Long Term Evolution Network Profile Based Usage Notification

• US 20140004815A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,716,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume

Abstract

Notifications regarding data usage may be transmitted to mobile devices based on a threshold of data usage determined from a profile associated with the device. Upon receiving a request for service from a mobile device, a network device, such as a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) device, may determine a current bandwidth usage for the device and obtain a profile associated with the device. The network device may determine a threshold of data usage for the mobile device from the profile and determine whether the mobile device has met the threshold. If so, a notification may be transmitted to the mobile device indicating that the threshold has been met.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device at a network device configured in a long term evolution network, a request for service; and

responsive to receiving the request for service;

determining, at the network device, a data usage balance for an account associated with the mobile device;

determining, at the network device, a data usage profile for the account;

determining, at the network device based on the data usage profile, a threshold of data usage; and

determining, at the network device, whether to transmit a data usage notification to the mobile device based on a comparison of the data usage balance and the threshold of data usage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the data usage balance comprises transmitting a request for the data usage balance to a bandwidth manager and receiving the data usage balance from the bandwidth manager.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the threshold of data usage based on the data usage profile comprises determining a category of the account based on the data usage profile, and determining the threshold of data usage based on the category of the account.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the category of the account comprises at least one of a category indicating a data usage allotment, a category indicating a rate of data usage, or a category indicating a capability of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the data usage balance is less than the threshold of data usage.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the data usage balance is equal to or greater than the threshold of data usage.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a notification intended for the mobile device comprising an indication that that the data usage balance is equal to or greater than the threshold of data usage.

8. A network device configured in a long term evolution network comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory comprising instructions; and

a processor, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a request for service from a mobile device; and

responsive to receiving the request for service;

determining a data usage balance for an account associated with the mobile device;

determining a data usage profile for the account;

determining, based on the data usage profile, a threshold of data usage; and

determining whether to transmit a data usage notification to the mobile device based on a comparison of the data usage balance and the threshold of data usage.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the operation of determining the data usage balance comprises transmitting a request for the data usage balance to a bandwidth manager and receiving the data usage balance from the bandwidth manager.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the operation of determining the threshold of data usage based on the data usage profile comprises determining a category of the account based on the data usage profile, and determining the threshold of data usage based on the category of the account.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the category of the account comprises at least one of a category indicating a data usage allotment, a category indicating a rate of data usage, or a category indicating a capability of the mobile device.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the data usage balance is less than the threshold of data usage.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the data usage balance is equal to or greater than the threshold of data usage.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a notification intended for the mobile device comprising an indication that that the data usage balance is equal to or greater than the threshold of data usage.

15. A tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for service from a mobile device; and

responsive to receiving the request for service;

determining a data usage balance for an account associated with the mobile device;

determining a data usage profile for the account;

determining, based on the data usage profile, a threshold of data usage; and

determining whether to transmit a data usage notification to the mobile device based on a comparison of the data usage balance and the threshold of data usage.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operation of determining the data usage balance comprises transmitting a request for the data usage balance to a bandwidth manager and receiving the data usage balance from the bandwidth manager.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operation of determining the threshold of data usage based on the data usage profile comprises determining a category of the account based on the data usage profile, and determining the threshold of data usage based on the category of the account.

18. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the category of the account comprises at least one of a category indicating a data usage allotment, a category indicating a rate of data usage, or a category indicating a capability of the mobile device.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the data usage balance is less than the threshold of data usage.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the data usage balance is equal to or greater than the threshold of data usage.