Patent Publication Number: US-2004043753-A1

Title: System and method for third party application sales and services to wireless devices

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] I. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention generally relates to wireless devices and wireless networks. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method that permits third party application sales and services to wireless telecommunication devices across a wireless network, and the system properly accounts for and bills wireless service subscribers, and provides the appropriate proceeds to the third party for sold applications and services.  
       [0003] II. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Wireless devices, such as cellular telephones, communicate packets including voice and data over a wireless network. In existing wireless telecommunication systems, such as cellular telecommunication systems, fees are charged to the subscriber for the initial activation of a telecommunication device and then fees can be charged for ongoing airtime and device usage. However, existing systems typically do not account for other activities at the telecommunication device beyond airtime usage.  
       [0005] Further, if the subscriber of the wireless device desires to download and use a software application or upgrade the functionality of the telecommunication device, the user will typically either call a service provider or contact the service provider through another electronic means, such as through a separate Internet access. In some instances, the service provider can transmit the application to the wireless device across the wireless network (through a one time direct access download) or allow the user access a network site with the wireless device through the wireless network and at such site the application is downloadable or accessible to the subscriber. Otherwise service personnel of the provider must have physical access to the telecommunication device to install the software or upgrade the components thereof.  
       [0006] The existing systems for monitoring and billing for wireless telecommunication device activity thus do not allow a service provider to bill or account for activities by the wireless device that not occur on the computer devices of that provider. In order to provide any additional billed services to the subscriber or end-user of the telecommunication device, the service provider must have the subscriber contact and use the computer devices of the service provider which greatly limits the value-added service that a provider can make available to its subscribers. Accordingly, it is to a system and method that allows the monitoring and billing of wireless device activity that the present invention is primarily directed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] The present invention is a system, method, and computer program for billing wireless device subscribers for their interaction with applications and services resident on third party computer devices that are accessible through a wireless network. The wireless devices, such as cellular telecommunication devices, communicate with other computer devices across a wireless network and an end-user thereof, who is not necessarily the subscriber for the wireless service for that wireless device, can selectively download and execute software applications on the computer platform. Also on the wireless network are third party computer devices, such as application download servers, that selectively provide value-added applications and services to the wireless devices and the interaction of the wireless devices with the applications of the third party computer devices causes billable events to occur, such as an application download execution, or access. A billing server ultimately gathers the billable event data across the wireless network, generates billing for the wireless device subscribers, and effects payment of the third party for the billable events of wireless devices with the computer devices of the third party.  
       [0008] The system includes one or more wireless devices where each include a computer platform and an end-user thereof, with one or more third party computer devices that selectively provide applications and services to the one or more wireless devices across the wireless network, and the interaction of the wireless devices with the applications or services of the third party computer devices causes one or more billable events to occur for the interacting wireless device. At least one billing server is in the system that gathers at least the billable event data from wireless device interaction with the one or more third party computer devices, and also effects payment of the third party based upon the gathered billable event data for the billable events at the third parties&#39; computer devices. In one embodiment, the billing server also generates a bill for each wireless device for the billable events.  
       [0009] The method of billing for third party applications and services provided to the wireless devices of subscribers to a wireless network includes the steps of causing a billable event to occur through wireless device interaction with a third party computer device, aggregating the billable events into billable event data at a billing server, billing the appropriate subscriber for each billable event based upon the billable event data at the billing server, and effecting payment of the third party for the billable events at the third party computer device. The method can also include the steps of billing the wireless subscriber from the billing server and prompting the third party computer devices to transmit gathered billable event data to the billing server.  
       [0010] The system and method accordingly allow wireless service providers the ability to provide and bill for wireless telecommunication device activity, such as application download and execution, with third party computer devices accessible through the wireless network. The system and method accordingly give an advantage to the service provider in that the provider can give its subscribers access to additional value-added services of third parties and effectively capture and share the revenue from the billed services. Moreover, the billing system does not require the subscriber to contact the service provider or the third party to receive or access the additional service.  
