Patent Application
20130178189
Wireless (e.g., cellular) service providers and device manufacturers are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling services, applications, and content. Beyond the sophisticated functions already included in many devices, service providers and device manufacturers are making a greater array of optional services (e.g., music, games, video, navigation, products, etc.) available to consumers. This increased variety, however, may conflict with the goal of delivering convenience to the consumer, in that generally it is more difficult for a consumer to manage (e.g., discover, select, access, purchase, activate, modify, bill, etc.) a large library of services. Therefore, to be competitive and to promote the greater discovery and use of available services, the service providers and manufacturers need to address the ever growing requirement for more approaches for efficient and convenient management of services.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach for simple and automated management of services.
According to one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to initiate determination of service information related to one or more services from a bearer tag. The one or more processors are also caused to generate one or more service requests to manage the one or more services according to the service information. The one or more processors are further caused to initiate transmission of the one or more service requests to a services platform for management of the one or more services according to a billing arrangement.
According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that if executed cause the apparatus to initiate determination of service information related to one or more services from a bearer tag. The processor and the memory are also caused to generate one or more service requests to manage the one or more services according to the service information. The processor and the memory are further caused to initiate transmission of the one or more service requests to a services platform for management of the one or more services according to a billing arrangement.
According to yet another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive a request from a user to manage one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag. The one or more processors are also caused to determine billing information for the one or more services. The one or more processors are further caused to generate a message requesting confirmation to manage the one or more services, the message including billing information related to the one or more services. The one or more processors are further caused to initiate transmission of the message to the user. The one or more processors are further caused to receive a response message from the user. the one or more processors are further caused to initiate management of the one or more services according to the response message.
Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:
A software product and apparatus for managing one or more services using bearer tags are disclosed. As previously stated, the term “services” as used herein refers collectively to services, applications, and content in a network and/or user equipment. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the invention.
By way of example, the communication network 103 of system 100 includes one or more networks such as a data network (not shown), a wireless network (not shown), a telephony network (not shown), or any combination thereof. It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietary packet-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-optic network. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like.
The system 100 also includes bearer tags 105a-105n with each bearer tag 105 corresponding, for example, to one or more services. In exemplary embodiments, the bearer tag 105 is a near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, contactless card, barcode, or any combination thereof that contains information related to the one or more corresponding services. The service information contained in the bearer tag 105 may include, for instance, one or more service codes to identify the one or more services represented by the bearer tag 105. It is contemplated that in other embodiments, the bearer tag 105 may contain additional service related information (e.g., expiration date, use restrictions, etc.). The bearer tags 105a-105n, for instance, are embedded in, attached to, or printed on any of a variety of materials capable of supporting the tag (e.g., packaging material, a sticker, a poster, a card, etc.). The UEs 101a-101n each include one or more readers capable of reading the bearer tags 105a-105n, e.g., a near field communication (NFC) reader, radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, contactless card reader, barcode reader, camera, and/or the like, or any combination thereof.
By way of example, NFC, RFID, contactless card, and similar technologies are short-range wireless communication technologies that enable the exchange of data between devices over short distances (e.g., the range for NFC is approximately 4 inches). In general, these technologies comprise two main components, a tag (e.g., attached to an object) and a reader (which can be implemented with the UEs 101a-101n). Communication between the reader and the tags occur wirelessly and may not require a line of sight between the devices. The tag (e.g., an RFID transponder) is, for instance, a small microchip that is attached to an antenna. The tags can vary in sizes, shapes, and forms and can be read through many types of materials.
Moreover, the tags may be passive tags or active tags. Passive tags are generally smaller, lighter, and less expensive than active tags. Passive tags are only activated when with the response range of a reader. The reader emits a low-power radio wave field that is used to power the tag so as to pass on any information that is contained on the chip. Active tags differ in that they incorporate their own power source to transmit rather than reflect radio frequency signals. Accordingly, active tags enable a broader range of functionality like programmable and read/write capabilities.
