Method and apparatus for providing separable billing services

• US 8,060,419 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lauer, Craig, Doyle, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYLES, ASHFORD S
• Application Number:
  US10/633,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,029 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 455/406
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/16 according to connection obtained
• 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 15/8214 Data or packet based
• 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 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing separable billing services. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a memory for storing a data address associated with a first type of communication and a processor for receiving a data packet, the data packet comprising a destination data address. The processor compares the destination data address to the data address associated with the first type of communication, and routes the data packet to the destination data address if the destination data address matches the data address associated with the first type of communication and bills an account associated with the first type of communication.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing separable billing services, comprising:

a mobile communications terminal (MCT) operatively connectable with one or more digital processing devices via a satellite communications system;

a memory operatively connectable to the MCT for storing a set of identifiers that identify the digital processing devices in the satellite communications system wherein each identifier in the set of identifiers is assigned a communication type;

wherein the first type of communication comprises a business-type communication and a second type of communication comprises a personal-type communication; and

a processor operatively connectable to the MCT for receiving a data packet that includes a source address identifying an originator of the data packet, comparing the source address to the set of identifiers to find a matching identifier, determining an assigned communication type assigned to the matching identifier, wherein the communication type includes at least one of a first type of communication or a second type of communication, and adjusting at least one of a first account or a second account associated with the MCT based on the assigned communication type.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an interface for routing said data packet to the MCT.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines that the matching identifier is not found and adjusts the second account.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines that the matching identifier is not found and stops transmission of the data packet to the MCT.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver, wherein the processor determines that the matching identifier is not found, and the transceiver transmits a message to the originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the MCT.

6. A method for providing separable billing services, comprising:

providing a mobile communications terminal (MCT) capable of communicating with one or more digital processing devices via a satellite communications system;

receiving a data packet that includes a source address identifying an originator of the data packet;

comparing the source address to a set of identifiers stored in a memory to find a matching identifier, wherein the set of identifiers identify the digital processing devices in the satellite communications system, and each identifier in the set of identifiers is assigned a communication type comprising at least one of a business-type communication or a personal-type communication;

determining an assigned communication type assigned to the matching identifier; and

adjusting at least one of a business account or a personal account associated with the MCT based on the assigned communication type.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is found; and

routing the data packet to the MCT.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting the personal account associated with the MCT based on a determination that the assigned communication type is the personal-type communication.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is not found; and

adjusting the business account associated with the MCT.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is not found; and

adjusting the personal account associated with the MCT.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is not found; and

transmitting a message to the originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the MCT.

12. A signal-bearing medium in a mobile communications system tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for providing separable billing services, said method comprising operations of:

receiving a data packet via a satellite communications system that includes one or more digital processing devices capable of communicating with a mobile communications terminal (MCT), wherein the data packet includes a source address identifying an originator of the data packet;

comparing the source address to a set of identifiers stored in a memory to find a matching identifier, wherein the set of identifiers identify the digital processing devices in the satellite communications system, and each identifier in the set of identifiers is assigned a communication type comprising at least one of a business-type communication or a personal-type communication;

determining an assigned communication type assigned to the matching identifier; and

adjusting at least one of a business account or a personal account associated with the MCT based on the assigned communication type.

13. The signal-bearing medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is found; and

routing the data packet to the MCT.

14. The signal-bearing medium of claim 12, further comprising:

adjusting the personal account associated with the MCT based on a determination that the assigned communication type is the personal-type communication.

15. The signal-bearing medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is not found; and

adjusting the business account associated with the MCT.

16. The signal-bearing medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is not found; and

adjusting the personal account associated with the MCT.

17. The signal-bearing medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the matching identifier is not found; and

transmitting a message to the originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the MCT.

18. An apparatus for providing separable billing services, comprising:

a mobile communications terminal (MCT) operatively connectable with one or more digital processing devices via a satellite communications system;

a memory operatively connectable to the MCT for storing a set of identifiers that identify the digital processing devices in the satellite communications system, wherein each identifier in the set of identifiers is assigned a communication type;

wherein the first type of communication comprises a business-type communication and a second type of communication comprises a personal-type communication; and

a means for digital processing operatively connectable to the MCT and adapted to;

receive a data packet that includes a source address identifying an originator of the data packet,

compare the source address to the set of identifiers to find a matching identifier,

determine an assigned communication type assigned to the matching identifier, wherein the communication type includes at least one of a first type of communication or a second type of communication, and

adjust at least one of a first account or a second account associated with the MCT based on the assigned communication type.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an interface for routing said data packet to the MCT.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for digital processing is further adapted to determine that the matching identifier is not found and adjusts the second account.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for digital processing is further adapted to determine that the matching identifier is not found and stops transmission of the data packet to the MCT.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a transceiver, wherein the means for digital processing is further adapted to determine that the matching identifier is not found, and the transceiver transmits a message to the originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the MCT.