Method and system with user identifiers that indicate session type

• US 7,454,206 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Hinds, Bill A., Ehrsam, John David, Phillips, Jeffrey F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton H
• Application Number:
  US10/439,104
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A user uses a wireless communication device to engage in a communication session over a packet-switched network. The communication session is one of a plurality of different session types, e.g., a push-to-talk (PTT) session or a Web browsing session. The user is identified in the communication session by a user identifier that is dependent on the session type. The user identifier used in a particular communication session is included in a usage record generated for that communications session. A billing system determines the session type from the user identifier in the usage record. Based on this session type, the billing system selects a billing formula to calculate a charge to the user for the communication session.

Claims

1. A method of communicating over a packet-switched network, said method comprising:

a wireless communication device receiving an instruction to establish a communication session over said packet-switched network on behalf of a user, said communication session having a session type;

said wireless communication device selecting, based at least in part on said session type, one of a plurality of user identifiers associated with said user, wherein said plurality of user identifiers comprises a first user identifier and a second user identifier, wherein said first user identifier is selected if said session type is a first session type and said second user identifier is selected if said session type is a second session type, and wherein said first session type is a real-time media session and said second session type is other than a real-time media session;

establishing said communication session using said selected user identifier to identify said user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing said communication session comprises:

transmitting, over an air interface, at least one message including said selected user identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said user using said wireless communication device to engage in a real-time media session, said user being identified by said first user identifier in said real-time media session, wherein said communication device receives only packets related to said real-time media session during said real-time media session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said user using said wireless communication device to engage in a real-time media session, said user being identified by said first user identifier in said real-time media session, wherein said communication device does not receive packets associated with said second user identifier during said real-time media session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second user identifiers are network access identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first user identifier is a network access identifier with a first realm and said second user identifier is a network access identifier with a second realm.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating at least one usage record for said communication session, said at least one usage record including said selected user identifier.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said real-time media session is a push-to-talk (PTT) session.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a user interface for receiving an instruction to establish a requested communication session over a packet-switched network on behalf of a user, said requested communication session having a requested session type;

data storage storing a plurality of user identifiers associated with said user;

selection logic for selecting one of said plurality of user identifiers, based at least in part on said requested session type, wherein said plurality of user identifiers associated with said user includes a first user identifier that indicates a first session type and a second user identifier that indicates a second session type, and wherein said selection logic selects said first user identifier if said requested session type is said first session type and selects said second user identifier if said requested session type is said second session type; and

at least one application for establishing said requested communication session of said requested session type, wherein said at least one application uses said selected user identifier to identify said user for said requested communication session, and wherein said at least one application includes a first application for establishing communication sessions of said first session type and a second application for establishing communication sessions of said second session type.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein establishing said requested communication session comprises:

said wireless communication device transmitting at least one message over an air interface, said at least one message including said selected user identifier.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein said first session type is a real-time media session and said second session type is other than a real-time media session.

11. A method of obtaining session type information, said method comprising:

establishing a communication session over a packet-switched network on behalf of a user, said communication session having a session type;

obtaining a user identifier that identifies said user for said communication session;

determining said session type from said user identifier;

selecting, based at least in part on said session type determined from said user identifier, one of a plurality of billing formulas; and

using said selected billing formula to calculate a charge to said user for said communication session.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said user identifier includes a first field that identifies said user and a second field that indicates said session type.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein obtaining a user identifier that identifies said user for said communication session, comprises:

receiving at least one message from a wireless communication device associated with said user, said at least one message including said user identifier.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating at least one usage record related to said communication session, said at least one usage record including said user identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating said charge to said user for said communication session based, at least in part, on information contained in said at least one usage record, said information including said user identifier.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of said at least one usage record is a Usage Data Record (UDR).

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting said at least one usage record to an accounting server.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one usage record is transmitted in a RADIUS accounting message.