Wireless communication device control of wireless communication access systems

• US 9,706,463 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• 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:
  US15/072,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 455442, 4554321, 4554351, 4554221, 370331
• 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 network enables a user to select data communication accounting systems. A wireless communication device attaches to a wireless access system, and the wireless access system transfers network data characterizing Billing Identifiers (BIDs) to the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device processes the network data in combination with a user-prioritized list of accounting names to select one of the BIDs. The wireless communication device transfers the selected BID to the wireless access system, and the wireless access system directs a gateway system to use the selected BID for the wireless communication device. The gateway system exchanges user data for the wireless communication device and transfers usage data to the data communication accounting systems that is identified by the selected BID.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication network to enable a user to select from a plurality of data communication accounting systems, the method comprising:

a wireless communication device receiving user inputs indicating a user-prioritized list of accounting names;

the wireless communication device wirelessly attaching to a wireless access system and the wireless access system transferring network data characterizing Billing Identifiers (BIDs) to the wireless communication device;

the wireless communication device processing the network data characterizing the BIDs in combination with the user-prioritized list of the accounting names to select one of the BIDs and transferring the selected one of the BIDs to the wireless access system;

the wireless access system directing a gateway system to use the selected one of the BIDs for the wireless communication device; and

the gateway system exchanging user data for the wireless communication device and responsively transferring usage data for the wireless communication device for delivery to one of the data communication accounting systems that is identified by the selected one of the BIDs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless access system transferring the network data characterizing the BIDs comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved Node B (eNodeB) broadcasting the network data in an LTE System Information Block (SIB).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless access system transferring the network data characterizing the BIDs comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Mobility Management Entity (MME) transferring the network data in LTE Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device transferring the selected BID to the wireless access system comprises the wireless communication device transferring the selected BID in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data to an LTE Mobility Management Entity (MME).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless access system directing the gateway system to use the selected BID comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Mobility Management Entity (MME) signaling an LTE gateway system to use the selected BID.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device attaching to the wireless access system comprises the wireless communication device transferring a BID request in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) attachment signaling to an LTE evolved Node B (eNodeB).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device attaching to the wireless access system comprises the wireless communication device transferring a BID request in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data to an LTE Mobility Management Entity (MME).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device attaching to the wireless access system further comprises the wireless access system selecting a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Access Point Name (APN) for the wireless communication device based on the selected BID.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless communication device graphically displaying the accounting names to prompt for the user-prioritized list of the accounting names.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless communication device graphically displaying network names to prompt for a user-prioritized list of the network names.

11. A wireless communication network to enable a user to select from a plurality of data communication accounting systems, the method comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to receive user inputs indicating a user-prioritized list of accounting names;

the wireless communication device configured to wirelessly attach to a wireless access system;

the wireless access system configured to transfer network data characterizing Billing Identifiers (BIDs) to the wireless communication device;

the wireless communication device configured to process the network data characterizing the BIDs in combination with the user-prioritized list of the accounting names to select one of the BIDs and transfer the selected one of the BIDs to the wireless access system;

the wireless access system configured to direct a gateway system to use the selected one of the BIDs for the wireless communication device; and

the gateway system configured to exchange user data for the wireless communication device and responsively transfer usage data for the wireless communication device for delivery to one of the data communication accounting systems that is identified by the selected one of the BIDs.

12. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless access system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved Node B (eNodeB) configured to broadcast the network data in an LTE System Information Block (SIB).

13. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless access system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Mobility Management Entity (MME) configured to transfer the network data in LTE Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data.

14. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to transfer the selected BID in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data to an LTE Mobility Management Entity (MME).

15. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless access system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Mobility Management Entity (MME) configured to signal an LTE gateway system to use the selected BID.

16. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to transfer a BID request in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Resource Control (RRC) attachment signaling to an LTE evolved Node B (eNodeB).

17. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to transfer a BID request in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data to an LTE Mobility Management Entity (MME).

18. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless access system is further configured to select a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Access Point Name (APN) for the wireless communication device based on the selected BID.

19. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to graphically display the accounting names to prompt for the user-prioritized list of the accounting names.

20. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to graphically display network names to prompt for a user-prioritized list of the network names.