System and method for determining optimal wireless communication service plans based on spectrum licenses

• US 20030083968A1
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tangoe US, Inc. (Asentinel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: TRAQ-WIRELESS, INC. (Asentinel Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Marsh, William, Gonzales, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 6,813,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list

Abstract

In general, a system and method for analyzing wireless communication data for determining an optimal wireless communication service plans based on spectrum licenses is disclosed. A transceiver is configured to receive billing information associated with a subscriber of a telecommunications service under a current rate plan. A storage unit stores the billing information. A processor processes the subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record for each telecommunication service being used by the subscriber. The processor then determines the cost of the current rate plan and the cost of at least one other rate plan. The processor then determines at least one proposed rate plan that would save the subscriber telecommunication costs relative to the current rate plan. A report of at least one proposed rate plan is then produced and provided to the subscriber, which enables selection of a best telecommunication service provider.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving billing information associated with a subscriber of a telecommunication service under a current rate plan;

processing the subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record for each telecommunication service being used by the subscriber;

determining cost of the current rate plan;

determining cost of at least one other rate plan; and

determining at least one proposed rate plan from the at least one other rate plan of at least one telecommunication service provider that would save the subscriber telecommunication costs relative to the current rate plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the cost of the current rate plan comprises the steps of:

determining a phone number from where a call is made;

determining a zip code associated with the phone number;

determining a license code associated with the zip code; and

determining a charge for the call associated with the license code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charge is a wireless communication charge.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the cost of at least one other rate plan comprises the use of billing information from more than one period.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the cost of at least one other rate plan comprises determining a possible charge by the at least one other rate plan for the call associated with the license code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining at least one proposed rate plan comprises, comparing the determined charge for the call associated with the license code, to the determined possible charge associated with the at least one other rate plan.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining a zip code is performed by using the originating city and originating state of the call.

8. The method of claim 1, the step of processing the subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record comprises the steps of:

determining a phone number from where a call, within a series of calls, is made by the subscriber;

determining a zip code associated with the phone number;

determining a license code associated with the zip code; and

determining a charge for the call associated with the license code.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each call within the series of calls that is not made from a home zip code is separated by an originating city zip code and an originating state zip code, and a total number of minutes within each originating city zip code and within each originating state zip code is stored the associated zip codes.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if there are four or fewer zip codes, the zip codes are written to the calling profile record in descending order by the amount of minutes for each zip code.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the following steps:

if there are more than a predetermined number of zip codes, writing the zip code with the highest number of minutes to a first portion of the calling profile record;

grouping remaining zip codes by combining zip codes with the same first three digits and adding associated minutes;

if there are more than a predetermined number minus one zip codes remaining, writing the zip code with the highest number of minutes to a second portion of the calling profile record;

grouping remaining zip codes by combining zip codes with the same first two digits and adding associated minutes;

if there are more than the predetermined number minus two zip codes remaining, writing the zip code with the highest number of minutes to a third portion of the calling profile record; and

grouping remaining zip codes by combining zip codes with the same first digit and adding associated minutes and writing the zip code with the highest number of minutes to a fourth portion of the calling profile record.

12. A system, comprising:

a means for receiving billing information associated with a subscriber of a telecommunication service under a current rate plan;

a means for processing the subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record for each telecommunication service being used by the subscriber, the means for processing being communicatively coupled to the means for receiving;

a means for determining cost of the current rate plan, the means for determining cost of the current rate plan being communicatively coupled to the means for processing and the means for receiving;

means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan, the means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan being communicatively coupled to the means for determining cost of the current rate plan, the means for processing, and the means for receiving; and

means for determining at least one proposed rate plan from the at least one other rate plan of at least one telecommunication service provider that would save the subscriber telecommunication costs relative to the current rate plan, the means for determining at least one proposed rate plan being communicatively coupled to the means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan, the means for determining cost of the current rate plan, the means for processing, and the means for receiving.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a means for producing a report of the at least one proposed rate plan to enable selection of a best telecommunication service provider and a best rate plan, wherein the means for producing is communicatively coupled to the means for determining at least one proposed rate plan, the means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan, the means for determining cost of the current rate plan, the means for processing, and the means for receiving.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a means for recommending that is communicatively coupled to the means for determining at least one proposed rate plan, the means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan, the means for determining cost of the current rate plan, the means for processing, and the means for receiving.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said means for recommending recommends at least one plan in the form of a rate plan evaluation record.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the number of proposed rate plans is predefined.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for determining cost of the current rate plan performs the following:

determines a phone number from where a call, within a series of calls, is made;

determines a zip code associated with the phone number;

determines a license code associated with the zip code; and

determines a charge for the call associated with the license code.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the charge is an air line charge.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan uses billing information from more than one period.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for determining cost of at least one other rate plan determines a possible charge by the at least one other rate plan for the call associated with the license code.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining at least one proposed rate plan compares the determined charge for the call associated with the license code, to the determined possible charge associated with the at least one other rate plan.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein determining a zip code is performed by using the originating city and originating state of the call.

