US 7,720,960 B2 · Method and apparatus providing prepaid billing for network services using explicit service authorization in an access server

Abstract

A method is disclosed for authorizing a prepaid network service in a data network. A network end station issues a request for a prepaid network service. At a network node, such as a router serving as a gateway for selecting services, a determination is made about whether a user associated with the end station is authorized to access the prepaid network service. Network traffic from the end station is forwarded to a service provider only when the user is authorized to use the prepaid network service. Specific embodiments provide message flows among a mobile station, gateway support node, router, and authentication server that support providing prepaid services in a packet-switched network for mobile communication. In certain embodiments, a connection is held open for an end station while a prepaid quota value is refreshed at a portal, thereby reducing overhead and precluding the need to repeat user logon steps. Further, unused quota amounts can be returned to the authentication server for use in association with multiple concurrent connections of the same device.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method implemented by a service selection gateway for authorizing prepaid mobile network services, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a GPRS Gateway Support Node (GGSN) a first request to authenticate a mobile station for activating the mobile station's Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context;
forwarding to an authentication server the request to authenticate the mobile station;
receiving a first response to the request from the authentication server;
in response to receiving the first response, preparing and sending a second response to the GGSN, wherein the second response comprises a set of attributes identified in the first request from the GGSN;
receiving a second request for a prepaid network service from the mobile station;
requesting the authentication server to provide a prepaid quota value associated with the prepaid network service and the mobile station;
receiving the prepaid quota value from the authentication server;
forwarding network traffic associated with the prepaid network service from the mobile station to a service provider only when the prepaid quota value is nonzero;
monitoring traffic communicated by the mobile station for the prepaid network service associated with the quota value;
determining that the traffic is discontinued or inactive;
returning an unused portion of the quota value to the authentication server;
allowing the mobile station to concurrently access a plurality of different services using the mobile station's PDP;
and
allotting the unused portion of the quota value to a plurality of different concurrent connections of the mobile station that are respectively associated with the plurality of different services concurrently accessed by the mobile station;
wherein a router performs all the preceding steps.

12 more elements

An apparatus for authorizing prepaid mobile network services, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;
a processor;
one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
receiving from a GPRS Gateway Support Node (GGSN) a first request to authenticate a mobile station for activating the mobile station's Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context;
forwarding to an authentication server the request to authenticate the mobile station;
receiving a first response to the request from the authentication server;
in response to receiving the first response, preparing and sending a second response to the GGSN, wherein the second response comprises a set of attributes identified in the first request from the GGSN;
receiving a second request for a prepaid network service from a mobile station;
requesting the authentication server to provide a prepaid quota value associated with the prepaid network service and the mobile station;
receiving the prepaid quota value from the authentication server;
forwarding network traffic associated with the prepaid network service from the mobile station to a service provider only when the prepaid quota value is nonzero;
monitoring traffic communicated by the mobile station for the prepaid network service associated with the quota value;
determining that the traffic is discontinued or inactive;
returning an unused portion of the quota value to the authentication server;
allowing the mobile station to concurrently access a plurality of different services using the mobile station's PDP;
and
allotting the unused portion of the quota value to a plurality of different concurrent connections of the mobile station that are respectively associated with a plurality of different services concurrently accessed by the mobile station;
wherein the apparatus is a router.

15 more elements

A method implemented by a service selection gateway for authorizing prepaid mobile network services, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a GPRS Gateway Support Node (GGSN) a first request to authenticate a mobile station for activating the mobile station's Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context;
forwarding to an authentication server the request to authenticate the mobile station;
receiving a first response to the request from the authentication server;
in response to receiving the first response, preparing and sending a second response to the GGSN, wherein the second response comprises a set of attributes identified in the first request from the GGSN;
receiving from the mobile station a second request for a prepaid network service;
authorizing the second request for the prepaid network service;
forwarding network traffic associated with the prepaid network service from the mobile station to a service provider;
monitoring traffic communicated by the mobile station for the prepaid network service;
and
allowing the mobile station to concurrently access a plurality of different services using the mobile station's PDP;
wherein a router performs all the preceding steps.

8 more elements

An apparatus for authorizing prepaid mobile network services, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;
a processor;
one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
receiving from a GPRS Gateway Support Node (GGSN) a first request to authenticate a mobile station for activating the mobile station's Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context;
forwarding to an authentication server the request to authenticate the mobile station;
receiving a first response to the request from the authentication server;
in response to receiving the first response, preparing and sending a second response to the GGSN, wherein the second response comprises a set of attributes identified in the first request from the GGSN;
receiving from the mobile station a second request for a prepaid network service;
authorizing the second request for the prepaid network service;
forwarding network traffic associated with the prepaid network service from the mobile station to a service provider;
monitoring traffic communicated by the mobile station for the prepaid network service;
and
allowing the mobile station to concurrently access a plurality of different services using the mobile station's PDP;
wherein the apparatus is a router.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus providing prepaid billing for network services using explicit service authorization in an access server

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus providing prepaid billing for network services using explicit service authorization in an access server

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30