Method and apparatus for managing services using bearer tags

• US 9,641,994 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanshow Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Balsan, Damien, Bam, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US13/685,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 455406, 455566, 455 411, 455 412, 340 101, 340 57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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: 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 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8022 Determining tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7421 Determine tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing one or more services corresponding to a 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 bearer tag corresponding to the one or more services. A services platform initiates management of the one or more services based on the service information according to a predetermined or recurring billing arrangement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a user equipment, a tap of the user equipment on or near a bearer tag, wherein the user equipment is a mobile communication device;

in response to the tap, initiating, by the user equipment, a determination of service information, related to one or more services offered by one or more service providers independent from a mobile communication service provider that has a billing arrangement with a user account associated with the user equipment, from the bearer tag, wherein the service information includes one or more costs related to the one or more services;

generating, by the user equipment, one or more service management requests to manage the one or more services according to the service information; and

initiating, by the user equipment, a transmission of the one or more service management requests via a mobile communication network to a services platform communicating with the mobile communication service provider for managing the one or more services and the one or more costs according to the billing arrangement,

wherein the one or more service management requests of the one or more services comprises a validation of the one or more service management requests based, at least in part, on;

a location restriction associated with geographic locations of the one or more services and the user equipment, and

at least one validity date associated with the one or more services indicating the effective date or dates for the location restriction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bearer tag is a near field communication (NFC) tag, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a barcode, a contactless card, or a combination thereof, and

wherein the one or more service management requests are generated and transmitted to the service platform without user intervention, when the tap is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing arrangement is a predetermined billing arrangement or a recurring billing arrangement, and

wherein the one or more services are billed by the mobile communication service provider for the one or more service providers without user intervention, after the validation and service delivery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the service information is initiated without user intervention, when the tap is detected.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation request from the services platform for management of the one or more services, the confirmation request including billing information related to the one or more services;

detecting another input from the user for responding to the confirmation request;

generating a message based on the input; and

initiating transmission of the message to the services platform.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the service information includes one or more discounts to the one or more costs related to the one or more services, and

wherein the one or more services are discounted and billed by the mobile communication service provider based on the one or more discounts and the billing arrangement for the one or more service providers without user intervention, after the validation and service delivery.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a bill of one or more mobile communication services provided by the mobile communication service provider, wherein the bill includes the one or more costs.

6. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that if executed cause the apparatus embedded in a user equipment to at least perform the following:

detect a tap of the user equipment on or near a bearer tag, wherein the user equipment is a mobile communication device;

in response to the tap, initiate a determination of service information, related to one or more services offered by one or more service providers independent from a mobile communication service provider that has a billing arrangement with a user account associated with the user equipment, from the bearer tag, wherein the service information includes one or more costs related to the one or more services;

generate one or more service management requests to manage the one or more services according to the service information; and

initiate a transmission of the one or more service management requests via a mobile communication network to a services platform communicating with the mobile communication service provider for managing the one or more services and the one or more costs according to the billing arrangement,

wherein the one or more service management requests of the one or more services comprises a validation of the one or more service management requests based, at least in part, on;

a location restriction associated with geographic locations of the one or more services and the user equipment, and

at least one validity date associated with the one or more services indicating the effective date or dates for the location restriction.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bearer tag is a near field communication (NFC) tag, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a barcode, a contactless card, or a combination thereof, and

wherein the one or more service management requests are generated and transmitted to the service platform without user intervention, when the tap is detected.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the billing arrangement is a predetermined billing arrangement or a recurring billing arrangement, and

wherein the one or more services are billed by the mobile communication service provider for the one or more service providers without user intervention, after the validation and service delivery.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the determination of the service information is initiated without user intervention, when the tap is detected.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is further caused to receive a confirmation request from the services platform for management of the service, to detect another input from the user for responding to the confirmation request, to generate a message based on the input, and to initiate transmission of the message to the services platform.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising:

user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and

a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mobile phone further comprises:

a bearer tag reader and bearer tag reader circuitry configured to read service information from a near field communication (NFC) tag, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a barcode, a contactless card, or a combination thereof.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by an apparatus of a mobile communication service provider via a mobile communication network, a service management request from a user equipment to manage one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag, wherein the one or more services are offered by one or more service providers independent from the mobile communication service provider that has a billing arrangement with a user account associated with the user equipment;

validating, by the apparatus, the service management request to manage the one or more services against one or more service restrictions, wherein the one or more service restrictions include a location restriction, a date restriction, a prior-use restriction, a restriction on the number of uses, or a combination thereof;

determining, by the apparatus, one or more costs for the one or more services based, at least in part, on the billing arrangement;

generating, by the apparatus, a message requesting confirmation to manage the one or more services, the message including billing information including the one or more cost; and

initiating, by the apparatus, transmission of the message to the user equipment.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the apparatus, a response message from the user equipment; and

initiating, by the apparatus, a management of the one or more services according to the response message.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the bearer tag is a near field communication (NFC) tag, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a barcode, a contactless card, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the service management request includes one or more discounts related to the one or more services, and

wherein the one or more services are discounted and billed by the mobile communication service provider based on the one or more discounts and the billing arrangement for the one or more service providers without user intervention, after the validation and service delivery.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

including the one or more costs into a bill of one or more mobile communication services provided by the mobile communication service provider; and

initiating a transmission of the bill to the user equipment.