Relay terminal, base station, charging server, communication system, charging method, program computer data signal, and storage medium
AssigneeNtt Docomo, Inc.
InventorsHijin Sato, Yasushi Yamao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a relay terminal A for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal C located outside a service area of a base station Z, and the base station Z, a contribution to relaying is measured and the measurement result is transmitted to a billing server SA configured to store an information communication charge of the relay terminal A, whereby it becomes feasible to give the relay terminal an incentive.
Claims24
A relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station, said relay terminal comprising:
- measuring means for measuring a contribution to the relaying;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting a measurement result of the contribution to a billing server connected to a network including the base station and configured to store an information communication charge of the relay terminals,
- wherein when there are a plurality of relay terminals for relaying packets, the measuring means of each relay terminal measures as the contribution a value obtained by dividing a physical quantity used for communication in each relay terminal, by the number of relay terminals.
A base station for implementing packet communication with a destination terminal through a relay terminal, said base station comprising:
- measuring means for measuring a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting a measurement result of the contribution to a billing server connected to a network including the base station and configured to store an information communication charge of the relay terminal,
- wherein when there are a plurality of relay terminals for relaying packets, the measuring means of each relay terminal measures as the contribution a value obtained by dividing a physical quantity used for communication in each relay terminal, by the number of relay terminals.
A billing server for storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal, said billing server comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station;
- and
- billing means for effecting negative billing according to the contribution received by the receiving means, on the information communication charge stored,
- wherein when the contribution is not less than a reference value, an amount of the negative billing is set to a given value.
A billing server for storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal, said billing server comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station;
- and
- billing means for effecting negative billing according to the contribution received by the receiving means, on the information communication charge stored,
- wherein an amount of the negative billing is set to a value proportional to a level of the contribution.
A billing server for storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal, said billing server comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station;
- and
- billing means for effecting negative billing according to the contribution received by the receiving means, on the information communication charge stored,
- wherein an amount of the negative billing is set at or below a predetermined maximum amount.
A billing server for storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal, said billing server comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station;
- and
- billing means for effecting negative billing according to the contribution received by the receiving means, on the information communication charge stored,
- wherein the contribution by the relay terminal is classified into one group out of a plurality of groups obtained by dividing a set of contributions of relay terminals according to the contributions, and wherein the negative billing is effected based on a value of a base amount correlated with a weighting factor corresponding to each group.
A billing server for storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal, said billing server comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station;
- and
- billing means for effecting negative billing according to the contribution received by the receiving means, on the information communication charge stored,
- wherein when an amount of the negative billing is greater than the information communication charge stored in a predetermined period, a difference between the information communication charge and the amount of the negative billing is stored for a fixed period and the negative billing is effected on a next information communication charge on the basis of the stored difference.
A billing method of an information communication charge comprising:
- storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal in a storage device;
- receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station;
- and
- effecting negative billing calculation according to the received contribution on the information communication charge stored in the storage device, wherein when the contribution is not less than a reference value, an amount of the negative billing is set to a given value.
A computer data signal included in a carrier wave, said computer data signal letting a computer having read the signal, execute:
- storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal in a storage device;
- and
- receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station and effecting negative billing calculation according to the received contribution, on the information communication charge stored in the storage device, wherein when the contribution is not less than a reference value, an amount of the negative billing is set to a given value.
A relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station, said relay terminal comprising:
- measuring means for measuring a contribution to the relaying;
- and
- calculating means for calculating from a measurement result by the measuring means, a value to be deducted from an information communication charge in a billing server connected to a network including the base station and configured to store the information communication charge of the relay terminal, wherein when the contribution is not less than a reference value, the value to be deducted corresponds to negative billing which is set to a given value.
A billing method of an information communication charge comprising:
- transmitting a contribution to relaying by a relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station, from the relay terminal;
- and
- effecting negative billing calculation according to the contribution, on an information communication charge stored in a predetermined storage device, wherein when the contribution is not less than a reference value, an amount of the negative billing is set to a given value.
A program for letting a computer execute a step of storing an information communication charge of a relay terminal in a storage device;
- and a step of receiving a contribution to relaying by the relay terminal for relaying packet communication between a destination terminal and a base station and effecting negative billing calculation according to the received contribution on the information communication charge stored in the storage device, wherein when the contribution is not less than a reference value, an amount of the negative billing is set to a given value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.