Method and system for efficiently billing on-demand service exploitation in computer networks

• US 20050229219A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Posabella, Giovanni, Vertullo, Alfredo, Trombetta, Adele
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• 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 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN

Abstract

On-demand services are hosted for customers and offered to users of a computer network. Incoming access requests from users are identified as on-demand service access requests. On-demand service usage data is updated to indicate usage of the on-demand services by the users. Customers are billed for on-demand service usage by the users.

Claims

1. A method for offering on-demand services to users of a computer network, comprising:

hosting at least one on-demand service at a host data processing system;

receiving an incoming access request from a user;

identifying said incoming access request as an on-demand service access request; and

updating on-demand service usage data indicative of usage of said on-demand service by said users, and offering said on-demand service.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said host data processing system comprises an HTTP server sub-system and an application server sub-system, said incoming access request is received at said HTTP server sub-system and said identifying step causes said incoming access request to be diverted to said application server sub-system.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said identifying step is performed by a plug-in of said application server sub-system, said plug-in being adapted to intercept said incoming access request received at said HTTP server sub-system and, invoking said application server sub-system if said incoming access request is identified to be an on-demand service access request.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said plug-in also performs said updating step.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein said updating step is performed by said HTTP server sub-system.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said HTTP server sub-system also receives access requests to Web pages and updates usage data of both said on-demand service and said Web pages.

7. The method according to claim 1 including a step of holding said on-demand service usage data associated with information identifying an on-demand service customer to be charged for usage of said on-demand service by said users.

8. The method according to claim 7 including a step of using said on-demand service usage data to bill said on-demand service customer for on-demand service usage by said users.

9. The method according to claim 8 including a step of receiving at said host data processing system information adapted to establish that usage of said on-demand service has been paid by said on-demand service customer, and conditioning offering said on-demand service to payment of on-demand service usage.

10. The method according to claim 9 including a step of providing, for each of said at least one on-demand service, a respective descriptor file, said descriptor file containing data descriptive of said on-demand service, said descriptive data including data adapted to establish that usage of said on-demand service has been paid by said on-demand service customer.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said data adapted include an on-demand service expiration date.

12. The method according to claim 11 including a step of checking said on-demand service expiration date before offering said on-demand service.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said descriptive data in said descriptor file further includes data establishing a periodicity according to which payment of usage of said on-demand service by said on-demand service customer is to be assessed.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said descriptive data in said descriptor file further includes an accession key to be provided to said host data processing system for accessing said on-demand service.

15. The method according to claim 14 including a step of updating said on-demand service expiration date and said accession key when payment of usage of said on-demand service by said on-demand service customer is assessed.

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein said descriptive data in said descriptor file further includes data establishing a periodicity according to which said on-demand service usage data are communicated to a customer billing entity.

17. The method according to claim 10 wherein said descriptor file is an XML file.

18. A host data processing system hosting at least one on-demand service intended to be offered to users of a computer network, comprising:

an HTTP server sub-system receiving incoming access requests from said users to both Web pages and said on-demand service;

an application server sub-system servicing said on-demand service requests;

an access request discriminator adapted to discriminate between Web page access requests and on-demand service access requests, and to divert said on-demand service access requests to said application server sub-system;

on-demand service usage data indicative of usage of said on-demand service by said users; and

a usage data updating module for updating said on-demand service usage data in response to an identification of an incoming access request as an on-demand service access request.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein said usage data updating module is included in said access request discriminator.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein said access request discriminator is a plug-in of said application server sub-system.

21. The system according to claim 18 wherein said usage data updating module is included in said HTTP server sub-system.

22. A computer program product for offering on-demand services to users of a computer network, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for hosting at least one on-demand service at a host data processing system;

second program instruction means for receiving an incoming access request from a user;

third program instruction means for identifying said incoming access request as an on-demand service access request;

fourth program instruction means for updating on-demand service usage data indicative of usage of said on-demand service by said users and offering said on-demand service and wherein said first, second, third and fourth program instruction means are recorded on said medium.