Method of accounting prepaid online internet service credit values

• US 7,502,454 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Slingshot Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Sturgeon, Russell W., Trabandt, Jan, Gerring, James A., Gregory, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/202,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.18, 379/144, 705/52, 705/61, 705/76, 705/17, 705/39, 705/40
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8207 Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• 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 2215/7813 Time based data, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based

Abstract

A method of accounting for online Internet usage credit includes establishing an account identifier in a database for a selected user. A number of credit value block records are associated in the database with the account identifier. Each credit value block has a stored credit value amount, and at least a second stored property indicator. In response to a measured amount of consumption of services by the user, at least one of the credit value blocks is debited by a debit amount based on the measured amount and the second stored property indicator. The stored property indicator may be a rate multiplier, or other factor indicating a different cost mode of online service, connection or usage.

Claims

1. A method of accounting for online Internet usage credit comprising:

establishing an account identifier in a database for a selected user of online Internet services;

associating a plurality of credit value block records in the database with the account identifier;

each credit value block having a stored credit value amount, and having at least a second stored property indicator, wherein the stored credit value amount has a value based on time usage, data throughput, content usage, and a combination thereof; and

in response to a measured amount of consumption of online Internet services by the user, debiting at least one of the credit value blocks by a debit amount based on the measured amount and the second stored property indicator, wherein the second stored property indicator is selected from a group comprising rate multipliers, bandwidth factors, toll-free usage indicators, expiration dates, priorities, rounding factors and purchase dates.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second stored property indicator is a rate multiplier, and wherein debiting the credit value block includes multiplying the rate multiplier by a measured consumption of time, data, content, and a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second stored property indicator is a rate factor, and wherein debiting the credit value block includes dividing the base value of the block by the applicable rate factor for the block and then subtracting the consumed amount.

4. The method of claim 1 including fully depleting a first credit value block if the debit amount exceeds the stored credit value amount of the first credit value block, and debiting a second credit value block by the difference between the stored credit value amount of the first credit value block and the debit amount.

5. The method of claim 1 including calculating an aggregate value of credit available for a mode of usage.

6. The method of claim 5 including calculating a first remaining value amount available for a first mode of usage, and a second remaining value amount available for a second mode of usage.

7. The method of claim 6 including, upon connection by the user by a selected mode of usage, establishing a session termination time based on the remaining value amount for the selected mode of usage.

8. The method of claim 1 including associating a new credit value block record with the account identifier in response to a transaction by the user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second stored property indicator for a credit value block is established at a time of purchase by the user, and including depleting the credit value block at a selected rate associated with the second stored property indicator.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the value rate blocks have different values for a selected stored property indicator.

11. The method of claim 1 including allowing the user to debit the credit value block by an amount having a value based on time usage, data throughput, content usage, and a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 including allowing the user during a single online session to debit a first credit value block by a first amount having a value based on time usage, data throughput, content usage, and a combination thereof and to debit at least a second credit value block by at least a second amount having a value based on time usage, data throughput, content usage, and a combination thereof.