Method and System for Location-Dependent Billing for Services

• US 20170302802A1
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Aebi, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,244,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• 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 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for location-dependent billing for a services that are available to a mobile terminal, a local communication connection is set up to a fixably installed external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface between the fixably installed tag and the mobile terminal, the method including the steps of accessing the external location tag and transmitting a billing rate code from the external location tag to the mobile terminal, forwarding the billing rate code from the mobile terminal to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged, determining a geographic location identification of the external location tag by evaluation of the billing rate code at the central unit, and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the billing rate code at the central unit.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A tag, comprising:

a storage operable to maintain data related to a network; and

a transmitter operable to wirelessly provide the network-related data to a mobile terminal via a local communication connection,

wherein the mobile terminal is operable to gain access to the network by transmitting the wirelessly-provided, network-related data to a control unit of the network and by causing payment of an access fee based on the wirelessly-provided, network-related data.

22. The tag of claim 21, wherein the network is a mobile communication network.

23. The tag of claim 21, wherein the mobile terminal is operable to setup the local communication connection via a wireless interface.

24. The tag of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is operable according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.

25. The tag of claim 21, wherein the local communication connection between the mobile terminal and the tag is secured.

26. The tag of claim 21, wherein the tag comprises a security component operable to secure the tag.

27. The tag of claim 21, wherein the tag is operably connected to a communication channel.

28. The tag of claim 21, wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data is associated with a location.

29. The tag of claim 21, wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data comprises an encrypted portion.

30. The tag of claim 29, wherein the control unit of the network is operable to decrypt the encrypted portion.

31. A method, comprising:

maintaining, in a tag, data related to a network;

wirelessly providing the network-related data from the tag to a mobile terminal via a local communication connection;

transmitting the wirelessly-provided, network-related data from the mobile terminal to a control unit of the network;

causing payment of an access fee based on the wirelessly-provided, network-related data; and

gaining access to the network from the mobile terminal.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the network is a mobile communication network.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the method comprises initializing the local communication connection via a wireless interface of the mobile terminal.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein wirelessly providing is according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the local communication connection between the mobile terminal and the tag is secured.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the tag comprises a security component operable to secure the tag.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the tag is operably connected to a communication channel.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data is associated with a location.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data comprises an encrypted portion.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the method comprises decrypting the encrypted portion in the control unit of the network.