value-added information and said consumption data to said main unit.

11. A method of billing for transmitted data comprising the steps of:

transmitting data from a main unit to a plurality of terminal units, each of said data being tagged with a data identification code;

storing the data identification codes of data received by each terminal unit in a utilization status counter of each terminal unit;

transferring fee conversion data from said main unit to each terminal unit;

calculating a service fee based on the stored data identification codes in the utilization status counter of each terminal unit by referring to said fee conversion data;

converting said service fee into a signal at each terminal unit; and

feeding said signal to an integrating meter at each terminal unit, wherein said signal indicates the consumed amount of a public utility, and wherein said indicated consumed amount is controlled at least partially by said signal.

12. A method of billing for services comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of terminal units, wherein each terminal unit measures the consumed amount of a utility, and each terminal unit receives various types of data from a main unit;

storing said consumed amount in each terminal unit;

providing a control signal from said main unit to said terminal units; and

in response to receipt of said control signal, each terminal unit uploading said stored consumed amount from each terminal unit to said main unit, wherein said each terminal unit is provided with delay means which determines the timing at which each of the plurality of terminal units uploads said consumed amount to said main unit, and wherein each delay means provides a different time delay to its associated terminal unit such that each terminal unit uploads to said main unit at a different time.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said main unit can communicate with said terminal units by both a radio link and a telephone line.