A reader typically contains a transmitter, receiver, control unit, and an antenna. The reader performs three primary functions: energizing the tag, demodulating and decoding the returned radio signal. In certain embodiments, a reader includes an additional interface to convert the returned radio signal to a form that can be passed to another system such as a computer or programmable logic controller.
A barcode reader relies on optical technology to read a barcode. Typically, the barcode reader's photo sensors optically scan a barcode to convert the bars comprising a barcode image into one or more alphanumeric characters. These characters then represent the code. In certain embodiments, the barcode includes an additional checksum bar to ensure accurate decoding.
As shown in
According to certain embodiments, the system 100 enables the management of one or more services. As seen in
To address this problem, a mechanism, e.g., services management module, is introduced to detect input from a user for managing (e.g., activating or modifying) a service corresponding to a bearer tag 105. In exemplary embodiments, reading the service information from the bearer tag 105 quickly identifies the requested service. A request is generated to manage the service according to the service information from the bearer tag 105, and is forwarded to the services platform 107 for processing according to a billing arrangement or a predetermined billing arrangement with, for instance, the carrier. For example, the billing arrangement is effected using mechanisms such as premium short message service (PSMS), wireless application protocol (WAP) billing service. The billing arrangement also may be configured to bill the user periodically (e.g., one a month) without additional action from the user.
Moreover, the process of managing a service may occur automatically, thereby enabling a user to initiate a service by, for instance, simply tapping or bringing a UE 101 close to a bearer tag 105 associated with the service. It is noted that a service that can be initiated quickly and billed through a single tap is likely to be more attractive to users, which can drive more users to the service.
By way of example, the UEs 101a-101n communicate with the other devices on the communication network 103 (e.g., the services platform 107) using standard protocols. In this context, a protocol includes a set of rules defining how the network nodes within the communication network 103 (e.g., UEs 101a-101n and services platform 107) interact with each other based on information sent over the communication links. The protocols are effective at different layers of operation within each node, from generating and receiving physical signals of various types, to selecting a link for transferring those signals, to the format of information indicated by those signals, to identifying which software application executing on a computer system sends or receives the information. The conceptually different layers of protocols for exchanging information over a network are described in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model. The OSI Reference Model is generally described in more detail in Section 1.1 of the reference book entitled “Interconnections Second Edition,” by Radia Perlman, published September 1999.
Communications between the network nodes are typically effected by exchanging discrete packets of data. Each packet typically comprises (1) header information associated with a particular protocol, and (2) payload information that follows the header information and contains information that may be processed independently of that particular protocol. In some protocols, the packet includes (3) trailer information following the payload and indicating the end of the payload information. The header includes information such as the source of the packet, its destination, the length of the payload, and other properties used by the protocol. Often, the data in the payload for the particular protocol includes a header and payload for a different protocol associated with a different, higher layer of the OSI Reference Model. The header for a particular protocol typically indicates a type for the next protocol contained in its payload. The higher layer protocol is said to be encapsulated in the lower layer protocol. The headers included in a packet traversing multiple heterogeneous networks, such as the Internet, typically include a physical (layer 1) header, a data-link (layer 2) header, an internetwork (layer 3) header and a transport (layer 4) header, and various application headers (layer 5, layer 6 and layer 7) as defined by the OSI Reference Model.
After detecting a service request, the service selection module 201, for example, causes the reader tag control module 203 to interact with an external bearer tag reader 205 (e.g., RFID reader, barcode reader). More specifically, the module 203, for instance, initiates the reader 205 to determine the service information contained in the bearer tag 105 and receives the raw data from reader 205 for processing by the service selection module 201. In certain embodiments, the bearer tag reader is a component of the UE 101 (e.g., a handset with a built-in reader) in which the services management module 111 resides. In other embodiments, the reader may be an external peripheral attached to the UE 101 (e.g., a barcode scanner connected to a PDA).
The service selection module 201 then uses the service information to generate a service management request for transmission to the services platform 107. The service management request, for instance, includes information such as the requested service and identification of the user. It is contemplated that the request may include other information needed to process to specific requests (e.g., quantity of product, duration of subscription, etc.).
