Allocating antenna-provided communications services

• US 6,430,408 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dorenbosch, Jheroen Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US09/571,185
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/450, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/411, 455/433, 455/404, 455/403, 379/114, 379/115, 379/130, 379/132
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1492 negotiation of tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7457 Biding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A communications system having an antenna and at least one mobile unit in communications with the antenna. A price that a mobile unit will pay to receive an enhanced communications service is established. The antenna provides the enhanced communication service to the mobile unit paying the price.

Claims

1. In a communications system having an antenna and a plurality of mobile units in communication with the antenna, a method for allocating enhanced communications services comprising:

establishing a price a mobile unit will pay to receive an enhanced communications service,

transmitting an initial price for the enhanced communications service to the mobile units,

receiving responses from one or more mobile units accepting the initial price,

if too many or too few responses are received, then adjusting the price and transmitting the adjusted price until a market-clearing price is achieved,

providing the enhanced communication service to the mobile units accepting the market-clearing price.

2. In a communications system having an antenna and a plurality of mobile units in communication with the antenna, a method for allocating enhanced communications services comprising:

transmitting a message to the plurality of mobile units indicating that said enhanced communications service is available for bid,

receiving bids from one or more bidding mobile units bidding for the enhanced communications service,

allocating said enhanced communications service to one or more of the bidding mobile units in accordance with said bids.

3. The method of claim 2, receiving with the antenna a request for the enhanced communications service from at least one mobile unit, and in response to the request, transmitting the message to the plurality of mobile units indicating that said enhanced communications service is available for bid.

4. In a communications system having an antenna and a plurality of mobile units in communication with the antenna, a method for allocating enhanced communications services comprising:

establishing a price a mobile unit will pay to receive an enhanced communications service,

receiving bids from one or more bidding mobile units bidding for the enhanced communications service,

allocating said enhanced communications service to one or more of the bidding mobile units in accordance with said bids.

5. The method of claim 4,

providing the enhanced communication service to the mobile unit paying the price,

paying, with the mobile unit receiving the enhanced communications service, the established price for said enhanced communications service.

6. In a communications system having an antenna and a mobile unit in communication with the antenna, a method for allocating enhanced communications services, comprising:

establishing a price a mobile unit will pay to receive an enhanced communications service; and

providing the enhanced communications service to the mobile unit, upon acceptance of the established price, by extending a lobe from the antenna toward the mobile unit.

7. The method of claim 6, the enhanced communications service comprises an improved signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of a communications link between the mobile unit and the antenna, providing the enhanced communications service to the mobile unit accepting the price by extending a lobe toward the mobile unit to improve the S/N ratio of said communications link.

8. The method of claim 6, the enhanced communications service comprises a higher bandwidth communications link between the mobile unit and the antenna, providing the enhanced communications service to the mobile unit accepting the price by extending a lobe toward the mobile unit to improve the bandwidth of said communications link.

9. The method of claim 6, allocating a comparatively higher bit rate communications link to said mobile unit accepting the price.

10. In a communications system having an antenna and a plurality of mobile units in communication with the antenna, a method for allocating enhanced communications services comprising:

establishing a price a mobile unit will pay to a second mobile unit currently having an enhanced communications service;

releasing the enhanced communications service, with the second mobile unit, in favor of the mobile unit.

11. A mobile unit for use in a communications system providing an enhanced communications service, the mobile unit comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with the communications system;

means for receiving from the communications system a message transmitted to a plurality of mobile units indicating that said enhanced communications service is available for bid;

means for placing a bid, at a certain price, for the enhanced communications service; and

means for receiving the enhanced communications service from the communications system if the communications system accepts the bid.

12. The method of claim 11, the mobile unit further comprising:

means requesting the enhanced communications service from the communications service;

means for receiving from the communications system a message in response to the request indicating that said enhanced communications service is available for bid.

13. A mobile unit for use in a communications system providing an enhanced communications service, the mobile unit comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with the communications system,

the enhanced communications service having an improved signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio for communications between the mobile unit and the communications system;

means for establishing a price that the mobile unit will pay to receive the enhanced communications service;

means for receiving the enhanced communications service provided to the mobile unit from the communications system by extending a lobe toward the mobile unit.