Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7046643?dq=60/310,746
Timestamp: 2017-12-14 15:56:41
Document Index: 840067

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 10', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 11', 'art 16', 'art 12', 'art 16', 'art 1']

Patent US7046643 - Method for dynamic multi-level pricing for wireless communications according ... - Google Patents
A method for pricing wireless communications services on a wireless network is described. A selection of a plurality of priorities available for transmitting a wireless communication transaction on a wireless network is provided, wherein the priority to be selected corresponds to the speed and allowable...http://www.google.com/patents/US7046643?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7046643 - Method for dynamic multi-level pricing for wireless communications according to quality of service
Publication number US7046643 B1
Application number US 09/559,593
Publication number 09559593, 559593, US 7046643 B1, US 7046643B1, US-B1-7046643, US7046643 B1, US7046643B1
Inventors Samuel N. Zellner, Mark J. Enzmann
Patent Citations (61), Non-Patent Citations (33), Referenced by (42), Classifications (27), Legal Events (3)
US 7046643 B1
receiving a request to transmit a wireless communication transaction on a wireless network at a priority selected from a plurality of available priorities provided to a user;
charging the user an amount for the wireless communication transaction at a price corresponding to the priority to be selected;
temporarily discontinuing a transmission of a lower priority transaction in favor of a higher priority transaction when network capacity reaches a predetermined level; and
allowing the continued transmission of the lower priority transaction when network capacity allows.
2. The method for pricing wireless communications services according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a cellular network, and the capacity level is determined locally according to a percentage of available access links into the network at a cell or sector.
wherein the selections of the plurality of priorities are subsets of priorities that are predetermined by the network and are pre-selected by the subscriber.
10. The method for pricing wireless communications according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication transaction is generated by a user application, and the selection of the plurality of priorities provided is pre-configured in the user application.
receiving a request to transmit the remainder of the wireless communication at a second priority from the plurality of available priorities;
transmitting portions of the wireless communication transaction during periods of time when the network has capacity for the transactions at the second selected priority, until completion of the transaction; and
charging an amount for the remainder of the wireless communication transaction at a price corresponding to the second selected priority.
18. The method for pricing wireless communications according to claim 17, wherein the step of charging an amount of the wireless communication transaction occurs at intervals during the transmission of the transaction, such that the first portion of the transaction occurs at a rate corresponding to the second selected priority.
evaluating the capacity of a cell to determine the accessibility to the cell for transmitting transactions at each of a plurality of priority levels, wherein each wireless communication transaction is associated with a priority level, and higher priority transactions are transmitted before lower priority transactions;
broadcasting an indication of the capacity of the cell to wireless communications devices operated within the cell;
receiving a request from a wireless communications device to transmit a wireless communication transaction at a selected priority level from the plurality of priority levels, wherein the selected priority level is determined based upon the capacity of the cell broadcasted to the wireless communications device;
allocating capacity to the wireless communications device for the transmission of the wireless communication transaction according to the selected priority;
wherein the price of the wireless communication is determined according to the selected priority;
temporarily discontinuing the transmission of the transaction in favor of a higher priority transaction when network capacity reaches a predetermined level; and
allowing the continued transmission of the transaction when network capacity allows.
20. The method for pricing a wireless communication transaction according to claim 19, wherein the capacity of the cell is determined based upon an average amount of time required to transmit transactions at each priority level during a preceding time period.
providing a selection of priorities available for transmitting wireless communication transactions of a plurality of different types, wherein each type of transaction is generated by a different user application operating on the wireless communications device;
transmitting portions of wireless communication transactions requested for transmission on the wireless communications device when the network has capacity for transactions at the selected priorities;
wherein the prices of the wireless communications are determined according to the period of time required for transmission of the transactions;
receiving instructions to temporarily discontinue the transmission of portions of wireless communication transactions in favor of at least one higher priority transaction when network capacity reaches a predetermined level; and
sending a request to continue the transmission of the portions of wireless communication transactions upon receiving a broadcast message that describes available network capacity.
27. The method for pricing the transmission of wireless communications transactions according to claim 26, wherein transactions that require greater bandwidth for operation are of higher priority than transactions that require only an available bit rate for operation.
(a) a wireless network having a plurality of access links for transmitting transactions;
(b) a plurality of wireless communications devices for requesting transmission of transactions on the wireless network, wherein a designated priority level is associated with each transaction;
(c) an access control manager for scheduling transmission of transactions, when all of the plurality of access links are occupied, by performing the following:
(i) identifying a transaction that is being transmitted over the wireless network and is of lower priority than a requested transaction,
(ii) discontinuing the transmission of the transaction of lower priority,
(iii) authorizing the transmission of the requested transaction, and
(iv) authorizing continued transmission of the discontinued transaction of lower priority upon completion of the transmission of the requested transaction; and
(d) a transaction records database connected to the access control manager for charging subscribers an amount for wireless communication transactions at a price corresponding to the priority selected for the transactions.
