Patents by Inventor Robert L. Engelhart
Robert L. Engelhart has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11985573Abstract: Methods and systems for reporting zero usage for immediate trigger types are discussed herein. According to an implementation a communication session is established between a user equipment (UE) and the 5G network to provide service/content requested by the UE. A session management function (SMF) may receives a message from the UE to report the usage of one or more data units granted to the UE. The message indicates that an event occurs during a zero-usage time period. The SMF determines whether the event triggers a charging condition. When the event triggers a charging condition that needs to be reported immediately, the SMF sends a charging data request to a charging function (CHF) to report the event, regardless the one or more data units have zero-usage.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Publication number: 20230362604Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices can be utilized to provide charging function (CHF) fallback in a 5th Generation Core (5GC). An example method is performed by a fail-open function (FOF), and includes receiving, from the CHF, information corresponding to a subscriber of a network. The information is stored in a database. Further, the example method includes receiving, from the CHF or a connected function, a request corresponding to the subscriber. The connected function is a session management function (SMF) and/or a policy control function (PCF). Based on the request, the information stored in the database is at least one of accessed or modified. Based on performing at least one of accessing or modifying the information stored in the database, a response is generated and transmitted to the CHF or the connected function.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2023Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Saad Hamid, Kashif Nadeem, Nitin Bhakri, Omer Ocak, Nader Nabil Farouk Riad, Robert L. Engelhart, Muhammad Waqar Afzal
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Patent number: 11751023Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices can be utilized to provide charging function (CHF) fallback in a 5th Generation Core (5GC). An example method is performed by a fail-open function (FOF), and includes receiving, from the CHF, information corresponding to a subscriber of a network. The information is stored in a database. Further, the example method includes receiving, from the CHF or a connected function, a request corresponding to the subscriber. The connected function is a session management function (SMF) and/or a policy control function (PCF). Based on the request, the information stored in the database is at least one of accessed or modified. Based on performing at least one of accessing or modifying the information stored in the database, a response is generated and transmitted to the CHF or the connected function.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2021Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventors: Saad Hamid, Kashif Nadeem, Nitin Bhakri, Omer Ocak, Nader Nabil Farouk Riad, Robert L. Engelhart, Muhammad Waqar Afzal
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Publication number: 20220377510Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices can be utilized to provide charging function (CHF) fallback in a 5th Generation Core (5GC). An example method is performed by a fail-open function (FOF), and includes receiving, from the CHF, information corresponding to a subscriber of a network. The information is stored in a database. Further, the example method includes receiving, from the CHF or a connected function, a request corresponding to the subscriber. The connected function is a session management function (SMF) and/or a policy control function (PCF). Based on the request, the information stored in the database is at least one of accessed or modified. Based on performing at least one of accessing or modifying the information stored in the database, a response is generated and transmitted to the CHF or the connected function.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2021Publication date: November 24, 2022Inventors: Saad Hamid, Kashif Nadeem, Nitin Bhakri, Omer Ocak, Nader Nabil Farouk Riad, Robert L. Engelhart, Muhammad Waqar Afzal
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Patent number: 11083044Abstract: In a 5th-Generation (5G) cellular communication network, charging customers for data usage is performed by a network function referred to as a charging function (CHF). A session management function (SMF) of the network repeatedly sends update requests to reserve additional data for a data session. If the CHF is not available and the SMF does not receive a response to an update message, the SMF continues to assign data for the data session, even though it has not received authorization to do so from the CHF. When the CHF becomes available, the SMF sends a request to start a second data session to continue the data connection that was previously supported by the original data session. This request specifies the amount of data that was used in the original data session without being confirmed by the CHF, allowing the CHF to account for this data usage.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2020Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Publication number: 20210037598Abstract: In a 5th-Generation (5G) cellular communication network, charging customers for data usage is performed by a network function referred to as a charging function (CHF). A session management function (SMF) of the network repeatedly sends update requests to reserve additional data for a data session. If the CHF is not available and the SMF does not receive a response to an update message, the SMF continues to assign data for the data session, even though it has not received authorization to do so from the CHF. When the CHF becomes available, the SMF sends a request to start a second data session to continue the data connection that was previously supported by the original data session. This request specifies the amount of data that was used in the original data session without being confirmed by the CHF, allowing the CHF to account for this data usage.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2020Publication date: February 4, 2021Applicant: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 10813167Abstract: In a 5th-Generation (5G) cellular communication network, charging customers for data usage is performed by a network function referred to as a charging function (CHF). A session management function (SMF) of the network repeatedly sends update requests to reserve additional data for a data session. If the CHF is not available and the SMF does not receive a response to an update message, the SMF continues to assign data for the data session, even though it has not received authorization to do so from the CHF. When the CHF becomes available, the SMF sends a request to start a second data session to continue the data connection that was previously supported by the original data session. This request specifies the amount of data that was used in the original data session without being confirmed by the CHF, allowing the CHF to account for this data usage.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Publication number: 20200267802Abstract: In a 5th-Generation (5G) cellular communication network, charging customers for data usage is performed by a network function referred to as a charging function (CHF). A session management function (SMF) of the network repeatedly sends update requests to reserve additional data for a data session. If the CHF is not available and the SMF does not receive a response to an update message, the SMF continues to assign data for the data session, even though it has not received authorization to do so from the CHF. When the CHF becomes available, the SMF sends a request to start a second data session to continue the data connection that was previously supported by the original data session. This request specifies the amount of data that was used in the original data session without being confirmed by the CHF, allowing the CHF to account for this data usage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2019Publication date: August 20, 2020Applicant: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 10742631Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for utilizing an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to authenticate an HTTP session between a communication device and an online application program. The method includes registering a communication device on an IMS, and generating an authorization token which is sent to the communication device. The communication device then embeds the authorization token in HTTP request communication directed to the IMS. The IMS, after verifying the authorization token, forwards the HTTP request and token to a selected Web server that hosts an online application to authenticate an HTTP session.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 10531515Abstract: In a 5th-Generation (5G) cellular communication network, charging customers for data usage is performed by a network function referred to as a charging function (CHF). A session management function (SMF) of the network repeatedly sends update requests to reserve additional data for a data session. If the CHF is not available and the SMF does not receive a response to an update message, the SMF continues to assign data for the data session, even though it has not received authorization to do so from the CHF. When the CHF becomes available, the SMF sends a request to start a second data session to continue the data connection that was previously supported by the original data session. This request specifies the amount of data that was used in the original data session without being confirmed by the CHF, allowing the CHF to account for this data usage.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2019Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Publication number: 20180278599Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for utilizing an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to authenticate an HTTP session between a communication device and an online application program. The method includes registering a communication device on an IMS, and generating an authorization token which is sent to the communication device. The communication device then embeds the authorization token in HTTP request communication directed to the IMS. The IMS, after verifying the authorization token, forwards the HTTP request and token to a selected Web server that hosts an online application to authenticate an HTTP session.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 9992183Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for utilizing an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to authenticate an HTTP session between a communication device and an online application program. The method includes registering a communication device on an IMS, and generating an authorization token which is sent to the communication device. The communication device then embeds the authorization token in HTTP request communication directed to the IMS. The IMS, after verifying the authorization token, forwards the HTTP request and token to a selected Web server that hosts an online application to authenticate an HTTP session.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Publication number: 20140282990Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for utilizing an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to authenticate an HTTP session between a communication device and an online application program. The method includes registering a communication device on an IMS, and generating an authorization token which is sent to the communication device. The communication device then embeds the authorization token in HTTP request communication directed to the IMS. The IMS, after verifying the authorization token, forwards the HTTP request and token to a selected Web server that hosts an online application to authenticate an HTTP session.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: T-MOBILE USA, INC.Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 8762559Abstract: A system and method to enable mobile devices to access non-IMS application services over an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is described herein. In order to access a non-IMS application service via the IMS, messages in a format that are suitable for exchange with the non-IMS application service are encapsulated by the mobile device user agent into SIP messages. The SIP messages are then routed by the IMS to a services gateway. The services gateway extracts the application service messages from the SIP messages and provides the extracted messages to the appropriate application service. In this fashion, the mobile device is able to request services from an application service via SIP messaging, even if the requested application service does not support SIP messaging.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2011Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Publication number: 20130159520Abstract: A system and method to enable mobile devices to access non-IMS application services over an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is described herein. In order to access a non-IMS application service via the IMS, messages in a format that are suitable for exchange with the non-IMS application service are encapsulated by the mobile device user agent into SIP messages. The SIP messages are then routed by the IMS to a services gateway. The services gateway extracts the application service messages from the SIP messages and provides the extracted messages to the appropriate application service. In this fashion, the mobile device is able to request services from an application service via SIP messaging, even if the requested application service does not support SIP messaging.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 7907937Abstract: Calls to or from a prepaid subscriber of a wireless communication network are identified as being associated with prepaid services, and a prepaid identifier is associated with the call. The prepaid identifier and other call information such as call origin or destination is routed to a prepaid services management system in another network that determines if the call is to be authorized based on, for example, a prepaid subscriber account balance stored at the prepaid services management system. The prepaid identifier can be combined with a number associated with the call origin or destination, and the combination delivered to the prepaid services management system.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2007Date of Patent: March 15, 2011Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLCInventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 7848734Abstract: A device communicates with a telecom system to establish a call or data session. The communication includes an identifier used by the telecom system to obtain account information and/or preauthorization from a fund guardian. The fund guardian maintains account information about the device and/or subscriber associated with the identifier. A fund guardian authorizes a call access cost or data session access cost. The telecom system facilitates the call or data session between the device and a destination address until the authorized access costs are expired. A reauthorization can occur prior to expiration. An access rate negotiation may also include a bandwidth negotiation.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2002Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLCInventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 7849013Abstract: In a method of purchasing online, a client device of a customer communicates a purchase selection which is received by a vendor computer system. The vendor computer system, in response, communicates a cost of the purchase selection and fund confirmation address to the client device. The client device communicates a payment authorization for the cost that is received by a fund guardian. The client device also communicates biometric information. The fund guardian confirms the availability of sufficient funds to pay the cost. The biometric information is applied along with a stored biometric print to authenticate the customer. The vendor computer system communicates a fund confirmation address which is received by the fund guardian. When sufficient funds are available to pay the cost, and when the customer is authenticated, the fund guardian communicates a fund confirmation to the vendor computer system at the fund confirmation address.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2005Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLCInventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 7515696Abstract: Centralized billing is provided by processing requests for pre-paid and post-paid services at a service control point that is configured to prepare one or more associated event records. Event records associated with provided services can be stored at the service control point or in a remote database, or the service control point can direct the event records to a central billing system that is configured to bill subscribers directly or to transmit event records to one or more payment systems via a financial gateway. Service control point service logic is configured to permit negative account balances for post-paid subscribers, while account balances remain positive for pre-paid subscribers. Credit limits can be associated with post-paid subscribers, and service authorization can be based on such credit limits.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2003Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLCInventor: Robert L. Engelhart
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Patent number: 7333809Abstract: Calls to or from a prepaid subscriber of a wireless communication network are identified as being associated with prepaid services, and a prepaid identifier is associated with the call. The prepaid identifier and other call information such as call origin or destination is routed to a prepaid services management system in another network that determines if the call is to be authorized based on, for example, a prepaid subscriber account balance stored at the prepaid services management system. The prepaid identifier can be combined with a number associated with the call origin or destination, and the combination delivered to the prepaid services management system.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2003Date of Patent: February 19, 2008Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLCInventor: Robert L. Engelhart