JP2004192098A - Using method of public wireless lan service using cellular phone - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for easily using a public wireless LAN service and billing by a public radio LAN service agency by using a cellular phone. <P>SOLUTION: In a using system 1 of a public wireless LAN service 7, when a user 34 of the LAN service 7 accesses to a management server 52 of the LAN service 7 from a cellular phone 35, a password issue web server 51 issues a user ID and a password to use the LAN service 7 to the user 34 through an Internet service of the cellular phone provided from a cellular phone agency system 3. A cellular phone agency 2 charges the service fee for the pay LAN service 7 as the fee of use of a contents service through the cellular phone 35. A kickback of the fee for a public LAN service provider 4 is performed from the fee of the use of the contents service collected from the user 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for using a public wireless LAN service using a mobile phone. More specifically, on behalf of the public wireless LAN service provider, a user ID and a password for using the public wireless LAN service are issued by using the system of the mobile phone provider, and the usage fee is also charged. The present invention relates to a method of using a public wireless LAN service using a mobile phone configured to perform the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional charging system for a public wireless LAN operator, there is a method in which the operator assigns a usage ID to a contracting user to charge the user. In addition, there is a method in which a public wireless LAN operator makes an alliance with an Internet service provider and charges using the usage ID of a user contracted by the Internet service provider. Further, a method of charging by using a credit card number is adopted in cooperation with a credit card company.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, these charging systems have the following problems, which are inconvenient for users and hinder the spread of wireless LAN services.
[0004]
(1) When a public wireless LAN operator assigns a use ID to a user who has contracted himself, it is necessary to store a new unique network access ID, which is troublesome.
(2) When using the use ID of a user who has contracted with an Internet service provider, the ID is often used on the premise that it is used from a PC registered in advance at home or the like. Therefore, the user often does not store the use ID. In general, the format of the password itself is complicated and often difficult to remember, which is troublesome.
(3) When a credit card number is used, there is a possibility that the credit card number leaks out onto the Internet, and especially in a wireless system such as a wireless LAN, the risk is remarkable, so that active use cannot be made.
[0005]
Here, in some public wireless LAN carrier billing systems, a user inputs a mobile phone number or an e-mail address of the mobile phone when authenticating access to the wireless LAN network. In some cases, a password is delivered to a mobile phone having an e-mail address, and a mechanism for permitting access to the wireless LAN network by inputting the password is used.
[0006]
However, this system has the following problems. First, each time a user enters the public wireless LAN service area and accesses the access authentication screen of the public wireless LAN operator, it is necessary to make a request for issuing a password, which is troublesome. Another problem is that a password cannot be obtained at an arbitrary place at an arbitrary time in advance.
[0007]
Further, when the password has expired, the user is forced to perform a password registration operation in the wireless LAN service area again. In such a case, it is inconvenient to use it for a service that maintains access to the network while automatically switching between the public wireless LAN service and other services, particularly mobile services.
[0008]
An object of the present invention is to improve the convenience of the user, to issue a password for network access in a form that contributes to the expansion of the composite mobile network service market, and to charge a network usage fee. It is to propose a method of using a public wireless LAN service using a mobile phone.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the method of the present invention enables provision of a password issuing service by outsourcing from another service provider through the Internet service of a wide area service provider such as a mobile phone service provider. .
[0010]
Further, in the method of the present invention, a wide-area service provider such as a mobile phone provider configuring the above-mentioned service and another service business that directly provides a network access service to a user who is a consignee of the service are provided. It allows both parties to build password management and billing network systems.
[0011]
That is, the method of using the public wireless LAN service using the mobile phone according to the present invention is such that the public wireless LAN service user issues a password of the public wireless LAN operator from the mobile phone via the gateway server of the mobile phone operator. When you access the server,
Issue a user ID and password necessary for using a public wireless LAN service from the password issuing server;
Transmitting the issued user ID and the password to the mobile phone via the gateway server,
The public wireless LAN service management server that manages the use of the public wireless LAN service of the public wireless LAN operator manages access of the mobile phone operator via the Internet service server using the user ID and the password. It is characterized by.
