Efficient Use of a Communications Network

• US 20120014271A1
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: DAMENTI, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• 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 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/008375 based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A duration of time a communications device is connected to a first network is monitored. A signal of a second network is detected. Next, it is determined whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network, and in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, a connection of the communications device to the second network is initiated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a duration of time a communications device is connected to a first network;

detecting a signal of a second network;

determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network; and

in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, initiating a connection of the communications device to the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed;

monitoring the duration of time until the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, and

initiating the connection of the communications device to the second network after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the duration of time is within a time window before a time boundary.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether the duration of time is before a second time window before the time boundary.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the time boundary is based on a unit of time used by a first service provider of the first network to charge for access of the communications device to the first network.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the time window is established by a second service provider, associated with the second network, to avoid an excess charge caused by a crossing of the time boundary by the communications device before the communications device disconnects from the first network.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether the duration of time is not within a second time window before the time boundary.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the unit of time used by the first service provider is one minute.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the second network has a sufficient signal strength or network connection quality.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising immediately connecting to the second network regardless of the duration of time in response to a determination that:

the signal strength or network connection quality of the first network is low, and

the second network has a sufficient signal strength or network connection quality.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the second network has sufficient network connection quality.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the communications device will operate more efficiently when connected to the second network than when the communications device is connected to the first network.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a second fee charged to a subscriber using the communications device for usage of the second network is cheaper than a first fee charged to the subscriber for usage of the first network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a mobile handset.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is based on a first communications standard, and wherein the second network is based on a second communications standard.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first network is a mobile communications network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first network is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second network is a WiFi network based on the IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communications device connects to the WiFi network using one of:

a wireless router, or

a public WiFi access point.

26. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the duration of time is within a time window before a time boundary.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a request to connect to a second network from a communications device, wherein the request is generated in response to a determination by the communications device that a predetermined amount of time that the communications device has been connected to a first network has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network; and

connecting the communications device to the second network.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a monitoring module configured to monitor a duration of time a communications device is connected to a first network;

a detecting module configured to detect a signal of a second network; and

a determining module configured to;

determine whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network, and

in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, initiate a connection of the communications device to the second network.

22. A system comprising:

a communications device configured to;

monitor a duration of time the communications device is connected to a first network,

detect a signal of a second network,

determine whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network, and

in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, send a request to connect to the second network; and

a server configured to;

receive the request, and

connect the communications device to the second network.

23. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

instructions for monitoring a duration of time a communications device is connected to a first network;

instructions for detecting a signal of a second network;

instructions for determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network; and

instructions for initiating a connection of the communications device to the second network in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

24. An apparatus comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring a duration of time a communications device is connected to a first network;

detecting means for detecting a signal of a second network;

determining means for determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network; and

initiating means for initiating a connection of the communications device to the second network in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

25. A method comprising:

monitoring a duration of time a communications device is connected to a first network;

detecting a plurality of signals of a plurality of available networks;

determining a most cost-efficient network in the plurality of available networks;

determining whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed such that the communications device makes efficient use of the first network; and

in response to a determination that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, initiating a connection of the communications device to the second network.