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US 9,179,004 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for charging
AssigneeHuawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
InventorHaifeng Duan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for charging, related to the technical field of communications, are invented in an attempt to enhance charging accuracy of a charging system. A method for charging comprises: acquiring an IMEI number of a target charging terminal; determining a type of the target charging terminal by utilizing the IMEI number of the target charging terminal, according to a corresponding relationship between relevant information of a terminal identifier and a terminal type; and charging the target charging terminal according to the type of the target charging terminal.
Claims16
A method for charging a terminal with an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), wherein the method is implemented in a communication network system, comprising:
- acquiring, by a network access server (NAS) or a gateway, an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number of a target charged terminal;
- determining, by the network access server (NAS) or the gateway, a type of the target charged terminal by utilizing the IMEI number of the target charged terminal, according to a corresponding relationship between relevant information of a terminal identifier and a terminal type;
- wherein the relevant information of the terminal identifier is related to the IMEI number and wherein the relevant information of the terminal identifier is one of an IMEI number segment or an IMEI number, and
- charging, by a charging system, the target charged terminal according to the type of the target charged terminal;
- wherein the determining the type of the charged terminal by utilizing the IMEI number of the charged terminal, according to the corresponding relationship between the relevant information of the terminal identifier and the terminal type comprises:
- searching, by the network access server, the corresponding relationship between the IMEI number segment and the terminal type stored therein, determining, by the network access server, an IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal, and employing, by the network access server, a terminal type corresponding to the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs as the type of the charged terminal;
- or
- inquiring, by the network access server, the type of the charged terminal from an operation and maintenance device by utilizing the IMEI number of the charged terminal, and acquiring, by the network access server, the type of the charged terminal via the operation and maintenance device;
- wherein the operation and maintenance device searches the corresponding relationship between the IMEI number segment and the terminal type stored therein, determines an IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal, and employs a terminal type corresponding to the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs as the type of the charged terminal, or the operation and maintenance device searches the corresponding relationship between the IMEI number and the terminal type stored therein, and determines the type of the charged terminal according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal.
6 more elements
An apparatus for charging a terminal with an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), comprising:
- a nonvolatile memory storing processor-executable instructions;
- and
- a processor in communication with the memory, the processor is configured to execute the stored instructions to:
- an IMEI number of a target charged terminal;
- determine a type of the target charged terminal by utilizing the IMEI number of the target charged terminal, according to a corresponding relationship between relevant information of a terminal identifier and a terminal type;
- and
- provide a charging system with the type of the target charged terminal so that the charging system charges the target charged terminal according to the type of the target charged terminal;
- and
- execute the stored instructions to:
- search the corresponding relationship between an IMEI number segment and the terminal type stored therein, according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal, determine the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs, and employ a terminal type corresponding to the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs as the type of the charged terminal;
- or
- inquire the type of the charged terminal from an operation and maintenance device by using the IMEI number of the charged terminal, acquire the type of the charged terminal via the operation and maintenance device, wherein the operation and maintenance device searches the corresponding relationship between an IMEI number segment and the terminal type stored therein, determines the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal, and employs a terminal type corresponding to the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs as the type of the charged terminal, or, the operation and maintenance device searches the corresponding relationship between the IMEI number and the terminal type stored therein, and determines the type of the charged terminal according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal.
9 more elements
An apparatus for charging a terminal with an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), comprising:
- a nonvolatile memory storing processor-executable instructions;
- and
- a processor in communication with the memory, the processor is configured to execute the stored instructions to:
- acquire an IMEI number of a target charged terminal;
- determine a type of the target charged terminal by using the IMEI number of the target charged terminal, according to a corresponding relationship between relevant information of a terminal identifier and a terminal type;
- and
- charge the target charged terminal according to the type of the target charged terminal;
- and
- execute the stored instructions to:
- search the corresponding relationship between an IMEI number segment and the terminal type stored therein, and determine the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal, and, employ the terminal type corresponding to the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs as the type of the charged terminal;
- or
- search the corresponding relationship between the IMEI number and the terminal type stored therein, and, acquire the type of the charged terminal via an operation and maintenance device, wherein the operation and maintenance device searches the corresponding relationship between an IMEI number segment and the terminal type stored therein, determines the IMEI number segment to which the IMEI number of the charged terminal belongs according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal, and employs the terminal type corresponding to the IMEI number segment belongs the IMEI number of the charged terminal as the type of the charged terminal, or, the operation and maintenance device searches the corresponding relationship between the IMEI number and the terminal type stored therein, and determines the type of the charged terminal according to the IMEI number of the charged terminal.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.