Patent ID: 7532885
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A computerized method for selecting a provider that provides a radio communication service that can be received by a mobile station via a radio access network and is provided by a plurality of service providers via the radio access network, the method comprising: receiving from the mobile station via a radio interface of the radio access network a request to select a provider for the service from the plurality of service providers by a selecting device; requesting the plurality of service providers to indicate a value of a selection parameter by the selecting device; selecting the provider by the selecting device based on the values received from the indication request, the plurality of service providers indicating respective values within a first time interval and the selecting of the provider occurring after a second time interval, wherein after the first time interval comparing the values received with each other to perform an initial selecting of a provider based on a most favorable value from the values received, and re-requesting at least a portion of the plurality of service providers to indicate a new value of the selection parameter, wherein in the event the received new values of at least two providers have an identical value, the selecting by the selecting device is performed on a random basis; and notifying said portion of the service providers of the most favorable value from the values received so that at least one of said service providers can provide a new value chosen to undercut the most favorable value; wherein, in the event the received new values of at least two service providers have identical values, said at least two service providers is each notified of the existence of said identical values so that at least one of said at least two service providers can change its own identical value to pre-empt a random selection.