30. A method for pricing wireless communications services on a wireless network according to a selected transmission priority level, comprising the steps of:
providing a selection of a plurality of priorities available for transmitting a wireless communication transaction on a wireless network;
charging a user an amount for the wireless communication transaction at a price corresponding to the priority to be selected;
receiving a request to transmit a wireless communication transaction at a selected priority from the plurality of available priorities;
transmitting portions of the wireless communication transaction during periods of time when the network has capacity for transactions at the selected priority;
receiving a request to transmit the remainder of the wireless communication at a second selected priority from the plurality of available priorities;
transmitting portions of the wireless communication transaction during periods of time when the network has capacity for transactions at the second selected priority, until completion of the transaction; and
charging an amount for the remainder of the wireless communication transaction at a price corresponding to the second selected priority,
wherein transactions of lower priority are temporarily discontinued in favor of higher priority transactions when network capacity reaches a predetermined level.
31. A method for pricing wireless communications services on a wireless network according to a selected transmission priority level, comprising the steps of:
wherein transactions of lower priority are temporarily discontinued in favor of higher priority transactions when network capacity reaches a predetermined level, and wherein the step of charging an amount for the wireless communication transaction occurs at intervals during the transmission of the transaction, such that the first portion of the transaction occurs at a rate corresponding to the first selected priority, and the second portion of the transaction occurs at a rate corresponding to the second selected priority.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the multi-level wireless network service utilized in performing the method of the present invention. A mobile transmitter/receiver handset 10 is physically located in close proximity to cell tower 13, which is part of a packet switched wireless network. The handset is capable of supporting at least one or any number of applications, and contains a queue, or buffer, for temporarily storing data packets to be communicated to cell tower 13. The handset 10 is capable of running at least three applications, App. A1, App. A2, and App. A3, labelled 10 a-10 c, respectively, and contains queue 10 d and communications manager 10 e. A communications manager in the handset stores control information to be transmitted to cell tower 13 to initiate a wireless communication. Cell tower 13 transmits and receives radio frequency signals from handsets within a general region or cell. The handset 10 is to be used by a subscriber to the wireless network, and access to the wireless network is allocated according to a subscriber plan, to be discussed in further detail below
FIG. 6B is a table illustrating the steps of transmitting a bidirectional voice-over-IP communication in the wireless network according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. In the example provided in this table, the application has a level 1 priority. However, because the voice communications do not require constant transmission, a level 1 priority voice communication can be interrupted for short time periods, e.g., when there are gaps in the speech communication. Therefore, when the handset (“vocoder handset”) periodically omits sending data packets, the capacity is filled by a transaction of a lower priority communication.
FIG. 7 provides another table illustrating the steps of transmitting data packets for several different transactions, of different priorities, generated in the same handset. In the table of FIG. 7, transaction “A” is of priority level 2, transaction “B” is of priority level 3, and transaction “C” is of priority level 1. Each occurrence of “A,” “B,” or “C” may represent a single data packet for that transaction, or a group of data packets from that transaction.
At time 1 in FIG. 7,the handset requests capacity to send data packets for a priority level 2 communication. The user has already generated the data to be transmitted and the handset has sent the data to the handset queue as data packets “A.” The access control manager sends authorization for the transmission at time 2. At the same time, the handset places data packets “B” into the queue. Since data packets “B” are of a lower priority than data packets “A,” the data packets “B” are at the end of the queue (from right to left). At times 3 and 4, the handset sends data packets “A” to the cell side. At time 5, the handset receives a discontinue message to stop sending level 2 priority packets. The handset next places data packets “C” of level 1 priority into the queue at time 6, and requests access for a level 1 priority communication. The handset receives authorization to transmit at time 7, and sends data packet “C” at time 8. This operation continues until the queue is empty or the handset is turned off.
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U.S. Classification 370/329, 455/512, 379/266.01, 379/207.01, 455/450, 370/335, 370/428, 370/342
International Classification H04W4/24, H04M3/42, H04L12/54, H04B7/216
Cooperative Classification H04M2215/0108, H04M2215/0152, H04M15/80, H04W4/24, H04M2215/32, H04M15/00, H04M2215/7414, H04M15/8016, H04M15/745, H04M2215/2026
European Classification H04M15/745, H04W4/24, H04M15/80C, H04M15/80, H04M15/00
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ZELLNER, SAMUEL N.;ENZMANN, MARK J.;REEL/FRAME:011068/0042;SIGNING DATES FROM 20000809 TO 20000811