Rule-based system and method for managing the provisioning of user applications on limited-resource and/or wireless devices

• US 8,270,951 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gidron, Yoad, Holder, Ophir, Teichholtz, Haim, Reich, Benny, Gur-Ari, Yaron, Schiller, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US11/945,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20080090551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/426.1, 455/414.1, 707/600, 709/318, 709/328, 709/219, 714/43
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8278 Event based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 : Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/788 : Event based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and a method for charging for directed provisioning and using of dynamic content to limited resource devices, through an integrated platform which handles all aspects of aggregation and management of such dynamic content. The integrated platform features a billing system for performing billing actions. The billing system of the present invention interacts with other components of the integrated platform in order to be able to determine the charge for particular triggering events, such as downloading dynamic content, and/or events which are actually triggered by the application itself. The charge is preferably determined according to one of a plurality of rules, as applied by a rules engine of the billing system. These rules are part of a charging policy, which may optionally be determined by the content provider.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a policy for provisioning a dynamic content to a limited resource device (LRD) through an integrated platform, the method comprising:

receiving an event associated with a dynamic content request from a LRD application;

evaluating the event using sequential processing according to one or more application-specific policy defining business rules associated with said LRD application, said policy business rules being structured according to an ECA (event-condition-action) model, such that each rule is triggered by an event, and wherein said rule engine evaluates a condition to determine whether an action should be executed; and

interacting with the LRD according to said evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited resource device is a wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the limited resource device is a cellular communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one rule includes an event, a condition and an action, said event at least including said request, said condition being determined according to at least one characteristic of said request and said action being determined according to at least one characteristic for delivering the dynamic content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said event is a request to receive the dynamic content for downloading to the limited resource device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said event is generated by a user application as operated by the limited resource device, such that said request is received from the user application.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said condition is determined according to at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of subscriber information regarding a user of the limited resource device, data related to the dynamic content, delivery conditions for delivering the dynamic content and information which is specific to the dynamic content.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said condition further comprises an operation for being executed to determine said condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said operation comprises retrieving information from a database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said information is related to a previous action by a user interacting with the limited resource device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said information is subscriber information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least information about said event is stored.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said information is analyzed during said analyzing of said event for applying said at least one rule.

14. A system for management of provisioning and using a dynamic content, the system comprising:

a messaging system for communicating between a limited resources devices (LRD) a provisioning platform and a rule engine;

the messaging system adapted to;

receive an event associated with a dynamic content request from an LRD application;

evaluate the event using sequential processing according to one or more application-specific policy defining business rules associated with said LRD application, said policy defined business rules being structured according to an ECA (event-condition-action) model, such that each rule is triggered by an event, and wherein said rule engine evaluates a condition to determine whether an action should be executed; and

interact with the LRD according to said evaluation.