USAGE DATA MONITORING AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20100121744A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc, Belz, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/267,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121744A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts

Abstract

A system and method for by which real-time monitoring and communication of usage data is conducted between a set of N numbered of devices where N is and integer. According to an embodiment, a communication network provides a common core architecture in which the devices connected to the system are converged regardless of their access network requirements or functional capacity. The system has the capacity to monitor and analyze all the usage information of each device connected to the system in regards to content, identity, type, quality, quantity, time, status, activity level, and metadata associated with the functions and applications utilized on a device. The analysis is further based on information governing a subscriber'"'"'s devices, preferences, and features held in a subscriber database integrated within the system. The analyzed usage data is further processed through a variety of applications in order to generate a response, such as; a report, an alarm, or tailored options for interacting with the generating device which is deliverable in any format within the capacity of the receiving device including all multimedia aspects and non-multimedia aspects. The system further communicates the response in real-time to any device within the set as designated by the subscriber. In another aspect of the invention, the analyzed usage data can be stored for on demand requests of a communication response from past analysis.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring device specific usage information of a set of N numbered devices joined by a common network, where N is an integer, comprising;

a subscriber information database that stores instructions governing devices of the set; and

,

a system management component that monitors and analyzes usage information generated by a subset of the set of devices, and in response to a request provides in real-time a response regarding the usage information regarding the subset of devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the common network joining the devices is an IP Multimedia Subsystem.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions, comprise at least one of:

recording all of the devices included in the set and their reciprocal functionalities and capabilities;

detailing usage information monitoring policies, the policies including specific type and degree of usage data analysis to be applied to a specific device usage signal, specifications regarding processing or storing of the usage data, and the usage data communication protocol;

detailing preferences and features associated with the monitoring policies;

or

outlining device service plan agreement parameters and associated billing information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the response comprises one or more of the following responses:

a report encompassing an analysis of device usage information as instructed by the subscriber, an advertisement based on device usage information, an option to remotely control the functions and applications of another device in the set, an option to interact with another device in the set, an option to view multimedia in use on another device, an option to listen to audio transmissions from another device in the set, or an option to receive an alarm.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the system management component further assigns the monitoring policy or polices associated with a device usage information signal, analyzes the device usage information according to the monitoring policy or polices assigned to a specific usage signal in order to generate a usage data report which aggregates all the analyzed usage data in a single body, and at least one of:

stores the usage data report in a form allowing for on demand access of device usage information;

or

processes the usage data report according to the monitoring policy or policies assigned to the specific usage data signal in order to generate a specific response to the monitored usage data, and communicates the response to any of the devices within the set in real-time.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprises:

a monitoring policy execution component that analyzes the device usage information according to the monitoring policy or policies associated with a specific device usage information signal and generates a usage data report which aggregates the analyzed usage data in a single body.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprises a policy directing component that channels a usage data signal to one or more respective monitoring policy analysis units, the units conduct analysis of a specific type of usage data.

8. The system of claim 6 comprising a report component that generates a report regarding the aggregated analyzed usage data.

9. The system of claim 3 wherein the type of usage data analysis comprises at least one of:

search query analysis, email log analysis, instant messaging analysis, web page visiting analysis, call log analysis, multimedia download analysis, media library analysis, voice messaging analysis, text messaging analysis, software and file download analysis, caller ID library modification analysis, or location analysis.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a billing component which

retrieves charging information related to device usage from the device service plan agreement information located in the subscriber database, and

generates a billing analysis associated with the monitored device usage information.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a plan optimizing component which utilizes the billing analysis associated with monitored device usage information and,

compares the usage information and related billing information to the subscriber service plan agreement parameters held in the subscriber database, and

generates an analysis establishing a proposed modification in service plan parameters that optimizes user preferences, or offers optimized economic plan parameters.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the system management component further comprises a device management component that detects a device usage signal from the device(s) in the set, distills the device usage monitoring instructions pertaining to a specific usage signal and, generates a device usage monitoring policy for the usage signal.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein the system management component further comprises a device management component that distills and categorizes the usage data report according to specific usage data presentation format options and communication protocol associated with a specific type of usage data.

14. The system of claim 13, the device management component acquires receiving device capabilities and the subscriber instructed presentation format associated with the specific usage data to be communicated and the specific device(s) for which the usage data and will be received, and transmits the formatted usage data.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the device management component further comprises a component for policing activity of the device management component.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the device management component further comprises a component that controls order and degree in which various communication responses are communicated.

