Wireless communications services pay plan customizer and notifier

• US 20050054324A1
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khazaka, Samir K., Chmaytelli, Mazen
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8207 Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7813 Time based data, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system, method, and program for tracking usage and reporting available resource information of a wireless communication device, such as a mobile telephone. A server, wireless device, or both, keeps a record of available resources for the wireless device. In one embodiment, a server receives a request for an application from the wireless device, enables the application, and tracks the time for which the application is enabled. After the application is stopped, the server adjusts the record of available resources to reflect the time consumed by the application and provides the updated available resource information to the wireless handset. The wireless device can assist in such monitoring of available resources, with either data storage, processing, or both.

Claims

1. A method for tracking use of an application on a wireless device, wherein the wireless device being capable of communicating with a server through a wireless communication network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a subscription request for the application from a user;

in response to the subscription request, establishing a subscription plan for the user, wherein the subscription plan includes available resource information;

receiving a request for use of an application from the wireless device;

adjusting the available resource information according to the use of the application; and

transmitting the available resource information to the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a wireless communication application and the step of receiving a request for use of an application from the wireless device further comprises the steps of:

receiving a connection request to a destination telephone number from the wireless device;

connecting the wireless device to the destination telephone; and

recording a connection time for a duration of the wireless device being connected to the destination telephone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application is a wireless communication application and the step of adjusting the available resource information according to the use of the application further comprises the step of subtracting the connection time from the available resource information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a game application and the step of receiving a request for use of an application from the wireless device further comprises the steps of:

receiving a connection request to a selected game from the wireless device;

connecting the wireless device to the selected game; and

recording a connection time for a duration of the wireless device being connected to the selected game.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of adjusting the available resource information according to the use of the application further comprises the step of subtracting the connection time from the available resource information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first setting for a first threshold from the wireless device;

comparing the available resource information against the first setting; and

if the available resource information is less or equal the first setting, providing a notification to the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first setting is a time period.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first setting is a money amount.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second setting for a second threshold from the wireless device;

comparing the connection time against the second setting; and

if the connection time is larger than or equal to the second setting, providing a notification to the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second is a time period.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second setting is a money amount.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a current date with a predetermined date; and

if the current data matches the predetermined date, resetting the available resource information to a default value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a current date with a predetermined date; and

if the current data matches the predetermined date, archiving a usage information.

14. A method for tracking use of an application on a wireless device, wherein the wireless device being capable of communicating with a server through a wireless communication network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a subscription plan information for the application;

in response to the subscription plan information received, establishing a subscription plan for a user, wherein the subscription plan includes an available resource information;

receiving a request for activating the application;

in response to the request for activation, activating the application;

in response to activating the application, adjusting the available resource information to reflect the activation of the application; and

displaying the available resource information to the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving a subscription plan information further comprises the steps of:

connecting to the server; and

receiving the subscription plan information from the server.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving a subscription plan information further comprises the step of receiving the subscription plan information from the user.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the application is a wireless communication application and the step of receiving a request for activating the application further comprises the step of receiving a destination telephone number.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of activating the application further comprises the steps of:

connecting the wireless device to the server; and

requesting the wireless device to be connected to a device associated with the destination telephone number.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of adjusting the available resource information to reflect the activation of the application further comprises the steps of:

recording a connection time for a duration of the wireless device being connected to the device associated with the destination telephone number; and

subtracting the connection time from the available resource information.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the application is a game application and the step of receiving a request for activating the application further comprises the step of receiving a request for a selected game.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of activating the application further comprises the step of requesting the wireless device to be connected to the selected game.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of adjusting the available resource information to reflect the activation of the application further comprises the steps of:

recording a connection time for a duration of the wireless device being connected to the selected game; and

subtracting the connection time from the available resource information.

23. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first setting for a first threshold;

comparing the available resource information against the first setting; and

if the available resource information is less than or equal to the first setting, providing a notification to the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first setting is a time period.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first setting is a money amount.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second setting for a second threshold;

comparing the connection time against the second setting; and

if the connection time is greater than or equal to the second setting, providing a notification to the user.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the second is a time period.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the second setting is a money amount.

29. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a current date with a predetermined date; and

if the current data matches the predetermined date, resetting the available resource information to a default value.

30. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a current date with a predetermined date; and

if the current data matches the predetermined date, archiving a usage information.

31. A computing device capable of tracking use of an application and providing notification to a user, wherein the computing device being capable of communicating with a server through a wireless communication network, comprising:

a wireless transmitter module for communicating with the server and receiving the application from the server;

a controller for executing the application;

an user interface unit for receiving inputs from the user for controlling the application;

a display unit for displaying the application to the user;

a timing module for tracking the execution of the application; and

an available resource information register for storing an available resource information,

wherein the controller updates the available resource information in the available resource information register according to the execution of the application.

32. A computer readable medium on which is stored a computer program for receiving a custom data from a server via a wireless communication network and storing the custom data in a predetermined directory in a computing device, the computer program comprising instructions, which when executed by a computing device performs the steps of:

receiving a subscription information for an application;

in response to receiving the subscription information, establishing a subscription plan, wherein the subscription plan includes an available resource information;

receiving a request for use of an application from a user;

adjusting the available resource information according to the use of the application; and

displaying the available resource information to the user.

33. The computer program of claim 32, wherein the application is a wireless communication application and the step of receiving a request for use of an application from the user further comprises the steps of:

receiving a connection request to a destination telephone number from the user;

connecting a computing device to the destination telephone number; and

recording a connection time for a duration of the computing device being connected to the destination telephone number.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of adjusting the available resource information according to the use of the application further comprises the step of subtracting the connection time from the available resource information.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the application is a game application and the step of receiving a request for use of an application from the user further comprises the steps of:

receiving a connection request to a selected game from the user;

connecting a wireless device to the selected game; and

recording a connection time for a duration of the wireless device being connected to the selected game.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of adjusting the available resource information according to the use of the application further comprises the step of subtracting the connection time from the available resource information.

37. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first setting for a first threshold;

comparing the available resource information against the first setting; and

if the available resource information is less than or equal to the first setting, providing a notification to the user.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first setting is a time period.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the first setting is a money amount.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second setting for a second threshold;

comparing the connection time against the second setting;

if the connection time is larger than or equal to the second setting, providing a notification to the user.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the second is a time period.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the second setting is a money amount.

43. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a current date with a predetermined date;

if the current data matches the predetermined date, resetting the available resource information to a default value.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

comparing a current date with a predetermined date;

if the current data matches the predetermined date, archiving a usage information.