# US 8,542,661 B2 · Mobile router network server method with billing reconciliation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,661 B2 - Document ID: US8542661B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/431,566 - Filed: 2012-03-27 - Published: 2012-08-16 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2006-05-16 - Assignees: Autonet Mobile, Inc. - Applicants: Douglas S Moeller; Ronald W Pashby - Inventors: Douglas S Moeller; Ronald W Pashby - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542661B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/1435: {volume-based} - H04L 12/1428: {Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages (invoicing in general G06Q30/04)} - H04M 15/43: {Billing software details} - H04M 15/70: {Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges} - H04M 15/73: {Validating charges} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method of operating a network server, for a network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile routers is provided. Each mobile router comprises a wide area network wireless interface to access a cellular network provided by a predetermined cellular service provider and is operable to upload and download data via the cellular network. Each mobile router is operable to monitor the uploaded and downloaded data to generate usage. The method comprises: selectively coupling the server to the plurality of mobile routers via the cellular network; receiving from each of the mobile routers the corresponding usage data; operating the server to access billing data from the service provider for each mobile router; and comparing the usage data for each mobile router to corresponding billing data for each mobile router to determine if there is a billing discrepancy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a network server, for a network comprising a plurality of wireless mobile routers, each of said mobile routers comprising a wide area network wireless interface to access a cellular network provided by a predetermined cellular carrier provider, each of said mobile routers comprising a wireless local area network, each said mobile router operable to upload data and to download data via said cellular network, each said mobile router is operable to monitor said uploaded data and said downloaded data and to generate usage data in quantifiable units of a type that the service provider utilizes to bill for usage of said cellular network, said method comprising: selectively coupling said server to said plurality of mobile routers via said cellular network; operating said server to access billing data from said predetermined service provider for each of said mobile routers; receiving from each of said mobile routers corresponding said usage data; comparing said usage data for each said mobile router to corresponding billing data to determine if there is a billing discrepancy for each said mobile router. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: determining if said billing discrepancy exceeds a predetermined limit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising: automatically generating a discrepancy report to said service provider. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: receiving said usage data from each said mobile router in accordance with a predetermined schedule. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein: receiving said usage data via said cellular network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising: storing a predetermined discrepancy limit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method in accordance with claim 6, comprising: determining if each said billing discrepancy for each corresponding said mobile router exceeds said predetermined limit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method in accordance with claim 7, comprising: storing billing discrepancies for all of said plurality of mobile routers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising: generating a report based on said billing discrepancies. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising: automatically providing said report to said service provider. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising: sorting said billing discrepancies by the amount of discrepancy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method in accordance with claim 11, comprising: generating a report based on said billing discrepancies. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method in accordance with claim 12, comprising: automatically providing said report to said service provider. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said billing data is for a predetermined billing period. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method in accordance with claim 14, comprising: providing said server with a stored predetermined discrepancy limit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising: determining if said billing discrepancy for said billing period for each said mobile router exceeds said predetermined limit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising: storing said billing discrepancy for each said mobile router. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method in accordance with claim 17, comprising: generating a report for said billing period based on all billing discrepancies corresponding to said plurality of mobile routers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising: automatically providing said report to said service provider. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) A method in accordance with claim 17, comprising: sorting said billing discrepancies by the amount of discrepancy. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising: generate a report based on said sorted billing discrepancies. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method in accordance with claim 21, comprising: automatically providing said report to said service provider.