Patent ID: 7203478
Filing Date: 2007-04-10
Classification: G06Q,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for allowing a mobile subscriber to negotiate via a mobile terminal a trade of minutes by category according to a predetermined exchange rate as set forth by a service provider, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of categories of usage associated with a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal having associated therewith predetermined amounts of time respectively for the categories during a predetermined time interval, the predetermined time interval being a billing cycle; tracking, by the telecommunication network, respective time used by the mobile terminal in each category of the plurality of categories during the predetermined time interval; selecting, at the mobile terminal, at least a portion of at least one remaining time in one category of the plurality of categories for transfer to at least one other category of the plurality of categories, for a respective category a remaining time of the respective category being a respective amount of time during the time interval less a respective current amount of used time for the respective category; and transferring, at the telecommunication network and according to the selection, at least a portion of at least one remaining time in one category of the plurality of categories to at least one other category of the plurality of categories, the step of transferring comprising at least one of a trade of off-peak minutes for peak minutes in a current billing cycle at a first predetermined exchange rate, a push of peak minutes in a current billing cycle to peak minutes in a next billing cycle at a second predetermined exchange rate, a pull of peak minutes in a next billing cycle into a peak minute category in a current billing cycle at a third predetermined exchange rate, and a pull of off-peak minutes in a next billing cycle into a peak minute category of a current billing cycle at a fourth predetermined exchange rate; the telecommunication network having a mobile switching center having a MSC time trade controller and the mobile terminal having a mobile time trade controller, a trade transaction request being formed by the mobile time trade controller, the trade transaction request being sent from the mobile terminal to the time trade controller in the mobile switching center, and selection information, formed by the mobile time trade controller and based on current time used information, being sent from the mobile terminal back to the mobile switching center.