Method and system for location-dependent billing for services
View Patent ↗A method for location-dependent billing for a services that are available to a mobile terminal, a local communication connection is set up to a fixably installed external location tag with a corresponding wireless interface between the fixably installed tag and the mobile terminal, the method including the steps of accessing the external location tag and transmitting a billing rate code from the external location tag to the mobile terminal, forwarding the billing rate code from the mobile terminal to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged, determining a geographic location identification of the external location tag by evaluation of the billing rate code at the central unit, and selecting a billing rate for billing for the service available to the user based on the billing rate code at the central unit.
1. A system comprising:
a tag with a wireless interface configured to wirelessly provide network-related data to a mobile terminal via a local communication connection, wherein:
the tag is configured to receive the network-related data via a fixed telephone network,
the fixed telephone network comprises a plurality of fixed terminals,
each fixed terminal of the plurality of fixed terminals is installed in a fixed location,
the tag is one of the plurality of fixed terminals,
the wirelessly-provided, network-related data allows the mobile terminal to gain access to the a network via a control unit of the network,
access to the network comprises payment of an access fee based on a billing rate,
the wirelessly-provided, network-related data comprises a billing rate code, and
the billing rate is determined according to an electronic key stored in the control unit of the network and the billing rate code provided by the tag.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is a mobile communication network.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal is operable to setup the local communication connection via a second wireless interface.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless interface is operable according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the local communication connection between the mobile terminal and the tag is secured.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag comprises a security component operable to secure the tag.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag is operably connected to a communication channel.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data is associated with a location.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data comprises an encrypted portion.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control unit of the network is operable to decrypt the encrypted portion.
11. A method, comprising:
receiving data related to a network, by a tag, via a fixed telephone network;
maintaining, in the tag, the network-related data;
wirelessly providing the network-related data from the tag to a mobile terminal via a local communication connection;
transmitting the wirelessly-provided, network-related data from the mobile terminal to a control unit of the network;
causing payment of an access fee based on the wirelessly-provided, network-related data; and
gaining access to the network from the mobile terminal.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network is a mobile communication network.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method comprises initializing the local communication connection via a wireless interface of the mobile terminal.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein wirelessly providing is according to the ZigBee standard, the Bluetooth standard or a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the local communication connection between the mobile terminal and the tag is secured.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tag comprises a security component operable to secure the tag.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tag is operably connected to a communication channel.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data is associated with a location.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wirelessly-provided, network-related data comprises an encrypted portion.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the method comprises decrypting the encrypted portion in the control unit of the network.