23. A system, comprising:

at least one transceiver configured to receive billing information associated with a subscriber of a telecommunication service under a current rate plan;

a storage unit configured to store the billing information, wherein the storage unit is communicatively coupled to the transceiver;

a memory comprising software, wherein the memory is communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the storage unit;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the transceiver, storage unit, and memory, configured by the software to;

process the subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record for each telecommunication service being used by the subscriber;

create a usage history table and a call detail table within the storage unit from the processed billing information in accordance with a specified billing period;

determine the cost of the current rate plan;

determine the cost of at least one other rate plan via use of the usage history table and call detail table;

determine at least one proposed rate plan from the at least one rate plan of at least one telecommunication service provider that would save the subscriber telecommunication costs relative to the current rate plan; and

produce a report of the at least one proposed rate plan to enable selection of a best telecommunication service provider and a best rate plan; and

wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the report.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the report is transmitted to the subscriber.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein a location of the report is transmitted to the subscriber.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the location of the report is on a Web site.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein determining at least one proposed rate plan is performed by:

providing a training set of data comprising the at least one proposed rate plan;

providing a test set of data comprising a most recent rate plan selected, wherein the most recent rate plan is one of a group of rate plans made of the at least one rate plan;

comparing the at least one proposed rate plan from the training set to the most recent rate plan of the test set; and

determining an ability of the training set to predict cost results of the test set.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein determining the cost of at least one other rate plan comprises the use of billing information from more than one period

30. The system of claim 24, wherein determining at least one proposed rate plan comprises calculating an efficiency rating of various rate plans.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein determining at least one proposed rate plan comprises individually dividing a cost of the current rate plan by the cost of each of individual rate plan within the group of various other rate plans, resulting in the efficiency rating.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein an efficiency rating of greater than one means that the individual rate plan is more cost effective than the current rate plan.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the highest efficiency among the various rate plans is the most cost effective rate plan.

34. A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer readable medium comprising:

logic configured to process subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record for each telecommunication service being used by the subscriber, where the subscriber is under a current rate plan;

logic configured to create a usage history table and a call detail table from the processed billing information in accordance with a specified billing period;

logic configured to determine the cost of the current rate plan;

logic configured to determine the cost of at least one other rate plan via use of the usage history table and call detail table; and

logic configured to determine at least one proposed rate plan from the at least one rate plan of at least one telecommunication service provider that would save the subscriber telecommunication costs relative to the current rate plan.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, further comprising logic configured to produce a report of the at least one proposed rate plan to enable selection of a best telecommunication service provider and a best rate plan.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the logic configured to determine the cost of the current rate plan, also:

determines a phone number from where a call is made;

determines a zip code associated with the phone number;

determines a license code associated with the zip code; and

determines a charge for the call associated with the license code.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein determining the cost of at least one other rate plan comprises the use of billing information from more than one period.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein determining the cost of at least one other rate plan comprises determining a possible charge by the at least one other rate plan for the call associated with the license code.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the logic configured to determine at least one proposed rate plan compares the determined charge for the call associated with the license code, to the determined possible charge associated with the at least one other rate plan.

40. A system, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store billing information associated with a subscriber of a telecommunication service under a current rate plan;

a memory comprising software, wherein the memory is communicatively coupled to the storage unit; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the storage unit, and memory, configured by the software to;

process the subscriber related billing information to produce organized data in a calling profile record for each telecommunication service being used by the subscriber;

determine cost of the current rate plan;

determine cost of at least one other rate plan;

determine at least one proposed rate plan from the at least one other rate plan of at least one telecommunication service provider that would save the subscriber telecommunication costs relative to the current rate plan; and

produce a report of the at least one proposed rate plan to enable selection of a best telecommunication service provider and a best rate plan.

41. The system of claim 41, wherein the processor determining cost of the current rate plan is performed by the processor:

determining a phone number from where a call is made;

determining a zip code associated with the phone number;

determining a license code associated with the zip code; and

determining a charge for the call associated with the license code.