[0012]
Further, in the method of the present invention, the charging system of the mobile phone operator stores and holds the user ID and the password in a form in which the user ID and the password are associated with a phone number of the mobile phone. And the usage fee of the public wireless LAN service is calculated as the amount charged to the owner of the mobile phone.
[0013]
In this case, the public wireless LAN management server of the public wireless LAN service provider records the usage history of the public wireless LAN service to be charged by the user specified by each user ID and the password of the mobile phone provider. You may make it provide to the said billing system.
[0014]
Next, the method of the present invention is characterized in that, out of the calculated bills, a charge to be paid to the public wireless LAN service provider is calculated by the charging system of the mobile phone provider.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a method of using a public wireless LAN service using a mobile phone to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the method of the present invention. With reference to this figure, a description will be given of a password issuing procedure for using the public wireless LAN service according to the present invention and a procedure for charging a usage fee for the service.
[0017]
First, a use system 1 of a public wireless LAN service for realizing the method of the present invention includes a mobile phone operator system 3 owned by a mobile phone operator 2 and a public wireless LAN service owned by a public wireless LAN service operator 4. It has a service provider system 5. In this specification, the mobile phone operator 2 is used to mean not only a mobile phone operator but also a mobile phone operator such as a PHS. In addition, the public wireless LAN service provider is a provider that provides a wireless LAN by installing a wireless LAN at each spot (coffee shop / station / convenience store / airport, etc.). The public wireless LAN service indicates an information providing service such as contents of a public wireless LAN operator. For example, there are services provided by names such as “Hot Spot” (registered trademark) by NTT Communications Corporation and “Mzone” by NTT DoCoMo Corporation.
[0018]
The mobile phone carrier system 3 includes a web gateway server 31 and a billing system 32. The mobile phone carrier system 3 communicates with a large number of mobile phones 35 held by a user 34 via a mobile phone network 33. Communication is possible. Further, it can be connected to the public wireless LAN service provider system 5 via the Internet 6.
[0019]
The public wireless LAN service provider system 5 includes a password issuing web server 51 and a wireless LAN service management server 52, and the management server 52 performs access authentication for the public wireless LAN service.
[0020]
In the system 1 having this configuration, a mobile phone carrier issues a password for using the public wireless LAN service and charges for the use of the service in place of the wireless LAN service carrier by the following procedure. The following (a) to (g) correspond to arrows a to g in FIG.
[0021]
(A) The user of the public wireless LAN service, in this example, the owner 34 of the mobile phone 35 accesses the management server 52 of the public wireless LAN service 7 from the mobile phone 35 via the mobile phone operator system 3 to provide the service. Register.
(B) Upon receiving the registration, the password issuing web server 51 provides a user for using the wireless LAN service 7 to the user 34 through the mobile phone Internet service provided by the mobile phone operator system 3. Issue ID and password.
(C) The user 34 inputs a user ID and a password from the communication terminal 8 such as a PC or PDA when using the service in each area providing the public wireless LAN service 7.
(D) The user ID and password are authenticated by the management server 52 of the wireless LAN service provider 4, and if there is no problem, the user 34 is allowed to log in.
(E) A user who logs in in the public wireless LAN service area can use the wireless LAN service 7 to access the Internet, such as using contents and sending and receiving mail.
(F) The mobile phone carrier 2 bills the user 34 for the paid service usage fee of the public wireless LAN service 7 as a content usage fee for the mobile phone 35.
(G) Kickback the fee to the public wireless LAN service provider 4 from the content usage fee collected from the user 34.
[0022]
(Example 1: Charge collection method of public wireless LAN service using Internet service of mobile phone carrier)
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of using a public wireless LAN service using the system 1 described above.
[0023]
First, the public wireless LAN service provider 4 is registered as a content provider provider of the Internet service 36 of the mobile phone provider 2.
[0024]
The public wireless LAN service provider 4 uses the Internet service 36 of the mobile phone provider 2 to provide an identifier such as a user ID and a password that can provide the mobile phone user 34 with the public wireless LAN service 7. Issue (arrows a, b).