       [0011] Other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent after review of the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention, and the Claims. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a representative diagram of a wireless network and the computer hardware and wireless devices that can be used within the wireless device billing system.  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a cellular telecommunication network with the billing system tracking billable events occurring on wireless telephones that interact with servers and other computer devices across the wireless network.  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is an interactive menu that is presented to end-users of the wireless device when contacting a third party application download server across the wireless network, and a plurality of options for interaction is represented on the display.  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process executing on the computer platform of the third party computer application download server wherein billable event data is either transmitted to the billing server as the events are completed, or stored and transmitted to the billing server upon request.  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process executing on the billing server that receives a request to generate billing for the billable events of the wireless devices at third party computer devices, and the billing server gathers and processes the billable event data for each of the wireless devices to create billing information that can be transmitted to the carrier or other billing entity for the wireless devices, and effects payment of the third parties for the billable events at their respective computer devices.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0017] With reference to the figures in which like numerals represent like elements throughout, FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present inventive system  10  for tracking billable events occurring through wireless devices, such as cellular telephone  12 , in communication across a wireless network  14 , with third party computer devices, such as a third party application download server  30 , that selectively downloads software applications or other data to the wireless devices across a wireless communication portal or other data access to the wireless network  14 . In developing wireless networks  14 , if the end-user of the wireless device desires to download and use a software application, the end-user will attempt to connect to an application download server, either the carrier&#39;s server or a third party application download server  30 , through bridging a communication connection to the wireless network  14 , and attempt to access and download the desired software application. Once the wireless device contacts the application download server  30 , an initial contact is made and the application download server  30  can determine what applications and data are available to that wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  and send the appropriate information, such as a menu (FIG. 3), for display on the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  so the end-user can learn of the available applications and services.  
     [0018] As shown here, the wireless device can be a cellular telephone  12 , with a graphics display  13 , a personal digital assistant  18 , a pager  20  with a graphics display, which is shown here as a two-way text pager, or even a separate computer platform  22  that has a wireless communication portal, and may otherwise have a wired connection  24  to a network or the Internet. The system  10  can thus be performed on any form of remote computer module including a wireless communication portal, including without limitation, wireless modems, PCMCIA cards, access terminals, personal computers, access terminals, telephones without a display or keypad, or any combination or sub-combination thereof. Further, the term “application” as used herein is intended to encompass executable and nonexecutable software files, raw data, aggregated data, patches, and other code segments.  
     [0019] In the system  10 , one or more wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  that each selectively communicate with other computer devices across a wireless network  14 , an end-user thereof who can selectively download and execute software applications. The wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  to one or more third party computer devices, such as third party application download server  30  and stand-alone server  32 , and the interaction of the wireless devices with the applications of the third party computer devices causes one or more billable events, and at least one billing server  16  gathers at least the billable event data for the billable events from wireless device interaction with the one or more third party computer devices (servers  30  and  32 ). The billable events can be the purchase, download and/or execution of an application, access to a menu, wireless device tools and diagnosis, or any other value-added data interaction between the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  and the third party computer device (server  30  and  32 ). The billing server  16  then effects payment of the third party for the billable events at that third parties servers, as is more further described herein.  
     [0020] The one or more wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , typically at the direction of an end-user operating the device, selectively communicate with other computer devices across a wireless network, application download server  30  or third party stand alone server  32 , both shown here on a local server-side network  26  with other computer elements in communication with the wireless network  14 , such as a billable event database  28  that contains the billable event data for the wireless devices. The application download server  30  and a stand-alone server  32  provide value-added services to the wireless devices, such as downloadable applications and other interaction, such as live stock quotes, news, and interactive games. All of the components can work in tandem to gather data relative to billable events of the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  and aggregate the billable event data at the billing server  16  as is further described herein. However, it should be noted that all server-side functions can be performed on one server, such as billing server  16 . Further, any computer or server-side computer platform can provide separate services and processes to the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  across the wireless network  14 .  
     [0021]FIG. 2 is a block diagram that more fully illustrates the components of the wireless network  14  and interrelation of the elements of the system  10 . The wireless network  14  is merely exemplary and can include any system whereby remote modules, such as wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , communicate over-the-air between and among each other and/or between and among components of a wireless network  14 , including, without limitation, wireless network carriers and/or servers. The server side components are a billing server  16 , third party application download server  30 , a billable event database  28 , a wireless device database  34 , and a third party applications database  36 . Other server-side components will be present on the cellular data network with any other components that are needed to provide cellular telecommunication services. The server-side components as embodied in FIG. 2 can by themselves create a billing system  10  solely through tracking applications downloaded from the third party application download server  30  and the billing for the download will be generated through correlation of the billable event database  28  and wireless device database  34  by the billing server  16 . The third party application download server  30  can have a separate third party applications database  36  that provides applications and other services to the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 . With the use of third party hardware readily scalable, the number of computer devices that can be made accessible to the wireless devices is theoretically unlimited.  
