Generating and providing access and content charges for different services to a user device in a communication system

• US 8,131,256 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Martti, Jyrki, Mäkeläinen, Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Tangela T.
• Application Number:
  US11/300,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 455406-408
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A user device (20) is provided with information relating to a service wherein content is communicated to the user device via an access system provided by a communications network (22). In the method information regarding access charges from a charging entity (26) associated with the access system is provided to a service provider entity (24), where after an indication of total cost of the service covering content charges and the access charges is sent from the service provider entity to the user device. Alternatively, indication of the total costs can be sent directly to the user device from the charging entity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at a user device from a charging entity of an access system access information regarding access charges of the access system;

the user device communicating said access information regarding access charges of the access system to a service provider in a request for a service from the service provider; and

the user device receiving from the service provider cost information comprising a total cost of the service, the total cost being based on a charge for the service from the service provider and on access charges of the access system for accessing the service.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicating occurs before the service is taken into use at the user device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicating occurs during use of the service.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

the communicating prompting the service provider to send to the charging entity information identifying the service and the user device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

the communicating prompting the service provider to send to the charging entity a message containing information regarding at least any one of the user device, the service, volume of content to be communicated, and a data bearer between the user device and an access network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

sending an acceptance of the total cost from the user device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the access information comprises access charge rate information which is received from the charging entity in the absence of a request by the user device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user device periodically receives the access charge rate information from the charging entity.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the user device receives access charge rate information from the charging entity automatically after a rate change.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the access information comprises access charge rate information which is received by the user device in response to a request made by the user device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service requested from the service provider is a service for content and wherein the charge for the content portion of the total cost of service is dynamically adjusted based on said information regarding access charges previously communicated to the service provider from the user device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, where the total cost of the service is based at least in part on information exchanged between the charging entity and the service provider via a charging web service interface between the service provider and the charging entity.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a mobile device, and the access system comprises an access network of a mobile communication network.

14. A computer readable medium comprising computer code that when executed is configured to control a processor to perform:

receiving at a user device from a charging entity of an access system access information regarding access charges of the access system;

communicating, by the user device, said access information regarding access charges of the access system to a service provider in a request for a service from the service provider; and

the user device receiving from the service provider cost information comprising a total cost of the service, the total cost being based on a charge for the service from the service provider and on access charges of the access system for accessing the service.

15. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 14, where the total cost of the service is based at least in part on information exchanged between the charging entity and the service provider via a charging web service interface between the service provider and the charging entity.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive from a charging entity of an access system access information regarding access charges of the access system;

communicate said access information regarding access charges of the access system to a service provider in a request for a service from the service provider; and

receive from the service provider cost information comprising a total cost of the service, the total cost being based on a charge for the service from the service provider and on access charges from the access system for accessing the service.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said computer program code is further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to send an acceptance of the total cost, and receive the access information at least one of periodically, upon a change in a charging rate, and in response to a request transmitted from the user equipment.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, where the total cost of the service is based at least in part on information exchanged between the charging entity and the service provider via a charging web service interface between the service provider and the charging entity.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive from a user device access information regarding access charges of an access system for communication of a service provided by a service provider entity in a request via an access system of a communications network for the service from the service provider entity; and

transmit to the user device cost information comprising a total charge for the service, the total charge being based on access charges from the access system for accessing the service and a charge for the service requested of the service provider entity.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, further comprising said computer program code is configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to dynamically adjust the total charge for the service based at least in part on the received access charges.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the computer program code is configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive from the user an indication of acceptance of the total cost charge of the service, and send a request for the service in response to said indication.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the computer program code is configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to process information regarding access charges received from the communications network.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the computer program code is configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to generate information regarding the access charges.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the computer program code is configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to generate said information regarding the access charges based on metadata.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

the computer program code is configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to store access charge information.

26. A method, comprising:

providing a user device with charge information regarding a service;

receiving from the user device access information regarding access charges of an access system in a request to access the service;

processing said information regarding the access charges of the access system and said information regarding the service charges;

providing, to the user device, the total cost charge of the service, the total cost being based on the charge regarding the service, and on access charges of the access system to access the service.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

receiving from the user device an indication of acceptance of the total cost charge of the service; and

sending a request for the service in response to said indication.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

pushing rate information from a communications network to the user device.

29. A method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

sending periodically rate information from a communications network to the user device.

30. A method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

sending rate information from a communications network to the user device after a rate change.

31. A method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

sending a request for rate information received from the user device to a communications network.

32. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the processing prompts the user device to display said information regarding the total cost charge at the user device based on metadata.

33. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed controls a processor to perform:

providing a user device with charge information regarding a service;

receiving in a request for the service from the user device access information regarding access charges of an access system for communication of the service; and

processing said information regarding the access charges of the access system and said charge information regarding the service to determine a total cost charge of the service; and

presenting on a user interface of the user device the total cost charge of the service enabling a user to accept or not accept the service, the total cost being based on charges for the service and on access charges of the access system for accessing the service.