In certain embodiments, the service selection module 201 is also configured to receive and process a request from the services platform 107 to confirm service management requests. By way of example, the confirmation request from the services platform 107 includes billing information, if any, associated with the requested management action. After confirmation and subsequent completion of any management action, the service selection module 201 interacts with the activation module 207 to activate the request service or implement any modifications. The activation module 207 has connectivity to a database 209 of subscribed services for storing service records and settings.
On receipt of the user confirmation, the services portal 221, for example, directs the payment gateway 227 to collect the fees associated with the request. In exemplary embodiments, the payment gateway 227 may interact with the network billing system 109 to collect payment using, for example: (1) direct billing to the user using the International Mobile Station Identity (IMSI) associated with the user's UE 101, wherein the user's phone bill is directly charged for any fees and the payment gateway 227 makes a billing request to the network billing system 109 to recover the fees based on the IMSI; (2) direct billing using a 3G/GPRS access point, wherein the user's phone bill is directly charged for any fees and the payment gateway 227 makes a billing request to the network billing system 109 to recover the fees based the network assigned ID (e.g., a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Digital Services Network (MSISDN) number); (3) direct billing using a wireless access protocol (WAP) access point, wherein the user's phone bill is directly charged for any fees and the payment gateway 227 makes a billing request to the network billing system 109 to recover the fees based the network assigned ID (e.g., MSISDN) (i.e., WAP direct billing); (4) direct billing using WAP, wherein the user accesses a WAP portal to authorize payment against the user's phone bill and the payment gateway 227 makes a billing request to the network billing system 109 to recover the fees (i.e., WAP online billing); (5) direct billing using premium short message service (SMS) MO billing wherein an SMS sent from the user's device triggers direct billing against the user's phone bill and wherein the network billing system 109 sends the collected fees to the payment gateway 227 based on the SMS transaction identification; and (6) direct billing using premium short message service (SMS) MT billing wherein an SMS sent to the user's device triggers direct billing against the user's phone bill and wherein the network billing system 109 sends the collected fees to the payment gateway 227 based on the SMS transaction identification. In exemplary embodiments, the user, the service provider, or both can configure the payment mechanism used by the services platform 107.
After collecting the appropriate payment, the payment gateway 227 sends the payment or, in some cases, verification of the payment to the services portal 221. The services portal 221 then interacts with the service activation system 229 (which may be implemented as a server) to initiate activation or modification of a service according to the service management request.
Next, the module 111 receives a message from the services platform 107 requesting confirmation of the service management of the service management actions that the services platform 107 will perform (at 309). On receipt of the request, the module 111 detects a user input indicating a response to the confirmation request (e.g., proceed with request, or cancel request) (at 311). The module 111 then generates a message containing the user's response to the confirmation request (at 313) and initiates transmission of the message to the services platform 107 (at 315).
Process 400 begins with the UE 101 indicating a user input for managing a service corresponding to a bearer tag 105 (at 401). In certain embodiments, the user input is indicated by tapping a user equipment one or more times on or near the bearer tag 101, by activating one or more buttons or menu options on the UE 101 itself, by using the UE 101 to read the bearer tag 105, or by a combination thereof. It is contemplated that the user, the service provider, or both may configured the number of taps, buttons, or menu options to indicate a service management request. It is also contemplated that in certain embodiments, a user input is not needed to initiate certain services or features (e.g., activation of a service), and service management may proceed with no user input. The UE 101a then reads service information contained in the bearer tag 105 using, for instance, an NFC reader, RFID reader, contactless card reader, a barcode reader, or any combination thereof (at 403). Based on the service information, the UE 101a generates a service management request message (at 405) and transmits the message, per at 407, to the services platform 107.
Like the process described with respect to the services management module 111, the UE 101a receives a message from the services platform 107 providing the associated billing information and requesting confirmation of the service action (at 409). Next, the UE 101a receives input from the user responding to the request (e.g., proceed with request or cancel request) (at 411), generates a response message based on the user input (at 413), and transmits the response message to the services platform 107 (at 415) for instructing the services platform 107.
