Wireless communication cost prediction for mobile device

• US 7,623,843 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Squibbs, Robert Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem; Lisa
• Application Number:
  US10/405,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20030232614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,428 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/452.2, 455/407, 455/41.2, 455/445, 455/414.3, 379/221.05
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A mobile device is equipped with a communications subsystem capable of wireless communication with a communications infrastructure using any of multiple different data-transfer services each with an associated cost. A service determination subsystem of the device uses a currently-active quality-of-experience profile to determine what service or services are to be used by the communications subsystem. A cost prediction arrangement is provided for predicting, on the basis of past data transfers involving the device, communication costs for the device to the end of a current usage period for at least one quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications in the usage period. The cost prediction arrangement can be part of the mobile device or hosted by a remote system.

Claims

1. A communications arrangement comprising:

a mobile device comprising;

a communications subsystem capable of wireless communication using one of multiple different data-transfer services each with an associated cost; and

a service determination subsystem for holding one or more quality-of-experience profiles each specifying, in dependence on one or more parameters, what data transfer service is to be used by the communications subsystem, and for using the, or a user-selected one of the, profiles as a currently-active profile, wherein the service determination subsystem uses the currently-active profile to set the data transfer service used by the communications subsystem; and

a cost prediction subsystem for predicting, on basis of past data transfers involving said device, communication costs for the device to an end of a current calendar usage period for at least one quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cost prediction subsystem is operative to predict communication costs for the device to the end of a current calendar usage period for both the actual currently-active profile and at least one other quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications in said usage period.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the service determination subsystem holds multiple profiles, the arrangement including means operative during use of the communications subsystem to determine for each profile the service amongst the services available, that would be used were that profile the currently-active profile whereby to derive prediction data indicating, for each profile, an estimate of a mix of services that would be used over a period of time if the profile was the currently-active profile, the cost prediction subsystem being operative in predicting communication costs to the end of the current usage period for a particular said profile to use a relevant prediction data to set the mix of services used in making the prediction.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the service determination subsystem is operative to hold multiple quality-of-experience profiles, the cost prediction subsystem being arranged to use as said at least one other quality-of-experience profile, at least one quality-of-experience profile held by the service determination subsystem that is other than the actual-currently active profile.

5. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the cost prediction subsystem is arranged to use as said at least one other quality-of-experience profile, at least one quality-of-experience profile derived by user-specified modification of the actual-currently active profile.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the service determination subsystem holds multiple profiles, the arrangement including means operative during use of the communications subsystem to determine for each profile the service amongst the services available, that would be used were that profile the currently-active profile whereby to derive prediction data indicating, for each profile, an estimate of a mix of services that would be used over a period of time if the profile was the currently-active profile, the cost prediction subsystem being operative in predicting communication costs to the end of the current usage period for a particular said profile to use relevant prediction data to set the mix of services used in making the prediction.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said quality-of-experience profile directly specifies at least one said service to be used subject to availability.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said quality-of-experience profile specifies acceptable download times or media quality parameters, the service determination subsystem being operative to use these parameters to determine a suitable service to use when that profile is-the currently-active profile.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said quality-of-experience profile specifies, or is used to determine, said service to be used, subject to availability, according to a current type, of multiple possible types, of communication task to be carried out or media to be transferred using the communications subsystem.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said quality-of-experience profile specifies at least one fall-back service to be used in the event that the service initially determined for use is not available.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cost prediction subsystem is part of the mobile device.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cost prediction subsystem is separate from the mobile device.

13. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a visual display, the cost prediction unit being operative to output its cost predictions in graphical form using said visual display.

14. A method of determining a data transfer service to be used for a mobile communications device comprising:

storing one or more quality-of-experience profiles in the mobile communications device, each profile specifying, in dependence on one or more parameters, what data transfer service is to be used by the mobile communications device, and for using a user- selected one of the profiles as a currently-active profile;

using the currently-active profile to set the data transfer service used by the mobile communications device; and

predicting, on basis of past data transfers involving said device, communication costs for the device to an end of a current calendar usage period for at least one quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the communication costs for the mobile communications device are predicted to the end of a current calendar usage period for both an actual currently-active profile and at least one other quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications in said usage period.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said quality-of-experience profile specifies acceptable download times or media quality parameters which are used to determine a suitable service to use when that profile is-the currently-active profile.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said quality-of-experience profile specifies, or is used to determine, said service to be used, subject to availability, according to a current type, of multiple possible types, of communication task to be carried out or media to be transferred using the mobile communications device.

18. The method according to claim 14 further comprising:

displaying the predicted communication costs to a user.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein said quality-of-experience profile specifies at least one fall-back service to be used in event that the service initially determined for use is not available.

20. A system of determining a data transfer service to be used for a mobile communications device comprising:

means for storing one or more quality-of-experience profiles in the mobile communications device, each profile specifying, in dependence on one or more parameters, what data transfer service is to be used by the mobile communications device, and for using a user-selected one of the profiles as a currently-active profile;

means for using the currently-active profile to set the data transfer service used by the mobile communications device; and

means for predicting, on basis of past data transfers involving said device, communication costs for the device to an end of a current calendar usage period for at least one quality-of-experience profile used as the currently-active profile for future communications.