DEVICE GROUP PARTITIONS AND SETTLEMENT PLATFORM

• US 20130065553A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/752 Terminal based account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7213 Terminal based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Device group partitions can be used and a settlement platform can provide for partitions of devices based on associated device groups. A settlement platform service might be provided for partitioned devices. Device generated service usage information might be generated and aggregated for a settlement platform for the one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network. A settlement platform might implement a service billing allocation and/or a service/transactional revenue share among one or more partners. Service usage information can include micro-CDRs used for CDR mediation or reconciliation that provides for service usage accounting. Device activity that is desired to be associated with a billing event can be assigned a micro-CDR transaction code, with a service processor of the device programmed to account for activity associated with that transaction code. A service processor executing on a wireless communications device might periodically report micro-CDR usage measures.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network system communicatively coupled to an end-user device via a wireless network, wherein the end-user device is a device configured to send or receive data over the wireless network, the method comprising:

obtaining service usage information associated with the end-user device from one or more sources, the service usage information identifying one or more device activities of the end-user device and including a measure of usage of the wireless network associated with the one or more device activities;

using one or more electronically-stored rules and the service usage information, generating first information and second information, the first information usable by an operator of the wireless network in billing a first entity for a first portion of the usage, the first entity being an entity other than a user of the end-user device and other than the operator of the wireless network, the second information usable by the operator of the wireless network in billing a second entity for at least a second portion of the usage; and

providing the first information and the second information to a network element communicatively coupled to the network system in a syntax usable by the network element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service usage information comprises one or more transaction codes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more device activities is associated with a billing event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more device activities comprises a network access associated with a search, an online commerce activity, book downloading, music downloading, music streaming, video downloading, video streaming, application downloading, content downloading, a voice service, a transaction service, an advertising service, or Internet-based services or transactions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more device activities comprises a network access associated with one or more of a particular end-user device application or program, a particular network end point, a particular website, a particular content source, a particular content type, a particular transaction service, and a particular e-commerce service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the first information, generating a first bill associated with the first entity; and

based on the second information, generating a second bill associated with the second entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sources is the end-user device or a network source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sources include the end-user device and a network source, and the service usage information includes a first charging data record (CDR) from the end-user device and a second CDR from the network source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sources include a first network source and a second network source, and the service usage information includes a first charging data record (CDR) from the first network source and a second CDR from the second network source.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sources include a network source, and wherein the service usage information includes a first charging data record (CDR) from the network source and a second CDR from the network source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first information and the second information includes information identifying a particular device activity available to the end-user device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules are configured to assist in allocating billing for the usage between the first entity and the second entity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules are configured to assist in:

including the first portion of the usage in the first information, and

including the second portion of the usage in the second information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the usage is associated with a first device activity of the one or more device activities, and the second portion of the usage is associated with a second device activity of the one or more device activities.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules define, at least in part, how to:

determine an offset based on the service usage information, the offset being a positive value,

allocate the offset to the first information, and

allocate a negative of the offset to the second information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules define, at least in part, how to:

determine an offset based on the service usage information, the offset being a positive value,

allocate a first portion of the offset to the first information, and

allocate a second portion of the offset to the second information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules define, at least in part, how to:

determine an offset based on the service usage information and based on a user behavior,

allocate a first portion of the offset to the first information, and

allocate a second portion of the offset to the second infoiination.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user behavior comprises one or more of:

activation of the end-user device, selection of a data plan for the end-user device, viewing of an advertisement, a content download, an application usage, a website usage, a wireless application protocol (WAP) site usage, a service portal usage, and a purchase.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules assist in implementing a revenue share between the first entity and the second entity, or between the first entity and the operator of the wireless network.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules assist in allocating a fixed fee to the first entity or to the second entity.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronically-stored rules comprise a first rule and a second rule, and wherein generating the first information and the second information comprises:

applying the first rule in determining a first allocation for the first information, and

applying the second rule in determining a second allocation for the second information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second rule defines, at least in part, how to determine the second allocation as a difference between an aggregate service usage and the first allocation.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the second entity is the user of the end-user device or an entity responsible for paying for the second portion of the usage.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the second entity is an entity other than the user of the end-user device and other than the operator of the wireless network.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first entity comprises one or more of a device group partner, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), an ambient service partner, a roaming service partner, a sponsored service partner, a transaction partner, a website partner, a wireless application protocol (WAP) site partner, a portal site partner, an application provider, a content provider, a search provider, a shopping service provider, a streaming service provider, an e-book provider, a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) provider, an e-mail provider, a music service partner, an advertising partner or provider, a partner of a provider of a network service, a service seller, a retailer, a distributor, a service re-seller, a service wholesaler, a service provider, a carrier, a carrier network partner, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), and a virtual MVNO.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting information through an interface, the information identifying the one or more device activities, the one or more electronically-stored rules, or a first device group, the first device group comprising one or more end-user devices including the end-user device, the first device group defined by one or more device credentials or end-user credentials, each of the one or more device credentials or end-user credentials corresponding to a different one of the one or more end-user devices, and wherein at least a subset of the one or more electronically-stored rules is based on the end-user device belonging to the first device group.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the end-user device belongs to a first device group of a plurality of device groups, the first device group comprising one or more end-user devices including the particular end-user device, the first device group defined by one or more device credentials or end-user credentials, each of the one or more device credentials or end-user credentials corresponding to a different one of the one or more end-user devices, and wherein at least a subset of the one or more electronically-stored rules is based on the particular end-user device belonging to the first device group.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first device group is associated with an enterprise.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first device group is associated with one or more of a device group partner, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), a virtual MVNO, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), an ambient service partner, a roaming service partner, a sponsored service partner, a transaction partner, a website partner, a wireless application protocol (WAP) site partner, a portal site partner, an application provider, a content provider, a search provider, a shopping service provider, a streaming service provider, an e-book provider, a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) provider, an e-mail provider, a music service partner, an advertising partner or provider, a partner of a provider of a network service, a service seller, a service re-seller, a retailer, a distributor, a service wholesaler, a service provider, a carrier, and a carrier network partner.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information comprise accounting information.