Wireless communication device control of wireless communication access systems

• US 9,326,206 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Teixeira de Magalhaes, Joao Carlos Osorio Gouvea, Paczkowski, Lyle Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US14/825,424
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/442, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/106 using commercial credit or debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

A wireless communication device displays network names and accounting names and responsively receives user inputs indicating user-priority for network names and accounting names. The device wirelessly attaches to a first one of the wireless access systems having a first one of network names and a first one of System Identifiers (SIDs) and responsively receives network data characterizing SIDs and BIDs (Billing Identifiers). The device processes the network data characterizing SIDs and BIDs in combination with user-priority for network names and accounting names to determine a second one of SIDs for a second one of the wireless access systems. The device wirelessly attaches to the second one of the wireless access systems having the second one of SIDs, displays the second one of the network names for the second one of the wireless access systems, and wirelessly exchanges user data with the second one of the wireless access systems.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device to control wireless communication access systems individually identified by network names and by System Identifiers (SIDs) and to control data communication accounting systems individually identified by accounting names and by Billing Identifiers (BIDs), the method comprising:

graphically displaying the network names and the accounting names and responsively receiving user inputs indicating a user-priority for the network names and the accounting names;

wirelessly attaching to a first one of the wireless communication access systems having a first one of the network names and a first one of the SIDs and responsively receiving network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs;

digitally processing the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs in combination with the user-priority for the network names and the accounting names to determine a second one of the SIDs for a second one of the wireless communication access systems, and in response, wirelessly attaching to the second one of the wireless communication access systems having the second one of the SIDs and displaying the second one of the network names for the second one of the wireless communication access systems; and

wirelessly exchanging user data with the second one of the wireless communication access systems.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first one of the wireless communication access systems has a first one of the BIDs and further comprising digitally processing the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs in combination with the user-priority for the network names and the accounting names to determine a second one of the BIDs for the second one of the wireless communication access systems, and in response, displaying the second one of the accounting names for the second one of the wireless communication access systems.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) System Information Block (SIB) data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly attaching to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises transferring in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment cause indicating a SID translation request.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly attaching to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises transferring in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment cause indicating a BID translation request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly attaching to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises transferring Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data indicating a SID translation request.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly attaching to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises transferring Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data indicating a BID translation request.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeB.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE) User Equipment.

11. A wireless communication device to control wireless communication access systems individually identified by network names and by System Identifiers (SIDs) and to control data communication accounting systems individually identified by accounting names and by Billing Identifiers (BIDs), comprising:

a user interface configured to graphically display the network names and the accounting names and responsively receive user inputs indicating a user-priority for the network names and the accounting names;

a wireless communication transceiver configured to wirelessly attach to a first one of the wireless communication access systems having a first one of the network names and a first one of the SIDs and responsively receiving network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs;

a data processing system configured to digitally process the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs in combination with the user-priority for the network names and the accounting names to determine a second one of the SIDs for a second one of the wireless communication access systems;

in response, the wireless communication transceiver configured to wirelessly attach to the second one of the wireless communication access systems having the second one of the SIDs and wirelessly exchange user data with the second one of the wireless communication access systems; and

the user interface configured to graphically display the second one of the network names for the second one of the wireless communication access systems.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the first one of the wireless communication access systems has a first one of the BIDs and further comprising the data processing system configured to digitally process the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs in combination with the user-priority for the network names and the accounting names to determine a second one of the BIDs for the second one of the wireless communication access systems, and in response, the user interface configured to display the second one of the accounting names for the second one of the wireless communication access systems.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication transceiver configured to receive the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs comprises the wireless communication transceiver configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) System Information Block (SIB) data.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication transceiver configured to receive the network data characterizing the SIDs and the BIDs comprises the wireless communication transceiver configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication transceiver configured to wirelessly attach to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises the wireless communication transceiver configured to transfer in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment cause indicating a SID translation request.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication transceiver configured to wirelessly attach to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises the wireless communication transceiver configured to transfer in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) establishment cause indicating a BID translation request.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication transceiver configured to wirelessly attach to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises the wireless communication transceiver configured to transfer Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data indicating a SID translation request.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication transceiver configured to wirelessly attach to the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises the wireless communication transceiver configured to transfer Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data indicating a BID translation request.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the first one of the wireless communication access systems comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeB.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE) User Equipment.