Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-31
2004-08-10
Nguyen, Duc (Department: 2643)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C455S405000, C379S114010, C379S114020, C379S114100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775535
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to a manner by which to base a decision, such as how to allocate charges accruing as a result of downloading of an application, or other content, to a mobile station operable in a cellular, or other radio, communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, and an associated method, by which to allocate charges, or make other operational decisions associated with the downloading of the content either to a service subscription, or other account, pursuant to which the mobile station is operable or elsewhere, such as a system operator. A data message is sent to the mobile station to initiate the downloading of the content. The data message includes an indication of the data source from which the content to be downloaded originates. The data source from which the content originates is determinative of the decision, such as to where the charges shall accrue. If, for instance, the data source forms a third-party data source, charges accrue to the service subscription of the mobile station. And, for instance, if the data source forms a system-operator data source, the accrued charges are absorbed by the system operator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The communication of data is a necessary adjunct of modern society. Data is communicated between remote locations pursuant to many different activities. A communication system through which the data is communicated includes, at a minimum, a sending station and a receiving station, interconnected by a communication channel. Many different types of communication systems have been developed, and implemented, to permit the effectuation of communication of data to effectuate many different communication services.
Radio communication systems are exemplary of communication systems that are regularly utilized. Radio communication systems are utilized, for instance, to effectuate telephonic communications. In a radio communication system, communications are effectuated by way of communication channels defined upon a radio link formed between sending and receiving stations. Because radio links are utilized, communications between sending and receiving stations of a radio communication system can be used to effectuate the communications when positioning of a wireline connection between the sending and receiving stations would be impractical or otherwise not permitted.
A cellular communication system is a type of radio communication system. The networks of various types of cellular communication systems have been installed throughout significant portions of populated areas of the world. And, cellular communication systems have achieved wide levels of usage by large numbers of users who subscribe pursuant to a subscription service to communicate therethrough.
Communication stations of a radio communication system that provide for two-way communications form radio transceivers. The radio transceivers capable of both sending and receiving signals upon radio links extending between the radio transceivers. Radio transceivers of the network part of a cellular communication system are referred to as base transceiver stations (BTSs), and radio transceivers carried by subscribers, i.e., users, that subscribe to communication services in the system are sometimes referred to as mobile stations.
Successive generations of cellular communication systems have been developed and installed throughout extensive portions of the world. Reference is commonly made to at least three generations of cellular communication systems. A so-called, first-generation, cellular communication system generally refers to a cellular communication system that utilizes an analog modulation technique. A so-called, second-generation, cellular communication system typically refers to a cellular communication system that utilizes a digital, multiple-access communication scheme. Third-generation, cellular communication systems are presently under development and implementation. Third-generation systems also generally utilize digital, multiple-access communication schemes.
Mobile stations, particularly those utilized in second- and subsequent-generation communication systems, utilize processing circuitry to operate upon digitally-encoded signals transmitted during operation of the communication system. The processing circuitry can be utilized to perform other processing functions in addition to operating upon signals utilized to effectuate telephonic communications.
An application program is and, more generally, content is executable by such processing circuitry. The terms content and application program shall, at times, be used herein interchangeably, but shall each refer to any type of digital information. Content, executable or otherwise usable by the processing circuitry, is typically stored at a memory device that is accessible by the processing circuitry. The content is stored at the memory device, usually during construction of the mobile station or, subsequent thereto, by downloading the content thereto.
The content downloaded to the mobile station is sometimes originated at a computer server connected to a packet data network to which the network part of the cellular communication system is connected.
An operator of the cellular communication system might also want to download content to the mobile station. Such content is used at the mobile station, for instance, to upgrade operating performance of the mobile station or to alter operating parameters pursuant to which the mobile station operates.
As the content is downloaded to the mobile station by way of a radio link, charges are generally associated with the use of the radio links to communicate the content. When the downloading of the content is to be for the benefit of the system operator rather than the subscriber, it, generally, would be inappropriate to charge the communication of the content to the service subscription account, necessitating payment by the subscriber. If, however, the content is provided by the third-party computer server for the benefit of the subscriber, it would, conversely, generally be appropriate to charge the service subscription account for the downloading of the content to the mobile station.
A manner is needed by which to allocate the charges that accrue to download content to the mobile station.
It is in light of this background information related to communication of content to a mobile station in a radio communication station that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides apparatus, and an associated method, by which to base a decision, such as how to allocate charges accruing as a result of downloading of an application, or other content, to a mobile station operable in a cellular, or other, radio communication system.
Through operation of an embodiment of the present invention, a manner is provided by which to base a decision, such as how to allocate the charges associated with the downloading of the content either to a service subscription, or other account, pursuant to which the mobile station is operable or elsewhere, such as to a system operator.
A data message is sent to the mobile station to initiate the downloading of the content. The data message includes an indication of the data source from which the content to be downloaded originates. The data source from which the content originates is determinative of the operational decision is made at the mobile station, such as to where the charges shall accrue.
In one aspect of the present invention, content sourced at a third-party data source is selectably provided to the mobile station. The content is downloaded to the mobile station pursuant to a terminal management session. When the source of the content is determined to be the third-party data source, charges accruing as a result of the downloading of the content to the mobile station are allocated to the service subscription pursuant to which the mobile station is operable. That is to say, charges for the “a
Nguyen Duc
Nokia Corporation
LandOfFree
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