Roaming and hand-off support for prepaid billing for wireless data networks
First Claim
1. A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:
- a first-network-access device carrying on session activity of a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
a second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area;
responsive to the second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node, the first-network-access device tunneling the session activity to the second-network-access device. the first-network-access device receiving from a network-access-control device a block of credits;
the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity; and
the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the block of credits.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing roaming and hand-off support for prepaid billing for wireless prepaid services on a data network may be provided by a first-network-access device carrying on session activity of a wireless communication session with a wireless-mobile node within a first coverage area. The first-network-access device receives blocks of credits drawn from a user account having a cache of available credits for the prepaid-services.
The first-network-access device periodically measures usage of the session activity in terms of a first of a plurality of measurement-method parameters. The first-network-access device debits the usage of the session activity from the blocks of credits.
After entering its coverage area, the second-network-access device establishes connectivity with the wireless-mobile node. The first-network-access device tunnels to the second-network-access device the session activity and any unused credits. The second-network-access device periodically measures usage of the tunneled session activity in terms of tunneled measurement-method parameters. The second-network-access device debits the usage of the tunneled session activity from the tunneled unused credits.
The second-network-access device then establishes independent network access for the session activity. The second-network-access device receives blocks of credits. The second-network-access device periodically measures the usage of the session activity in terms of another of the plurality of measurement-method parameters. The second-network-access device debits the usage of the session activity from the blocks of credits it receives.
After hand-off, the first-network-access device may receive from indications to terminate session activity, to stop debiting the usage of the session activity, and/or to return unused credits.
179 Citations
64 Claims
-
1. A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:
-
a first-network-access device carrying on session activity of a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
a second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area;
responsive to the second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node, the first-network-access device tunneling the session activity to the second-network-access device. the first-network-access device receiving from a network-access-control device a block of credits;
the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity; and
the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the block of credits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:
-
a first-network-access device carrying on session activity for a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
the first-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a first block of credits;
the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the first block of credits;
a second-network-access device requesting from the network-access-control device network access for the session activity of the wireless communication session after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area of the second-network access device;
the second-network-access device establishing the session activity for the wireless communication session;
the second-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a second block of credits;
the second-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity; and
the second-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the second block of credits. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 52, 53)
-
-
37. A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:
-
a first-network-access device carrying on session activity of a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
the first-network-access device receiving from a network-access-control device a first block of credits;
the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the first block of credits. a second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area;
responsive to the second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node, the first-network-access device tunneling the session activity and any remaining portion of the first block of credits to the second-network-access device; and
the second-network-access device debiting the usage of the tunneled session activity from the tunneled remaining portion of the first block of credits. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
-
61. A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:
-
a first-network-access device carrying on session activity for a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
the first-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a block of credits;
the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the block of credits;
a second-network-access device requesting from the network-access-control device network access to support a hand-off of the wireless communication session after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area of the second-network access device;
the second-network-access device establishing hand-off session activity for the wireless communication session;
the network-access-control device retrieving from the first-network-access device at least some of the block of credits;
the second-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a second block of credits;
the second-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity; and
the second-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the second block of credits. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
-
Specification