[0025]
The mobile phone user 34 having received the identifier is used by transmitting the issued identifier by using the communication terminal 8 such as a PC at each spot operated by the public wireless LAN service provider 4. Possible authentication is obtained (arrows c, d). After that, various public wireless LAN services can be provided via the Internet service 36 (arrow e).
[0026]
Here, as a fee system when a paid service is received, a fixed-rate system (monthly basis) and a pay-per-use system can be prepared. For example, in the case of the flat-rate system, it is conceivable that the user 34 can use the period from registration to cancellation. Further, in the case of the pay-as-you-go system, it can be used for a certain period of time only once. Further, in the case of a password for pay-as-you-go billing, a form in which the pay-as-you-go billing is performed at regular time intervals may be adopted.
[0027]
Here, the Internet service 36 of the mobile phone operator 2 includes, for example, “i-mode” (registered trademark) of NTT DoCoMo, “JSky” (registered trademark) of J-Phone East Japan, and KDDI Corporation. ) "EZweb" (registered trademark). The content is provided by another content provider.
[0028]
There are two types of charges for this service: communication charges / information charges. The communication fee is charged for the data amount and charged to the mobile phone user 34 (arrow f). The pay content information fee is collected by the mobile phone carrier 2 for each content and distributed to the content provider carrier, that is, the public wireless LAN carrier 4 (arrow g).
[0029]
(Embodiment 2: Charge collection method of public wireless LAN service using charging system of mobile phone carrier)
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of a method of using the public wireless LAN service using the system 1 described above.
[0030]
In the case shown in the figure, the log 37 of the paid service used by the user 34 of the public wireless LAN service is sent to the billing system of the mobile phone carrier (arrow h) to collect the charge for the paid service. It has become. Other points are the same as in the case shown in FIG.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the method of the present invention, the public wireless LAN operator does not need to construct a charging system, and the mobile phone operator can charge the public wireless LAN operator's service using the existing mechanism. Can act on your behalf. Therefore, according to the method of the present invention, the provision of the public wireless LAN service can be realized by a simple and efficient system.
[0032]
Further, according to the method of the present invention, a user of the public wireless LAN service can acquire a user ID and a password necessary for receiving the provision of the public wireless LAN service by using a mobile phone by a simple procedure. Use of the public wireless LAN service is facilitated. Further, there is an advantage that a public wireless LAN operator can easily manage issued passwords and the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of using a public wireless LAN service using a mobile phone to which the present invention has been applied.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a utilization system to which the present invention has been applied.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a usage system to which the present invention is applied.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Public wireless LAN service use system 2 Cellular phone carrier 3 Cellular phone carrier system 31 Gateway server 32 Billing system 33 Cellular phone network 34 Wireless LAN service user 35 Cellular phone 36 Internet service 37 Log (use history)
4 Public Wireless LAN Service Provider 5 Public Wireless LAN Service Provider System 51 Password Issuance Server 52 Public Wireless LAN Service Management Server 6 Internet 7 Public Wireless LAN Service 8 Communication Terminal

Claims (4)

When the public wireless LAN service user accesses the password issuing server of the public wireless LAN operator from the mobile phone via the gateway server of the mobile phone operator,
Issue a user ID and password necessary for using a public wireless LAN service from the password issuing server;
Transmitting the issued user ID and the password to the mobile phone via the gateway server,
The public wireless LAN service management server that manages the use of the public wireless LAN service of the public wireless LAN operator manages access of the mobile phone operator via the Internet service server using the user ID and the password. Use of a public wireless LAN service characterized by the following. In claim 1,
The charging system of the mobile phone operator stores and holds the user ID and the password in a form in which the user ID and the password are associated with the mobile phone number, and uses the mobile phone and uses the public wireless LAN service. A method of using a public wireless LAN service, wherein the charge is calculated as an amount charged to the owner of the mobile phone. In claim 2,
The public wireless LAN management server of the public wireless LAN service provider stores the usage history of the public wireless LAN service to be charged by a user specified by each user ID and password in the charging system of the mobile phone provider. A method of using a public wireless LAN service provided to a public wireless LAN service. In claim 2 or 3,
The method of using a public wireless LAN service, wherein the charging system of the mobile phone operator calculates a fee to be paid to the public wireless LAN service operator among the calculated billing amounts.

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