Method and apparatus for billing data services

• US 8,620,833 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barker, Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): EPSTEIN, BRIAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/898,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/400, 370/235, 370/486, 370/468
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for billing data services. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller that manages a communications interface coupled to a communication system. The controller can be programmed to calculate a charge for service according to a degree of asymmetric bandwidth usage of upstream and downstream data traffic consumed by customer premise equipment. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining averages for data traffic associated with customer premises equipment according to predefined measurement intervals, wherein the data traffic includes upstream and downstream data traffic between the customer premises equipment and network elements of a single service provider;

discarding a portion of the averages for the data traffic;

determining ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic based on the averages for the data traffic;

determining a charge for service for a subscriber according to one of a plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios based on the ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic, wherein the plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios comprises a first range, a second range and a third range, wherein the first range has a higher ratio of the average upstream data traffic to the average downstream data traffic as compared to the second range, wherein the second range has a higher ratio of the average upstream data traffic to the average downstream data traffic as compared to the third range, wherein each of the plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios has a different price, wherein the first range has a lower price than the second range, and wherein the second range has a lower price than the third range, wherein the charge is calculated by applying a corresponding price of the one of the plurality of ranges to an amount of the upstream data traffic; and

applying a minimum charge for service when the charge for service does not meet a threshold,

wherein the minimum charge for service is based on a maximum billing price for data services of the single service provider and a percentage of peak service bandwidth provided to the customer premises equipment, and

wherein the subscriber is a content provider that provides content for download by customers of the content provider.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment is connected to the single service provider by a dedicated internet access circuit.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the data traffic is measured using a point-of-presence interface.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the single service provider is a tier-1 service provider.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the determining of the ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic is based on a maximum average selected from remaining averages for the data traffic.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the single service provider is a tier-1 service provider.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data traffic is measured using a point-of-presence interface.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a processor coupled with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

determining averages for upstream and downstream bandwidth usage according to predefined intervals, wherein upstream and downstream data traffic is between customer premises equipment and network elements of a single service provider;

comparing the average upstream bandwidth usage to the average downstream bandwidth usage;

determining a charge for service from the comparing of the average upstream bandwidth usage to the average downstream bandwidth usage;

discarding a portion of highest averages for the upstream and downstream bandwidth usage;

comparing a maximum average of each of remaining averages for the upstream and downstream bandwidth usage;

adjusting the charge for service according to prices for ranges of asymmetric bandwidth usage to generate an adjusted charge for service;

replacing the adjusted charge for service with a minimum charge for service when the minimum charge for service exceeds the adjusted charge for service; and

providing billing services for a decentralized computing system that provides communication services via the network elements of the single service provider,

wherein the ranges of asymmetric bandwidth usage comprise a first range, a second range and a third range, wherein the first range has a higher ratio of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic as compared to the second range, wherein the second range has a higher ratio of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic as compared to the third range, wherein the first range has a lower price than the second range, wherein the second range has a lower price than the third range, and wherein the adjusted charge for service is generated by applying the corresponding price of a selected one of the ranges to an amount of the upstream data traffic.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the single service provider is a content provider that provides content for download by customers of the content provider.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor includes multiple computing devices that perform parallel processing.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the single service provider is a tier-1 service provider.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the data traffic is measured using a point-of-presence interface.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the customer premises equipment is connected to the single service provider by a dedicated internet access circuit.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the ranges of asymmetric bandwidth usage consist of three ranges.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system including a processor, averages for data traffic associated with customer premises equipment, wherein the data traffic includes upstream and downstream data traffic between the customer premises equipment and network elements of a single service provider;

determining, by the system, ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic based on the averages for the data traffic;

discarding, by the system, a portion of the averages for the data traffic;

determining, by the system, a charge for service for a subscriber according to one of a plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios based on the ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic, wherein the plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios comprises a first range, a second range and a third range, wherein the first range has a higher ratio of the average upstream data traffic to the average downstream data traffic as compared to the second range, wherein the second range has a higher ratio of the average upstream data traffic to the average downstream data traffic as compared to the third range, wherein each of the plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios has a different price, wherein the first range has a lower price than the second range, and wherein the second range has a lower price than the third range, wherein the charge is calculated by applying a corresponding price of the one of the plurality of ranges to an amount of the upstream data traffic; and

applying, by the system, a minimum charge for service when the charge for service does not meet a threshold,

wherein the minimum charge for service is based on a maximum billing price for data services of the single service provider and a percentage of peak service bandwidth provided to the customer premises equipment, and

wherein the subscriber is a content provider that provides content for download by customers of the content provider.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the customer premises equipment is connected to the single service provider by a dedicated internet access circuit, and wherein the system performs network management functions and customer relations management functions.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the system includes multiple processors that perform parallel processing for the determining of the charge for service.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining of the ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic is based on a maximum average selected from remaining averages for the data traffic.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the single service provider is a tier-1 service provider.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the data traffic is measured using a point-of-presence interface.