Methods and apparatus for flexible communication device usage attribution

• US 20060094398A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kanevsky, Dimitri, Zlatsin, Alexander, Chaar, Jarir Kamel, Gratz, Rosemarie M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,274,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/12 Discriminative metering , charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/14 according to class of calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/755 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/01 Cocot systems, i.e. private ownership of payphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7222 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A technique for providing flexible communication device usage attribution is provided. Identification information of a user of a communication device is received from the communication device at a primary service provider. It is determined if the user of the communication device is the owner of the communication device at the primary service provider. Usage information is attributed to an account of the owner on the primary service provider when the user is identified as the owner. Usage information is attributed to an account of the user when the user is not identified as the owner and the user is subscribed to one of the primary service provider and a service provider associated with the primary service provider.

Claims

1. A method for providing flexible communication device usage attribution comprising the steps of:

receiving identification information of a user of a communication device from the communication device at a primary service provider;

determining if the user of the communication device is an owner of the communication device at the primary service provider;

attributing usage information to an account of the owner on the primary service provider when the user is identified as the owner; and

attributing usage information to an account of the user when the user is not identified as the owner and the user is subscribed to one of the primary service provider and a service provider associated with the primary service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the steps of receiving identification information and determining if the user of the communication device is an owner, the communication device comprises a mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving identification information, determining if the user is an owner, attributing usage information to an owner, and attributing usage information to a user, are repeated for each additional user on each additional communication device during a call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving identification information, determining if the user is an owner, attributing usage information to an owner, and attributing usage information to a user, are repeated for each additional user of the communication device during a call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of attributing usage information to the account of the owner when the user is not able to be identified.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of attributing usage information to an account of the user further comprises the steps of:

determining if the user is subscribed to the primary service provider;

attributing usage information to the account of the user on the primary service provider when the user is subscribed to the primary service provider;

determining if the user is subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider when the user is not subscribed to the primary service provider; and

sending usage information to the service provider associated with the primary service provider when the user is subscribed to the service provider associated with the primary service provider.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, in the step of determining if the user is subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider, a service provider associated with the primary service provider comprises a service provider having a contractual agreement with the primary service provider.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

communicating usage information and identification information to a general payment provider when the user is identified and the user is subscribed to a service provider that does not have a contractual agreement with the first service provider; and

receiving payment from the general payment provider based on the usage information, wherein the general payment provider is reimbursed by one of the service provider to which the user is subscribed and the user.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of attributing usage information to the account of the owner on the primary service provider when the user is not subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of providing one or more personal settings of the user on the communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing one or more personal settings further comprises the steps of:

downloading one or more personal settings of the user from the service provider associated with the primary service provider to the primary service provider when the user is subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider; and

transmitting the one or more personal settings of the user from the primary service provider to the communication device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing one or more personal settings further comprises the steps of:

sending identification information to a user directory server comprising a plurality of personal settings of users having respective service providers associated with the primary service provider;

receiving one or more personal settings of the user from the user directory server at the primary service provider; and

transmitting the one or more personal settings from the primary service provider to the communication device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing one or more personal settings further comprises the step of sending identification information to a user directory server comprising a plurality of personal settings of users having service providers associated with the primary service provider, wherein the user directory server transmits one or more personal settings to the communication device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the step of receiving identification information, the identification information comprises biometric information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the step of receiving identification information, the biometric information comprises a fingerprint.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the step of receiving identification information, the biometric information comprises a voice of the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the step of receiving identification information, the identification information comprises a personal code.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage information comprises identification information, time of usage and length of usage.

19. Apparatus for providing flexible communication device usage attribution, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to;

(i) receive identification information of a user of a communication device from the communication device at a primary service provider;

(ii) determine if the user of the communication device is an owner of the communication device at the primary service provider;

(iii) attribute usage information to an account of the owner on the primary service provider when the user is identified as the owner; and

(iv) attribute usage information to an account of the user when the user is not identified as the owner and the user is subscribed to one of the primary service provider and a service provider associated with the primary service provider.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein, in the operations of receiving identification information and determining if the user of the communication device is an owner, the communication device comprises a mobile phone.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the operation of attributing usage information to an account of the user further comprises the operations of:

determining if the user is subscribed to the primary service provider;

attributing usage information to the account of the user on the primary service provider when the user is subscribed to the primary service provider;

determining if the user is subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider when the user is not subscribed to the primary service provider; and

sending usage information to the service provider associated with the primary service provider when the user is subscribed to the service provider associated with the primary service provider.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, in the operation of determining if the user is subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider, a service provider associated with the primary service provider comprises a service provider having a contractual agreement with the primary service provider.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising the operations of:

communicating usage information and identification information to a general payment provider when the user is identified and the user is subscribed to a service provider that does not have a contractual agreement with the first service provider; and

receiving payment from the general payment provider based on the usage information, wherein the general payment provider is reimbursed by one of the service provider to which the user is subscribed and the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising the operation of providing one or more personal settings of the user on the communication device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the operation of providing one or more personal settings further comprises the operations of:

downloading one or more personal settings of the user from the service provider associated with the primary service provider to the primary service provider when the user is subscribed to a service provider associated with the primary service provider; and

transmitting the one or more personal settings of the user from the primary service provider to the communication device.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the operation of providing one or more personal settings further comprises the operations of:

sending identification information to a user directory server comprising a plurality of personal settings of users having respective service providers associated with the primary service provider;

receiving one or more personal settings of the user from the user directory server at the primary service provider; and

transmitting the one or more personal settings from the primary service provider to the communication device.

27. An article of manufacture for providing flexible communication device usage attribution, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

receiving identification information of a user of a communication device from the communication device at a primary service provider;

determining if the user of the communication device is an owner of the communication device at the primary service provider;

attributing usage information to an account of the owner on the primary service provider when the user is identified as the owner; and

attributing usage information to an account of the user when the user is not identified as the owner and the user is subscribed to one of the primary service provider and a service provider associated with the primary service provider.