Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing services accounts through electronic budget adjustments based on defined rules

• US 20070088641A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey, Alin, Jun-Gang
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Services accounts are managed by defining budget categories for the services accounts. Budgets are defined for the respective categories and rules are defined for the budget categories. Input on usage of the services is electronically received and the budgets are electronically adjusted based on the received input and the defined rules.

Claims

1. A method of managing services accounts, comprising:

defining budget categories for the services accounts;

defining budgets for the categories, respectively;

defining rules for the budget categories;

electronically receiving input on usage of the services; and

electronically adjusting the budgets based on the received input and the defined rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the services accounts comprise accounts for a plurality of services and/or users.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each respective category is associated with at least one of the plurality of services and/or at least one of the plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the rules comprises:

assigning priorities to the budget categories, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining if service usage for one of the budget categories has exceeded a threshold; and

wherein adjusting the budgets comprises;

increasing the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for another one of the budget categories having a priority associated therewith that is not greater than a priority associated with the one of the budget categories if the service usage for the one of the budget categories has exceeded the threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein increasing the budget comprises:

increasing the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for other ones of the budget categories such that lower priority budget categories are reduced before higher priority budget categories if the service usage for the one of the budget categories has exceeded the threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein increasing the budget comprises:

increasing the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for the other ones of the budget categories such that lower priority budget categories are reduced before higher priority budget categories and lower priority budget categories are reduced by a greater amount than higher priority categories.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein increasing the budget comprises:

increasing the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for the other ones of the budget categories such that, among budget categories having a same priority level, budget categories having a greater budget are reduced by a greater amount than budget categories having a lesser budget.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and wherein increasing the budget comprises:

increasing the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for the other ones of the budget categories such that budget categories having a budget amount less than a second threshold are not reduced.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

invoking an alert if insufficient budget amounts remain in the other ones of the budget categories to increase the budget for the one of the budget categories, if increasing the budget occurs at a frequency that exceeds a frequency threshold, and/or if increasing the budget occurs in a pattern that substantially matches a prohibited pattern.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending a notification of the adjustment to the budgets to a user and/or a service provider.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein priorities are based on the services and/or users.

13. A budgeting system for managing services accounts, comprising:

a budget database that comprises budget categories for the services accounts, budgets for the categories, respectively, and rules for the budget categories; and

a budget processor that is configured to electronically receive input on usage of the services and to electronically adjust the budgets based on the received input and the defined rules.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the services accounts comprise accounts for a plurality of services and/or users.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each respective category is associated with at least one of the plurality of services and/or at least one of the plurality of users.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the budget database further comprises priorities assigned to the budget categories, respectively.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the budget processor is further configured to determine if service usage for one of the budget categories has exceeded a threshold and to increase the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for another one of the budget categories having a priority associated therewith that is not greater than a priority associated with the one of the budget categories if the service usage for the one of the budget categories has exceeded the threshold.

18. A computer program product for managing services accounts, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to define budget categories for the services accounts;

computer readable program code configured to define budgets for the categories, respectively;

computer readable program code configured to define rules for the budget categories;

computer readable program code configured to electronically receive input on usage of the services; and

computer readable program code configured to electronically adjust the budgets based on the received input and the defined rules.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code configured to define the rules comprises:

computer readable program code configured to assign priorities to the budget categories, respectively.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine if service usage for one of the budget categories has exceeded a threshold; and

wherein the computer readable program code configured to adjust the budgets comprises;

computer readable program code configured to increase the budget for the one of the budget categories by reducing the budget for another one of the budget categories having a priority associated therewith that is not greater than a priority associated with the one of the budget categories if the service usage for the one of the budget categories has exceeded the threshold.