Open transaction central billing system

• US 8,441,989 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US13/554,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20120294195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 : Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 : Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 : by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 : Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• 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 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, an open transaction central billing system includes a communications device, in which the communications device is configured to execute a payment component to accept a billing request from a transaction server; and a transaction server, in which the transaction server is programmed with a set of credentials, and the communications device is in network communication with the transaction server.

Claims

1. An end-user device, comprising:

a user interface;

one or more modems for enabling the end-user device to communicate with a network element over a wireless access network; and

one or more processors configured to;

detect an attempted usage of a data service by the end-user device, the data service being unavailable to the end-user device in a current state of the end-user device or available to the end-user device at a lower cost within a different service plan than a current service plan associated with the end-user device,

generate an indication of the attempted usage of the data service,

assist in sending the indication to the network element over the wireless access network,

obtain a service plan offer from the network element,

present a notification associated with the service plan offer through the user interface,

obtain a response to the service plan offer, and

assist in sending the response to the network element over the wireless access network.

2. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the current state of the end-user device is that the end-user device is not associated with a service plan providing for access to the data service.

3. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain the service plan offer from the network element over a secure link.

4. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the network element is a transaction server or an activation server.

5. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the attempted usage of the data service by the end-user device and to generate the indication of the attempted usage of the data service using one or more device agents.

6. The end-user device recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more device agents comprise a first device agent and a second device agent, and wherein the first device agent is configured to detect access network activity and provide information about the network access activity to the second device agent, and wherein the second device agent is configured to determine, based on the information about the network access activity, that the attempted usage of the data service by the end-user device has occurred and generate the indication.

7. The end-user device recited in claim 6, wherein the first device agent is configured to detect access network activity by classifying attempted or successful traffic flows, and the second device agent is configured to determine that the attempted usage of the data service by the end-user device has occurred by processing one or more classified attempted or successful traffic flows.

8. The end-user device recited in claim 6, wherein the first device agent is configured to detect access network activity by identifying an attempted or successful traffic flow associated with a service activity and assigning a flow tag to the identified attempted or successful traffic flow, the flow tag configured to assist in preserving the association of the identified attempted or successful traffic flow with the first service activity when the identified attempted or successful traffic flow is processed by one or more device functions that operate on the identified attempted or successful traffic flow.

9. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more device agents is configured to detect the attempted usage of the data service by detecting one or more attempted or successful traffic flows in a network stack of the end-user device.

10. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the attempted usage of the data service by determining a category associated with the attempted usage and to generate the indication of the attempted usage of the data service based on the category.

11. The end-user device recited in claim 10, wherein the category is based on a type of the wireless access network.

12. The end-user device recited in claim 11, wherein the type of the wireless access network comprises a cellular network, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, a roaming network, or a home network.

13. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the attempted usage is an attempted use of an intermediate networking device forwarding service, the intermediate networking device forwarding service for forwarding traffic between an end-point device and a network system, the end-point device communicatively coupled to the end-user device by a local-area network, the end-user device communicatively coupled to the network system by the wireless access network, and wherein the service plan offer comprises an offer associated with the intermediate networking device forwarding service.

14. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the notification comprises information from local storage on the end-user device.

15. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the notification comprises information from a website, a portal, or a server.

16. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the service plan offer is based on whether the wireless access network is a cellular network, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, a roaming network, or a home network.

17. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the data service comprises a category of service activity less than all service activities available to the end-user device.

18. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the data service is a first data service, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assist the end-user device in using a second data service, the second data service available to the end-user device in the current state of the end-user device or within the current service plan.

19. The end-user device received in claim 18, wherein the first data service is a subscriber-paid service, and the second data service is a sponsored service, a sponsor entity being responsible for subsidizing at least a portion of a wireless-access-network usage cost or usage measure associated with a successful use of the second data service by the end-user device, the sponsor entity being an entity other than a subscriber associated with the end-user device.

20. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assist in controlling traffic associated with the data service.

21. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assist in controlling traffic associated with the data service by routing or directing the traffic to a particular logical or physical channel.

22. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assist in accounting for service usage associated with the data service.

23. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the notification is a first notification, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assist in presenting a second notification through the user interface, the second notification comprising information about the data service.

24. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and wherein the notification comprises information associated with a second wireless access network.

25. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and wherein the one or more modems are configured to enable the end-user device to connect to a second wireless access network, and wherein the attempted usage is a first attempted usage, and wherein the indication is a first indication, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

detect a second attempted usage of the data service by the end-user device, the second attempted usage being over the second network, and

take an action based on the second attempted usage.

26. The end-user device recited in claim 25, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the second network is a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, and the action is to allow the second attempted usage.

27. The end-user device recited in claim 25, wherein the first network is a roaming network and the second network is a home network, and the action is to allow the second attempted usage.

28. The end-user device recited in claim 1, wherein the data service is a first data service, and wherein the indication is a first indication, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

detect an attempted usage of a second data service by the end-user device,

generate a second indication, the second indication providing information about the attempted usage of the second data service, and

assist in sending the second indication to the network element.

29. A method, comprising:

detecting an attempted usage of a data service by an end-user device, the data service being unavailable to the end-user device in a current state of the end-user device or available to the end-user device at a lower cost within a different service plan than a current service plan associated with the end-user device;

generating an indication of the attempted usage of the data service;

sending the indication to a network element over a wireless access network;

obtaining a service plan offer from the network element;

presenting a notification associated with the service plan offer through user interface of the end-user device;

obtaining a response to the service plan offer; and

sending the response to the network element over the wireless access network.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

detecting an attempted usage of a data service by an end-user device, the data service being unavailable to the end-user device in a current state of the end-user device or available to the end-user device at a lower cost within a different service plan than a current service plan associated with the end-user device;

generating an indication of the attempted usage of the data service;

sending the indication to a network element over a wireless access network;

obtaining a service plan offer from the network element;

presenting a notification associated with the service plan offer through a user interface of the end-user device;

obtaining a response to the service plan offer; and

sending the response to the network element over the wireless access network.