BILLING BASED ON EQUIVALENT QUALITY OF SERVICE UNITS

• US 20080243653A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Yang, HSI, TEH-LI, Trabelsi, Chokri, Sawyer, Albert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7457 Biding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

The present invention provides a method that may be used for billing for quality of service applications. The method includes determining at least one parameter indicative of resource usage of at least one first quality of service application by comparing at least one resource used by the first quality of service application(s) to at least one resource used by a second quality of service application. The method also includes providing information indicative of at least one cost associated with the first quality of service application(s) based on the comparison and at least one cost associated with the second quality of service application.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining at least one parameter indicative of resource usage of at least one first quality of service application by comparing at least one resource used by said at least one first quality of service application to at least one resource used by a second quality of service application;

providing information indicative of at least one cost associated with said at least one first quality of service application based on the comparison and at least one cost associated with the second quality of service application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said at least one parameter comprises comparing at least one resource used by said at least one first quality of service application to achieve at least one of a throughput, a latency, a jitter, and a loss to at least one resource used by the second quality of service application to achieve said at least one of the throughput, the latency, the jitter, and the loss.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said at least one parameter comprises determining said at least one parameter based upon at least one ratio of said at least one resource used by said at least one first quality of service application and said at least one resource used by the second quality of service application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said at least one parameter comprises determining said at least one parameter based upon a model that indicates a functional relationship between said at least one resource used by said at least one first quality of service application and said at least one resource used by the second quality of service application.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising modifying the model based upon at least one of a theoretical relationship, an empirical relationship, and an experimental relationship between said at least one resource used by said at least one first quality of service application and said at least one resource used by the second quality of service application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said at least one parameter indicative of resource usage of said at least one first quality of service application comprises determining a plurality of parameters indicative of resource usage of the said at least one quality of service application when providing at least one service at a corresponding plurality of quality of service levels.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining said at least one parameter indicative of resource usage of said at least one first quality of service application comprises determining a plurality of parameters indicative of resource usage of a plurality of first quality of service applications.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the information indicative of said at least one cost associated with said at least one first quality of service application comprises providing information indicative of a plurality of costs associated with the plurality of quality of service levels associated with the plurality of first quality of service applications.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the information indicative of said at least one cost comprises providing information indicative of a sum of the plurality of costs associated with the plurality of quality of service levels associated with the plurality of first quality of service applications.