Dynamic pricing method and apparatus for communication systems
First Claim
1. A method for providing one or more mobile individual subscriber units (ISU) of a communication system with realtime information on the cost of a communication service, wherein the communication system has a realtime demand for communication services and includes a radio link, said method comprising steps of:
- (a) determining a current loading of said communication system based on said realtime demand for communication services;
(b) dynamically computing a current calling rate by the communication system, the current calling rate based in part on said current loading of the communication system;
(c) sending the current calling rate to one of a calling and a called ISUs; and
(d) thereafter connecting or not connecting a call between the calling and the called ISU based on a response from one of the calling or the called ISUs.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system service billing arrangement is described that adapts to system loading in realtime. As system loading varies, one or more individual subscribers units (ISU) of a communication system are provided with realtime information on the current cost of the communication service. The system determines the locations of the ISUs and the current loading there between and calculates a calling rate based at least on the current loading. This calling rate is sent to at least one of the ISUs whose operator can choose to connect or not connect the call between the ISUs based on the current realtime variable rate.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for providing one or more mobile individual subscriber units (ISU) of a communication system with realtime information on the cost of a communication service, wherein the communication system has a realtime demand for communication services and includes a radio link, said method comprising steps of:
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(a) determining a current loading of said communication system based on said realtime demand for communication services; (b) dynamically computing a current calling rate by the communication system, the current calling rate based in part on said current loading of the communication system; (c) sending the current calling rate to one of a calling and a called ISUs; and (d) thereafter connecting or not connecting a call between the calling and the called ISU based on a response from one of the calling or the called ISUs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 25, 31, 32, 33)
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10. A method for providing one or more individual subscriber units (ISUs) of a communication system with realtime information on the cost of a communication service before or after a connection between the called ISU and the calling ISU has been made, wherein the communication system includes a radio link, said method comprising steps of:
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(a) determining a first location of the calling ISU and a second actual or predicted location of the called ISU, wherein at least one of said first or second locations is determined by a geolocation apparatus; (b) determining a first and second current loading for said first and second locations respectively, said first and second current loading based on a current demand for communication services at said first location or at said second actual or predicted location; (c) dynamically computing a current calling rate based in part on at least one of said first and second current loading for the first or second locations; (c) sending the current calling rate to one or all of the ISUs; and (d) thereafter continuing or not continuing a call between the calling ISU and the called ISU based on a response from one of the calling ISU or the called ISU. - View Dependent Claims (11, 26)
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12. A method for providing one or more computer based individual subscriber units (ISUs) of a communication system with pre-programmed limits, each of said computer based subscriber units having a location associated therewith, each of said locations having associated therewith a current loading based on realtime demand for communication services and said communication system having a realtime billing rate for a communication service based in part on said current loading at said location, said method comprising steps of:
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dynamically determining by one or more computer based ISUs whether said realtime billing rate of said communication service is within acceptable limits; and responding by the one or more computer based ISUs whether to accept or reject a connection and thereafter continuing or not continuing a call between the calling ISU and the called ISU based on the realtime billing rate staying within a second limit. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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13. An apparatus for providing one or more individual subscriber units (ISUs) of a communication system with realtime information on a current calling rate of a communication service, wherein the communication system includes a radio link, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining a first location of a calling ISU and a second predicted or actual location of a called ISU, wherein said determining means comprises a geolocation apparatus; means for determining a current loading at said first or second location based on a demand for communication services at said location; means for dynamically computing a current calling rate based in part on said current loading of said communication system for at least one of said first or second locations; means for sending said current calling rate to one of said calling and called ISUs; and means for connecting or not connecting a call between said calling and called ISUs based on a response from one of said calling or called ISUs. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 28)
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17. An apparatus for providing one or more ISUs of a communication system with current cost information of a communication service, each of said ISUs having a location associated therewith, each of said associated locations having associated therewith a current loading based on realtime demand for communication services, wherein the communication system includes a radio link, said apparatus comprising:
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means for redetermining a first location of a calling ISU and a second location of a called ISU, said redetermining means including a geolocation apparatus; means for dynamically recomputing a current calling rate based in part on said current loading associated with said redetermined locations for at least one of said called or calling ISU'"'"'s to provide a recomputed current calling rate; means for sending said recomputed current calling rate to one of said calling and called ISUs; and means for continuing or not continuing a call between said calling and called ISU based on a response from one of said calling or called ISUs. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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18. A method for providing one or more individual subscriber units (ISUs) of a communication system with current cost information of a communication service, each of said ISUs having a location associated therewith, each of said associated locations having a current loading based on realtime demand for communication services, wherein the communication system includes a radio link, said method comprising steps of:
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dynamically computing an input current calling rate or rate multiplier based in part on said current loading associated with said location of a multiuser portion of the communication system to which a first ISU has access; and sending the input current calling rate or rate multiplier to the first ISU. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30)
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34. A method dynamically computing a realtime cost for a communication service for one or more mobile individual subscriber units (ISU) of a communication system, wherein the communication system has a realtime current demand for communication services, said method comprising steps of:
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measuring a realtime current loading of said communication system based on said realtime current demand for communication services at a time when said communication service is desired; and dynamically computing a realtime calling rate for use by the communication system, the realtime calling rate based in part on said current loading of the communication system. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification