IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,739,603
Granted Patent B2
US 12,739,603 · App. 17/928,317 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Data volume exchange server, international communication system, data volume exchange method, and data volume exchange program

Inventors: Daisuke Hara (Musashino, JP); Keiko Kuriu (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04W4/24H04M15/8038H04W8/183H04M2215/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,739,603
App. No.
17/928,317
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A data volume exchange server includes a terminal IF unit configured to receive an exchange request for a contract data volume of an own country and a contract data volume of another country from terminals of subscribers having contract data volumes of telecommunication carriers of countries different from each other, a data volume exchange unit configured to perform matching of a pair in which another country that requests a contract data volume in one of the received exchange requests matches the own country that provides a contract data volume in another of the received exchange requests, and a server IF unit configured to instruct the communication servers of the telecommunication carriers in the countries to transfer a contract data volume of a matched subscriber of the own country as an exchanged data volume of a subscriber of the other country who is a matching partner.

Claims (28)

1 . A data volume exchange server comprising a computer and memory storing instructions executable to cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first exchange request from a first terminal located in a first country and receiving a second exchange request from a second terminal located in a second country, wherein the first exchange request comprises an individual identification number of the first terminal, a subscriber ID of a first subscriber using the first terminal, and the second country to be traveled by the first subscriber, a first travel period, and a first requested data volume, wherein the second exchange request comprises an individual identification number of the second terminal, a subscriber ID of a second subscriber using the second terminal, and the first country to be traveled by the second subscriber, a second travel period, and a second requested data volume, wherein the first travel period overlaps with the second travel period;

performing matching between the first exchange request and the second exchange request based on the first subscriber travelling from the first country to the second country and the second subscriber travelling from the second country to the first country, wherein performing matching comprises determining an exchange travel period as an overlapping period between the first travel period and the second travel period, and determining an exchange data volume by selecting a smaller one between the first requested data volume and the second requested data volume;

comparing the smaller one with a usable data volume of the first terminal in the second country or a usable data volume of the second terminal in the first country;

determining the exchange data volume based on comparison result; and

performing exchange of no more than the determined exchange data volume by the first terminal and the second terminal within the exchange travel period.

2 . An international communication system comprising:

the data volume exchange server according to claim 1 ; and

the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein

the first terminal is configured to perform rewriting to add the exchange data volume to a first Embedded-SIM (eSIM) in the first terminal when the first terminal arrives at the second country,

the second terminal is configured to perform rewriting to add the exchange data volume to a second eSIM in the second terminal when the second terminal arrives at the first country.

3 . An international communication system comprising:

the data volume exchange server according to claim 1 ; and

the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein

the first terminal includes a first physical rental SIM issued by a telecommunication carrier in the second country and uses data up to the exchange data volume in the second country,

the second terminal includes a second physical rental SIM issued by another telecommunication carrier in the first country and uses data up to the exchange data volume in the first country.

4 . A data volume exchange method performed by a data volume exchange server including a computer, the data volume exchange method comprising:

receiving a first exchange request from a first terminal located in a first country and receiving a second exchange request from a second terminal located in a second country, wherein the first exchange request comprises an individual identification number of the first terminal, a subscriber ID of a first subscriber using the first terminal, and the second country to be traveled by the first subscriber, a first travel period, and a first requested data volume, wherein the second exchange request comprises an individual identification number of the second terminal, a subscriber ID of a second subscriber using the second terminal, and the first country to be traveled by the second subscriber, a second travel period, and a second requested data volume, wherein the first travel period overlaps with the second travel period;

performing matching between the first exchange request and the second exchange request based on the first subscriber travelling from the first country to the second country and the second subscriber travelling from the second country to the first country, wherein performing matching comprises determining an exchange travel period as an overlapping period between the first travel period and the second travel period, and determining an exchange data volume by selecting a smaller one between the first requested data volume and the second requested data volume;

comparing the smaller one with a usable data volume of the first terminal in the second country or a usable data volume of the second terminal in the first country;

determining the exchange data volume based on comparison result; and

performing exchange of no more than the determined exchange data volume by the first terminal and the second terminal within the exchange travel period.

5 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more instructions causing a computer to execute:

receiving a first exchange request from a first terminal located in a first country and receiving a second exchange request from a second terminal located in a second country, wherein the first exchange request comprises an individual identification number of the first terminal, a subscriber ID of a first subscriber using the first terminal, and the second country to be traveled by the first subscriber, a first travel period, and a first requested data volume, wherein the second exchange request comprises an individual identification number of the second terminal, a subscriber ID of a second subscriber using the second terminal, and the first country to be traveled by the second subscriber, a second travel period, and a second requested data volume, wherein the first travel period overlaps with the second travel period;

performing matching between the first exchange request and the second exchange request based on the first subscriber travelling from the first country to the second country and the second subscriber travelling from the second country to the first country, wherein performing matching comprises determining an exchange travel period as an overlapping period between the first travel period and the second travel period, and determining an exchange data volume by selecting a smaller one between the first requested data volume and the second requested data volume;

comparing the smaller one with a usable data volume of the first terminal in the second country or a usable data volume of the second terminal in the first country;

determining the exchange data volume based on comparison result; and

performing exchange of no more than the determined exchange data volume by the first terminal and the second terminal within the exchange travel period.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 14, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072412/0498 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2022
From: HARA, DAISUKE; KURIU, KEIKO
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061944/0391 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230217219A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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