     [0022] The server-side components communicate with a carrier network  40  through a data link, such as the Internet, a secure LAN, WAN, or other network. The carrier network  40  controls messages (generally in the form of data packets) sent to a messaging service controller (“MSC”)  42 . The carrier network  40  communicates with the MSC  42  by a network, the Internet and/or POTS (“plain ordinary telephone system”). Typically, the network or Internet connection between the carrier network  40  and the MSC  42  transfers data, and the POTS transfers voice information. The MSC  42  is connected to multiple base stations (“BTS”)  44 . In a similar manner to the carrier network, the MSC  42  is typically connected to the BTS  44  by both the network and/or Internet for data transfer and POTS for voice information. The BTS  44  ultimately broadcasts messages wirelessly to the wireless devices, such as cellular telephone  12 , by short messaging service (“SMS”), or other over-the-air methods known in the art.  
     [0023] The wireless device, such as cellular telephone  12 , has a computer platform  50  that can receive and execute software applications transmitted from the application download server  16 . The computer platform  50  includes, among other components, an application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”)  52 , or other processor, microprocessor, logic circuit, programmable gate array, or other data processing device. The ASIC  52  is installed at the time of manufacture of the wireless device and is not normally upgradeable. The ASIC  52  or other processor executes an application programming interface (“API”) layer  54  that interfaces with any resident programs in the memory  56  of the wireless device. The memory can be comprised of read-only or random-access memory (RAM and ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, flash cards, or any memory common to computer platforms. The computer platform  50  also includes a local database  58  that can hold the software applications not actively used in memory  56 , such as the software applications downloaded from the third party application download server  16 . The local database  58  is typically comprised of one or more flash memory cells, but can be any secondary or tertiary storage device as known in the art, such as magnetic media, EPROM, EEPROM, optical media, tape, or soft or hard disk.  
     [0024] Cellular telephones and telecommunication devices, such as cellular telephone  12 , are being manufactured with increased computing capabilities and are becoming tantamount to personal computers and hand-held personal digital assistants (“PDAs”). These “smart” cellular telephones allow software developers to create software applications that are downloadable and executable on the processor, such as ASIC  52 , of the cellular device. The wireless device, such as cellular telephone  12 , can download many types of applications, such as games and stock monitors, or simply data such as news and sports-related data. The downloaded data or executed applications can be immediately displayed on the display  13  or stored in the local database  58  when not in use. The software applications can be treated as a regular software application resident on the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , and the user can selectively upload stored resident applications from the local database  58  to memory  56  for execution on the API  54 . The user of the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  can also selectively delete a software application from the local database  58 . As a result, end-users of cellular telephones  12  can customize their telephones with programs, such as games, printed media, stock updates, news, or any other type of information or program available for download from application download servers through the wireless network  14 .  
     [0025] The use of these value-added services of third parties by the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  cause billable events for which the wireless network service provider will bill the subscriber of the wireless device, who is not necessarily the end-user of the wireless device at the time of the billable event. The billable events typically occur from the end-user conducting some activity with applications provided from the third party application download server  30 . Examples of billable events, include but are not to be limited to, downloading an application from a third party application download server  30  on the wireless network  14  to the wireless device computer platform  50 ; the execution of an application on the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 ; accessing an application resident on another computer device on the wireless network  14 , such as stand-alone server  32  through application download server  30 , or a database such as third party application database  36 ; or other parameter of execution or interaction therewith.  
     [0026] The system  10  allows a third party, such as an independent software vendor or developer, either through the third parties own computer devices or through a network carrier  40  servers, to provide its software applications as downloadable to the wireless device. A multitude of computer devices can be involved in the ultimate delivery of applications and services, and the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  can make several accesses to one or more third party computer devices. The system  10  can thus after-bill the carrier  40  for their subscriber billable event transactions, which typical is a different fee than what the carrier  40  will use to bill their subscribers. Unless the payment of the third party vendor and developers is automatic, the system  10  will wait until payment from the carrier (or wireless device subscriber) are received, and then aggregate payments from multiple carriers as necessary and pay all third parties that are a member of the transactions. This provides the capability for the third party that otherwise sells an application or service to one or more carriers  40  to elected to share its payment with other parties, which the system  10  can account for.  
     [0027] The billing server  16  can therefore aggregate all payments due each third party and creates a single or multiple payments to the third party. Moreover, the billing server  16 , or another computer device in conjunction therewith, can accommodate any parameters of payment of a particular third party for billable events, such as converting payment to and from foreign currencies (with appropriate currency gain/loss between time of invoice and payment), withholding of any appropriate taxes (US or foreign), and any rebates or pricing incentives.  
