Communication method, system, and device for reducing processor load at tariff switch

• US 6,408,174 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1997
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Steijer, Jörgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US08/855,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/414, 455/566, 379/111, 379/130, 379/131, 379/114.09, 379/114.1, 379/114.12, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/121.02, 379/121.04, 379/122
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/22 according to time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/92 Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A communication device, method and system in which tariff information is provided to a communication device from a control station at call setup, and the charges associated with a call can be calculated and displayed to a device user at the device itself, rather than at a central communication system processor. The tariff information includes the current tariff, future tariff, and time of tariff switch. By providing the tariff information to the communication device, significant signal processing resources at the central communication system processor can be saved.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a fixed portion comprising;

one or more control stations, each control station associated with a public switched telephone network (PSTN); and

a mobile portion, comprising;

one or more communication devices for exchanging communication signals with the one or more control stations,

wherein tariff information, including a current tariff, a next tariff and a tariff switch time, is provided to the one or more communication devices from the one or more control stations at the initiation of a communication link, and the one or more communication devices calculate a total tariff associated with a communication link between the one or more communication devices and the one or more control stations based on the tariff information,

and wherein further, information about the total tariffs calculated by the one or more communication devices is displayed by the one or more communication devices to respective users of the one or more communication devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication devices are wireless communication devices.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the fixed portion further comprises:

a tariff computation device for calculating tariffs associated with one or more communication links between the one or more communication devices and the one or more control stations.

4. A method for use in a communication system comprising a fixed portion and a mobile portion, the fixed portion including a control station, the mobile portion including a communication device, the method being for calculating a tariff associated with a communication link, comprising the steps of:

transmitting tariff information, including a current tariff, a next tariff and a tariff switch time, from the control station to the communication device at initiation of the communication link;

calculating a total tariff associated with the communication link between the communication device and the control station at the communication device, using the tariff information;

displaying information about the calculated total tariff to a user of the communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication link is a wireless communication link, and the step of transmitting is performed using a wireless communication signal.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the fixed portion further includes a tariff computation device.