Mobile router network method with billing reconciliation

• US 8,842,650 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc. (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc. (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Moeller, Douglas S, Pashby, Ronald W
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US13/431,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20120208498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 379/114.01, 379/114, 379/3, 379/114.04, 379/114.1, 379/114.14, 379/114.28, 379/114.29, 379/126
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method of operating a mobile router network, comprises: providing a plurality of wireless mobile routers, each having access a cellular network provided by a predetermined cellular carrier, operating each mobile router to upload and download data via the cellular network, operating each mobile router to monitor the uploaded data and downloaded data to generate usage statistical; providing a server coupleable to the plurality of wireless mobile routers via the cellular network; operating the server to access billing data from the predetermined carrier for each mobile router; automatically operating each mobile router to upload its corresponding usage statistical data to the server; and operating the server to compare the usage statistical data for each wireless mobile router to corresponding billing data to determine if there is a billing discrepancy.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile router network, comprising:

providing a plurality of wireless mobile routers, each of said mobile routers comprising a wide area network wireless interface to access a cellular network provided by a predetermined cellular carrier, operating each said mobile router to upload data and to download data via said cellular network, operating each said wireless mobile router to monitor said uploaded data and said downloaded data and to generate usage statistical data;

providing at least one server coupleable to said plurality of wireless mobile routers via said cellular network;

operating said server to access billing data from said predetermined carrier for each of said mobile routers;

automatically operating each said mobile router to upload its corresponding said statistical data to said server;

operating said server to compare said statistical data for each said wireless mobile router to corresponding billing data for each said mobile router to determine if there is a billing discrepancy.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

operating said server to determine if said billing discrepancy exceeds a predetermined limit.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

operating said server to automatically generate a discrepancy report to said carrier.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

operating each said mobile router to upload it corresponding said statistical data to said server in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein:

operating said mobile router to upload said statistical data to said server via said cellular network.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein:

operating said mobile router to;

detect if, during an upload of said statistical data to said server, said upload is interrupted;

retain said statistical data if an interruption is detected; and

uploads said statistical data during a subsequent time that said mobile router has a communications link to said server.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

operating said server to store predetermined discrepancy limit.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

operating said at least one server operating to determine if said billing discrepancies for any of said mobile routers exceeds said predetermined limit.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

operating said server to store said billing discrepancies for each said mobile router.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

operating said server to generate a report based on said billing discrepancies.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, comprising:

operating said server to automatically provide said report to said carrier.

12. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

operating said server to sort said billing discrepancies by the amount of discrepancy.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, comprising:

operating said server to generate a report based on said billing discrepancies.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, comprising:

operating said server to automatically provide said report to said carrier.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said billing data is for a predetermined billing period.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

providing said at least one server with a stored predetermined discrepancy limit.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising:

operating said at least one server to determine if said billing discrepancies for said billing period for each said mobile router exceeds said predetermined limit.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, comprising:

operating said server to store said billing discrepancies for each said mobile router.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

operating said server to generate a report for said billing period based on said billing discrepancies.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, comprising:

operating said server to automatically provide said report to said carrier.

21. A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

operating said to sort said billing discrepancies by the amount of discrepancy.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, comprising:

operating said server to generate a report based on said billing discrepancies.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, comprising:

operating said server to automatically provide said report to said carrier.