Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for facilitating toll free data access

• US 10,110,389 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse Technologies LLC (Syniverse Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Syniverse Technologies LLC (Syniverse Corp.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Richard Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz Roman, Denisse Y
• Application Number:
  US13/360,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1475 the splitting involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An apparatus for facilitating toll free data access includes a processor and memory storing executable computer code causing the apparatus to at least perform operations including sending a request to a device requesting identification of one or more content providers that provide data to users in which the content providers pay for data, accessed from the content providers, on behalf of users. The accessed data is not considered data usage accrued by the users during a billing cycle or against a prepaid data plan. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to receive an indication from the device of a content provider(s) that pays for the provision of the data on behalf of users. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to determine whether a selected content provider pays for the provision of the data to users. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, via a communication device, a request to a network device requesting identification of one or more content providers that provide data to users in which the content providers pay for transmission of the data, accessed from the content providers, on behalf of users, the transmission of the data is free and is not data usage accrued by the users against a data plan of the users during a billing cycle or against a prepaid data plan of the users;

detecting, via a location detection device of the communication device, a geolocation comprising geo-coordinates of the communication device of a user;

receiving, via the communication device, an indication from the network device of at least one content provider, detected in a determined geographic area within a detected proximity of the detected geolocation of the communication device of the user, that pays for the transmission of the data, transmitted in the determined geographic area, on behalf of users in response to the network device receiving the request, in an instance in which the network device excludes one or more other content providers located outside the detected proximity, which conserves network resources, the at least one content provider is associated with visible indicia presented to a user interface of a display device of the communication device and (i) detecting user interaction with the visible indicia, by the user, and (ii) detecting a selection of the content provider, by the user from the visible indicia, via the user interface of the display device; and

determining, via a processor of the communication device, whether the content provider selected from the visible indicia in response to the received indication pays for the transmission of the data, accessed from the selected content provider prior to expiration of a predefined time period, to the users such that the transmitted data from the selected content provider is free and is not data usage accrued by the data plan of the users during the billing cycle or the prepaid data plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a request for data from the selected content provider in response to determining that the selected content provider pays for data accessed from the selected content provider; and

receiving toll free data from the selected content provider in response to sending the generated request to the selected content provider.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein prior to receiving the toll free data, the method further comprises:

generating a prompt requesting an authorization code to access data from the selected content provider; and

receiving an indication of a valid authorization code in response to the prompt which enables access to the data from the selected content provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a request for data access from the selected content provider in response to receipt of the authorization; and

receiving data from the selected content provider in response to sending the generated request to the selected content provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises location information indicating a location of the user and wherein the at least one content provider is identified based in part on a determination that the content provider provides free data access in the proximity of the location of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification comprises information requesting identifications of one or more toll free destination sites of the content providers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more toll free destination sites comprises one or more web sites that provide data for free to devices of users during a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a Data Session Management Platform configured to identify content providers that pay for data, accessed from the content providers, on behalf of users.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining whether the selected content provider pays for the provision of the data to the users to indicate to the users whether the selected content provider pays for the provision of the data prior to accessing the data of the content provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining, in part, that the content provider selected is selected from the received indication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the data accessed from the selected content provider comprises a non-Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission.

12. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

send a request to a network device requesting identification of one or more content providers that provide data to users in which the content providers pay for transmission of the data, accessed from the content providers, on behalf of users, the transmission of the data is free and is not data usage accrued by the users against a data plan of the users during a billing cycle or against a prepaid data plan of the users;

detect a geolocation comprising geo-coordinates of the communication device of a user;

receive an indication from the network device of at least one content provider, detected in a determined geographic area within a detected proximity of the detected geolocation of the communication device of the user, that pays for the transmission of the data, transmitted in the determined geographic area, on behalf of users in response to the network device receiving the request, in an instance in which the network device excludes one or more other content providers located outside the detected proximity, which conserves network resources, the at least one content provider is associated with visible indicia presented to a user interface of a display device of the communication device, and (i) detecting user interaction with the visible indicia, by the user, and (ii) detecting a selection of the content provider from the visible indicia, via the user interface of the display device; and

determine whether the content provider selected from the visible indicia in response to the received indication pays for the transmission of the data, accessed from the selected content provider prior to expiration of a predefined time period, to users such that the transmitted data from the selected content provider is free and is not data usage accrued by the data plan of the users during the billing cycle or the prepaid data plan.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate a request for data from the selected content provider in response to determining that the selected content provider pays for data accessed from the selected content provider; and

receive toll free data from the selected content provider in response to sending the generated request to the selected content provider.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein prior to receive the toll free data, the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate a prompt requesting an authorization code to access data from the selected content provider; and

receive an indication of a valid authorization code in response to the prompt which enables access to the data from the selected content provider.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate a request for data access from the selected content provider in response to receipt of the authorization; and

receive data from the selected content provider in response to sending the generated request to the selected content provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the request comprises location information indicating a location of the user and wherein the at least one content provider is identified based in part on a determination that the content provider provides free data access in the proximity of the location of the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identification comprises information requesting identifications of one or more toll free destination sites of the content providers.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more toll free destination sites comprises one or more web sites that provide data for free to devices of users during a predetermined time period.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the network device comprises a Data Session Management Platform configured to identify content providers that pay for data, accessed from the content providers, on behalf of users.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile station.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine by determining whether the selected content provider pays for the provision of the data to the users to indicate to the users whether the selected content provider pays for the provision of the data prior to accessing the data of the content provider.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine by determining, in part, that the content provider selected is selected from the received indication.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transmission of the data accessed from the selected content provider comprises a non-Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission.

24. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions configured to send, via a communication device, a request to a network device requesting identification of one or more content providers that provide data to users in which the content providers pay for transmission of the data, accessed from the content providers, on behalf of users, the transmission of the data is free and is not data usage accrued by the users against a data plan of the users during a billing cycle or against a prepaid data plan of the users;

program code instructions configured to detect a geolocation comprising geocoordinates of the communication device of a user;

program code instructions configured to cause receipt of an indication from the network device of at least one content provider, detected in a determined geographic area within a detected proximity of the detected geolocation of the communication device of the user, that pays for the transmission of the data, transmitted in the determined geographic area, on behalf of users in response to the network device receiving the request, in an instance in which the network device excludes one or more other content providers located outside the detected proximity, which conserves network resources, the at least one content provider is associated with visible indicia presented to a user interface of a display device of the communication device and (i) detecting user interaction with the visible indicia, by the user, and (ii) detecting a selection of the content provider from the visible indicia, via the user interface of the display device; and

program code instructions configured to determine, via the communication device, whether the content provider selected from the visible indicia in response to the received indication pays for the transmission of the data, accessed from the selected content provider prior to expiration of a predefined time period, to the users such that the transmitted data from the selected content provider is free and is not data usage accrued by the data plan of the users during the billing cycle or the prepaid data plan.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to generate a request for data from the selected content provider in response to determining that the selected content provider pays for data accessed from the selected content provider; and

program code instructions configured to receive toll free data from the selected content provider in response to sending the generated request to the selected content provider.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein prior to receive the toll free data, the computer program product further comprises:

program code instructions configured to generate a prompt requesting an authorization code to access data from the selected content provider; and

program code instructions configured to cause receipt of an indication of a valid authorization code in response to the prompt which enables access to the data from the selected content provider.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising:

program code instructions configured to generate a request for data access from the selected content provider in response to receipt of the authorization; and

program code instructions configured to cause receipt of data from the selected content provider in response to sending the generated request to the selected content provider.

28. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising:

program code instructions to determine by determining whether the selected content provider pays for the provision of the data to the users to indicate to the users whether the selected content provider pays for the provision of the data prior to accessing the data of the content provider.

29. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising:

program code instructions to determine by determining, in part, that the content provider selected is selected from the received indication.

30. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the transmission of the data accessed from the selected content provider comprises a non-Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission.