MOBILE DEVICE BANDWIDTH THROTTLING

• US 20120198046A1
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Shah, Mehul Jayant, Gaddipati, Gopala Krishna
• Application Number:
  US12/770,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198046A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/857 Cumulative charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

System and methods for managing communications related to telecommunications-based devices are provided. Gateway computing devices corresponding to a radio communication network can modify the policies associated with telecommunications-based devices as a function of the usage of the radio communication network. The modification of the policies corresponds to monitoring of telecommunications-based device data usage and comparing the monitored data usage with data usage thresholds. The modification of the policies can also correspond to monitoring telecommunications-based device data usage and adjusting data usage quotas. The resulting modification can limit the throughput of data, prevent additional data requests, or modify different aspect of the data communications via the radio communication network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing communication in a radio network, comprising:

obtaining a communication request from the mobile device, the subsequent request corresponding to a request to initiate a communication context with the communication network;

causing the establishment of the communication context with the mobile device in accordance with data usage policies associated with the mobile device;

obtaining mobile device data usage information, the data usage information corresponding to data exchanged via a communication network;

determining whether to modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information; and

causing the establishment of a new communication context with the mobile device in accordance with updated data usage policies associated with the mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data usage information corresponds to one or more data usage records.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 2, wherein obtaining mobile device data usage information includes accumulating data usage records on a per session basis.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data usage information corresponds to one or more data usage records, the method further comprising processing the data usage records.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein processing the data usage records includes removing data usage records corresponding to an identified source.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data usage information corresponds to one or more data usage records, the method further comprising aggregating data usage records for period of time.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether the aggregated data usage records exceed at least one data usage threshold.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether the aggregated data usage records exceed at least one of multiple data usage thresholds.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether to modify the data usage policies to reduce a throughput associated with subsequent data transmissions associated with the mobile device.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether to modify the data usage policies to identify at least one alternative gateway computing device utilized to interface with the communication network.

11. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 further comprising debiting at least one data usage allocation in accordance with the data usage information.

12. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether the data usage allocation has been depleted.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1 further comprising causing the transmission of at least one notification based on a determination to modify the data usage policies.

14. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein causing the transmission of at least one notification includes causing the transmission of at least one notification to the mobile device.

15. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13, wherein causing the transmission of at least one notification includes causing the transmission of at least one notification to a billing service.

16. A computer-implemented method for managing communication in a radio network, comprising:

obtaining a communication request from the mobile device, the subsequent request corresponding to a request to initiate a communication context with the communication network;

causing the establishment of the communication context with the mobile device in accordance with data usage policies associated with the mobile device;

obtaining mobile device data usage information, the data usage information corresponding to data exchanged via a communication network;

processing the data usage information;

determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the processed data usage information;

causing transmission of at least one notification based on a determination to modify the data usage policies;

causing the modification of the data usage policies; and

causing the establishment of a new communication context with the mobile device in accordance with updated data usage policies associated with the mobile device.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein the data usage information corresponds to one or more data usage records.

18. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein processing the data usage records includes removing data usage records corresponding to an identified source.

19. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 17 further comprising aggregating data usage records for period of time.

20. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether the aggregated data usage records exceed at least one data usage threshold.

21. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether the aggregated data usage records exceed at least one of multiple data usage thresholds.

22. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein causing the modification of the data usage policies includes specifying a reduction in a throughput associated with subsequent data transmissions associated with the mobile device.

23. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein causing the modification of the data usage policies includes specifying at least one alternative gateway computing device utilized to interface with the communication network.

24. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16 further comprising debiting at least one data usage allocation in accordance with the data usage information.

25. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 24, wherein determining whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information includes determining whether the data usage allocation has been depleted.

26. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein causing the transmission of at least one notification includes causing the transmission of at least one notification to the mobile device.

27. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, wherein causing the transmission of at least one notification includes causing the transmission of at least one notification to a service.

28. A system for managing communication in a communication network, comprising:

a mobility management anchor component for obtaining communication requests from one or more mobile devices;

one or more access gateways for facilitating communication between the one or more mobile devices that the communication network and for generating data usage information corresponding to the one or more mobile devices;

a data usage accumulator component for processing the data usage information generated by the one or more access gateways and for determining whether to modify the data policies in accordance with the processed data usage information; and

a policy service for causing the modification of the data policies.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the data usage information corresponds to one or more data usage records.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the data usage accumulator component processes the data usage records.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the data usage accumulator component processes the data usage records to remove data usage records corresponding to an identified source.

32. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein the data usage accumulator component aggregates data usage records for period of time.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the data usage accumulator component determines whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information by determining whether the aggregated data usage records exceed at least one data usage threshold.

34. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the data usage accumulator component determines whether modify the data usage policies based on the data usage information by determining whether the aggregated data usage records exceed at least one of multiple data usage thresholds.

35. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the policy service modifies the data usage policies to reduce a throughput associated with subsequent data transmissions associated with the mobile device.

36. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the policy service modifies the data usage policies to identify at least one alternative gateway computing device utilized to interface with the communication network.

37. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the data usage accumulator component debits at least one data usage allocation in accordance with the data usage information.

38. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein the data usage accumulator component determines whether the data usage allocation has been depleted.

39. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the data usage accumulator component causes the transmission of at least one notification based on a determination to modify the data usage policies.

40. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein the data usage accumulator component causes the transmission of at least one notification includes causing the transmission of at least one notification to the mobile device.