     [0028] To illustrate the possible services provided from the third party application download server  30  to the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , FIG. 3 is a partial view  60  of the display  13  having an menu  62  displayed thereon listing potential interactions with the download server  30 . Simple data for display at the wireless device is shown in an available news section  64 , wherein the wireless device will pay for simple access to the data. Further, a plurality of applications downloadable to wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , from the third party application download server  30  is shown in section  66 . The subscriber for the wireless device (end-user or not) will be discretely billed if one or more of the applications are downloaded.  
     [0029] A communications section  68  is presented to the end-user wherein a variety of methods of communication with other devices on the wireless network  14  are provided. The billable event for use of the communication can be based per communication, such as e-mail, size of data communicated, or based upon the duration of a communication. A device tool section  70  can also be present that allows the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  to upgrade, optimize, or fix any technically adjustable parameter. For example, a performance diagnosis can be effected from the third party application server  30  whereby the ongoing operation of the device can be alter through passing operational data from the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  to the server, such as stand alone server  32 , and the server  32  can manipulate the wireless device operation through the use of software commands. The wireless device subscriber can be billed for the use of any diagnosis tool. Additionally, software patches and other software fixes or upgrades can be posted to the tools section  70  to allow the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  to maintain the most current versions of software on the computer platform  50 .  
     [0030] The billable event data for the one or more wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  is ultimately gathered at billing server  16  such that the billing information for each wireless device that the billing server  16  accounts for. As embodied in FIG. 2, the billing information will ultimately be provided to the carrier network  40  for billing to the carrier&#39;s subscriber. However, the billing server  16  itself can generate a bill to the wireless device subscriber, for whom it can access the information of the wireless device data  34 . While the billable event data is ultimately gathered at the billing server  16 , the third party computer device (application download server  30 ) can also gather the billable event data and transmit it periodically to the billing server  16 . The third party computer device can transmit billable event data to the billing server  16  at the completion of the billable event, upon query from the billing server  16 , or at a predetermined interval of time, e.g. every 30 minutes while active. And if the billing server  16  further generates a bill for a wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  based upon the gathered billable event data, the generated bill can be transmitted from the billing server  16  to another computer device on the wireless network  14 , such as a device on the carrier network  40  for use by the carrier in billing its subscribers.  
     [0031]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process executing on the computer platform of the third party computer application download server  30  wherein billable event data is either transmitted to the billing server  16  as the events are completed, or stored and transmitted to the billing server  16  upon request. The third party application download server  30  receives an access attempt from a wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , as shown at step  80 , and then a determination is made as to whether the access attempt is in itself a billable event, as shown at decision  82 . If the access is a billable event at decision  82 , then the third party application download server  30  stores the billable event data, or transmits the data to the billing server  16 , or both, as shown at step  84 . Otherwise, if the access attempt is not billable at decision  82 , or after the billable event data storage or transmission step  84 , a determination is then made as to whether a download attempt has been received, as shown at decision  86 .  
     [0032] If a download attempt has not been detected at decision  86 , the process forwards to decision  94  which is further described herein. If a download attempt has been detected at decision  86 , a determination is then made as to whether the download attempt is billable, as shown at decision  88 . If the download attempt is a billable event at decision  88 , then the third party application download server  30  stores the billable event data, or transmits the data to the billing server  16 , or both, as shown at step  90 . Otherwise, if the download attempt is not billable at decision  88 , or after the billable event data storage or transmission step  90 , the requested application is downloaded to the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , as shown at step  92 .  
     [0033] After the application has been downloaded at step  92 , or if an application download attempt has not been received at decision  86 , a determination is made as to whether the execution of an application resident on the third party application download server  30  has been attempted, as shown at decision  94 . If an execution of an application has not been attempted at decision  94 , then the process forwards to decision  100 , which is further described below. If the execution of an application has been attempted at decision  94 , a determination is then made as to whether the execution attempt is billable, as shown at decision  96 . If the execution attempt is a billable event at decision  96 , then the third party application download server  30  stores the billable event data, or transmits the data to the billing server  16 , or both, as shown at step  98 . Otherwise, if the download attempt is not billable at decision  96 , or after the billable event data storage or transmission step  98 , or if an execution of application was not attempted at decision  94 , a determination is then made as to whether the billing server  16  has requested the stored billable event data from the third party application download server  30 , as shown at decision  100 . If the stored billable event data has been requested at decision  100 , then the stored billable event data is transmitted to the billing server  16  as shown at step  102  and then the process or thread of application access of the wireless device ends. Otherwise, if the request for transmission of the billable event data has not received at decision  100 , then the process ends. The process of FIG. 4 will then reoccur upon an access attempt of the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , such as the device attempting to access an application in section  66  of the menu  62  of FIG. 3.  