In exemplary embodiments, the UE 101 may be configured to perform the process 400 to manage a service (e.g., initiate a service) using a “one tap” mode of operation. In this mode, a single tap (or other similar action) on a bearer tag 105 as described at 401 initiates the service management action (e.g., service activation). All other actions of the process 400, as well as any associated service enablement and billing actions, are completed automatically by the services platform 107 and network billing system 109 using previously stored information (e.g., account, billing, and payment information) related to the user. This information, for example, was collected from the user when the user initiated the wireless service. In this way, the user need not input any previously stored information when managing services under the process 400.
As discussed previously, the use of a one tap mode of operation for managing (e.g., activating, purchasing, subscribing, etc.) a service may improves overall convenience to the user when accessing the service. This added convenience may in turn encourage greater use of the service.
In certain embodiments, the one or more services corresponding to a bearer tag 105 can be limited to certain geographical areas (e.g., Atlanta or New York City). In this case, the services platform 107 is also configured to validate the service management request based on location. The term “validate” refers to a process for ensuring that a UE 101 meets the conditions (e.g., location requirement) to manage a service. To validate the location information, the services platform 107 may obtain the location of the UE 101 by, for instance, identifying the wireless communication cell in which the UE 101 is operating, using the global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver of the UE 101, or using other like location technologies. In one embodiment, the location restriction for a service may be classified alternatively or additionally by continent (i.e., a particular service is available only in North America or Europe). By way of example, the location restriction associated with a service is included in the bearer tag 105 as a location validation identifier as illustrated in Table 1. Table 1 also includes a validity date associated with each identifier. The validity date indicates the effective date or dates for the location restriction.
In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that the services platform 107 may also use criteria other than location to validate a service management request originating from a bearer tag 105. For example, the services platform 107 can determine whether a service associated with a particular bearer tag 105 has already been activated or otherwise previously used. In one further embodiment, the services platform 107 can link a particular bearer tag 105 to a UE 101 by, for example, associating a bearer tag ID with the unique identifier corresponding to the UE 101 (e.g., international mobile equipment identity (IMEI)).
At 509, the services platform 107 receives a response message from the user. If the response confirms the service management request, the services platform 107 initiates the requested service management actions (at 511). In exemplary embodiments, the process of initiating the actions includes initiating the collection of appropriate payment for the service management request according to the methods of payment collection described with respect to the payment gateway 227 of
In one embodiment, the billing information for the service may be printed or displayed on the tag itself (e.g., bearer tags 601-605). In other embodiments (e.g., bearer tag 607), the billing information is not display on the tag. Instead, the tag 607 can be configured, for instance, to display the billing information when the tag is read.
In another embodiment, the bearer tag may be configured to activate any dependent features (e.g., a data plan) in addition to the requested service. For example, bearer tag 601 may be used to subscribe to an Mobile Mail e-mail service. In this example, the services platform 107 is configured to require a data plan when subscribing to the Mobile Mail service. On activation of the tag 601 by a UE 101, the services platform automatically initiates subscription to a data plan along with activating the service if the UE 101 does not already have a data plan.
Although the bearer tags are displayed in
Table 2 summarizes the exemplary services and features associated with a bearer tag 105 in relation to the mechanism for distributing the bearer tag 105 and the dependent features already installed on the UE 101 as discussed with respect to
Scenario 2 is similar to scenario 1 with the exception that the UE 101 has already been provisioned with a data plan feature. This scenario, for instance, may be used to promote an E-mail service, instant messaging service, or games. In this case, the user merely has to activate and pay for the service using, for example, a wireless application protocol (WAP) billing page. This payment for be scheduled to automatically recur on a periodic basis (e.g., monthly) to maintain the service.
Scenario 3 includes a UE 101 that does not have an application corresponding to a service already installed on the device. The UE 101 also does not have a data plan feature already enabled. In this scenario, a bearer tag 105 that is distributed either in the equipment box or by other means may be used to initiate the service, download the corresponding application, and enable the dependent feature (e.g., a data plan). Under this scenario, the user may initiate payment for the service via, for example, an SMS short code or a WAP link.
