Methods and apparatus for tracking and charging for communications resource reallocation
First Claim
1. A method for use in a communications system including a plurality of users and different sets of pre-allocated resources, a first user being assigned to use resources from a first one of said sets of pre-allocated resources, the method comprising:
- determining when said first user requires resources for a communications service exceeding the pre-allocated resources assigned to said first user;
in response to determining that said first user requires resources exceeding the pre-allocated resources assigned to said first user, providing reallocated resources to said first user from a second set of pre-allocated resources;
crediting a second user for at least a portion of said reallocated resources; and
charging said first user for at least a portion of said reallocated resource.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Utilization of resources used to provide a service, and/or costs associated with providing system resources for a service, are tracked in a system where the available resources vary depending on a variety of conditions including resource utilization by other users. The methods are well suited for systems such as mobile communications systems, where the amount of resources and/or costs to a system of providing a service are dynamic and can change on a relatively rapid time scale. Resource unitization is tracked on a per subscriber basis. Service charges can be determined as a function of both the amount of resources consumed and the amount of data delivered, with the amount of resources being used to deliver a fixed amount of data units varying as a function of environmental and/or other conditions. Service charges are sometimes determined as a function of the impact of providing the service to a first user on other system users.
65 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for use in a communications system including a plurality of users and different sets of pre-allocated resources, a first user being assigned to use resources from a first one of said sets of pre-allocated resources, the method comprising:
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determining when said first user requires resources for a communications service exceeding the pre-allocated resources assigned to said first user;
in response to determining that said first user requires resources exceeding the pre-allocated resources assigned to said first user, providing reallocated resources to said first user from a second set of pre-allocated resources;
crediting a second user for at least a portion of said reallocated resources; and
charging said first user for at least a portion of said reallocated resource. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33)
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27. A communications system having different sets of pre-allocated resources wherein a first user being assigned to use resources from a first one of said sets of pre-allocated resources, the system comprising:
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means for determining when said first user requires resources for a communications service exceeding the pre-allocated resources assigned to said first user;
means for reallocating resources to said first user from a second set of pre-allocated resources;
means for crediting a second user for at least a portion of said reallocated resources; and
means for charging said first user for at least a portion of said reallocated resource. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method for use in a communications system including a plurality of users and different sets of pre-allocated resources, a first user being assigned to use resources from a first one of said sets of pre-allocated resources, the method comprising:
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determining when said first user requires resources for a communications service exceeding the pre-allocated resources available to said first user;
in response to determining that said first user requires resources exceeding the pre-allocated resources available to said first user, providing reallocated resources to said first user from a second set of pre-allocated resources;
generating a first chargeable cost component for said first user as a function of at least a first portion of said reallocated resources; and
generating a second chargeable cost component for said second user as a function of at least a second portion of said reallocated resources. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification