Method and apparatus for managing services using reusable bearer tags
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- determining to detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag is reusable by one or more other users while being used by the user, and the user input is indicated by interaction between the bearer tag and a user equipment on or near the bearer tag,wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of prepaid currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and specifies a second amount of prepaid currency for the one or more other users,wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are independent to the user and the one or more other users respectively, andwherein the bearer tag has a predetermined limitation on a total number uses of the bearer tag or is valid only for a defined period of time, and the bearer tag also includes one or more of a device type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain user equipment type, and a user account type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain type of user account.
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Abstract
An approach is provided for managing one or more services corresponding to a reusable prepaid bearer tag (e.g., near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, contactless card, or barcode). A request to manage a service is initiated by reading service information from a reusable prepaid bearer tag corresponding to the one or more services.
25 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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determining to detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag is reusable by one or more other users while being used by the user, and the user input is indicated by interaction between the bearer tag and a user equipment on or near the bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of prepaid currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and specifies a second amount of prepaid currency for the one or more other users, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are independent to the user and the one or more other users respectively, and wherein the bearer tag has a predetermined limitation on a total number uses of the bearer tag or is valid only for a defined period of time, and the bearer tag also includes one or more of a device type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain user equipment type, and a user account type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain type of user account. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, determine to detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag is reusable by one or more other users while being used by the user, and the user input is indicated by interaction between the bearer tag and a user equipment on or near the bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of prepaid currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and specifies a second amount of prepaid currency for the one or more other users, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are independent to the user and the one or more other users respectively, and wherein the bearer tag has a predetermined limitation on a total number uses of the bearer tag or is valid only for a defined period of time, and the bearer tag also includes one or more of a device type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain user equipment type, and a user account type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain type of user account. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:
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determining to detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag is reusable by one or more other users while being used by the user, and the user input is indicated by interaction between the bearer tag and a user equipment on or near the bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of prepaid currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and specifies a second amount of prepaid currency for the one or more other users, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are independent to the user and the one or more other users respectively, and wherein the bearer tag has a predetermined limitation on a total number uses of the bearer tag or is valid only for a defined period of time, and the bearer tag also includes one or more of a device type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain user equipment type, and a user account type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain type of user account. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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facilitating access, including granting access rights to allow access, to an interface to allow access to a service via a network, the service determining to detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag is reusable by one or more other users while being used by the user, and the user input is indicated by interaction between the bearer tag and a user equipment on or near the bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of prepaid currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and specifies a second amount of prepaid currency for the one or more other users, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are from a common pool of prepaid currency associated with the bearer tag, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are independent to the user and the one or more other users respectively, wherein the second amount of prepaid currency specified by the bearer tag for the one or more other users is determined by subtracting the first amount from an initial value of the common pool of prepaid currency associated with the bearer tag, and wherein the bearer tag has a predetermined limitation on a total number uses of the bearer tag or is valid only for a defined period of time, and the bearer tag also includes one or more of a device type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain user equipment type, and a user account type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain type of user account.
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18. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, facilitate access, including granting access rights to allow access, to an interface to allow access to a service via a network, the service determining to detect input from a user for selecting one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag is reusable by one or more other users while being used by the user, and the user input is indicated by interaction between the bearer tag and a user equipment on or near the bearer tag, wherein the bearer tag specifies a first amount of prepaid currency for engaging one or more of the services by the user and specifies a second amount of prepaid currency for the one or more other users, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are from a common pool of prepaid currency associated with the bearer tag, wherein the first amount of prepaid currency and the second amount of prepaid currency are independent to the user and the one or more other users respectively, wherein the second amount of prepaid currency specified by the bearer tag for the one or more other users is determined by subtracting the first amount from an initial value of the common pool of prepaid currency associated with the bearer tag, and wherein the bearer tag has a predetermined limitation on a total number uses of the bearer tag or is valid only for a defined period of time, and the bearer tag also includes one or more of a device type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain user equipment type, and a user account type limitation in which the bearer tag is valid only when accessed by a certain type of user account.
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Specification