EXCLUDING SPECIFIC APPLICATION TRAFFIC FROM CUSTOMER CONSUMPTION DATA
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- establishing a first data service flow and a second data service flow over a shared communication link for distribution of content to a communication device operated by a subscriber, content transmitted over the first data service flow counted toward billable content delivery in accordance with a data delivery agreement with the subscriber, content transmitted over the second data service flow excluded from the billable content delivery;
utilizing the first data service flow to forward first requested content to the communication device; and
redirecting second requested content over the second data service flow, instead of over the first data service flow, to the communication device in response to detecting that the second requested content is available from a first content distribution resource but is received from a second content distribution resource.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for excluding specific application traffic from customer consumption-based data billing counts. This is useful for excluding traffic from consumption totals where the application traffic has been accounted for using other means, such as through billing as a separate or technically distinct service. In practice, a tablet computer (or other end user device) can run a video application that uses a high-speed data network via a cable modem. This video application may be included as part of a core video package associated with a distinct cable television service. The system then provides accurate consumption billing of customer traffic that is outside of any other managed services by creating separate logical data service flows at a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) for excluding specific traffic counts.
29 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
establishing a first data service flow and a second data service flow over a shared communication link for distribution of content to a communication device operated by a subscriber, content transmitted over the first data service flow counted toward billable content delivery in accordance with a data delivery agreement with the subscriber, content transmitted over the second data service flow excluded from the billable content delivery; utilizing the first data service flow to forward first requested content to the communication device; and redirecting second requested content over the second data service flow, instead of over the first data service flow, to the communication device in response to detecting that the second requested content is available from a first content distribution resource but is received from a second content distribution resource. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13)
-
-
11. A method comprising:
-
from a first content distribution resource, receiving a stream of data requested by a subscriber operating a communication device; analyzing the received stream of data; and in response to detecting that the stream of data represents content that is alternatively available to the subscriber as part of a cable service agreement from a second content distribution resource, excluding the transmission of the stream of data from a data delivery consumption count associated with an Internet-based data retrieval service agreement, the data delivery consumption count representing an amount of data transmitted over a corresponding shared communication link to the communication device.
-
-
14. A computer system comprising:
-
computer processor hardware; and a storage resource coupled to the computer processor hardware, the storage resource storing instructions that, when executed by the computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to perform the operations of; establishing a first data service flow and a second data service flow over a shared communication link for distribution of content to a communication device operated by a subscriber, content transmitted over the first data service flow counted toward billable content delivery in accordance with a data delivery agreement with the subscriber, content transmitted over the second data service flow excluded from the billable content delivery; utilizing the first data service flow to forward first requested content to the communication device; and utilizing the second data service flow, instead of the first data service flow, to forward second requested content to the communication device in response to detecting that second requested content is sourced from a second content distribution resource that provides the second requested content to the subscriber as an alternative to a first content distribution resource that also provides the subscriber access to the second requested content. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification