The invention of the present application relates to a system for providing a service which allows an information terminal to be connected for communication, via a fixed network or a mobile wireless network, to a user that utilizes another information terminal and to an unspecified plurality of servers connected to a network such as the internet for instance. In particular, it relates to a service billing method in a system in which one or a plurality of schemes from among a plurality of network communication schemes are selectively used upon billing for allowing connection of an information terminal to a network.
When a user, as the owner of an information terminal, obtained information from a server via a network, the information terminal was connected physically to a fixed communication network, or to a mobile wireless network, and the information terminal accessed a server via a network such as the internet. In this case, communication speed and communication costs were different if the plurality of networks involved respectively different communication schemes. The user could respectively conclude connection service agreements with individual service providers that provide services over the networks having the separate communication schemes. In the service of providing a plurality of kinds of network connection, a connection time was purchased beforehand for a time-limited use charging. In addition, connection services have been provided that are billed on a monthly flat rate basis or on pay-as-you-go basis depending on data volume.
Prior art examples of the above are given below.
Japanese Patent No. 2939723 (Patent document 1) discloses a time- limited use charging system for internet wherein a terminal having client software installed therein is connected to the internet through dial-up to a port of an internet connection service provider, via a telephone line, such that connection is allowed until a connection frequency, set beforehand for each client and which denotes the time of available use, reaches 0 (zero) through subtraction.
Japanese Patent No. 3434271 (Patent document 2) discloses a network connection system, a connection fee calculation method in a network connection service, and a billing system in a network connection service, wherein a fee-charging classification pattern is recorded beforehand for each user, in cases where the line utilization fee is different depending on, for instance, the site of user access, and the person that pays the line utilization fee may be a sender or a recipient, and cases where billing companies that bill for the network connection service fee and for the line utilization fee are different entities, as a result of which, a billing address and sum for the line utilization fee are calculated referring to the charging pattern, and billing data is generated by totaling the service utilization fees.
Non-patent document 1 discloses a product “b mobile HOURS” (combination of PHS communication and public wireless LAN), in which there is provided an internet connection service through purchase beforehand of the number of hours, such that communication is enabled by selecting either PHS communication or public wireless LAN. If a public-line LAN is used, the service is such that usage is unlimited one day at a time, and five hours are subtracted from the time balance of the user, out of the purchased time.
Non-patent document 2 discloses a press release by Japan Communications Inc. on Mar. 10, 2009, of a product “b mobile 3G DOCCICA”, being a service in which the user buys beforehand usage time of use of a WCDMA network, and connection is available until the balance time is used up, such that communication is enabled by selecting either WCDMA communication (3G data communication) or public wireless LAN communication (WiFi). If a public line LAN is used, the service is such that usage is unlimited one day at a time, and 30 minutes are subtracted from the time balance.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2939723
Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 3434271
Non-patent document 1 (Japan Communications Inc. press release of Mar. 15, 2005, “Japan Communications Inc. launches new b-mobile hours for casual-mobile internet”; internet <URL:1268273886156_0.html>
Non-patent document 2 (Japan Communications Inc. press release of Mar. 10, 2009, “Japan Communications Inc. introduces new charging scheme “Doccica”, by which wireless LAN can be used in Shinkansen and 3G 3G+WiFi can be easily used at the destination”; internet <URL:1268273886156_1.html>
Conventionally, fees have been determined based on the transmitted bit count or number of packets, in environments where communication takes place through connection to a server upon selection of an arbitrary network from among a plurality of networks. However, these data volumes depend on the web site and so forth, and on the expression of the information that is obtained via the network. Also, the data volume is often not definite beforehand at the time of accessing the information. Therefore, pay-as-you-go billing depending on packet volume was hard to understand for the user in that the volume of data for communication was difficult to predict. In a case where the service is provided under a monthly flat rate, for instance, the user paid a flat fee also for a month in which the service had hardly been used, which impressed the user as wasteful.
Network communication fees must be paid for each scheme when the communication network that the system can use spans a plurality of communication schemes. Also, depending on the communication network, the billing schemes may be based on amount of data used, flat rates or time rates, and are confusing for the user. In the case for instance of electronic mail, the volume of data that utilizes the network increases whenever an external mail arrives, even if the user is not particularly operating the terminal. In web browsing, by contrast, the data volume I consumed varies depending on the purpose for which the network is used, such as network communication only at the time where the web is actually accessed for referring to information sites or the like. However, the billing system is often based exclusively on communication time or data communication volume, and it was thus hard for the user to feel intuitively that the communication fees are correctly priced.
A problem arose in that it was thus hard for the user to understand a time subtracting process depending on the network to be used in a case of a service such that one network out of a plurality thereof is selected for connection to the internet, and such that, for instance, the usage of the service is allowed until there are exhausted the number of connection hours, being the number of usage units, purchased in advance by the user, as the number of hours that the service can utilize any of the networks.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a technology that makes it possible for billing and balance management in the form of units that are difficult to understand for a user, as in conventional cases, to be expressed and managed in the form of units that are easy to understand from the viewpoint of the actual purpose of use. A further object is to provide a technology wherein, in case of multiple purposes, units are managed in the form of neutral units independently from the purpose for which the units are used. It is yet another object to provide a technology that allows increasing the utilization efficiency of network resources, regardless of the type of communication, either wireless or fixed, by urging the user to utilize the network in ways and at timings that afford greater savings in network costs.
In order to solve the above problems, in the invention of the present application, there is provided means for expressing the unit price of network usage in terms of units that a user can understand more intuitively in the light of the purpose for which the network is used. Depending on the purpose of use of the service, for instance, there can be used connection minutes (time), or the number of books (number or articles) purchased and downloaded over the network, or the number of connections with a partner for communication.
In a first main aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server connection system (network communication connection system) having: means for connection to a plurality of networks; means for pay-as-you-go billing of data in time units; means for subtracting (counting down) in minute units or the like, and displaying a remaining time; means (UI: user interface) through which the user designates start and end of use; a timer that counts usage time; a database that manages remaining time (minutes); a database that manages characteristics of usage conditions, on the basis of coefficients; and means for converting the available remaining time according to the usage conditions.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the means of subtracting data in the time units can do so in minute units.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the number of books can be used as the usage unit.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided means for individually converting and displaying the number of usage units according to a given fixed sum, for each selectable network, upon purchase or addition of the number of usage units.
The present invention makes it possible for billing and balance management in the form of units that are difficult to understand for a user, as in conventional cases, to be expressed and managed in the form of units that are easy to understand from the viewpoint of the actual purpose of use. Further, the present invention allows increasing the utilization efficiency of network resources, regardless of the type of communication, either wireless or fixed, by urging the user to utilize the network in ways and at timings that afford greater savings in network costs.
Embodiments of the present invention (for instance, Examples 1 to 3) are explained next with reference to accompanying drawings.
The terminal 1 in the present example can display buttons on a screen, such that the user can operate the buttons displayed on the screen by, for instance, directly touching with his/her fingers, or by tapping with the tip of a pen or the like, at any point of the screen. When connected to a wireless communication network, the terminal 1 communicates with a base station 2a or 2b via a wireless network. Each base station 2a and 2b is connected to gateway 3a and 3b, respectively. When the terminal 1 communicates via a fixed communication network X, the terminal 1 is connected to a gateway 3x. The gateways (3a,3b,3x) are connected to a service management center 4, such that data exchanged through wireless or fixed communication, using respective different schemes, is communicated to the service management center 4.
In the service management center 4, it is determined whether to allow connection to the internet in accordance with some status, such as presence or absence of remaining time, when the user attempts to use a service via the terminal 1; also, the service management center 4 manages the number of minutes (time) of available connection that the user purchased beforehand. The service management center 4 is connected to the internet 5 and is connected directly, not by way of the internet 5, to a server 6c and a second terminal 7b. The server 6a and a third terminal 7a are connected to the internet 5. An information database 6b is connected to the server 6a, such that the information database 6b manages information supplied to the terminal 1 by the server 6a. Similarly, an information database 6d is connected to the server 6c, such that the information database 6d manages information supplied by the server 6c. For the sake of a simpler explanation in the present example, three terminals and two servers are depicted in
For instance, when the user taps a “connected” 23a button in a state where only “WCDMA” is selected, as in
The first example is explained in more detail below. In the first example, a remaining time management unit 34a, being a remaining unit (usage unit) management unit, counts down (subtracts) the remaining time by means of a timer 34b.
The flow up to display of information, obtained by the terminal 1, relating to the remaining time, will be explained first with reference to
The time management unit 34a searches, and reads, the remaining time from the user database 32b (S73). Next, the time management unit 34a sends the remaining time and various information items to the unit converter 33a (S74). The various information items include herein the network type to which the user is connected, the service type and the terminal type. The unit converter 33a refers to the coefficient management database 33b, and calculates a conversion value (S75). The unit converter 33a delivers the conversion result to the connection management unit 31 (S76). The connection management unit 31 delivers the conversion result to the terminal 1. The terminal 1 updates the display 22 (22a and so forth) of remaining time. The flow of the series of processes is over thereby.
An explanation follows next, with reference to the screen display example of
In
In a case where the system is used with a focus on mail, in particular in wireless communication, a function is ordinarily resorted to such that, when a mail arrives, mail data reaches the terminal actively pushed by the mail server, at least apparently. In an actual operation, the terminal 1 checks periodically, via the network, whether a new mail has arrived to the mail server. In many cases, however, no new mail is there upon checking As a result, the user may be reluctant to go on consuming minutes (time), as the usage units, while in mere standby with no communication of data itself taking place. Also, no network band is actually consumed in communication with the terminal 1 during that time. Accordingly, the worth of the effective remaining time is increased.
In a case where both “mail” and “web” are selected, the conversion depends on service types that involve a greater utilization of the network, and, for instance, there is used the smallest value from among the coefficients of the respective service types that are applicable. For example, there is used a coefficient “1” that is assigned to web. Therefore, the remaining time is converted from “7,200 minutes” (52a in
A second example is explained below.
In the first example described above, the units for conversion were “minutes” (time). However, the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and there may be used units according to the purpose for which the terminal of the user is used. In the second example an example is illustrated wherein the terminal 1 is display terminal of an electronic book. The user can designate and purchase beforehand the number of electronic books (or a right thereto) that the user wishes to read a on the terminal 1, through download via a network. In the case of, for instance, a purchase of the right to download 10 books by paying 1000 yen, a remaining book number management unit 84a, as a remaining unit management unit of the second example, manages not minutes (time) as in the first example, but number of books (for instance, 10 books). The remaining book number management unit 84a counts down (subtracts) the number of remaining books using a counter (book counter) 84b. The number of remaining books (10 books) is displayed on the connection control display of the terminal 1. In this example, the fee includes a network communication fee, a server access service fee, and an electronic book information fee. Therefore, one purchase by the user implies payment of all the expenses involved in getting and reading the electronic book in the terminal 1.
An example is explained next, with reference to
An example is illustrated next, from window 91b of
Thereafter, as indicated by 91c in
In another application example, the unit of the worth of network use can be managed not in the form of minutes (time) or purchasable number of books, but in the form of the number of times over which connection is possible between a communicating partner (or server) and a partner (or server) thereof. In this case, the user purchases the number of connections with a partner (user). For instance, the stock of remaining number of times available to the user for connecting with a partner is rendered smaller through association of a small coefficient, according to a partner (user identifier) or server (IP address) to which more users are connected.
In the examples thus far, the unit converter 33a and the coefficient management database 33b are both held in the service management center 4, but the unit converter 33a and the coefficient management database 33b can be easily adapted to an example where replicated data of the foregoing are held in the terminal 1. In this case, communication is established with the service management center 4 at periods specified beforehand in the terminal 1, or as instructed by the user, and the content of the coefficient management database 33b is replicated in the terminal 1. As a result, when the user intends to connect to the terminal 1 to the network, a remaining time such as those illustrated in
As the case may require, the user may perform an additional purchase online (using, for instance, the purchase processing unit 35 or the like), from the terminal 1, for purchased usage units (minutes (time), number of books (number of articles), number of times (number of connections) of allowed communication (connection) with a partner, number of points (neutral point count in terms of the purpose of use in itself, for instance electronic currency, mileage points or the like)). A third example will be explained next with reference to
The table in
As illustrated in
A user ID (“001”), as the user identifier, is displayed on the screen 96a. A terminal phone number (“1234”), a payment balance (“1,000 yen”) and a period of validity “Apr. 1, 2009” of the balance are also displayed on the screen 96a. There is also displayed the conversion time of the network connection corresponding to the payment balance, for each intervening network during the connection. In the case of, for instance, network connection via WCDMA, the conversion time is 100 minutes; for a fixed network, the conversion time is 14,400 minutes; and for WiMAX, the conversion time is 200 minutes. The display screen 96a has also a button for designating an additional charge (payment) operation, and a button “close” for closing the display screen.
The display screen 96b of
In a case where the user further taps the “to additional charge (payment)” and pays according to the settling procedures for payment, the remaining usage units that are managed in the user management database 32b of the service management center 4 are increased by the purchased units.
In addition to direct purchases with cash or the like, as described above, another application of the present system allows a certain number of units to be given by an operator, or by an advertiser, as part of an advertisement campaign.
Needless to say, the present invention can accommodate various modifications without departing from the scope thereof.
The present invention is ordinarily useful in a wide variety of environments, in the telecommunication industry, where information is exchanged through access of a terminal to a server.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009-061866 | Mar 2009 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/256,433, filed Dec. 20, 2011, which claims the benefit of, and priority to, the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2010/054114, filed Mar. 11, 2010, which claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2009-061866, filed Mar. 13, 2009, the disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference.
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Child | 14737296 | US |