Network support for mobile service plan cumulative usage reports
First Claim
1. In a mobile switching system a method of providing usage information to a mobile user comprising the steps of:
- storing for said user an indication of a billing plan of said user;
responsive to use by said user of said mobile switching system for a call, incrementing a count of accumulated time for a duration of said call;
informing said user of said accumulated time; and
resetting said accumulated time record at an end of a billing cycle for said customer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and a method for providing mobile telephone subscribers with data on accumulated usage. Most billing plans provide a subscriber with a basic number of minutes of usage (frequently separate off-peak and peak period usage) and then charge a relatively high amount for any excess use. In accordance with this invention, a mobile switching center and its associated subscriber database keep track of the accumulated usage by category of the mobile telephone over the course of a billing period (typically one month). Subscribers are warned if their accumulated usage threatens to exceed or exceeds the allowable basic usage of their billing plan. Advantageously, mobile telephone subscribers receive warnings of pending overflow on their usage so that they can either restrain their usage if it is likely that they will exceed the limits of their billing plan or they can upgrade their service plan to more closely match their typical usage habits.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. In a mobile switching system a method of providing usage information to a mobile user comprising the steps of:
-
storing for said user an indication of a billing plan of said user;
responsive to use by said user of said mobile switching system for a call, incrementing a count of accumulated time for a duration of said call;
informing said user of said accumulated time; and
resetting said accumulated time record at an end of a billing cycle for said customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. In a mobile switching system, apparatus for providing usage information to a mobile user comprising:
-
means for storing for said user an indication of a billing plan of said user;
means, responsive to use by said user of said mobile switching system for a call, for incrementing a count of accumulated time for a duration of said call;
means for informing said user of said accumulated time; and
means for resetting said accumulated time record at an end of a billing cycle for said customer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification