Computer network service providing system including self adjusting volume enforcement functionality

• US 10,404,480 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pogorelik, Oleg, Givoni, Doron, Zamir, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scott, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US13/441,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,706 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709223, 709219, 705 2, 705 30, 705 35, 705 47, 705321
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing

Abstract

A Computer Network Service Providing System including Self Adjusting Volume enforcement functionality and methods for diminishing or minimizing volume leakage.

Claims

1. A computerized system for computer network data traffic volume-quota enforcement comprising:

a processor in communication with a network and a storage system, the processor executing instructions to,

authorize a data volume-quota to a user,

wherein the data volume-quota is the total data utilized over any time period;

at a set limit from the quota, request additional data quota;

if additional quota is provided, update the data quota;

monitor usage at a first frequency when the subscriber is within the set limit from the data quota, and

monitor at a second frequency, lower than the first frequency, when the subscriber is outside the set limit from the data quota, and

stop service to a subscriber if it is determined that a computer network data volume-quota is about to be exceeded by the subscriber based on a worst case prediction, initially when the first frequency polling begins, and after a set time, then based on a computed average.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the subscriber'"'"'s quota is supplied to the subscriber in chunks and wherein the indication comprises an indication that a last chunk remaining in the subscriber'"'"'s quota, has been supplied to the subscriber.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the determination that the quota is about to be exceeded by the subscriber includes an estimate of whether or not the subscriber is likely to finish the quota before a next update is provided to the processor if the second lower frequency continues to be used.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein data pertaining to past volume utilization of the subscriber over a window of time is saved and is used for computing the estimate.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the estimate is computed assuming average throughput, over the window, and will be consumed by the subscriber.

6. The system according to claim 4 wherein the estimate is computed assuming peak throughput, over the window, and will be consumed by the subscriber.

7. The system according to claim 3 wherein the estimate is refined in view of at least one volume utilization update received after the estimate was generated.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the estimate is refined in view of each volume utilization update received after the estimate was generated.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Subscriber Utilization Pattern of historical subscriber usage data.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Network Utilization Pattern of historical network usage data.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the worst case prediction is that the user will utilize a full physical throughput.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the computed average is based on the user historical usage, and a current network loading.

13. A computerized method for computer network data traffic volume-quota enforcement comprising:

via a processor executing instructions to implement a service stop decision engine in communication with a network,

computerized determining if a subscriber is about to exceed a computer network data volume-quota based on a worst case prediction,

wherein the data volume-quota is the total data utilized over any time period;

at a predetermined threshold from the data quota, computerized requesting additional data quota;

if additional data quota is provided, computerized updating the quota;

if no additional data quota is provided,

computerized restricting of service to the subscriber if the determination is positive;

via a processor for a utilization monitor in communication with the network,

computerized monitoring, of the subscriber for volume utilization and provisioning updates by sending utilization queries over the network and receiving utilization data from the processor for the service stop decision engine; and

via a processor for a dual frequency utilization controller,

causing data monitoring to occur at a first frequency when the subscriber is within a set limit from the quota and at a second frequency lower than the first frequency when the subscriber is outside the set limit from the data quota based on a prediction that the data quota is about to be exceeded by the subscriber,

wherein the prediction is a worst case prediction for an initial time when the first frequency polling begins, and after a set time, then based on a computed average.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising, via the processor for the utilization monitor,

activating a high rate quotas pinging indication operative to reduce at least one of, probability and size of a possible quota leak.

15. The method according to claim 13 further comprising a Learning System having a prediction rules manager in communication with the processor for the service stop decision engine.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising, via the prediction rules manager,

periodically running a low rate process above session history and evaluating at least one core model.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising, via the prediction rules manager,

performing at least one of:

matching a graph to an individual service and specifying an update in formula factors.

18. The method according to claim 13 wherein the determining if the subscriber is about to exceed the quota includes a pre-configured delta parameter from the quota.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Subscriber Utilization Pattern of historical subscriber usage data.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Network Utilization Pattern of historical network usage data.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Service Utilization Pattern of historical usage data for an individual service.

22. The computerized method of claim 13 wherein the worst case prediction is that the user will utilize a full physical throughput.

23. A self-adjusting data traffic volume enforcement system, for a subscriber network connection, comprising:

a processor in communication with a network and a data storage, the processor executing instructions for implementing,

a learning system operative to predict a disconnect time that a quota is about to be exceeded by the subscriber based on a worst case prediction,

a service controller engine configured to utilize at least one rule to make service decisions and provide at least one command to a network enforcer to stop or restrict service, and authorize additional volume quota based on the prediction;

the network enforcer configured to manage the subscriber connection and receive at least one subscriber utilization update, and

a data quota utilization monitor configured to,

collect utilization data from the network;

at a predetermined threshold from the quota, request additional quota,

wherein the data quota is the total data utilized over any time period; and

if additional data quota is provided, update the data quota;

a dual frequency utilization controller, configured to,

cause monitoring to occur at a first frequency when the subscriber is within a set limit from the data quota and at a second frequency lower than the first frequency when the subscriber is outside the set limit from the data quota,

wherein the monitoring occurs based on a worst case prediction that the data quota is about to be exceeded by the subscriber for an initial time when the first frequency polling begins, and after a set time, then based on a computed average, wherein monitoring includes sending data utilization queries.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein the at least one command includes at least one of, restrict access, and ask higher level system.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the worst case prediction is that the user will utilize a full physical throughput.

26. A computerized system for computer network data traffic volume-quota enforcement comprising:

a processor in communication with a network and a data storage, the processor executing instructions for implementing,

a predictor operative to,

generate a prediction for a subscriber data quota-exhausted time based on a worst case prediction of data volume of data used over any time period for an initial time, and after a set time, then based on a computed average, and send the subscriber data quota-exhausted time to a quota leakage diminisher,

at a predetermined threshold from the data quota, request additional quota;

if additional quota is provided, update the data quota-exhausted time;

wherein the subscriber data quota-exhausted time is a time at which a pre-paid volume-quota will be exceeded by the subscriber, the prediction based on known utilization patterns of the subscriber, and at least one volume quota utilization update indicating that the data-quota has not yet been exceeded, and

wherein the quota leakage diminisher, is operative for actively polling data subscriber quota utilization at a frequency, the frequency of polling increasing at a set time and before the subscriber data quota-exhausted time based on the data quota-exhausted time generated by the predictor, and operative for discontinuing service, and reducing data service to the subscriber prior to the periodic volume quota utilization update indicating that a data-quota has been exceeded, at a time related to the data quota-exhausted time generated by the predictor;

wherein the initial time is determined from when the increased frequency polling begins.

27. The system to claim 26 wherein the system further comprises, a service stopper in communication with the network, operative for stopping of service to the subscriber, prior to the data quota-exhausted time generated by the predictor.

28. The system according to claim 26 wherein the increased frequency of polling is between 20 and 25 seconds.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Subscriber Utilization Pattern of historical subscriber usage data.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the known utilization patterns includes a Network Utilization Pattern of historical network usage data.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein the worst case prediction is that the user will utilize a full physical throughput.