# US 2014/0194093 A1 · Information processing apparatus, communication system, and information processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194093 A1 - Document ID: US20140194093A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/235,826 - Filed: 2012-08-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-26 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Shinichiro Tsuda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194093A1 ## CPC - H04M 15/59: {based on real time} - H04L 12/1485: {Tariff-related aspects} - H04M 15/8016: {based on quality of service [QoS]} - H04L 12/1489: {dependent on congestion} - H04M 15/8027: {based on network load situation} - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract There is provided an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program for causing a computer to execute the method, the information processing apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire communication quality at a time of communication between a base station and a wireless communication apparatus that connects to a predetermined network via the base station and performs the communication, and a charging processing unit configured to perform charging processing related to the communication based on the acquired communication quality. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire communication quality at a time of communication between a base station and a wireless communication apparatus that connects to a predetermined network via the base station and performs the communication; and a charging processing unit configured to perform charging processing related to the communication based on the acquired communication quality. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a communication unit price that varies according to the communication quality is set, and wherein the charging processing unit uses the communication unit price corresponding to the acquired communication quality and calculates a communication fee with respect to a communication volume at the time of the communication. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the charging processing unit calculates the communication fee using, as the communication quality, a signal parameter acquired from the base station or the wireless communication apparatus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the signal parameter is an index calculated from one or combination of a channel quality indicator (CQI), a modulation scheme, an information bit count per one symbol, a coding rate and an information bit count excluding a redundancy bit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the charging processing unit calculates the communication fee using, as the communication quality, information specified by a relationship between a position of the wireless communication apparatus and a position of the base station. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the information specified by the relationship between the position of the wireless communication apparatus and the position of the base station is a distance between the wireless communication apparatus and the base station. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a value that varies according to each time slot is set to the communication unit price, and wherein the charging processing unit calculates the communication fee using the communication unit price corresponding to a time slot at the time of the communication. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a value that varies according to each communication scheme is set to the communication unit price, and wherein the charging processing unit calculates the communication fee using the communication unit price corresponding to a communication scheme at the time of the communication. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the charging processing unit calculates a first communication fee with respect to a communication volume at the time of the communication using a fixed communication unit price, calculates a discounted fee with respect to the first communication fee for the communication volume at the time of the communication in a case where the acquired communication quality satisfies a predetermined condition, and calculates the communication fee with respect to the communication volume at the time of the communication based on the first communication fee and the discounted fee. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a discount unit price that varies according to the communication quality is set, and wherein the charging processing unit calculates the discounted fee using the discount unit price corresponding to the acquired communication quality, for the communication volume at the time of the communication in a case where the acquired communication quality satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a value that varies according to a time slot is set to the discount unit price, and wherein the charging processing unit calculates the discounted fee using the discount unit price corresponding to a time slot at the time of the communication. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging processing unit calculates an extra fee with respect to the communication fee for a communication volume at the time of the communication in a case where a congestion degree of the base station satisfies a predetermined condition, and calculates the communication fee by adding the extra fee to the communication fee. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify the wireless communication apparatus of a generation of the extra fee in a case where the congestion degree of the base station satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit price is set for each telecommunications carrier, wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a setting unit configured to perform control to set a connection right to connect with one of base stations of a plurality of telecommunications carriers to the wireless communication apparatus, and wherein the charging processing unit calculates the communication fee using the communication unit price corresponding to the set telecommunications carrier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit price in a storage unit configured to store the communication unit price set for each telecommunications carrier is periodically or irregularly acquired from each of a plurality of telecommunications carriers and sequentially updated. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication quality at the time of the communication between the wireless communication apparatus and the base station is an index calculated from one or combination of a CQI, a Signal to Interference Ratio (SIR), average power of a pilot signal, average power of a reference signal, a relationship between reception power and total reception power of a pilot signal from the base station, a relationship between reception power and total reception power of a reference signal from the base station, a relationship between the reception power of the pilot signal from the base station and a total sum of reception power of pilot signals from surrounding base stations existing around the base station, and a relationship between the average power of the reference signal from the base station and a total sum of reception power of reference signals from the surrounding base stations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging processing unit performs the charging processing without using the acquired communication quality in a case where the wireless communication apparatus is connected to a base station in a specific area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to transmit, to the wireless communication apparatus, information to cause the wireless communication apparatus to display a position in which the wireless communication apparatus exists, surrounding positions of the position and information on a communication fee corresponding to the communication quality of each of the positions in association with each other. ### Claim 19 A communication system comprising: a wireless communication apparatus configured to connect to a predetermined network via a base station and perform communication; and an information processing apparatus configured to acquire communication quality at a time of the communication between the wireless communication apparatus and the base station and perform charging processing related to the communication based on the acquired communication quality ### Claim 20 An information processing method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring communication quality at a time of communication between a base station and a wireless communication apparatus that connects to a predetermined network via the base station and performs the communication; and a charging processing step of performing charging processing related to the communication based on the acquired communication quality.