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US 2002/0165798 A1Published application
Method and configuration for charging for a service
OwnerRudiger Hausmann, Peter Moritzinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The method enables all-inclusive charging for a service which is provided by a service operator and covers, in particular, the granting of access to an IP network and/or the delivery of content in a telecommunications and data network. The charging is effected on the basis of an electronic credit associated with a user.
Claims24
A method of charging for a service provided by a service operator, which comprises:
- a) registering and installing at the service operator an electronic credit of a user during a telecommunications connection between a user terminal and a service operator server;
- b) requesting a service provided by the service operator for an all-inclusive charge via the user terminal and transmitting a charging mode code identifying that all-inclusive charging is desired for using the requested service for a particular period of time or amount of time or amount of data;
- c) registering the request and checking the user's credit in relation to the charging mode code in a processing unit associated with the service operator server;
- d) debiting a predetermined electronic credit amount as an all-inclusive charge from the user's credit in accordance with the charging mode code;
- e) enabling access of the user terminal to the service;
- f) starting a timer or data volume counter associated with the user on the service operator server and storing an end time or end counter reading corresponding to the debited credit amount in a memory area associated with the user;
- and
- g) outputting a control signal when the timer or data volume counter reaches the stored end time or end counter reading.
5 more elements
A configuration for charging for a service provided by a service operator, comprising:
- at least one customer terminal having an input device for inputting data for installing or for reading a prepaid electronic credit, and a service operator server to be connected to the customer terminal via a telecommunications and data network;
- a registration unit for registering a request for a service that is subject to an all-inclusive charge, including reading a charging mode code;
- a checking unit connected to said registration unit for checking a user's electronic credit for coverage of a credit amount to be debited and obtained from the charging mode code read by said registration unit;
- a debiting unit connected to said registration unit for debiting the credit amount from the electronic credit;
- a switching unit for enabling access by the user terminal when said checking unit returns a positive result based on the charging mode;
- a charging unit selected from the group consisting of a timer and a data counter for recording a period of use or a length of use or a data volume transmitted to the user terminal within the context of the service, wherein said charging unit continues to run from a reading reached at an end of a previous instance of access whenever the service is requested using the user terminal;
- a memory connected to said registration unit for storing an end timer or counter reading determined from the charging mode code and optionally from the start timer or counter reading;
- and
- comparator and signal generator units connected to said charging unit and to said memory for outputting a control signal when the end reading is reached.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.