Method and apparatus for accounting for user terminal session-based connection to a satellite communication system

• US 6,775,519 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Inventors: Sites, Michael J., Wiedeman, Robert A., Monte, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/483,015
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 370/252, 370/468, 370/337, 370/329, 370/401, 370/321, 370/259, 714/752, 455/553, 455/12.1, 455/434, 455/426, 455/331, 379/106.03, 340/7.34
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method is disclosed for operating a satellite communications system for coupling a user terminal to a data communications network. The method has steps of (a) establishing a connectionless packet data transmission link between the user terminal and a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via an inbound link and an outbound link, the gateway being further coupled to the data communications network and being associated with a gateway service provider; (b) deriving billing-related information by counting a number of units of data that comprise data packets that are transmitted over at least one of the inbound link and the outbound link; (c) aggregating the billing-related information with billing-related information for other user terminals; (d) transferring the aggregated billing-related information to a satellite communication system operator site; and (e) at the satellite communication system operator site, determining an amount to bill the gateway service provider based at least in part on the aggregated billing-related information. The step of establishing the connectionless packet data transmission link may include a step of varying a bandwidth of the link to accommodate different data rate requirements.

Claims

1. A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising the steps of:

establishing a session with a user terminal by way of a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via an inbound link and an outbound link, the gateway being further coupled to a data communications network;

during the session, determining and storing system usage data at the gateway expressive at least of a type of connection made by the user terminal, an indication of an amount of power expended by the at least one satellite to maintain the session, a duration of the session, and a number of units of data transfer that are used during the session on at least one of the inbound link and the outbound link; and

after a termination of the session, accumulating the system usage data, outputting the system usage data from the gateway to a system resource allocation and billing center for use in billing, and determining an amount to bill for the session based at least in part on the determined number of units of data transfer.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the units of data transfer is comprised of bytes.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining an amount to bill is also based on a number of user terminals that simultaneously share a communication channel that carries at least one of said inbound link or said outbound link.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining an amount to bill is executed at a mobile satellite system operator site based on aggregated user billing information received from the gateway.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining an amount to bill is executed at the gateway.

23. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing a session includes a step of varying a bandwidth of at least one of the inbound link and the outbound link to accommodate different data rates.

6. A satellite communications system, comprising:

at least one user terminal;

at least one satellite;

at least one gateway coupled to a data communications network and having (a) an RF transceiver for establishing and maintaining a session with said user terminal through said at least one satellite via an inbound link and an outbound link, (b) a processor for determining and storing system usage data expressive at least of a type of connection made by the user terminal, an indication of an amount of power expended by the at least one satellite to maintain the session, and a duration of the session, and a number of units of data transfer that are used during the session on at least one of the inbound link and the outbound link, and (c) an interface for outputting the stored system usage data; and

a unit for receiving the system usage data and determining an amount to bill for the session based at least in part on the determined number of units of data transfer.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein the units of data transfer are bytes.

8. A system as in claim 6, said determining unit further considers a number of user terminals that simultaneously share a communication channel.

9. A system as in claim 6, wherein said unit for determining an amount to bill is located at a mobile satellite system operator site, and operates on aggregated user billing information received from said gateway.

10. A system as in claim 6, wherein said unit for determining an amount to bill is located at a mobile satellite system operator site, and operates on aggregated user billing information received from said gateway for determining an amount to bill an operator of said gateway.

11. A system as in claim 6, wherein said unit for determining an amount to bill is located at said gateway.

12. A method for operating a satellite communications system for coupling a user terminal to a data communications network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connectionless packet data transmission link between the user terminal and a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via an inbound link and an outbound link, the gateway being further coupled to the data communications network and being associated with a gateway service provider;

deriving billing-related information by counting a number of units of data that comprise data packets that are transmitted over at least one of the inbound link and the outbound link;

aggregating the billing-related information with billing-related information for other user terminals;

transferring the aggregated billing-related information to a satellite communication system operator site; and

at the satellite communication system operator site, determining an amount to bill the gateway service provider based at least in part on the aggregated billing-related information.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the units of data are bytes.

14. A method as in claim 12, wherein the determined amount to bill is a function of a number of user terminals that simultaneously share a communication channel through which at least one of said inbound link and said outbound link are carried.

15. A method as in claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connectionless packet data transmission link includes a step of varying a bandwidth of the link to accommodate different data rate requirements.

16. A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising the steps of:

establishing a session with a user terminal by way of a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via an inbound link and an outbound link, the gateway being further coupled to a data communications network;

during the session, determining and storing system usage data in the gateway expressive at least of a type of connection made by the user terminal, an indication of an amount of power expended by the at least one satellite to maintain the session, a duration of the connection, and determining a product of bandwidth*time that is used on at least one of the inbound link and the outbound link; and

after a termination of the session, accumulating system usage data, outputting the system usage data from the gateway to a system resource allocation and billing center for use in billing, and determining an amount to bill for the session based at least in part on the determined product.

17. A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising the steps of:

allocating satellite system resources to a satellite system service provider based at least in part on a predicted demand for the satellite system resources for the satellite system service provider;

during a time that the satellite system resources are allocated to the satellite system service provider, recording an actual demand for the satellite system resources;

comparing the actual demand to the predicted demand to determine a difference between the actual demand and the predicted demand; and

billing the satellite system provider an amount that is a function of the determined difference between the actual demand and the predicted demand.

21. The method as in claim 17, wherein said satellite system resources are selected from the group consisting of bandwidth * time product, satellite usage, number of bytes transferred and units of content transferred.

22. The method as in claim 17, wherein said satellite system resources include units of content transferred.

18. A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising the steps of:

establishing a session with a user terminal by way of a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via an inbound link and an outbound link, the gateway being further coupled to a data communications network;

during the session, determining and storing system usage data in the gateway expressive at least of a type of connection made by the user terminal, an indication of an amount of power expended by the at least one satellite to maintain the session, a duration of the connection, and a number of units of content that are transferred at least from the gateway to the user terminal; and

after a termination of the wireless connection, accumulating the system usage data and outputting the system usage data from the gateway to a system resource allocation and billing center for use in billing, and determining an amount to bill for the session based at least in part on the determined number of units of content.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein the units of content are comprised of pages.

20. A method as in claim 18, wherein the units of content are comprised responses to requests for data transmitted from the user terminal.