Scenario 4 is similar to scenario 3 with the exception that the UE 101 already has the data plan feature provisioned on the device. In this case, the UE 101 may initiate a service and download of the corresponding application by the one tap method (i.e., single tapping the UE 101 on the bearer tag 105). A second or subsequent tap may then, for instance, initiate payment for the service or activate the service and any corresponding downloaded application.
Scenario 5 is similar to scenario 4 with the exception that the data plan already provisioned on the UE 101 is not adequate to take full advantage of the service (e.g., a premium video service require additional bandwidth). In this case, the user can initiate the service and upgrade to the recommended data plan feature using a bearer tag 105. The bearer tag 105, for example, may be sent to user by mail with the phone bill.
The described processes and arrangement advantageously, according to certain embodiments, provide a rapid and convenient mechanism for a user to identify and subscribe to services.
The processes represented in
In this example, the service information includes an activation code for a service and a promotion code to apply towards the service billing charge. At 823, the NFC application 803 reads the service information and interprets it as an activation code and a promotion code, and sends the service information to the store front 807 via an SMS message.
On receipt of the message, the store front 807 interprets the service information as a service activation code for a service and sends a confirmation request to the consumer device 801 (at 825). The confirmation message, for instance, contains the billing price for the service taking into account the promotion code.
Upon confirmation from the user to activate the service and to apply the charges to the user's phone bill, the NFC application 803 sends a request to the payment gateway 809 to send information on the SMS short code and transaction details for the service (at 827). Accordingly, the payment gateway 809 generates a unique transaction ID and sends the ID and the associated SMS short code to the NFC application 803 (at 829). The NFC application 803 initiates payment for the service by initiating an SMS message containing the transaction ID addressed to the SMS short code corresponding to the operator billing system 813 (at 831). The SMS is forwarded to the operator billing system 813 via the operator access point 811 (at 833).
After receiving the SMS message, the operator billing system 813 forwards the message along with the MSISDN number corresponding to the consumer device 801 to the payment gateway 809 (at 835). The payment gateway 809 matches the transaction ID sent to the client at 829 with the transaction ID received from the operator billing system 813, and initiates a premium rate SMS (PSMS) message to the operator billing system 813 (at 837). The payment gateway 807 also sends confirmation of the billing charge to the NFC application 803 (at 839) and confirmation to the store front 807 to deliver any digital goods associated with the service (at 841).
If applicable, the store front 807 initiates download of any application or other digital content to the consumer device 801 (at 843). The downloaded application 845 is activated using the activation code read from the NFC tag 805. The activation code may also be automatically passed to the NFC application 803 by the store front 807 or it may be manually entered by the consumer when prompted (at 847).
In this example, the service information includes three elements: a service activation code, promotion code, and a promotion counter. The promotion counter, for instance, limits the number of consumers who can activate the service. At 909, the NFC application 803 reads the service information and interprets it as an activation code to activate a service, a promotion code, and a promotion counter. The NFC application 803 checks that the activation code counter and the promotion counter are greater than zero. If they are, the NFC application 803 passes the service information to the store front 807 via an SMS message.
On receipt of the message, the store front 807 interprets the service information as a service activation code for a service and sends a confirmation request to the consumer device 801 (at 911). The confirmation message, for instance, contains the billing price for the service taking into account the promotion code.
Upon confirmation from the user to activate the service and to apply the charges to the user's phone bill, the NFC application 803 sends a request to the payment gateway 809 to send information on the SMS short code and transaction details for the service (at 913). Accordingly, the payment gateway 809 generates a unique transaction ID and sends the ID and the associated SMS short code to the NFC application 803 (at 915). The NFC application 803 initiates payment for the service by initiating an SMS message containing the transaction ID addressed to the SMS short code corresponding to the operator billing system 813 (at 917). The SMS is forwarded to the operator billing system 813 via the operator access point 811 (at 919).
