Proxy for content service

• US 20020138601A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nixu Oy
• Inventors: Kiravuo, Timo Petteri, Silvennoinen, Tero Ilari, Aarnio, Lauri Tapio, Piponius, Toni Markus, Lehtovaara, Eija Riitta Helena, Kari, Hannu H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• 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 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method for providing a content service to a subscriber terminal (MS) from a first server, i.e. content server (CS). The provision of the content service from the content server to the subscriber terminal is controlled by a second server, i.e. proxy (CBP). The control comprises the following steps: 1) determining (5-4 to 5-10, 706) a billing address for the content service by means of the proxy (CBP); 2) under the control of the content billing proxy, providing (5-48) a content service corresponding to a service request from the content server (CS) to the subscriber terminal (MS); and 3) generating (5-46) billing information (CDR) related to the content service.

Claims

1. A method for providing a content service to a subscriber terminal from a first server, i.e. content server,

wherein the provision of the content service from the content server to the subscriber terminal is controlled by a second server, i.e. proxy, and said control of the content service provision comprises the following steps:

receiving in the proxy a service request for providing a content service,

determining by means of the proxy a billing address for the content service,

providing the content service corresponding to the service request under the control of the proxy from the content server to the subscriber terminal, and

generating billing information related to the content service.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subscriber terminal is located in an access network in which the subscriber terminal is addressed by an access network subscriber identity, and the content server is located in a service network in which it is addressed by an IP address, and wherein the determination of the billing address comprises the following steps:

allocating an IP address to the subscriber identity in the access network or at its edge,

receiving in the proxy the IP address allocated to the subscriber identity,

determining in the proxy on the basis of the received IP address the subscriber identity of the subscriber terminal and using it to determine the billing address.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the subscriber identity on the basis of the received IP address comprises an inquiry to a database in the proxy.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the subscriber identity on the basis of the received IP address comprises an inquiry to the access network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said billing information related to the content service is sent to the access network to be combined with the billing information of the access network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subscriber identity of the subscriber terminal is hidden from the content server.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generation of the billing information comprises the step of maintaining billing criteria in a database functionally connected to the proxy.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the billing criteria comprise the payer of the content service.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the content service provider pays for the content service, the content service provider can also pay for telecommunications costs between the subscriber terminal and the proxy, in which case the use of the content service is completely free of charge to the subscriber.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the billing criteria comprise information on whether the subscriber in question has already been billed for the same content service, in which case the following uses of the same content service will be billed according to a lower tariff or not at all.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the billing criteria comprise information on whether the content service in question belongs to a group of services with a special price.

12. A proxy for providing a content service to a subscriber terminal from a content server,

wherein the proxy comprises a control logic for controlling the provision of the content service from the content server to the subscriber terminal, and wherein the control logic comprises the following logics:

a first logic for determining a billing address for the content service,

a second logic for providing a content service corresponding to a service request under the control of the proxy from the content server to the subscriber terminal, and

a third logic for generating billing information related to the content service.