Method and apparatus for providing separable billing services

• US 9,143,623 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F., Lauer, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US13/283,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 memory for storing a set of identifiers, each of the set of the identifiers identifying one or more digital processing devices connected to a data network, and each identifier being assigned a communication type; and

a processor for;

receiving over communication network, a data packet, the data packet comprising an address;

reformatting the received data packet into a complaint request comprising a destination address that correspond to a second destination address of the received data packet and a source address identifying a server;

comparing the address to one of the set of identifiers;

transmitting a query via a communication interface to a server to verify whether financial responsibility for a transaction will be accepted, and an account associated with the communication type should be adjusted; and

adjusting the account associated with the communication or another account based on the verification.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an interface for routing said data packet to a destination associated with the address.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication type comprises a business-type communication.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the address comprises a destination address.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the address comprises a source address.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for adjusting a second account, wherein the second account is associated with a different communication type, if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the different communication type comprises a personal-type communication.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data packet is not forwarded to the one or more digital processing devices if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver for transmitting a message to an originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the one or more digital processing devices if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

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

receiving by a server, over a communication network, a data packet at a processor of the server, the data packet comprising an address identifying a digital processing device connected to a data network;

reformatting by the server, the received data packet into a complaint request comprising a destination address that correspond to a second destination address of the received data packet and a source address identifying the server;

comparing by the processor of server, the address to a set of identifiers stored in a memory of the server, each of the set of the identifiers identifying one of a plurality of digital processing devices, and each identifier being assigned a communication type;

transmitting a query by the processor of the server, via a communication interface, to another server to verify whether financial responsibility for a transaction will be accepted, and an account associated with the communication type should be adjusted; and

adjusting by the processor of the server, the account associated with the communication type or another account based on the verification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication type comprises a business-type communication.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication type comprises a personal-type communication.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising routing the data packet to the digital processing device if the address matches the one of the set of identifiers.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the address comprises a destination address.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the address comprises a source address.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adjusting a second account, wherein the second account is associated with a different communication type, if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a message to an originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the digital processing device if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

27. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the receiving of the data packet further comprises receiving from a mobile communication terminal corresponding to an owner account with a wireless communication system, wherein the account comprises the owner account;

wherein the transmitting of the query further comprises transmitting to an account holder of the owner account;

receiving a positive response from the account holder; and

wherein the adjusting the account or the another account further comprises adjusting the owner account in response to a positive response.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a negative response from the account holder;

transmitting a subsequent query to a different account holder of a user account associated with a user of the mobile communication terminal to verify whether the user account should be adjusted based on the communication type, wherein the another account comprises the user account; and

wherein the adjusting the account or the another account further comprises adjusting the user account based on a verification from the different account holder.

29. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the address comprises a second address, and wherein the receiving of the data packet further comprises receiving a first address different from the second address and corresponding to the server;

wherein the comparing of the address further comprises comparing of the second address;

re-formatting the data packet, at an interface of the server, into a request having the second address as a destination address in response to the comparing of the second address to one of the set of identifiers; and

transmitting the request to the destination address via the interface.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for providing separable billing services, the instructions comprising codes for:

receiving over a communication network, a data packet, the data packet comprising an address identifying a digital processing device connected to a data network;

reformatting the received data packet into a complaint request comprising a destination address that correspond to a second destination address of the received data packet and a source address identifying a server;

comparing the address to a set of identifiers stored in a memory, each of the set of the identifiers identifying one of a plurality of digital processing devices, and each identifier being assigned a communication type;

transmitting a query via a communication interface to a server to verify whether financial responsibility for a transaction will be accepted, and an account associated with the communication type should be adjusted; and

adjusting the account associated with the communication type or another account based on the verification.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the communication type comprises a business-type communication.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the communication type comprises a personal-type communication.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising codes for routing the data packet to the digital processing device if the address matches the one of the set of identifiers.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the address comprises a destination address.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the address comprises a source address.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising codes for:

adjusting a second account, wherein the second account is associated with a different communication type, if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising codes for transmitting a message to an originator of the data packet informing the originator that the data packet was not sent to the digital processing device if the address does not match the one of the set of identifiers.

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

receiving means for receiving over a communication network, a data packet, the data packet comprising an address identifying a digital processing device connected to a data network;

reformatting means for reformatting the received data packet into a complaint request comprising a destination address that correspond to a second destination address of the received data packet and a source address identifying a server;

comparing means for comparing the address to a set of identifiers stored in a memory, each of the set of the identifiers identifying one of a plurality of digital processing devices, and each identifier being assigned a communication type;

transmitting means for transmitting a query via a communication interface to a server to verify whether financial responsibility for a transaction will be accepted, and an account associated with the communication type should be adjusted; and

adjusting means for adjusting the account associated with the communication type or another account based on the verification.