Claims
- 1. A method of billing a communications network user for goods or services associated with the transport of packet traffic from that communications network into a packet communications network, each packet having an address, wherein the method comprises; providing a set of rules, and determining from said rules and each packet address, a respective billing tariff and account for that packet.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein account details for network users and providers of goods and services are stored in a common accounts database.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein transfers of credit between accounts stored in the accounts database are determined from coupons generated for each transaction.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein network users have prepaid and postpaid accounts.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein each user account is accorded a respective credit limit.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a user validation is performed prior to completion of a transaction.
- 7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the network is a wireless network.
- 8. A method of on-line shopping in which the cost of goods or services purchased by a customer are debited to that customer's pre-paid or postpaid account with a network operator, and a corresponding credit is applied to an account held by the provider of those goods or services.
- 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a transaction charge is retained by the operator.
- 10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a supplier of goods or services is credited with a portion of the network operator's revenue for the transport of packet traffic relating to a transaction.
- 11. A method of providing combined billing of a communications packet network user for the delivery of communications services to that user and for the on-line purchase of goods and services by the user via the communications network, wherein the method comprises; providing a set of rules, and determining from said rules and each packet address, a respective billing tariff and account for that packet.
- 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein network users have prepaid and postpaid accounts.
- 13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein each user account is accorded a respective credit limit.
- 14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a supplier of goods or services is credited with a portion of the network operator's revenue for the transport of packet traffic relating to a transaction.
- 15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said network comprises a wireless network.
- 16. Software in machine readable form on a storage medium and arranged to perform the method of claim 15.
- 17. Apparatus for billing a communications network user for goods or services associated with the transport of packet traffic from that communications network into a packet communications network, the apparatus comprising:
means for providing each packet with an address, a store having a set of rules, and a packet analyzer for determining from said rules and each packet address, a respective billing tariff and account for that packet.
- 18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein network users have prepaid and postpaid accounts.
- 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein each user account is accorded a respective credit limit.
- 20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said network comprises a wireless network.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/185,134 filed Jun. 28, 2002, which itself is the regular filing of provisional patent application No. 60/355,221 filed Feb. 8, 2002. The contents of both these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60355221 |
Feb 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10185134 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Child |
10720856 |
Nov 2003 |
US |