After receiving the SMS message, the operator billing system 813 forwards the message along with the MSISDN number corresponding to the consumer device 801 to the payment gateway 809 (at 921). The payment gateway 809 matches the transaction ID sent to the client at 829 with the transaction ID received from the operator billing system 813, and initiates a premium rate SMS (PSMS) message to the operator billing system 813 (at 923). The payment gateway 807 also sends confirmation of the billing charge to the NFC application 803 (at 925) and confirmation to the store front 807 to deliver any digital goods associated with the service (at 927). If applicable, the store front 807 initiates download of any application or other digital content to the consumer device 801 (at 929). The downloaded application 845 is activated using the activation code read from the NFC tag 805. The activation code may also be automatically passed to the NFC application 803 by the store front 807 or it may be manually entered by the consumer when prompted (at 931).
In addition, the store front 807 sends a request to the NFC application 803 on the consumer device 801 to decrement the promotion counter on the NFC tag 805 by one (at 933). In response, the NFC application 803 performs a write operation on the NFC tag 805 to decrement to counter by one (at 935). The NFC tag 805 sends a confirmation to the NFC application 803 when the write operation is complete (at 937). When the promotion counter reaches zero the NFC application 803 displays a message on the device that the service code and promotion code have expired when the consumer next taps the NFC tag 805.
In this example, the service information includes an activation code for a service and a promotion code to apply towards the service billing charge. At 1009, the NFC application 803 reads the service information and interprets it as an activation code and a promotion code, and sends the service information to the store front 807 via an SMS message.
On receipt of the message, the store front 807 interprets the service information as a service activation code for a service and sends a confirmation request to the consumer device 801 (at 1011). The confirmation message, for instance, contains the billing price for the service taking into account the promotion code.
Upon confirmation from the user to activate the service and to apply the charges to the user's phone bill, the NFC application 803 sends a request to the payment gateway 809 to send information on the SMS short code and transaction details for the service (at 1013). Accordingly, the payment gateway 809 generates a unique transaction ID and sends the ID and the associated SMS short code to the NFC application 803 (at 1015). The NFC application 803 initiates payment for the service by initiating an SMS message containing the transaction ID addressed to the SMS short code corresponding to the operator billing system 813 (at 1017). The SMS is forwarded to the operator billing system 813 via the operator access point 811 (at 1019).
After receiving the SMS message, the operator billing system 813 forwards the message along with the MSISDN number corresponding to the consumer device 801 to the payment gateway 809 (at 1021). The payment gateway 809 matches the transaction ID sent to the client at 829 with the transaction ID received from the operator billing system 813, and initiates a premium rate SMS (PSMS) message to the operator billing system 813 (at 1023). The payment gateway 807 also sends confirmation of the billing charge to the NFC application 803 (at 1025) and confirmation to the store front 807 to deliver any digital goods associated with the service (at 1027).
The store front determines that the application associated with the service is already installed on the consumer device 801 and sends the application activation code to the device 801 (at 1029). The activation code may be automatically passed to the NFC application 803 by the store front 807 or it may be manually entered by the consumer when prompted (at 1031).
In this example, the service information includes an activation code for a service and a promotion code to apply towards the service billing charge. At 1109, the NFC application 803 reads the service information and interprets it as an activation code and a promotion code, and sends the service information to the store front 807 via an SMS message.
On receipt of the message, the store front 807 interprets the service information as a service activation code for a service and sends a confirmation request to the consumer device 801 (at 1111). The confirmation message, for instance, contains the billing price for the service taking into account the promotion code. In addition, the confirmation message identifies any features that are required as part of the service. For example, an e-mail service requires subscription to a data plan. If the consumer device 801 does not already have the feature (e.g., data plan) already configured, the store front 807 includes the feature and associated billing information in the confirmation message.
Upon confirmation from the user to activate the service (and any additional features if applicable) and to apply the charges to the user's phone bill, the NFC application 803 sends a request to the payment gateway 809 to send information on the SMS short code and transaction details for the service (at 1113). Accordingly, the payment gateway 809 generates a unique transaction ID and sends the ID and the associated SMS short code to the NFC application 803 (at 1115). The NFC application 803 initiates payment for the service by initiating an SMS message containing the transaction ID addressed to the SMS short code corresponding to the operator billing system 813 (at 1117). The SMS is forwarded to the operator billing system 813 via the operator access point 811 (at 1119).
