Banded billing system for data communication service
First Claim
1. A banded billing method for data communication services comprising:
- maintaining in data storage a banded-pricing schedule that divides a continuum of increments of data into a series of contiguous, mutually-exclusive increment-ranges and that specifies for each increment-range a respective cost;
determining a number of increments of data communicated by a given subscriber during a given period;
querying the banded-pricing schedule to determine which increment-range the number of increments falls into, and to determine the cost specified by the banded-pricing schedule for that increment-range; and
billing the determined cost to the given subscriber, for data communication service during the given periodwherein the series of increment-ranges begins with a first increment-range of 0 to P increments, and then continues with increment-ranges Rk, each extending from {P+(k−
1)(Q)+1} increments to {P+(k)(Q)} increments, wherein k=1, 2, 3, . . . , N, and wherein Q is a number of increments.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A banded billing system for data communication service is disclosed. A carrier'"'"'s billing system maintains in data storage a banded-pricing schedule that divides a continuum of increments of data into a series of contiguous, mutually-exclusive increment-ranges and that specifies for each increment-range a respective cost. At the end of a billing period, the billing system determines a number of increments of data communicated by a given subscriber during the billing period. The billing system then queries the banded-pricing schedule to determine which increment-range the number of increments falls into, and to determine the cost specified by the banded-pricing schedule for that increment-range. The billing system then bills the determined cost to the subscriber, for data communication service in the billing period.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A banded billing method for data communication services comprising:
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maintaining in data storage a banded-pricing schedule that divides a continuum of increments of data into a series of contiguous, mutually-exclusive increment-ranges and that specifies for each increment-range a respective cost; determining a number of increments of data communicated by a given subscriber during a given period; querying the banded-pricing schedule to determine which increment-range the number of increments falls into, and to determine the cost specified by the banded-pricing schedule for that increment-range; and billing the determined cost to the given subscriber, for data communication service during the given period wherein the series of increment-ranges begins with a first increment-range of 0 to P increments, and then continues with increment-ranges Rk, each extending from {P+(k−
1)(Q)+1} increments to {P+(k)(Q)} increments, wherein k=1, 2, 3, . . . , N, and wherein Q is a number of increments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification