Multi-tier service wireless communications network

摘要

The present invention pertains to improved communication quality in cellular communication networks and the like. A customer has the option to pay different amounts for different tiers of service relating to voice quality and bandwidth access. Higher service tiers may guarantee that a specific vocoder or bit rate is used. Different tiers may be associated with customers' records for billing purposes. The network may also afford high end cellular phones higher voice quality by comparing a given high end phone to a look up table which indicates what level of service is associated with the given phone. A calling mobile station or a receiving mobile station may case the other mobile station to change to a more robust vocoder or bit rate to ensure a higher quality phone call. Furthermore, the user may also opt to change the quality level before or during a call.

主权项

1. A method of providing telecommunication service in a wireless communication network having a plurality of service levels, each service level corresponding to a communication quality level between a mobile station and a base station of the wireless communication network, and each service levels also corresponding to a price in an overall pricing structure, the method comprising:
obtaining, by one or more processors, a selection of one of the plurality of service levels for use with the mobile station, the selected service level being part of a customer record associated with the mobile station, the customer record being configured for storage in a customer record database; and configuring, by the one or more processors, the customer record to bill the customer a predetermined price level for the selected service level; wherein each communication quality level employed by the mobile station represents a quality level of an audio signal sent or received by the wireless mobile station, and the audio signal quality level corresponds to at least one of a selection of a vocoder used by the mobile station, a minimum guaranteed bandwidth used by the mobile station, a frequency range of an incoming audio signal, a sampling frequency of the incoming audio signal, and a dynamic range of the incoming audio signal.