Communications network
First Claim
1. A method of operating a communications network supporting a packet-based internetworking protocol including:
- distributing a tariff for the use of the communications network supporting a packet-based internetworking protocol via the communications network to a multiplicity of customer terminals connected to the communications network, the tariff comprising a formula for calculating a charge as a function of a loading of the communications network, for use by at least one of the customer terminals of the communications network; and
calculating using the tariff a charge for use by the at least one customer terminal of the communications network.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a communications network, which may be a federated network such as the Internet, a tariff is distributed via the network to customer terminals. At each terminal a charge for use of the network is calculated by using the tariff. Different tariffs may be communicated for different services and a respective tariff may be varied depending upon the operational condition of the service. Different tariffs may be calculated for different customers and the tariffs may be varied in dependence upon the loading of network resources and different tariffs may have different volatilities. Part of the traffic from a user to the network may be sampled and the status of the user may be amended when a discrepancy is detected between the sampled parameters and the contracted parameters in the users contract.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of operating a communications network supporting a packet-based internetworking protocol including:
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distributing a tariff for the use of the communications network supporting a packet-based internetworking protocol via the communications network to a multiplicity of customer terminals connected to the communications network, the tariff comprising a formula for calculating a charge as a function of a loading of the communications network, for use by at least one of the customer terminals of the communications network; and calculating using the tariff a charge for use by the at least one customer terminal of the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 26, 28)
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15. A method of operating a communications network, including:
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calculating for each of a multiplicity of customers, using a selected one of a plurality of different tariffs distributed to a respective customer terminal attached to the network, charges for the use of network resources by the respective customer terminal attached to the network, measuring the loading of network resources, and varying one or more of the plurality of different tariffs in dependence upon the loading of the network resources, and in which different ones of the plurality of different tariffs have different respective volatilities.
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16. A method of operating a communication network comprising:
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a) communicating tariff data to a user terminal connected to the network; b) calculating at the user terminal, a charge for traffic communicated between the network and the terminal using the tariff data, and making a payment; c) sampling only part of the traffic communicated between users and the network and for the sampled traffic comparing any payments made by users and the payment due according to the tariff.
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17. A method of operating a communications network comprising:
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a) establishing contracts between network users and a network operator and storing user contract data; b) sampling part only of the traffic to or from a user on the network; c) comparing sampled traffic with traffic contracted for by the user; and d) amending a user status of the user when a discrepancy between the sampled parameters and the contracted parameters is detected. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 29)
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21. A method of operating a communications network including:
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distributing a tariff via the communications network to a multiplicity of customer terminals connected to the communications network, and calculating using the tariff a charge for use by the customer terminal of the communications network, and in which the step of distributing the tariff includes steps of communicating separately a formula for calculation of network usage charges, and coefficients for use in the formula.
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24. A customer terminal for use in a communications network, the customer terminal including:
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a network interface which in use receives tariff information via a communications network; a store programmed with tariff information received at the interface; a meter for measuring use by the customer terminal of the network to which the tariff applies and for measuring the state of the network; and a processor connected to the meter and to the store and arranged to calculate using the tariff information and information relating to the measured use by the customer terminal of the network and information relating to the measured state of the network, a network usage charge.
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25. A method of operating a communication network comprising:
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a) at a customer terminal measuring network usage; b) communicating network usage data from the customer terminal to the network operator; and c) the network operator sampling only part of the traffic communicated between a customer terminal and the network and for the sampled traffic comparing the network usage with the network usage data from the customer terminal and thereby detecting any discrepancy. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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27. A method of operating a communications network, including automatically varying, depending on network loading as detected at a customer terminal, a tariff for network usage by a customer terminal, the tariff being distributed to the terminal and comprising a formula for calculating a charge as a function of the loading of the communications network for use by the customer terminal.
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31. A method of operating a communications network supporting a packet-based internetworking protocol, the method comprising:
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distributing a tariff for the use of the communications network supporting a packet-based internetworking protocol via the communications network to a multiplicity of customer terminals connected to the communications network, the tariff comprising a variable formula for calculating a charge as a function of a detection congestion level of the communications network, for use by at least one of the customer terminals of the communications network, for use by at least one of the customer terminals of the communications network; and automatically calculating using the tariff a charge for use by the at least one customer terminal of the communications network in response to the detected congestion level.
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Specification