Prepaid data hub

摘要

A Prepaid Data Hub for maintaining pre-payment information for roaming subscribers. The Hub interacts with two or more wireless telecommunication systems that implement two different wireless protocols and which may be operated by different wireless service providers. The Hub retrieves pre-payment information using two or more different protocols, with a first protocol being native to the home network, but a second protocol being an external prepaid portal protocol. The Hub also monitors subscriber data traffic to limit the amount of access consumed in a subscriber session, notify subscribers of a low balance, and the like. The Hub eliminates the need for network gateway devices to themselves provide control over and/or maintain pre-payment information.

主权项

1. A Prepaid Data Hub apparatus for controlling access to a wireless communication service comprising:
a first communication interface to a first gateway associated with a first wireless network, the first wireless network being a home network for a subscriber mobile device, the home network operated by a home network entity; a second communication interface to a second gateway associated with a second wireless network, the second wireless network operated by an entity different from the home network entity operating the first wireless network; and a Charging Module for controlling, independently of the first and second gateways, access to the first and second wireless networks by the subscriber, the Charging Module being configured to: download or maintain prepaid account balance information associated with the subscriber; manage access to the first or second wireless network based on the prepaid account balance information; and maintain a quota for allowed prepaid data utilization for a plurality of subscribers, wherein the Prepaid Data Hub apparatus is a network node intermediate between the first and second wireless networks; and wherein functionalities of the Prepaid Data Hub apparatus include at least one structure that enables the Prepaid Data Hub to be implemented as a service delivered over a network connection to a shared virtualized data processing center, the structure including at least one of the Charging Module, a Network Module, and a Dynamic Tables Module.