After receiving the SMS message, the operator billing system 813 forwards the message along with the MSISDN number corresponding to the consumer device 801 to the payment gateway 809 (at 1121). The payment gateway 809 matches the transaction ID sent to the client at 829 with the transaction ID received from the operator billing system 813, and initiates a premium rate SMS (PSMS) message to the operator billing system 813 (at 1123). The payment gateway 807 also sends confirmation of the billing charge to the NFC application 803 (at 1125) and confirmation to the store front 807 to deliver any digital goods associated with the service (at 1127).
If applicable, the store front 807 initiates download of any application or other digital content to the consumer device 801. The store front 807 also initiates subscription to any feature (e.g., data plan) require as part of the service (at 1129). The downloaded application 845 is activated using the activation code read from the NFC tag 805. The activation code may also be automatically passed to the NFC application 803 by the store front 807 or it may be manually entered by the consumer when prompted (at 1131).
The processes described herein for managing services may be implemented via software, hardware (e.g., general processor, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.), firmware or a combination thereof. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below.
A bus 1210 includes one or more parallel conductors of information so that information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus 1210. One or more processors 1202 for processing information are coupled with the bus 1210.
A processor 1202 performs a set of operations on information. The set of operations include bringing information in from the bus 1210 and placing information on the bus 1210. The set of operations also typically include comparing two or more units of information, shifting positions of units of information, and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition or multiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), and AND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed by the processor is represented to the processor by information called instructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. A sequence of operations to be executed by the processor 1202, such as a sequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, also called computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions. Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical or quantum components, among others, alone or in combination.
Computer system 1200 also includes a memory 1204 coupled to bus 1210. The memory 1204, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, stores information including processor instructions. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to be changed by the computer system 1200. RAM allows a unit of information stored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrieved independently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory 1204 is also used by the processor 1202 to store temporary values during execution of processor instructions. The computer system 1200 also includes a read only memory (ROM) 1206 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 1210 for storing static information, including instructions, that is not changed by the computer system 1200. Some memory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information stored thereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus 1210 is a non-volatile (persistent) storage device 1208, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk or flash card, for storing information, including instructions, that persists even when the computer system 1200 is turned off or otherwise loses power.
Information, including instructions, is provided to the bus 1210 for use by the processor from an external input device 1212, such as a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, or a sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transforms those detections into physical expression compatible with the measurable phenomenon used to represent information in computer system 1200. Other external devices coupled to bus 1210, used primarily for interacting with humans, include a display device 1214, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), or plasma screen or printer for presenting text or images, and a pointing device 1216, such as a mouse or a trackball or cursor direction keys, or motion sensor, for controlling a position of a small cursor image presented on the display 1214 and issuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on the display 1214. In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in which the computer system 1200 performs all functions automatically without human input, one or more of external input device 1212, display device 1214 and pointing device 1216 is omitted.
In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 1220, is coupled to bus 1210. The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operations not performed by processor 1202 quickly enough for special purposes. Examples of application specific ICs include graphics accelerator cards for generating images for display 1214, cryptographic boards for encrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speech recognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as robotic arms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complex sequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented in hardware.
Computer system 1200 also includes one or more instances of a communications interface 1270 coupled to bus 1210. Communication interface 1270 provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety of external devices that operate with their own processors, such as printers, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with a network link 1278 that is connected to a local network 1280 to which a variety of external devices with their own processors are connected. For example, communication interface 1270 may be a parallel port or a serial port or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. In some embodiments, communications interface 1270 is an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or a telephone modem that provides an information communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, a communication interface 1270 is a cable modem that converts signals on bus 1210 into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cable or into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiber optic cable. As another example, communications interface 1270 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also be implemented. For wireless links, the communications interface 1270 sends or receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic or electromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, that carry information streams, such as digital data. For example, in wireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones, the communications interface 1270 includes a radio band electromagnetic transmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver.
