Certified device-based accounting

摘要

Providing for secure tracking and reporting of wireless resources utilized by a mobile device is described herein. By way of example, resources utilized in conjunction with network-facilitated or peer-to-peer wireless data exchange can be tracked in secure, tamper-resistant components of the mobile device. Further, a report can be compiled from the tracked information and digitally signed with a secret data/material specific to the mobile device. The signed report can be submitted to a network server in conjunction with accounting, billing or like functions. By validating the signature of a mobile device, the network server can trust that information collected and submitted by user devices has not been tampered with or spoofed with an ID of another such device.

主权项

1. A method of accounting for wireless communications, comprising:
receiving a reported resource usage submitted by a user terminal (UT), the reported resource usage including ad hoc wireless resources used by the UT and resources used by other UTs communicating in ad hoc mode with the UT over a direct wireless link and certified with a terminal-specific digital signature; validating the reported usage; identifying a subset of the reported usage that is pertinent to a peer node participating in peer-to-peer wireless data exchange with the UT, wherein the subset of the reported usage is signed with a terminal-specific digital signature of the peer node; and verifying the subset of the reported usage using the terminal-specific digital signature of the peer node.