Debit service systems and methods for wireless units

• US 6,047,179 A
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jasper Wireless LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), Ondacom Wireless Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirby, Richard Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US08/804,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/408, 455/411, 455/432, 455/433, 455/426, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/432.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for exchanging information, and particularly debit information, between a visited and a home wireless network with respect to a wireless unit operating in the visited network. A translator is provided which includes a receiver for receiving data relating to the unit from the visited network, a translator application for translating and/or formatting the data into a standard inter-network communications message, and a transmitter for transmitting the standard message to the home network. The translator may receive data from a debit platform of the visited network. The translator may format the data into the standard message, preferably an IS-41 message. This standard message may be received by a translator at the home network. The home translator may extract the data from the standard message, translate the data and provide the data to the debit platform of the home network. After the home debit platform determines the authorization information with respect to the unit, the home translator may translate and format the authorization information into a standard inter-network communications response message, preferably, an IS-41 response message. The home translator transmits this standard response message to the visited network, where the visited translator may receive the response message, extract the authorization information, translate this information and then to provide the authorization information to the visited debit platform.

Claims

1. A service system for facilitating the transmission of information with respect to a wireless unit in a visited wireless network from said visited wireless network to the home wireless network of said wireless unit, said service system comprising:

a first translator associated with said visited wireless network, said first translator further comprising;

a first receiver for receiving data in a visitor'"'"'s protocol of said visited wireless network from an element of said visited wireless network, said data relating to said wireless unit

a first translator application for translating said data from said visitor'"'"'s protocol and formatting said data into a standard inter-network communications message; and

a first transmitter for transmitting said standard inter-network communications message to a second translator; and

said second translator being associated with said home wireless network, said second translator further comprising;

a second receiver for receiving said standard inter-network communications message including said data from said first translator;

a second translator application for extracting said data from said standard inter-network communications message and for translating said data into a home protocol of said home wireless network; and

a second transmitter for transmitting said data in said home protocol to an element of said home wireless network.

2. The service system of claim 1, wherein said element of said visited wireless network is a visited debit platform.

3. The service system of claim 1, wherein said element of said home wireless network is a home debit platform.

4. A method for transmitting information with respect to a wireless unit in a visited wireless network from said visited wireless network to the home wireless network of said wireless unit, said method comprising the steps of:

at a first element associated with said visited wireless network;

receiving data in a visitor'"'"'s protocol of said visited wireless network from an element of said visited wireless network, said data relating to said wireless unit,

translating said data from said visitor'"'"'s protocol,

formatting said data into a standard inter-network communications message, and

transmitting said standard inter-network communications message to a second element; and

at said second element, said second element being associated with said home wireless network,

receiving said standard inter-network communications message including said data from said first element,

extracting said data from said standard inter-network communications message,

translating said data into a home protocol of said home wireless network, and

transmitting said data in said home protocol to an element of said home wireless network.

5. In or for a wireless communications system including a home wireless network of a wireless unit and a visited wireless network of said wireless unit, a debit service system for obtaining authorization information with respect to providing telecommunication services to said wireless unit in said visited wireless network, said debit service system comprising:

a visited debit platform associated with said visited wireless network, and said visited debit platform being operative to provide data in a visitor'"'"'s protocol to a visited translator, said data relating to said wireless unit;

said visited translator being associated with said visited wireless network and functionally connected to said visited debit platform, said visited translator being operative

to receive said data in said visitor'"'"'s protocol from said visited debit platform,

to translate said data from said visitor'"'"'s protocol,

to include said data in a message, said message being formatted by said visited translator as a standard inter-network communications message, and

to transmit said message to said home wireless network;

a home translator associated with said home wireless network, and operative

to receive said message,

to extract said data from said message,

to translate said data into a home protocol of said home wireless network, and

to provide said data to a home debit platform;

said home debit platform being functionally connected to said home translator and being associated with said home wireless network, said home debit platform being operative

to receive said data in said home protocol from said home translator;

to determine the authorization of said wireless unit, and

to provide authorization information in said home protocol to said home translator;

said home translator being further operative

to receive said authorization information in said home protocol from said home debit platform,

to translate said authorization or acknowledgment information from said home protocol;

to include said authorization information in a response message, said response message being formatted by said home translator as a standard inter-network communications response message, and

to transmit said response message to said visited wireless network;

said visited translator being further operative

to receive said response message,

to extract said authorization information from said response message,

to translate said authorization information into said visitor'"'"'s protocol, and

to provide said authorization information in said visitor'"'"'s protocol to said visited debit platform; and

said visited debit platform being further operative to provide said authorization information to said visited wireless network.