17. They system of claim 13 wherein the device management component further comprises a component that ensures security of device usage data being released by the system.

18. They system of claim 1 wherein the system management component further comprises an application component which applies device usage information in a manner that generates a response to the monitored usage data and communicates the response to one or more of the devices in the set.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the communication responses are presented in a manner which allows for receiving device(s) to view the usage data information response in the form of one or more of the following multimedia formats or combinations thereof including:

text, audio, still images, animation, video, and interactivity content forms,

respond to the usage data communication response by interacting with one or more of the devices in the set, and

exploit the usage data information in a same functional capacity as the originating device.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of devices includes any device capable of communicating in at least one format or using at least one protocol that is recognized by the system management component.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the set of devices further includes both wireless and wireline devices utilizing a variety of access networks.

22. A method for monitoring device specific usage information of a set of N numbered devices joined by a common network, where N is an integer, comprising;

monitoring device usage information according to instructions stored in a subscriber information which governs the devices of the set,

analyzing the usage information according to the instructions and at least one of;

processing the analyzed data in order to generate a response and communicating the response to any of the devices within the set in real-time, or

storing the analyzed usage information.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the communicated response includes one or more of:

a report encompassing an analysis of device usage information as instructed by the subscriber, an advertisement based on device usage information, an option to remotely control the functions and applications of another device in the set, an option to interact with another device in the set, an option to view multimedia in use on another device, an option to listen to audio transmissions from another device in the set, and an option to receive an alarm.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising;

assigning a monitoring policy associated with a device usage information signal, said monitoring policy or polices being held within the subscriber information database and

analyzing the device usage information according to the monitoring policy in order to generate a usage data report which aggregates the analyzed usage data in a single body, and at least one of;

storing the usage data report in a form allowing for on demand access of device usage information or

processing the usage data report according to the assigned monitoring policy in order to generate a response and communicating the response to any of the devices within the set in real-time.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the type of usage data monitored includes the content, identity, type, quality, quantity, time, status, activity level, and metadata associated with search query data, email log data, instant messaging data, web page visiting data, call log data, multimedia download data, media library data, voice messaging data, text messaging data, software and file download data, caller ID library modification data.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein a billing component

retrieves charging information related to device usage from the device service plan agreement information located in the subscriber database, and

generates a billing analysis associated with the monitored device usage information.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein a plan optimizing component utilizes the billing analysis associated with monitored device usage information and

compares the usage information and related billing information to the subscriber service plan agreement parameters held in the subscriber database, and

generates an analysis establishing a proposed modification in service plan parameters that optimizes user preferences and/or offers more economical plan parameters.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising;

detecting device usage signal from the device(s) in the set

distilling the device usage monitoring instructions pertaining to a specific usage signal and,

generating a device usage monitoring policy or polices for the usage signal.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising

transmitting a usage data signal and its associated monitoring policy or policies to a monitoring policy execution component wherein usage information is analyzed and compiled into a usage data report, said report aggregating the analyzed usage data in a single body, and

receiving the usage data report from the monitoring policy execution component.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising

distilling and categorizing the usage data report information according to the specific usage data presentation format options and communication protocol associated with a specific type of usage data,

acquiring receiving device capabilities and the subscriber instructed presentation format associated with the specific usage data to be communicated and the specific device(s) for which the usage data and will be received, and

transmitting the formatted usage data to a component wherein a communication response is generated.

31. The method of claim 22 wherein the order and degree in which various communication responses are communicated to a receiving device is controlled.

32. The method of claim 22 wherein the security of all device usage data being released by the system is ensured.

33. The method of claim 22 wherein the communication response is presented in a manner which allows for the receiving device(s) to

view the usage data information response a format including one or more of:

text, audio, still images, animation, video, or interactive content formats,

respond to the communication response by interacting with one or more of the devices in the set in and,

exploit the usage data information in the same functional capacity as the originating device.

34. A means for monitoring device specific usage information of a set of N numbered devices joined by a common network, where N is an integer, comprising;

a subscriber information database that stores instructions governing devices of the set; and

,

a system management component that monitors and analyzes usage information generated by a subset of the set of devices, and in response to a request provides in real-time a response regarding the usage information regarding the subset of devices.