Systems and Methods for Billing Content Providers for Designated Select Content Delivered Over a Data Network

• US 20140136335A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edgio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EdgeCast Networks (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, Jerry, Lientz, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,589,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.69
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Some embodiments provide multi-tenant billing systems and methods whereby data network usage fees that are associated with delivering select content of different content providers over a data network are passed to the content provider that originates or is the source for that select content instead of the end users that request and receive the select content. A deep packet inspection server or a billing server may be configured with a list of identifiers to distinguish between the network usage that is related to the delivery of the designated free content from the network usage that is not related to the delivery of the designated free content. The network usage can be distinguished by filtering or processing usage logs that track the network usage using the configured list of identifiers. Such filtering or processing can be done in real-time or in a delayed manner in a standalone or integrated system.

Claims

1. A method performed by a service provider to offset data network usage fees amongst end users and content providers, wherein the service provider operates a data network that provides a plurality of end users access to content of the content providers from an external data network, the method comprising:

with at least one machine of the service provider having a processor;

configuring an identifier identifying first content of a particular content provider that is designated for free delivery to any end user of the plurality of end users;

inspecting a plurality of content passing from the external data network through the data network to a particular end user of the plurality of end users, wherein inspecting the plurality of content comprises identifying the first content comprising the identifier and second content that does not comprise the identifier; and

performing offset billing for the data network usage associated with delivering the plurality of content to the particular end user, wherein performing the offset billing comprises (i) billing the particular end user according to the data network usage fees incurred in delivering, to the particular end user, the second content that is not designated as free content and (ii) not billing the particular end user any fees for the data network usage incurred in delivering the first content that is designated as free content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the offset billing further comprises billing the particular content provider according to the data network usage fees incurred in delivering, to the particular end user, the first content that is designated as free content and not billing the particular content provider any fees for the data network usage incurred in delivering the second content to the particular end user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising tracking the data network usage associated with delivering the plurality of content to a specific end user usage log tracking the particular end user'"'"'s usage.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising filtering from the specific end user usage log, data network usage by the particular end user that is related to delivery of the designated free first content.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising entering to a content provider usage log of the particular content provider, data network usage by the particular end user that is related to delivery of the designated free first content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein performing the offset billing further comprises processing the specific end user usage log in billing the particular end user and processing the content provider usage log in billing the particular content provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular end user is a first end user of the plurality of end users, the method further comprising inspecting third content comprising the identifier passing from the external data network through the data network to a second end user of the plurality of end users, wherein the second end user is different from the first end user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein performing the offset billing further comprises billing the particular content provider according to the data network usage fees incurred in delivering to the second end user, the third content that is designated as free content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a content filename, Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and Internet Protocol (IP) address of the particular content provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the external data network is a content delivery network (CDN) comprising a point-of-presence (PoP) with at least one caching server serving the content of the content providers to the plurality of end users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the external data network is the Internet.

12. A method performed by a service provider operating a data network providing a plurality of end user subscribers of the data network access to a plurality of content, the method comprising:

with at least one machine of the service provider operating with at least one processor;

configuring at least one identifier identifying select content of a particular content provider that is designated for free delivery to the plurality of end user subscribers;

tracking to a non-transitory storage medium of said machine, data network usage utilized in delivering a plurality of content to a particular end user subscriber of the plurality of end user subscribers;

filtering the data network usage using the at least one identifier, wherein filtering the data network usage comprises identifying a first amount of the data network usage utilized in delivering a first set of the plurality of content comprising any of the at least one identifier and a second amount of the data network usage utilized in delivering a second set of the plurality of content that does not comprise any of the least one identifier; and

performing offset billing for said data network usage by (i) offsetting from the particular end user to the particular content provider, billing of a first fee that is computed from the first amount of the data network usage by the particular end user subscriber and (ii) billing the particular end user subscriber a second fee based on the second amount of the data network usage by the particular end user subscriber.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing an interface with which the particular content provider designates the select content for free delivery.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network usage quantifies an amount of bandwidth utilized in delivering the plurality of content.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising routing to a packet inspection server of the service provider, content passing from the external data network to the plurality of end user subscribers.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first set of content comprises first and second content that is delivered to the particular end user subscriber, and wherein the first fee is computed by adding data network usage utilized in delivering the first content to the particular end user subscriber with data network usage utilized in delivering the second to the particular end user subscriber.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein performing the offset billing further comprising billing the particular content provider a third fee based on a third amount of data network usage utilized in delivering the select content to at least a different second end user subscriber of the plurality of end user subscribers.

18. A method performed by a service provider to offset billing amongst (i) a plurality of end users utilizing the service provider for access to content from an external data network and (ii) a plurality of content providers providing said content from the external data network, the method comprising:

with at least one machine of the service provider operating with at least one processor;

differentiating based on a set of identifiers, content passing from any of the plurality of content providers in the external data network to any end user of the plurality of end users as (i) first content with data network usage billable to an end user receiving the first content and (ii) second content with data network usage billable to a particular content provider originating the second content;

tracking (i) a first amount of data network usage by a particular end user of the plurality of end users that is related to delivery of the first content and (ii) a second amount of data network usage by the particular end user that is related to delivery of the second content; and

assessing (i) the particular end user a first fee based on the first amount of data network usage by the particular end user and (ii) the particular content provider a second fee based on the second amount of data network usage by the particular end user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first fee is assessed independent of the second amount of data network usage by the particular end user.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising tracking a third amount of data network usage that is related to delivery of the first content to a second different end user of the plurality of end users.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising assessing the particular content provider a third fee based on the third amount of data network usage by the second different end user.