Method and system for location-dependent billing for services

• US 8,014,754 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Aebi, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US11/671,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20070184815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 455406-408, 4554561-4566, 455/404.2, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 379/114.28, 379/115.01, 379/127.03
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• 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 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for location-dependent billing for a service available to a user with a mobile terminal having an identification module. Via a wireless interface of the identification module, a local communication connection is set up to at least one external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface. The method includes determining a location identification through evaluation of data of the at least one external location tag; and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the determined location of the at least on external location tag.

Claims

1. A method for location-dependent billing for a service being available to a user with a mobile terminal having an identification module, wherein, via a wireless interface of the identification module, a local communication connection is set up to a fixably installed external location tag including a billing rate code with a corresponding wireless interface, the method comprising:

accessing the external location tag and transmitting the billing rate code from the external location tag to the mobile terminal;

forwarding the billing rate code from the mobile terminal to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged;

determining a geographic location identification of the external location tag by evaluation of said billing rate code of the external location tag at the central unit; and

selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the billing rate code of the external location tag at the central unit; and

decrypting the billing rate code of the external location tag by the central unit based on an electronic key stored in the central unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local communication connection is set up via an interface based on the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a billing rate in accordance with a result of the evaluating in a billing unit at the central unit of the mobile communication network.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing the local communication connection to the external location tag secured through security means.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the external location tag to a communication channel.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the central unit via which base station the mobile terminal is logged into the mobile communication network; and

comparing data of the determined base station with the billing rate code of the external location tag.

7. A system for location-dependent billing of a service, the system including a mobile terminal including an identification module;

a fixably installed external location tag including billing rate code and a first wireless interface; and

a central unit in communication with the mobile terminal, wherein

the identification module includes a second wireless interface for local communication connection to the external location tag via the first wireless interface, and the identification module is configured to access the external location tag and to receive the billing rate code from the external location tag;

the mobile terminal configured to forward the billing rate code from the mobile terminal to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged;

the central unit is configured to determine a geographic location identification of the external location tag based on the received billing rate code; and

the central unit is further configured to bill for the service available to the user in accordance with a billing rate assigned to the billing rate code at a billing unit and to decrypt the billing rate code of the external location tag based on an electronic key stored in the central unit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless interface of the identification module is implemented according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein in accordance with an evaluation of the billing rate code, a billing rate is selected in the billing unit of the central unit.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the external location tag comprises security means for securing the external location tag.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the external location tag is configured to be connected to a communication channel.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the central unit is configured to determine via which base station the mobile terminal is logged into the mobile communication network, and to compare data of the determined base station to the billing rate code of the external location tag.

13. A central unit of a mobile communication network, for location-dependent billing of a communication service, the central unit in communication with a mobile terminal that is logged on the mobile communication network, the mobile terminal including an identification module;

and the mobile terminal being in wireless communication with a fixably installed external location tag, the external location tag including billing rate code, the identification module includes a first wireless interface for local communication connection to the external location tag via a second wireless interface, and the identification module is configured to access the external location tag and to receive the billing rate code from the external location tag, wherein

the central unit is configured to receive the billing rate code from the external location tag via the mobile terminal, via the local communication connection and the mobile communication network;

the central unit is configured to determine a geographic location identification of the external location tag based on the billing rate code; and

the central unit is further configured to bill for the service available to the user in accordance with a billing rate assigned to the billing rate code at a billing unit and to decrypt the billing rate code of the external location tag based on an electronic key stored in the central unit.

14. The central unit according to claim 13, wherein the wireless interface of the identification module is implemented according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.

15. The central unit according to claim 13, wherein in accordance with an evaluation of the billing rate code, a billing rate is selected in the billing unit of the central unit.

16. The central unit according to claim 13, wherein the external location tag includes security means for securing the external location tag.

17. The central unit according to claim 13, wherein the external location tag is configured to be connected to a communication channel.

18. The central unit according to claim 13, wherein the central unit is further configured to determine via which base station the mobile terminal is logged into the mobile communication network, and to compare data of the determined base station to the billing rate code of the external location tag.