Cost accounting during data transmission in a mobile radiotelephone network

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for accounting data transmission costs in a mobile radiotelephone network, especially text or image data with or without sound, wherein an identification signal for transmission costs is assigned to the data and said identification signal is sent to the recipient and/or sender of the data.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for the accounting of data transmission costs in a mobile radio network as claimed in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Existing mobile radio networks, for example the network which operates in accordance with the GSM standard, offer only limited possibilities for transmitting text data. For example, short messages comprising a maximum of 160 characters can be transmitted. This arrangement is designated SMS (Short Message Service). The data sender has to pay for the cost of sending such text messages.

[0003] A transmission of multimedia data, in particular still or moving images with or without sound, will also be possible in the future. A considerable increase in the data transmission volumes within such transmissions is expected, resulting in an increase in costs.

[0004] The invention addresses the problem of simplifying the control of costs for subscribers to a mobile radio network.

[0005] The invention solves this problem by means of a method having the features in claim 1 as well as by a method having the features in claim 20 as well as by a mobile telecommunication device having the features in claim 21 or the features in claim 25 and software having the features in claim 26. Reference is made to the claims 2 to 19, 22 to 24 and 27 in respect of advantageous configurations.

[0006] Using the method in accordance with the invention, it is possible to provide cost information to the data recipient or alternatively or additionally to the data sender, thereby facilitating cost control for the latter.

[0007] If the identification signal used therefor contains information on the person owing the costs, the recipient can then determine who is responsible for the costs of this data transmission.

[0008] If the identification signal contains information about the level of transmission costs, the transparency of the costs incurred is further improved.

[0009] It is particularly advantageous that the data sender can select whether the costs of a data transmission should be charged to him or to the recipient in whole or in part. The aforementioned information signal then allows the recipient to ascertain whether he has to bear the costs and advantageously also what the costs are.

[0010] A development of the invention provides the possibility for the recipient of refusing the assumption of costs at least at the present moment and not to proceed with a transmission until a cheaper transmission time, or not to proceed with it at all.

[0011] All in all, therefore, a cost split can be undertaken by the sender depending on the type of data to be transmitted, at least the recipient being informed of the type and level and for his part being able to decide whether he is in agreement with this.

[0012] Cost control and transparency are thereby significantly improved.

[0013] Further advantages and features of the invention derive from an exemplary embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, which exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the drawing and described below.

[0014] The drawing comprises figures in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of messages, which are assigned to a data transmission in accordance with the WAP standard (wireless application protocol), between the level of the sender and that of the provider on one side and the level of the provider and that of the recipient on the other side,

[0016] FIG. 2 shows in figure sections 2A, 2B, 2C the M-send.req message in accordance with the WAP protocol,

[0017] FIG. 3 shows in figure sections 3A, 3B, 3C the M-send.req message with the addition of an identification signal in accordance with the invention,

[0018] FIG. 4 shows the M-send.conf message in accordance with the WAP protocol,

[0019] FIG. 5 shows the M-send.conf message with the addition of an identification signal in accordance with the invention,

[0020] FIG. 6 shows the M-Notification.ind message in accordance with the WAP protocol,

[0021] FIG. 7 shows the M-Notification.ind message with the addition of an identification signal in accordance with the invention,

[0022] FIG. 8 shows in figure sections 8A, 8B the M-Retrieve.conf message in accordance with the WAP protocol,

[0023] FIG. 9 shows in figure sections 9A, 9B the M-Retrieve.conf message with the addition of an identification signal in accordance with the invention,

[0024] FIG. 10 shows the setting of fields of the messages in accordance with the preceding figures,

[0025] FIG. 11 shows a schematic representation of the data transmission using mobile telecommunication devices in accordance with the invention.

[0026] In the exemplary embodiment, the application of the invention is described in relation to a data transmission model 1 for the WAP standard, as it will be used in the transmission of particularly image data and formatted text data in the UMTS standard (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Standard). It is understood that the invention can also be transferred to other standards.

[0027] In particular in the UMTS standard, in addition to the existing SMS, provision is made to include a so-called MMS (Multi-media Messaging Service) for the transmission of messages. It is therefore possible also to transmit formatted texts and images. The restriction which exists in SMS to a message length of 160 characters does not apply. A transmission of audio and video messages is possible.

[0028] MMS can be implemented using WAP. In this case, for the radio transmission of data such as multimedia messages (MMs), the protocol model (WAP WSP: Wireless Session Protocol) is applied as shown in FIG. 1. This includes a level 2 of a data sender, a level 3 of a provider and a level 4 of a recipient. The level 2 of the data sender includes at least one telecommunication device 5, and the level 4 of the recipient likewise includes a telecommunication device 6. These telecommunication devices 5,6 can be designed as normal mobile phones, for example, or as devices with additional input or display functions, such as laptops.

[0029] A data record 7 which is written in the sender's telecommunication device 5, or which is to be relayed by said device, is initially sent as a message 9 (this message has the name MSend.req in the WAP protocol) to the provider (level 3).

[0030] From there, the received message is acknowledged with the return message 10 (M-send.conf) to the sender (level 2).

