Terminal Mobile Device Binding for Automatic Cost Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for data transmission and billing of data-based services are cumbersome, making it difficult to accept fee-based services efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves binding a terminal, such as a vehicle-mounted multimedia device, to a user's mobile device for wireless data transmission, allowing costs to be allocated to the mobile terminal without the mobile device's active involvement, using a binding linked to the terminal's presence in a defined environment, enabling easy billing through the mobile phone bill.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual payment information entry is used for data-based services, then payment can be processed, but the procedure becomes cumbersome and reduces ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidtime
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically identifies the mobile device, establishes a binding between the terminal and mobile device, and processes billing without requiring manual intervention. The mobile device autonomously provides identification information and authorization, eliminating the need for users to manually enter payment details or confirm transactions at the terminal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The binding between the terminal and mobile device is established in advance before data transmission occurs. By pre-establishing the association and storing binding information, the system prepares all necessary billing parameters beforehand, so that when data services are accessed, the billing process can proceed automatically without time-consuming manual setup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the mobile device is actively involved in data transmission for service provision, then billing can be accurately tracked, but the complexity of the transaction process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebilling accuracyVSAvoidtransaction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a binding mechanism as an intermediary that links the terminal and mobile device without requiring the mobile device to actively participate in the data transmission process. The binding information acts as a mediator that carries billing identification data, allowing accurate tracking while simplifying the transaction flow to automatic background processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The billing-related identification and binding information is extracted from the active data transmission process and handled separately in the background. The mobile device provides its identification information initially, but subsequent billing operations proceed automatically using stored binding data, separating billing complexity from the main data transmission function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If binding is established without presence verification, then setup is faster, but security and reliability of the binding decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebinding setup speedVSAvoidbinding reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The binding establishment process dynamically adapts to the presence condition. When the mobile device is detected in the defined environment, the binding is automatically established without additional verification steps, maintaining speed. The system flexibly adjusts the binding process based on real-time conditions, combining speed and security appropriately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2913989B1Linking a terminal to a mobile device for the purpose of cost assignment
Publication Date: 2019.05.29 VODAFONE GMBH
  • EP2913989B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2913989B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2913989B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for providing data-based services via a terminal (112, 612) comprising the following steps: - identifying a user's mobile device (120); - identifying the terminal (112, 612); - binding (127) the terminal (112, 612) to the mobile device (120) so that it is possible to retrieve data-based services via the terminal (112, 612) and to allocate the costs associated with these data-based services to the mobile device (120). The invention further relates to a correspondingly adapted terminal (112, 612) and system. The invention makes it possible to query data-based services via a terminal (112, 612) and allocate the costs to the mobile device (120) without the mobile device (120) being involved in the provision of the data-based service.