Handset awareness and tracking of subscription plan

• US 8,620,265 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Gailloux, Michael A., Samson, Kenneth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US13/102,403
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 455436-445, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/130, 379/131, 379/140
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure

Abstract

A portable electronic device that promotes user awareness of approaching a usage limit is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and an application. When executed by the processor, the application installs a file describing a subscription plan documenting availability of at least one of wireless voice and data services, the subscription plan comprising a usage limit. The application also records a first usage of a first unit of a first service provided under the plan and increments a count of units of usage of the first service during a first usage period based on the record of the first usage. The application also detects the count of units of usage reaching a first predetermined threshold wherein the threshold is less than the usage limit. The application also presents a first message, the message providing notification of the count of units of usage reaching the threshold.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device that promotes user awareness of approaching a usage limit, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an application, that, when executed by the processor,

installs a file in the memory that describes a subscription plan documenting availability of at least one of wireless voice services or data services, wherein the subscription plan is associated with a telecommunications service provider and comprises a usage limit, and wherein the file documenting the subscription plan presently under contract additionally comprises at least one of the subscription plan or pricing information for products or features available under the subscription plan but not presently contracted for under the subscription plan,

records a usage of a unit of a service provided under the subscription plan,

increments a count of units of usage of the service during a usage period based on the record of the usage,

detects the count of units of usage reaching a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold is less than the usage limit,

presents a message, wherein the message provides notification of the count of units of usage reaching the predetermined threshold, and

based on the detection that the count of units of usage has reached the predetermined threshold, locally executes a transaction to add at least one of the products or features under the subscription plan but not presently contracted for under the subscription plan based on the file without immediately contacting the telecommunications service provider.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device receives the file at one of the beginning of a contract documenting the subscription agreement and upon a change to the contract.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is in the range of 50% to 90% of the maximum quantity of units of the service available during the usage period.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein exceeding the maximum quantity of units of the service available during the usage period results in additional charges to a subscriber under the subscription plan.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the application presents another message when the count of units of usage reaches the maximum quantity of units of the service available during the usage period.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the application presenting the message and the other message comprises emitting one of a visible, auditory, and vibratory alert.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data services comprise at least one of short message service (SMS) messaging, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messaging, electronic mail services, or Internet access services.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the application is further configured to learn patterns and habits of usage of the portable electronic device and provides a notification based on the learned patterns and habits.