IP Library Granted Patent US 7,181,193
Granted Patent B2
US 7,181,193 · App. 10/824,565 · Granted Feb 20, 2007

Generating charging information in a communication system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,181,193
App. No.
10/824,565
Granted
Feb 20, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for generating charging information in a communication system is disclosed. The method includes providing a gateway with information regarding a time zone of a user equipment provided with network access by an access entity. The method also includes providing a service for the user equipment via the access entity and the gateway and generating charging information based on the information regarding the time zone for charging for the service.

Claims (48)

1. A method comprising:

providing a user equipment with an access to a service through an access entity of a first network to a gateway of a second network, the service provided in the second network, the user equipment being in a different time zone than the gateway of the second network;

generating subscriber information comprising a time zone indication of the user equipment in the access entity of the first network;

transmitting the subscriber information from the access entity of the first network to the gateway of the second network; and

generating charging information for charging for the service based on the time zone indication.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying whether the service is providable for the user equipment based on said time zone indication.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the verifying comprises verifying whether a subscriber of the user equipment is entitled to receive the service.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:

providing the subscriber of the user equipment with a prepaid account; and

managing the prepaid account in connection with the gateway.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the verifying comprises verifying whether the prepaid account possesses enough prepaid resources for receiving the service.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing the user equipment with access to the service comprises providing a communication media from a visited network to a service provider located in a home network of the user equipment.

7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

generating said time zone indication by mapping a Greenwich Mean Time time zone to a location of the user equipment.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing the gateway with the time zone indication comprises sending the time zone indication from the access entity to the gateway.

9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the sending the time zone indication comprises transmitting the time zone indication in a message of a packet data protocol context.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing the gateway with the time zone indication comprises providing the gateway with information for mapping an access entity address with the time zone for at least one access entity with which the gateway interfaces.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing the gateway with the time zone indication comprises providing the gateway with a table comprising information for mapping a user location received from the access entity with a time zone for at least one user location.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

pricing the service according to a function of a time of the day when the service is provided.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a first network comprising an access entity configured to provide network access for a user equipment; and

a second network comprising a gateway and configured to provide a service for the user equipment via the access entity and the gateway,

wherein the access entity of the first network comprises subscriber information generating means configured to generate the subscriber information comprising a time zone indication and subscriber information transmitting means configured to transmit the subscriber information from the access entity to the gateway of the second network,

the communication system further comprising charging information generating means configured to generate the charging information for charging for the service based on the time zone indication, and

wherein the gateway is configured to receive the time zone indication.

14. A communication system according to claim 13 , further comprising:

verifying means configured to verify whether the service is providable based on the time zone indication.

15. A communication system according to claim 13 , wherein the first network comprises a visited network and the second network comprises a home network relating to a subscriber of the user equipment.

16. A communication system according to claim 13 , wherein the access entity comprises a serving general packet radio service support node and the gateway comprises a gateway general packet radio service support node.

17. A communication system according to claim 13 , wherein a subscriber of the user equipment possesses a prepaid account to be used in charging the service.

18. An access entity in a first network, wherein the access entity is configured to:

generate subscriber information comprising a time zone indication relating to a location of a user equipment in connection with the access entity; and

transmit the subscriber information from the access entity to a gateway of a second network;

wherein the second network is configured to provide a service for the user equipment via the access entity and the gateway, and the gateway is in a different time zone than the user equipment.

19. A gateway configured to:

provide charging information using information regarding a time zone indication of a user equipment,

wherein the gateway is in a second network and the user equipment is provided with the network access by an access entity of a first network, and

wherein the second network is configured to provide a service for the user equipment via the access entity and the gateway, and the gateway is in a different time zone than the user equipment.

20. A gateway according to claim 19 , configured for mapping with a time zone, the gateway comprising an address of the access entity of the first network with which the gateway interfaces.

21. A gateway according to claim 19 , configured for mapping a user location received from the access entity of the first network with a time zone.

22. A communication system, comprising:

a first network comprising an access entity configured to provide network access for a user equipment; and

a second network comprising a gateway and configured to provide a service for the user equipment via the access entity and the gateway,

wherein the access entity of the first network is configured to generate subscriber information comprising a time zone indication and to transmit the subscriber information from the access entity to the gateway of the second network,

wherein the communication system is configured to generate the charging information for charging for the service based on the time zone indication, and

wherein the gateway is configured to receive the time zone indication.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2015
From: NOKIA CORPORATION
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 035443/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2004
From: ANSAMAA, JARKKO
To: NOKIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015227/0552 →