DATA USAGE PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH USER DEVICE

• US 20130054378A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hao, Jack Jianxiu, Gallagher, John F., Katai, Lonnie Hiroshi, Oliver, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,396,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method includes providing identifying application information associated with a user device in a network. The application information is information associated with at least one application running on the at least one user device. The method may further include identifying data usage information associated with the user device. The data usage information includes information associated with data used by the user device. In addition, the method may include associating the application information and the data usage information to determine application data usage for the user device. The method may also include identifying a data usage plan associated with the user device, and applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying application information associated with at least one user device in a network, wherein the application information comprises information associated with at least one application running on the at least one user device;

identifying data usage information associated with the at least one user device, wherein the data usage information includes information associated with data used by the at least one user device;

matching the application information and the data usage information to determine application data usage for the at least one user device, wherein the application data usage includes data usage based on the at least one application;

identifying a data usage plan associated with the at least one user device, wherein the data usage plan defines a policy of data usage for the at least one user device for the at least one application; and

applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage further comprises:

receiving a proposed application data usage associated with the at least one application;

determining whether the proposed application data usage is allowed under the data usage plan; and

enabling the proposed application data usage in response to a determination that the proposed application data usage is allowed under the data usage plan.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application information includes one or more of a time, a user identification (ID), an application ID, an action ID, a content ID, or a location, wherein the time indicates a time that a data connection is initiated for the at least one application, the user ID is a customer ID of a user associated with the at least one user device, the application ID identifies the at least one application, the action ID indicates a particular action associated with the at least one application, the content ID identifies content received by the at least one user device, and the location indicates a location of the at least one user device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the data usage information includes one or more of the time, the user ID, the application ID, a source Internet protocol (IP), a source port, a data call type, a usage or a bill code, wherein the source IP identifies a source IP address of the data, the source port identifies a source port of the at least one application, the data call type indicates a type of data call for the at least one application, the usage indicates an amount of data used by the at least one application, and the bill code identifies a billing protocol for the data usage.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein matching the application information and the data usage information to determine the application data usage further comprises:

identifying common information in the application information and the data usage information; and

matching information in the application information and information in the data usage information based on the common information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage further comprises:

billing the application data usage at a first billing rate and to a first billing account;

receiving additional application data usage information including additional data usage;

determining whether the application data usage with the additional application data usage has reached a predetermined threshold for the application data usage; and

billing the application data usage using one or more of a second billing rate or a second billing account in response to a determination that the application data usage has reached the predetermined threshold for the application data usage.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second billing account comprises an advertiser billing account, further comprising:

providing one or more advertisements in response to the determination that the application data usage has reached the predetermined threshold for the application data usage.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

billing the application data usage to a single billing account, wherein the at least one user device comprises a plurality of user devices.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of user devices include a plurality of user IDs, and wherein the user IDs are distinct identifiers of users associated with the plurality of user devices, further comprising:

determining whether each of the plurality of user IDs has provided a passcode; and

billing the application data usage to the single billing account in response to a determination that each of the plurality of user IDs has provided the passcode.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage further comprises:

providing predetermined content to the at least one user device;

providing predetermined advertisements to the at least one user device;

wherein the predetermined advertisements are provided by an advertiser having an advertiser billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the advertiser billing account.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the data usage plan to the application data usage further comprises:

providing predetermined content for a predetermined period to the at least one user device, wherein the content is provided by a content provider having a content provider billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the content provider billing account.

12. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor configured to execute instructions in the memory to;

identify application information associated with at least one user device in a network, wherein the application information comprises information associated with at least one application running on the at least one user device;

identify data usage information associated with the at least one user device, wherein the data usage information includes information associated with data used by the user at least one device;

match the application information and the data usage information to determine application data usage for the at least one user device, wherein the application data usage includes data usage based on the at least one application;

identify a data usage plan associated with the at least one user device, wherein the data usage plan defines a policy of data usage for the at least one user device for the at least one application; and

apply the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein when applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage, the processor is further configured to:

bill the application data usage at a first billing rate and to a first billing account;

receive additional application data usage information including additional application data usage;

determine whether the application data usage with the additional application data usage has reached a predetermined threshold for the application data usage; and

bill the application data usage using one or more of a second billing rate or a second billing account in response to a determination that the application data usage has reached the predetermined threshold for the application data usage.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide one or more advertisements in response to the determination that the application data usage has reached the predetermined threshold for the application data usage, and wherein the second billing account comprises an advertiser billing account.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

bill the application data usage to a single billing account, wherein the at least one user device comprises a plurality of user devices.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of user devices include a plurality of user IDs, and wherein the user IDs are distinct identifiers of users associated with the plurality of user devices, processor is further configured to:

determine whether each of the plurality of user IDs has provided a passcode; and

bill the application data usage to the single billing account in response to a determination that each of the plurality of user IDs has provided the passcode.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein when applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage, the processor is further configured to:

provide predetermined content to the at least one user device;

provide predetermined advertisements to the at least one user device;

wherein the predetermined advertisements are provided by an advertiser having an advertiser billing account; and

bill the application data usage to the advertiser billing account.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein when applying the data usage plan to the application data usage, the processor is further configured to:

provide predetermined content for a predetermined period to the at least one user device, wherein the content is provided by a content provider having a content provider billing account; and

bill the application data usage to the content provider billing account.

19. A computer-readable medium including instructions to be executed by a processor, the instructions including one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, for causing the processor to:

identify application information associated with at least one user device in a network, wherein the application information comprises information associated with at least one application running on the at least one user device;

identify data usage information associated with the at least one user device, wherein the data usage information includes information associated with data used by the user at least one device;

match the application information and the data usage information to determine application data usage for the at least one user device, wherein the application data usage includes data usage based on the at least one application;

identify a data usage plan associated with the at least one user device, wherein the data usage plan defines a policy of data usage for the at least one user device for the at least one application; and

apply the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, where when matching the application information and the data usage information to determine the application data usage, the one or more instructions further includes instructions to:

identify common information in the application information and the data usage information; and

match information in the application information and information in the data usage information based on the common information.