Transaction processing

• US 7,113,766 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Patwari, Jaiteerth, Nguyen, Phil, Yu, Julie, Horel, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US10/222,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 455/405, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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: 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 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention provide a transaction processing during which a transaction billing event is created. Metadata associated with an application is stored in a transaction manager database. When a wireless device downloads an application, raw transaction information is sent to and stored in the database. The raw transaction data may include a subset of the metadata and additional information included by other devices and/or systems. Billing events are created by correlating the metadata and the raw transaction data. In addition, subscription billing events, such as those having reoccurring charges, are calculated by evaluating those transactions having a subscription transaction type and their associated metadata stored in the database.

Claims

1. A method for generating a billing event for a download transaction of an application from a download server, wherein generating said billing event requires a first set of information and a second set of information, comprising:

storing said first set of information as a metadata, said metadata comprising a plurality of blocks;

responsive to the download transaction conducted by the download server, receiving raw transaction data, said raw transaction data comprising

a plurality of references to blocks of said metadata, and

said second set of information;

correlating each of said plurality of references in said raw transaction data to retrieve said first set of information from said metadata; and

creating said billing event from said first and second sets of information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if said download transaction corresponds to a subscription, creating an additional billing event upon each expiration of a subscription period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said download transaction comprises downloading said application from said download server over a wireless network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending said billing event to a carrier which manages said wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of information comprises a set including at least one of:

a carrier identifier;

a subscriber identifier;

an event identifier associated with the download transaction;

a timestamp associated with the download transaction;

an application identifier associated with the application;

an application name associated with the application;

a part number associated with the application;

a part name associated with the application;

a developer identifier associated with the application;

a price plan identifier associated with the application;

a developer pricing information associated with the application;

a carrier pricing information associated with the application;

a usage value associated with the application;

a usage type associated with the application; and

a pricing method associated with the application.

6. A machine readable medium storing a sequence of machine executable instruction, which when executed, causes a machine which generates a billing event for a download transaction of an application from a download server, wherein generating said billing event requires a first set of information and a second set of information, to perform a sequence of steps comprising:

storing said first set of information as a metadata, said metadata comprising a plurality of blocks;

responsive to the download transaction conducted by the download server, receiving raw transaction data, said raw transaction data comprising

a plurality of references to blocks of said metadata, and

said second set of information;

correlating each of said plurality of references in said raw transaction data to retrieve said first set of information from said metadata; and

creating said billing event from said first and second sets of information.

7. The machine readable medium of claim 6, wherein said sequence of steps further comprises:

if said download corresponded to a subscription over a plurality of periods, creating an additional billing event upon each expiration a period from of said plurality of periods.

8. A billing system for generating a billing event for a download transaction of an application from a download server, wherein generating said billing event requires a first set of information and a second set of information, the system comprising:

a first system for receiving said first information and for storing said first information as a metadata, said metadata comprising a plurality of blocks;

a second system, said second system comprising;

a storage device; and

a conversion engine, coupled to said storage device, wherein said conversion engine;

receives raw transaction data generated by the download server responsive to the download transaction, said raw transaction data comprising

a plurality of references to blocks of said metadata, and

said second set of information;

said conversion engine stores said raw transaction data and said second set of information on said storage device;

said conversion engine correlates each of said plurality of references with said first system to retrieve said first set of information from said first system; and

said conversion engine generates a billing event based on said first and second set of information.

9. The billing system of claim 8, wherein said second system further comprises:

a subscription engine, said subscription engine coupled to said storage device;

wherein said subscription engine generates additional billing event upon each expiration of a subscription period when said raw transaction data corresponded to a download of said application on a subscription basis.