The term computer-readable medium is used herein to refer to any medium that participates in providing information to processor 1202, including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 1208. Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memory 1204. Transmission media include, for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, and carrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such as acoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical and infrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations in amplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical properties transmitted through the transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read.
In one embodiment, the chip set 1300 includes a communication mechanism such as a bus 1301 for passing information among the components of the chip set 1300. A processor 1303 has connectivity to the bus 1301 to execute instructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory 1305. The processor 1303 may include one or more processing cores with each core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processor enables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of a multi-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers of processing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor 1303 may include one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 1301 to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and multithreading. The processor 1303 may also be accompanied with one or more specialized components to perform certain processing functions and tasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP) 1307, or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) 1309. A DSP 1307 typically is configured to process real-word signals (e.g., sound) in real time independently of the processor 1303. Similarly, an ASIC 1309 can be configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed by a general purposed processor. Other specialized components to aid in performing the inventive functions described herein include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (not shown), one or more controllers (not shown), or one or more other special-purpose computer chips.
The processor 1303 and accompanying components have connectivity to the memory 1305 via the bus 1301. The memory 1305 includes both dynamic memory (e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and static memory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructions that when executed perform the inventive steps described herein. The memory 1305 also stores the data associated with or generated by the execution of the inventive steps.
A radio section 1415 amplifies power and converts frequency in order to communicate with a base station, which is included in a mobile communication system, via antenna 1417. The power amplifier (PA) 1419 and the transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to the MCU 1403, with an output from the PA 1419 coupled to the duplexer 1421 or circulator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA 1419 also couples to a battery interface and power control unit 1420.
In use, a user of mobile station 1401 speaks into the microphone 1411 and his or her voice along with any detected background noise is converted into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into a digital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 1423. The control unit 1403 routes the digital signal into the DSP 1405 for processing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding, encrypting, and interleaving. In the exemplary embodiment, the processed voice signals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellular transmission protocol such as global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and the like.
The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer 1425 for compensation of any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmission though the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizing the bit stream, the modulator 1427 combines the signal with a RF signal generated in the RF interface 1429. The modulator 1427 generates a sine wave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare the signal for transmission, an up-converter 1431 combines the sine wave output from the modulator 1427 with another sine wave generated by a synthesizer 1433 to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. The signal is then sent through a PA 1419 to increase the signal to an appropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA 1419 acts as a variable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP 1405 from information received from a network base station. The signal is then filtered within the duplexer 1421 and optionally sent to an antenna coupler 1435 to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer. Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna 1417 to a local base station. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control the gain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwarded from there to a remote telephone which may be another cellular telephone, other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks.
Voice signals transmitted to the mobile station 1401 are received via antenna 1417 and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA) 1437. A down-converter 1439 lowers the carrier frequency while the demodulator 1441 strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream. The signal then goes through the equalizer 1425 and is processed by the DSP 1405. A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) 1443 converts the signal and the resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker 1445, all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU) 1403—which can be implemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) (not shown).
The MCU 1403 receives various signals including input signals from the keyboard 1447. The MCU 1403 delivers a display command and a switch command to the display 1407 and to the speech output switching controller, respectively. Further, the MCU 1403 exchanges information with the DSP 1405 and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card 1449 and a memory 1451. In addition, the MCU 1403 executes various control functions required of the station. The DSP 1405 may, depending upon the implementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digital processing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP 1405 determines the background noise level of the local environment from the signals detected by microphone 1411 and sets the gain of microphone 1411 to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the user of the mobile station 1401.
The CODEC 1413 includes the ADC 1423 and DAC 1443. The memory 1451 stores various data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storing other data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet. The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers, or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. The memory device 1451 may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, or any other non-volatile storage medium capable of storing digital data.
An optionally incorporated SIM card 1449 carries, for instance, important information, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplying service, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card 1449 serves primarily to identify the mobile station 1401 on a radio network. The card 1449 also contains a memory for storing a personal telephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobile station settings.
While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/395,512 filed Feb. 27, 2009, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12395512 | Feb 2009 | US |
| Child | 13685162 | US |
