Method and device for indicating amounts of data in mobile networks

• US 7,373,160 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ericsson, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rego; Dominic E.
• Application Number:
  US10/466,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20040106422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,309 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/3.04, 455/407, 455/425, 455/422, 455/69, 455/514, 455/558, 455/406, 455/405, 455/414.1, 370/312, 370/392, 370/467, 370/469, 370/349, 370/389, 370/390, 370/393, 370/474, 370/475
• US Class Current: 455/514
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile communication device for use in a packet switched wireless communications network includes a display, which is able to indicate an amount of data remaining from a subscribed amount. This allows the user to see how much data he can send or receive, within a prepaid subscription. The display is graphical, allowing the user to judge the amounts of data easily, as well as numerical. Advantageously, the mobile communication device calculates the amounts of data sent and received in such a way that it avoids double counting of retransmissions.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a storage device which stores an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

a display which provides a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data;

processing circuitry for calculating an amount of data transmitted and received, and for calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the calculated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein the processing circuitry calculates the amount of data transmitted and received, excluding header information, and

wherein the amount of data transmitted and received is indicative of a number of bits that were transmitted and received.

2. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data comprises a first region of the display, having a size related to the subscribed amount of data, and a second region of the display within the first region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data.

3. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the amount of data transmitted and received, excluding retransmissions.

4. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the amount of data transmitted and received between a Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP) and IP/X.25.

5. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry calculates an amount of data in a session.

6. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display provides a visual indication of an amount of data remaining in said session.

7. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining in said session comprises a third region of the display, having a size related to the amount of data in the session, and a fourth region of the display within the third region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the session.

8. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device obtains information, relating to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data, from a signal received from a mobile communications network.

9. A method of operating a mobile communications device, comprising:

storing an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data; and

calculating an amount of data transmitted and received, excluding header information, and calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the calculated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein the amount of data transmitted and received is indicative of a number of bits that were transmitted and received.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data comprises a first region of the display, having a size related to the subscribed amount of data, and a second region of the display within the first region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, comprising:

calculating the amount of data transmitted and received, excluding retransmissions.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, comprising:

calculating the amount of data transmitted and received between a Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP) and IP/X.25.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

calculating an amount of data in a session.

14. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining in said session.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining in said session comprises a third region of the display, having a size related to the amount of data in the session, and a fourth region of the display within the third region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the session.

16. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining information, relating to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data, from a signal received from a mobile communications network.

17. A mobile communications device comprising:

a storage device for storing an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

a display for providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data; and

means for receiving a signal from a mobile communications network, indicating a an amount of data transmitted and received, excluding header information, and for calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the indicated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein the amount of data transmitted and received is indicative of a number of bits that were transmitted and received.

18. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data comprises a first region of the display, having a size related to the subscribed amount of data, and a second region of the display within the first region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data.

19. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the amount of data transmitted and received, excluding retransmissions.

20. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the amount of data transmitted and received between a Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP) and IP/X.25.

21. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 17, comprising means for calculating an amount of data in a session.

22. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the display is further for providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining in said session.

23. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining in said session comprises a third region of the display, having a size related to the amount of data in the session, and a fourth region of the display within the third region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the session.

24. A method of operating a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

storing an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data; and

receiving a signal from a mobile communications network, indicating an amount of data transmitted and received, excluding header information, and calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the indicated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein the amount of data transmitted and received is indicative of a number of bits that were transmitted and received.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data comprises a first region of the display, having a size related to the subscribed amount of data, and a second region of the display within the first region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24, comprising calculating the amount of data transmitted and received, excluding retransmissions.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, comprising calculating the amount of data transmitted and received between a Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP) and IP/X.25.

28. A method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising calculating an amount of data in a session.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining in said session.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the visual indication of the amount of data remaining in said session comprises a third region of the display, having a size related to the amount of data in the session, and a fourth region of the display within the third region, having a size related to the amount of data remaining from the session.

31. A method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising obtaining information, relating to the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data, from a signal received from a mobile communications network.

32. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a storage device which stores an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

a display which provides a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data; and

processing circuitry for calculating an amount of data transmitted and received, and for calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the calculated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein the processing circuitry calculates the amount of data transmitted and received, excluding retransmissions.

33. A method of operating a mobile communications device, comprising:

storing an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data; and

calculating an amount of data transmitted and received excluding retransmissions, and calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the calculated amount of data transmitted and received.

34. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a storage device that stores an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

a display that provides a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data;

processing circuitry for calculating an amount of data transmitted and received, and for calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the calculated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein;

calculating the amount of data transmitted and received comprises ignoring header information of the transmitted and received data; and

the amount of data transmitted and received is indicative of a number of bits that were transmitted and received.

35. The mobile communications device of claim 34, wherein ignoring header information of the transmitted and received data comprises ignoring all header information associated with a total amount of transmitted and received data.

36. A method of operating a mobile communications device, comprising:

storing an indication of a subscribed amount of data;

providing a visual indication of an amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data;

calculating an amount of data transmitted and received; and

calculating the amount of data remaining from the subscribed amount of data on the basis of the calculated amount of data transmitted and received,

wherein;

calculating the amount of data transmitted and received comprises ignoring header information of the transmitted and received data; and

the amount of data transmitted and received is indicative of a number of bits that were transmitted and received.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein ignoring header information of the transmitted and received data comprises ignoring all header information associated with a total amount of transmitted and received data.