METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTI-TIER BILLING FOR DOWNLOADING CONTENT VIA A BROADBAND GATEWAY
A broadband gateway may be used to provide multi-tier billing services in a home network. The broadband gateway may determine whether a transaction requested from the broadband gateway is performable in a plurality of steps, may associate a charge and/or a credit with each of the determined plurality of steps, and may perform the requested transaction based on the associated charges and/or credits. The broadband gateway may determine a plurality of cost combinations for performing the requested transaction based on the determined associated charges and/or credits, and may offer the generated plurality of cost combination for selection by user. The transaction may comprise obtaining content for consumption by devices serviced by the broadband gateway. In this regard, a charge and/or a credit may also be associated with one or more criteria associated with obtaining content. The broadband gateway may communicate with users during multi-tier billing services via a user interface.
1 . A method, comprising:
in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein said broadband gateway is operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider:
determining whether a transaction requested from said broadband gateway is performable in a plurality of steps;
associating a charge and/or a credit with each of said determined plurality of steps; and
performing said requested transaction based on said associated charges and/or credits.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layer connections and said at least one corresponding network access service provider comprises a plurality of corresponding access service providers, and wherein each of said plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of corresponding access service providers.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising generating a plurality of cost combinations for selection by a user of said broadband gateway, wherein said plurality of cost combinations is determined based on said associated charges and/or credits.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising tracking and/or aggregating charges and/or credits during performance of said requested transaction.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said requested transaction comprises obtaining content for consumption via one or more of said plurality of devices.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein said plurality of steps comprises downloading and actual consumption of said content.
7 . The method according to claim 5 , comprising associating a charge and/or credit with one or more criteria associated with obtaining said content.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said one or more criteria comprise source of said content, format of said content, time of actual use of said content, amount of said content actually consumed, and number of uses of said content.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising storing information associated with a user of said broadband gateway, said information being associated with providing billing services to said user.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein said stored information comprises a user profile corresponding to said user, said user profile comprising a plurality of settings for controlling and/or managing said billing services.
11 . A system, comprising:
one or more circuits and/or processors for use in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein said broadband gateway is operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider, said one or more circuits and/or processors being operable to:
determine whether a transaction requested from said broadband gateway is performable into a plurality of steps;
associate a charge and/or a credit with each of said determined plurality of steps; and
perform said requested transaction based on said associated charges and/or credits.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physical layer connections and said at least one corresponding network access service provider comprises a plurality of corresponding access service providers, and wherein each of said plurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of corresponding access service providers.
13 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to generate a plurality of cost combinations for selection by a user of said broadband gateway, wherein said plurality of cost combinations is determined based on said associated charges and/or credits.
14 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to track and/or aggregate charges and/or credits during performance of said requested transaction.
15 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein said requested transaction comprises obtaining content for consumption via one or more of said plurality of devices.
16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein said plurality of steps comprises downloading and actual consumption of said content.
17 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to associate a charge and/or credit with one or more criteria associated with obtaining said content.
18 . The system according to claim 17 , wherein said one or more criteria comprise source of said content, format of said content, time of actual use of said content, amount of said content actually consumed, and number of uses of said content.
19 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to store information associated with a user of said broadband gateway, said information being associated with providing billing services to said user.
20 . The system according to claim 19 , wherein said stored information comprises a user profile corresponding to said user, said user profile comprising a plurality of settings for controlling and/or managing said billing services.