Method and system for sharing transmission revenue between mobile operators and content providers

• US 6,968,175 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Patrik, Raivisto, Tommi
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/218,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20040033797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/423, 705/14, 705/26, 705/40, 705/65
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/46 Real-time negotiation between users and providers or operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/54 for revenue sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/56 On line or real-time flexible agreements between service providers and telecoms operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method and system for revenue sharing between mobile operators and content providers. The content providers, through a data network, provide data services to the end users of the mobile operators. For the data services, the content providers are paid by the mobile operators based on the revenue collected by the mobile operators from the end users using the services. An intermediate proxy is disposed between a mobile operator and the data network to keep track of the data amount transmitted by the content providers and the users and to keep track of the revenue sharing agreements established between that mobile operator and the content providers. Additionally, an intermediate proxy is linked to each content provider to keep track of the data amount transmitted to the end users via a mobile operator and to keep track of the revenue sharing agreement with that mobile operator.

Claims

1. A method of revenue sharing between a mobile operator and a content provider in a data network, wherein the content provider provides data services to an end user via a mobile network of the mobile operator who furnishes a data connection between the content provider and the end user, and wherein the mobile operator obtains a revenue from the end user for the data services provided by the content provider, said method characterized by

providing an agent between the mobile network and the data network for collecting information indicative of a data amount transmitted between the content provider and the end user, by

providing a mechanism for determining a payment amount to pay the content provider based on the revenue, and by

providing a further agent linked to the content provider so as to allow the content provider to keep track of a revenue sharing agreement with the mobile operator based on an address of the mobile operator, wherein

the content provider provides the mobile operator at pre-configured intervals an invoice for payment based on the data amount, and the mechanism is adapted to verify the invoice, and wherein

the data transmission between the content provider and the end user is carried out in a packet-switched fashion, and the agent is adapted to collect information indicative of the data amount transmitted by counting packets based on an address of the content provider, and wherein

the agent is adapted to keep track of a revenue sharing agreement with the content provider based on an address of the content provider so as to allow the mechanism to determine the payment amount based on the agreement.

2. A system for revenue sharing between a mobile operator and a content provider in a data network, wherein the content provider provides data services to an end user via a mobile network of the mobile operator who furnishes a data connection between the content provider and the end user, and wherein the mobile operator obtains a revenue from the end user for the data services provided by the content provider, said system characterized by

an agent located between the mobile network and the data network for collecting information indicative of a data amount transmitted between the content provider and the end user, by

a mechanism for determining a payment amount to pay the content provider based on the revenue, and by

a further agent linked to the content provider so as to allow the content provider to keep track of a revenue sharing agreement with the mobile operator based on an address of the mobile operator, and to provide the mobile operator at pre-configured intervals an invoice for payment based on the data amount, and the mechanism is adapted to verify the invoice, wherein

the data transmission between the content provider and the end user is carried out in a packet-switched fashion, and the agent is adapted to collect information indicative of the data amount transmitted by counting packets based on an address of the content provider, and

the agent is adapted to keep track of a revenue sharing agreement with the content provider based on an address of the content provider so as to allow the mechanism to determine the payment amount based on the agreement.

3. A device for use in a communication network, the communication network comprising a data network and a mobile network of a mobile operator to carry out revenue sharing between the mobile operator and a content provider in the data network, the mobile operator having an address, the content provider having an address, wherein the content provider provides data services to an end user via the mobile network, and the mobile operator furnishes a data connection between the content provider and the end user, and wherein the mobile operator obtains a revenue from the end user for the data services provided by the content provider, said device characterized by

means for keeping track of an agreement between the mobile operator and the content provider on revenue sharing based on the address of the mobile operator and the address of the content provider;

and

means for collecting information indicative of a data amount transmitted between the content provider and the end user so as to allow the mobile operator to pay the content provider based on the revenue according to the agreement and to allow the content provider to provide the mobile operator at pre-configured intervals an invoice for payment based on the data amount, wherein the data transmission between the content provider and the end user is carried out in a packet-switched fashion, and the collecting means is adapted to collect information indicative of the data amount transmitted between the content provider and the end user by counting packets based on the address of the content provider.