Method and system for transmission-based billing of applications

• US 7,436,816 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Samir Narendra, Nguyen, Ngochan, Jansen, Markus L., Ramadan, Mazin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones; Prenell P
• Application Number:
  US10/085,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/401, 370/331, 370/351, 370/352, 370/254, 370/338, 370/349, 370/410, 370/389, 370/335, 370/395, 370/466, 370/328, 370/310, 370/259, 705/71, 705/26, 705/14, 705/34, 705/6, 705/53, 705/76, 705/39, 705/40, 705/412, 709/206, 709/295, 709/203, 709/224, 709/218, 379/93.25, 379/90.01, 379/94, 379/95, 379/114.03, 379/88.2, 379/201.11, 379/106, 707/2, 708/134, 455/405, 455/456.1, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 700/286, 725/104, 340/928, 340/933, 340/870, 701/117, 701/118, 380/28
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• 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 2215/0196 : 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 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• 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 2215/7072 : Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

Computer- and network-based methods and systems for transmission-based billing are provided. Example embodiments provide a Packet-Based Billing System (“PBBS”), which enables application providers, such as carriers and content providers, to bill subscribers for the use of content on mobile subscriber devices, such as wireless devices, on a per-application, per-user basis based upon the extent of the usage. Embodiments of the present invention can also be used to bill subscribers for the use of content on a per-application, per-user basis for wired subscriber devices as well, using the same techniques. In operation, the PBBS provides modified content by inserting billing and tracking code into content returned to a requesting device. The modified content, when executed, tracks the amount of data sent and received between the content and a network and posts the accumulated data to a proxy/billing server according to business rules for an interval/frequency to post such data. The proxy/billing server stores the raw billing data and an accounting program retrieves the billing data to generate customer (call) data records. Business rules that specific different charges for different content or users can be incorporated into the system.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless device for automatically transmitting packet-based billing data, comprising:

when a packet of data is received from a network, logging, in the wireless device, the amount of data received;

when a packet of data is to be sent over the network, logging in the wireless device, the amount of data to be sent; and

transmitting the logged amount of data from the wireless device to a server system to be accumulated, thereby enabling the server system to bill a subscriber based upon the accumulated data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the logging the amount of data is performed by code that is transparently loaded onto the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the logging the amount of data and transmitting the logged data are performed by code that resides in a code library.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the logging the amount of data and transmitting the logged data are performed by code that resides in the network driver software of the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the logging the amount of data and transmitting the logged data are performed by code that is written to a specification for transmission-based billing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the logging the amount of data and transmitting the logged data are performed by code that is instrumented as billing code into content prior to delivery of the content to the wireless device and execution of the content on the wireless device.