Debit service systems and methods for wireless units

• US 6,330,443 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirby, Richard Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/510,249
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/432, 455/445, 455/411, 455/406, 455/408, 455/410, 455/409, 455/405, 455/407
• 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. 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 first translator associated with said visited wireless network and a second translator associated with said home wireless network, said first and second translators exchanging information relating to said wireless unit between said visited wireless network and said home wireless network, said first translator comprising:

a receiver for receiving data relating to said wireless unit from a visited debit platform of said visited wireless network;

said data being in a protocol of said visited wireless network, said protocol being referred to as the visitor'"'"'s protocol;

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

a transmitter for transmitting said standard inter-network communications message directly to said second translator of said home wireless network.

2. The first translator of claim 1,

wherein said receiver is further operative, in response to said standard inter-network communications message, to receive a standard inter-network communications response message including authorization information relating to said wireless unit from said second translator of said home wireless network;

wherein said translator application is further operative to extract said authorization information relating to said wireless unit from said standard inter-network communications response message and to translate said authorization or acknowledgement information to said visitor'"'"'s protocol; and

wherein said transmitter is further operative to transmit said authorization information in said visitor'"'"'s protocol to said visited debit platform of said visited wireless network.

3. 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 method for exchanging information relating to said wireless unit between said visited wireless network having a first translator and said home wireless network having a second translator, comprising the steps of:

receiving data at said first translator relating to said wireless unit from a visited debit platform of said visited wireless network;

said first translator formatting said data at said visited wireless network from the protocol of said visited wireless network into a standard inter-network communications message;

said first translator transmitting said standard inter-network communications message directly to said s econd translator of said home wireless network;

said second translator receiving said standard inter-network communications message;

said second translator extracting said data from said standard inter-network communications message;

said second translator formatting said data into the protocol of said home wireless network; and

said second translator transmitting said data to an element of said home wireless network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

in response to said step of transmitting said standard inter-network communications message, receiving a standard inter-network communications response message including authorization information relating to said wireless unit from a home translator of said home wireless network;

extracting said authorization information relating to said wireless unit from said standard inter-network communications response message;

translating said authorization or acknowledgment information to said protocol of said visited wireless network; and

transmitting said authorization information in said protocol of said visited wireless network to said visited debit platform of said visited 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 first translator associated with said visited wireless network and a second translator associated with said home wireless network, said first and second translators exchanging information relating to said wireless unit between said visited wireless network and said home wireless network, said second translator comprising:

a receiver for receiving a standard inter-network communications message including data relating to said wireless unit directly from said first translator of said visited wireless network;

said inter-network communications message formatted at said first translator of said visited wireless network;

a translator application for extracting said data relating to said wireless unit from said standard inter-network communications message and for translating said data into a protocol of said home wireless network, said protocol being referred to as the home protocol; and

a transmitter for transmitting said data in said home protocol to a home debit platform of said home wireless network.

6. The translator of claim 5,

wherein said element of said visited wireless network further comprises a visited translator.

7. The system of claim 5,

wherein said receiver is further operative for receiving authorization information in said home protocol from said home debit platform of said home wireless network, said authorization information relating to said wireless unit;

wherein said translator application is further operative for translating said authorization information from said home protocol and for formatting said authorization information into a standard internet-work communications response message, which standard internet-work communications response message is responsive to said standard inter-network communications message; and

wherein said transmitter is further operative for transmitting said standard inter-network communications response message to said first translator of said visited network.

8. 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 method for exchanging information relating to said wireless unit between said visited wireless network having a first translator and said home wireless network having a second translator, comprising the steps of:

receiving data at said first translator relating to said wireless unit from an element of said visited wireless network;

said first translator translating said data at said visited wireless network from the protocol of said visited wireless network into a standard inter-network communications message;

transmitting said standard inter-network communications message directly to said second translator of said home wireless network;

said second translator receiving said standard inter-network communications message including said data relating to said wireless unit directly from said first translator of said visited wireless network;

said standard inter-network communications message formatted at said visited wireless network;

said second translator extracting said data relating to said wireless unit from said standard inter-network communications message;

said second translator translating said data into a protocol of said home wireless network; and

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

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving authorization information in said protocol of said home wireless network from said element of said home wireless network, said authorization or acknowledgment information relating to said wireless unit;

translating said authorization or acknowledgment information from said protocol of said home wireless network;

formatting said authorization information into a standard inter-network communications response message, which standard inter-network communications response message is responsive to said standard inter-network communications message; and

transmitting said standard inter-network communications response message to said element of said visited network.

10. 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 method for exchanging information relating to said wireless unit between said visited wireless network having a first translator and said home wireless network having a second translator, comprising the steps of:

receiving data relating to said wireless unit from a visited debit platform of said visited wireless network;

said first translator formatting said data at said visited wireless network from the protocol of said visited wireless network into a standard inter-network communications message;

transmitting said standard inter-network communications message directly to said second translator of said home wireless network;

said second translator of said home wireless network receiving said standard inter-network communications message;

said second translator translating said standard inter-network communications message into the protocol of said home wireless network; and

transmitting said data to a home debit platform of said home wireless network.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of extracting said data from said standard inter-network communications message.

12. 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 a visited debit platform 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;

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

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 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 a home debit platform of said home wireless network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said second translator application is further operative for extracting said data from said standard inter-network communications message.