     [0034]FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process executing on the billing server  16  that receives a request to generate billing for the billable events of the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  at third party computer devices, such as third party application download server  30 , and the billing server  16  gathers and processes the billable event data for each of the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  to create billing information that can be transmitted to the carrier  40  or other billing entity for the wireless devices, and can effect payment of the third parties for the billable events at their respective computer devices. In the process or thread, the billing server  16  receives a request to generate billing for the billable events of the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , as shown at step  110 . Then the billing server  16  prompts the third party computer devices (servers  30  and  32 ) to transmit their stored billable event data as shown at step  112 , and then a determination is made as to whether the billable event data for each wireless device has been received, as shown at decision  114 .  
     [0035] If the billable event data for a particular wireless device has not been received at decision  114 , an error is returned for the billable event retrieval for that wireless device. Otherwise, once all of the billable events for the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  for which the billing information is requested has been obtained, the billing information is generated for the third party billable events, as shown at step  118 , and the billing information is then transmitted to the carrier, as shown at step  120 . The embodiment of FIG. 5 assumes that the carrier will ultimately bill the subscriber of the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  for all third party services, but step  120  could likewise be transmitting a bill to the subscriber of the wireless device. Then, if so embodied, the billing server effects payment of the third parties for the billable events of the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  at that third parties&#39; computer devices, as shown at step  122 , after which the billing generation process terminates.  
     [0036] It can be seen that the system  10  thus provides a method of billing for third party applications and services provided to the wireless devices  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  of subscribers to a wireless network  14 , including the steps of causing a billable event to occur through wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  interaction with a third party computer device, such as third party application download server  30 , aggregating the billable events into billable event data at a billing server, as shown in the steps of FIG. 5, and then billing the appropriate wireless service subscriber for each billable event based upon the billable event data at the billing server  16 . The method can include the step of effecting payment of the third party for billable events that occurred at the one or more computer devices of that third party.  
     [0037] The step of aggregating the billable events into billable data can occur at the billing server  16 , or at the third party computer device such that the method further includes a step of transmitting the billable event data to the billing server  16  from the third party computer device, as shown in step  122  of FIG. 5. The step of transmitting the billable event data can alternately be transmitting the bill from the billing server  16  to another computer device on the wireless network  14 , such as stand-alone server  32  or another computer device on the carrier network  40 . If embodied so as to bill the wireless subscriber, the method can then include the steps of obtaining wireless device subscriber data, such as from wireless device database  34 , and then generating a bill at the billing server for a wireless device based upon the billable event data, as shown at step  118  of FIG. 5.  
     [0038] The step of causing one or more billable events can be causing a billable event through the download of an application from a third party application download server  30  on the wireless network  14  to the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22 , through the execution of an application on the wireless device as shown at decision  94  in FIG. 4, or through access of the wireless device  12 , 18 , 20 , 22  to an application resident on a third party computer device on the wireless network  14 , as shown in FIG. 4. As is shown in FIG. 5, the method can also include the step of prompting the third party computer device from the billing server  16  to transmit billable event data to the billing server  16  to start the billing process.  
     [0039] In view of the method being executable on the computer platform of a computer device such as billing server  16  or third party computer device (servers  30  and  32 ), the present invention includes a program resident in a computer readable medium, where the program directs a server or other computer device having a computer platform to perform the steps of the method. The computer readable medium can be the memory of the billing server  16 , or can be in a connective database, such as billable event database  28 . Further, the computer readable medium can be in a secondary storage media that is loadable onto a wireless device computer platform, such as a magnetic disk or tape, optical disk, hard disk, flash memory, or other storage media as is known in the art.  
     [0040] In the context of FIGS. 4 and 5, the method may be implemented, for example, by operating portion(s) of the wireless network  14  to execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, such as wireless device computer platform  50 , the billing server  16 , and third party application download server  30 . The instructions can reside in various types of signal-bearing or data storage primary, secondary, or tertiary media. The media may comprise, for example, RAM (not shown) accessible by, or residing within, the components of the wireless network  14 . Whether contained in RAM, a diskette, or other secondary storage media, the instructions may be stored on a variety of machine-readable data storage media, such as DASD storage (e.g., a conventional “hard drive” or a RAID array), magnetic tape, electronic read-only memory (e.g., ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM), flash memory cards, an optical storage device (e.g. CD-ROM, WORM, DVD, digital optical tape), paper “punch” cards, or other suitable data storage media including digital and analog transmission media.  
     [0041] While the foregoing disclosure shows illustrative embodiments of the invention, it should be noted that various changes and modifications could be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, although elements of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.