[0031] Subsequently, the provider 3 sends the information 11 (MNotification.ind) to the recipient (level 4), who is thus notified that a message for the recipient is available at the provider 3 for downloading.

[0032] In response to this, the provider 3 receives, e.g. automatically, the acknowledgment message 12 (M-NotifyResp.req) from the telecommunication device 6 of the recipient (level 4).

[0033] Only at the request of the recipient using the message 13 (WSP GET.req) does the provider forward the data record 7 with the message 14 (M-retrieve.com) to the recipient.

[0034] The so-called header fields are used for managing the messages 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, and precede the actual data record 7, and contain information about the origin, send time, file size and other details.

[0035] In accordance with the invention, the number of header fields is increased in order that at least one further field can be used as a cost information field and can contain an identification signal to indicate to the recipient and/or the sender the costs of the transmission.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiment, the field addressed with 0×19 in the hexadecimal system (equivalent to 25 in the decimal system) (FIG. 10) is provided for this in order to record the information about the selection of the recipient as the person owning the costs; the field 0×1A (26 in the decimal system) contains information about the level of costs.

[0037] The sender (level 2) can activate a switch 17 on said sender's telecommunication devices, said switch being hardware-based or in particular software-based and operated via the keyboard which is present in any case, in order to store the information “Reverse charging on”, i.e. assumption of costs by the recipient, or “Reverse charging off”, i.e. assumption of costs by the sender in the conventional manner, in field 0×19. For example, in the case of “Reverse charging on” the field 0×19 is assigned the value 128 and in the case of “Reverse charging off” the value 129. This field is set by the sender activating the switch and is sent with the message 9 (FIG. 3) to the provider (level 3). In place of a simple Yes/No selection a gradation can also be provided for in the “Reverse charging on/off” field, in order for example to split the cost half-and-half or in another proportion between sender and recipient.

[0038] In his acknowledgment message 10 (FIG. 5), the provider confirms his readiness to accept the assumption of costs by the recipient and then sets the field 0×19 in the message 10 (M-send.conf) to the sender to “Reverse charging on”, or in the event of rejection to “Reverse charging off”. The sender receives the corresponding message to the effect that his wish to transfer costs has been accepted or rejected. Moreover the message 10 contains in field 0×1A, for example as a string file, information on the level of costs, prepared by the service provider (level 3). This information can be communicated to the sender regardless of whether the latter wishes to accept the costs himself or to charge then to the recipient, which improves cost transparency. It is also possible to send this information back to the sender only if the latter has selected the “reverse charging off” mode.

[0039] If agreeable to the desired assumption of costs by the recipient, the provider in his message 11 M-notification.ind (FIG. 7) to the recipient leaves the field 0×19 at “Reverse charging on”. The recipient then receives the message that a chargeable data record 7 is ready for him to download. Moreover the message 11 contains in field 0×1A, for example as a string file, information on the level of costs, prepared by the provider (level 3). This information can be communicated to the recipient visually (via the indicator means 15, for example the display) or acoustically, regardless of whether the latter at the wish of the sender should or should not assume the costs, which improves cost transparency. It is also possible to forward this information to the recipient only if the “reverse charging on” mode was selected.

[0040] The recipient can now decide whether he wishes to download the chargeable data record 7 from the provider's level 3 to his reception level 4, in other words to the memory of his telecommunication device 6. To this end he has available, in a similar manner as described above for the sender, a hardware-based or software-based switch 16, which the recipient can activate to decide whether or not he wishes to receive the data record 7, if appropriate assuming the costs himself. If he decides to do this, he will send the message 13 (WSP GET.req) back to the provider. At the provider's end the data transmission 14 (M-Retrieve.conf) to the recipient is thereby initiated. Otherwise downloading of the data record 7 (transmission of the message 14 to the recipient) is not released. It is also possible that the recipient does not wish to have the message transmitted until a later, cheaper time. The message 14 also contains the two fields 0×19 and 0×1A for acceptance of the identification signal (FIG. 9). The cost information is thus not only supplied in the event of notification about a message which is ready, but also when the data record 7 is “delivered”, and can thus also be stored or for instance printed out.

[0041] In accordance with the invention, for example, a child can send messages to its parents, without the child having to pay for them. This is of particular importance if the communication must be paid for directly, by means of cards for example, the value of which is decreased. Thus it is still possible to transmit data 7 using the reversed-charge method when cards have too little remaining value.

[0042] Thanks to the information on costs, cost transparency is improved regardless of the person selected who owes the costs. The recipient can also notify the sender of costs afterwards which would have been avoidable, such as roaming costs in the case of messages from abroad, or the provider's charges for storage, perhaps because the recipient has not switched his telecommunication device 6 on for a long time. Both can then look for opportunities for savings.

[0043] The proposed method can be integrated in software for operating the communication standard in each case, for example UMTS. The telecommunication devices 5,6 are then provided with corresponding software.

