METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRICING CALCULATION

• US 20120095806A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Balaji Srinivasan, Colette Yee, Doug Hoople, Joshua M. Roper, Kirsty Nuttall, Muralidhar Ravuri, Peter Sovocool, Timothy Leung, Victor Chau
• Original Assignee: Balaji Srinivasan, Colette Yee, Doug Hoople, Joshua M. Roper, Kirsty Nuttall, Muralidhar Ravuri, Peter Sovocool, Timothy Leung, Victor Chau
• Inventors: Chau, Victor, Hoople, Doug, Leung, Timothy, Nuttall, Kirsty, Ravuri, Muralidhar, Roper, Joshua M., Sovocool, Peter, Srinivasan, Balaji, Yee, Colette
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a competitive bid from a provider comprising receiving billing data from a user, the billing data including provider information, location, and total bill amount. The method further comprising calculating a complex usage pattern based on the billing data and statistical data for the location. The method additionally comprising calculating a competitive bid for the user, based on the complex usage pattern and a pricing structure of the provider.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

receiving billing data, wherein

the billing data reflects service usage during a first period, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service by a user;

determining a periodic bill amount, wherein

the periodic bill amount is determined for a second period,

the second period is longer than the first period, and

the determining comprises

converting the billing data into the periodic bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier; and

generating a competitive bid for the user, wherein

the competitive bid is based on the periodic bill amount.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

the statistically-determined multiplier represents a statistical relationship between

a plurality of bill amounts for utilization of the service by a plurality of users during the first period, and

a plurality of periodic bill amounts for utilization of the service by the plurality of users during the second period.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the billing data comprises:

a single bill amount for the first period, and

information regarding a provider of the service and a location of the service.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein

the plurality of users are located in a geographical region comprising the location of the service, and

each of the users is other than the user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

generating a competitive pricing report, wherein

the competitive pricing report indicates competitor rates in the geographical region, and

the competitor rates are obtained, at least in part, from the plurality of users.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

calculating a periodic service usage, wherein

the calculating the periodic service usage uses the periodic bill amount and a pricing structure of a competitor provider, and

the competitor provider provided the service to the user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the generating the competitive bid further comprises:

selecting a tariff for the user based on the billing data; and

calculating the competitive bid using the tariff and the periodic service usage.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a plurality of competitive bids, wherein

the competitive bids differ from one another;

presenting the competitive bids to the user, wherein

each of the competitive bids comprise a plurality of attributes, and

the competitive bids are ordered according to the attributes that most closely match current preferences of the user; and

permitting the user to select from among the competitive bids.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving a selection from the user, wherein

the selection indicates a selected bid of the competitive bids; and

enrolling the user in the selected bid.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a savings amount by comparing the competitive bid and the periodic bill amount; and

displaying the savings amount to the user, wherein

the savings amount is displayed with the competitive bid.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the second period comprises the first period.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface, wherein

the user interface is configured to receive billing data,

the billing data reflects service usage during a first period, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service by a user;

a periodic bill calculator, wherein

the periodic bill calculator is configured to determine a periodic bill amount,

the periodic bill amount is determined for a second period,

the second period is longer than the first period, and

the periodic bill calculator is further configured to convert the billing data into the periodic bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier; and

a rate calculator, wherein

the rate calculator is configured to generate a competitive bid for the user, and

the competitive bid is based on the periodic bill amount.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

reporting logic, wherein

the reporting logic is configured to generate a competitive pricing report,

the competitive pricing report indicates competitor rates in a geographical region comprising a location of the service, and

the competitor rates are obtained, at least in part, from a plurality of users that utilize the service.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

a periodic service usage calculator, wherein

the periodic service usage calculator is configured to calculate a periodic service usage from the periodic bill amount and a pricing structure of a competitor provider, and

the competitor provider provided the service to the user.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

output logic, wherein

the output logic is configured to present a plurality of competitive bids to the user,

the competitive bids differ from one another, and

each of the competitive bids comprise a plurality of attributes; and

ordering logic, wherein

the ordering logic is configured to order the competitive bids according to the attributes that most closely match current preferences of the user.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

an order management system, wherein

the order management system is configured to receive a selection from the user,

the selection indicates a selected bid of the competitive bids, and

the order management system is further configured to enroll the user in the selected bid.

37. An apparatus comprising:

a web interface, wherein

the web interface is configured to receive billing data,

the billing data reflects service usage during a first period, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service by a customer;

a pricing engine communicatively coupled to the web interface, wherein

the pricing engine is configured to

calculate a statistically-determined multiplier,

determine a periodic bill amount, wherein

the periodic bill amount is determined for a second period,

the second period is longer than the first period, and

the pricing engine is further configured to convert the billing data into the periodic bill amount using the statistically-determined multiplier, and

generate a competitive bid for the customer, wherein

the competitive bid is based on the periodic bill amount.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising

a call center interface, wherein

the call center interface is configured to provide a customer service representative with access to the pricing engine, and

the access is provided such that the customer receives identical information from the customer service representative and the web interface.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

a reporting front-end module, wherein

the reporting front-end module is configured to provide a competitive pricing report,

the competitive pricing report indicates competitor rates, and

the competitor rates are obtained, at least in part, from a plurality of customers that utilize the service.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein

the reporting front-end module is further configured to provide a transaction report,

the transaction report indicates whether a number of customers have changed from a previous provider to a current provider, and

the transaction report comprises a listing of the previous provider and the current provider for each of the customers.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

an administrative front-end module, wherein

the administrative front-end module is configured to permit entry of a pricing structure of a plurality of providers.

42. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable on a processor, the computer readable storage medium storing the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to implement:

a user interface, wherein

the user interface is configured to receive billing data,

the billing data reflects service usage during a first period, and

the service usage results from utilization of a service by a user;

a periodic bill calculator, wherein

the periodic bill calculator is configured to determine a periodic bill amount,

the periodic bill amount is determined for a second period,

the second period is longer than the first period, and

the periodic bill calculator is further configured to convert the billing data into the periodic bill amount using a statistically-determined multiplier; and

a rate calculator, wherein

the rate calculator is configured to generate a competitive bid for the user, and

the competitive bid is based on the periodic bill amount.