[0044] An MMS relay is also part of the invention, and generates a cost identification signal as an element of a telecommunication system to enable data transmission by means of a mobile radio network. Advantageously it forwards this signal to the recipient. Advantageously the MMS relay carries out a method in accordance with the claims 1 to 19. The MMS relay advantageously checks the admissibility of a wish by the sender for the costs to be assumed by the recipient and can reject or accept this wish. It can advantageously send the recipient a message about this. Advantageously the MMS relay can moreover determine the level of costs for sending the data record and send it to the sender.

[0045] Advantageously the costs for receiving the data record are determined by the MMS relay and the level of costs incurred is forwarded to the recipient, the forwarding taking place in the notification to the recipient (MMS user agent, level 4) by the MMS relay of the service provider (level 3) about the presence of a new data record (multimedia message) and/or in the event of a data record (multimedia message) being transmitted by the MMS relay of the service provider (level 3) to the recipient (MMS user agent, level 4).

Claims

1. A method for the accounting of data transmission costs in a mobile radio network, in particular in respect of text and/or image data with and without sound, characterized in that the data is assigned an identification signal for the transmission costs and that this identification signal is transmitted to the recipient of the data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the identification signal contains information about the person owing the costs for the incurred transmission costs of the data.

3. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the identification signal contains information about the level of the transmission costs.

4. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sender of the data can select before the data is sent who owes the costs for the data transmission.

5. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the existing transmission costs are assigned to the data by the provider before the data is forwarded to the recipient and the information about this is sent to the recipient.

6. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transmission costs are indicated to the recipient visually or acoustically before receipt of the data.

7. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the telecommunication device of the recipient features an assumption switch to confirm the assumption of costs and the transmission to the recipient is not enabled until the acceptance switch has been triggered.

8. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the method is applied in the Mobile Messaging Service (MMS).

9. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the method is applied in the transmission standard UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), in GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), in GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and/or in EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Environments).

10. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the identification signal is assigned to one or more header fields of the data which is transmitted.

11. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the selection of the person owing the costs is stored in a header field and the level of the transmission costs is stored in a further header field.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the selection of the person owing the costs is stored in the header field 0×19 and the level of the transmission costs is stored in the header field 0×1A.

13. The method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the additional identification signal for the selection of the person owing the costs is transmitted respectively during the transmission of a data record (multimedia message) from the sender (MMS user agent A) to the MMS relay of the service provider, in the confirmation of receipt of a transmitted data record (multimedia message) by the MMS relay of the service provider to the sender (MMS user agent), in the notification to the recipient (MMS user agent) by the MMS relay of the service provider concerning the presence of a new data record (multimedia message), as well as during the transmission of a data record (multimedia message) from the MMS relay of the service provider about the presence of a new data record (multimedia message).

14. The method as claimed in one of the claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the additional identification signal for the level of transmission costs is transmitted respectively in the notification to the recipient (MMS user agent) by the MMS relay of the service provider concerning the presence of a new data record (multimedia message), as well as during the transmission of a data record (multimedia message) from the MMS relay of the service provider to the recipient (MMS user agent).

15. The method as claimed in one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the additional header field(s) for the selection of the person owing the costs is or are assigned respectively to the messages M-send.req, M-send.conf, M-Notification.ind and M-Retrieve.conf and the additional header field(s) for the level of the transmission costs is or are assigned respectively only to the messages M-Notification.ind and M-Retrieve.conf.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the outgoing message M-Send.req is assigned an additional header field for the selection by the sender of the person owing the costs.

17. The method as claimed in one of claims 15 or 16, characterized in that in the message M-send.conf returned to the data sender by a provider the same header field acknowledges with a confirmation of acceptance or rejection of a selection of the person owing the costs.

18. The method as claimed in one of the claims 15 to 17, characterized in that in the message M-Notification.ind sent to the recipient by the provider the same header field is populated with a signal which indicates the selection of the person owing the costs.

19. The method as claimed in one of the claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the message WSP Get.req (14) sent to the provider by the recipient represents a signal accepting the selection of the person owing the costs.

20. A method for the accounting of data transmission costs in a mobile radio network, in particular in respect of text and/or image data with and without sound, in particular in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the data is assigned an identification signal for the transmission costs and that this identification signal is transmitted to the sender of the data.

21. A mobile telecommunication device (5;6) for carrying out the method as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the mobile telecommunication device (5;6) features an assumption switch (16) for confirming the assumption of costs.

22. The mobile telecommunication device as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the mobile telecommunication device (5;6) features an indicator means (15) for visual or acoustic indication of the costs of sending and/or receiving data (7).

23. The mobile telecommunication device as claimed in one of the claims 21 or 22, characterized in that the mobile telecommunication device (5;6) features a selection switch (17) to select a charging of costs when data is sent (7).

24. The mobile telecommunication device according to one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that the selection switch (17) and/or the assumption switch (16) is or are implemented in software and is or are selectable by means of an input means.

25. The mobile telecommunication device (5;6), characterized in that this features software for populating header fields of data messages (9;13) with an identification signal for transmission costs.

26. Software to enable data transmission by means of a mobile radio network, characterized in that this forwards a cost identification signal to the respective recipient.

27. Software in accordance with claim 26, characterized in that this carries out a method in accordance with one of claims 1 to 17 when sending data in the mobile radio network.