System and method for providing user notifications

• US 8,745,191 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Raissinia, Alireza, Lavine, James, Green, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/253,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/252, 370/218, 370/253, 370/328, 455/412.1, 455406-409, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/431, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 705/304, 705/223, 705/225, 709/203, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1417 Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method comprising storing information about a service plan, the service plan having a limit on usage of at least one of one or more network services, the service plan being associated with an end user device; detecting a device action that reflects or is associated with a past, current, or intended use by the end user device of the at least one of the one or more network services; identifying the device action as a trigger event; identifying notification request information based on the trigger event, the notification request information for use by the end user device in presenting, through a user interface of the end user device, a notification message comprising notification information, the notification information based on the notification request information; and transmitting the notification request information to the end user device in response to the trigger event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, in memory, information about a service plan, the service plan having a limit on usage of at least one of one or more network services available to an end user device, the service plan being associated with the end user device;

detecting a device action that reflects or is associated with a past, current, or intended use by the end user device of the at least one of the one or more network services;

identifying the device action as a trigger event;

identifying notification request information based on the trigger event, the notification request information for use by the end user device in presenting, through a user interface of the end user device, a notification message comprising notification information, the notification information based on the notification request information; and

transmitting the notification request information to the end user device over a wireless access network in response to the trigger event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit on usage identifies when the at least one of the one or more network services is no longer available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit on usage identifies when a billing rate for the at least one of the one or more network services changes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more network services is classified as a first type before the limit on usage has been reached, and the at least one of the one or more network services is classified as a second type after the limit on usage has been reached.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event is based on the service plan.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises a request by the end user device to access a new network service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises exceeding a threshold usage amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises a roaming event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises a tethering request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user device is an intermediate device, and wherein the device action reflects or is associated with a past, current, or intended use by one or more other end user devices of the at least one of the one or more network services via the intermediate device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more network services comprises a category of services, and wherein the trigger event comprises exceeding a threshold amount of the category of services.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user device is associated with the service plan when a user currently using the end user device is subscribed to the service plan.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user device is associated with the service plan when the end user device is subscribed to the service plan.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the notification message comprises an offer to cancel, modify, replenish or replace the service plan;

and

further comprising obtaining a user response to the offer.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein the notification request information comprises a network destination identifier configured to cause the end user device to access a server associated with the network destination identifier to obtain the notification information;

and

further comprising sending an index to the server to identify the notification information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises an offer to provide information about a service plan feature or a different service plan.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises a link to additional information.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein the notification message comprises a request to acknowledge a usage amount or a billing rate;

and

further comprising obtaining a user response to the request.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein the notification request information is configured to cause the end user device to access a server associated with a predetermined network destination identifier that comprises the notification information;

and

further comprising sending an index to the server to identify the notification information.

20. The method of claim 1,

wherein the notification request information is configured to cause the end user device to access a server associated with a predetermined network destination identifier that comprises a second network destination identifier and to obtain the notification information using the second network destination identifier.

21. The method of claim 1,

wherein the notification request information identifies the notification information in a local notification store;

and

further comprising configuring the local notification store to contain the notification information.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing, in cooperation with the end user device, a secure link configured to support control-plane communications between the network system and the end user device, and wherein transmitting the notification request information to the end user device in response to the trigger event comprises sending the notification request information over the secure link.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises information associated with an intermediate networking device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification request information comprises an indication of an amount of usage of a particular one of the one or more network services.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event is based on a user preference or a user input.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is based on a user preference or a user input.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises meeting a threshold usage amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification request information comprises a network destination identifier configured to cause the end user device to access a server associated with the network destination identifier to obtain at least a portion of the notification message.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification request information is configured to cause the end user device to access a server associated with a predetermined network destination identifier that comprises at least a portion of the notification message.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message presents information about a percentage of a usage limit.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message presents information about a used percentage of a service plan limit.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message presents information about a remaining percentage of the service plan.

33. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the user response.

34. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing the user response.

35. The method of claim 11, wherein the category of services comprises a data service.

36. The method of claim 11, wherein the category of services comprises a voice service.

37. The method of claim 11, wherein the category of services comprises a messaging service.

38. The method of claim 11, wherein the category of services comprises a service associated with a particular application program on the end user device or a particular network destination available to the end user device.

39. The method of claim 11, wherein the category of services comprises a transaction service.

40. The method of claim 11, wherein the category of services comprises a service associated with a particular content type.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user device is a first end user device, and wherein the notification message is a first notification message, and wherein the notification request information is first notification request information, and further comprising:

transmitting second notification request information to a second end user device, the second notification request information for use by the second end user device in presenting, through a user interface of the second end user device, a second notification message.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the first end user device and the second end user device are associated with a device group.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the second end user device is associated with an administrator of a multi-device group.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification request information is a text message.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification request information is an e-mail message.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event is a first trigger event, and wherein the notification request information is first notification request information, and wherein the notification message is a first notification message, and wherein the notification information is first notification information, and further comprising:

determining that a second trigger event has occurred, and

in response to determining that the second trigger event has occurred, transmitting second notification request information to the end user device, the second notification request information for use by the end user device in presenting, through the user interface of the end user device, a second notification message comprising second notification information, the second notification information based on the second notification request information.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the second trigger event comprises the end user device having used a particular percentage of a specified amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the second trigger event comprises the end user device having used an allocated amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification request information comprises an indication that the first end user device has used a particular percentage of the limit on usage of the at least one of the one or more network services.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification request information comprises an indication that the first end user device has used a particular amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message presents information about a percentage of the limit on usage.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message presents information about a used percentage of the limit on usage.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification request information comprises an indication that the end user device has used a particular percentage of the limit on usage of the at least one of the one or more network services.

54. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification request information comprises an indication that the end user device has used a particular amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

55. The method of claim 40, wherein the content type is streaming.

56. The method of claim 40, wherein the content type is audio, video, an advertisement, a download, a picture file, or a combination of these.

57. The method of claim 41, wherein the notification information is first notification information, and wherein the second notification message comprises second notification information based on the second notification request information.

58. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification message further comprises information to enable a user of the second end user device to disable usage of the at least one of the one or more network services by the first end user device.

59. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification message comprises a request for a user acknowledgment of an overage associated with usage of the at least one of the one or more network services.

60. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification message comprises information to enable a user of the second end user device to modify the service plan or to select a different service plan.

61. The method of claim 41, wherein the second end user device is selected by an administrator of a multi-device group.

62. The method of claim 41, wherein the second notification request information is the same as the first notification request information.

63. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message further comprises second information.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the second information is stored on the end user device.

65. The method of claim 63, wherein the second information is separate from the notification request information.

66. The method of claim 1, wherein the device action comprises a request from a user of the end user device.

67. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit on usage is based on a user preference or a user input.

68. The method of claim 46, wherein the second trigger event comprises the end user device having met or exceeded a threshold usage amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

69. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event comprises a request by the end user device to access a service that is unavailable to the end user device.

70. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining one or more parameters associated with the trigger event, the device action, the notification request information, or a combination of these.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein obtaining one or more parameters associated with the trigger event, the device action, the notification request information, or a combination of these comprises obtaining the one or more parameters from a service provider, a carrier, a mobile virtual network operator, a virtual service provider, or a combination of these.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein obtaining one or more parameters associated with the trigger event, the device action, the notification request information, or a combination of these comprises obtaining the one or more parameters from a service design center.

73. The method of claim 70, wherein the one or more parameters specify at least an aspect of a background content, a background design, a color, a brightness, a foreground content, a foreground design, a logo, a font, a user response, a user input, an offer, a button, a user acknowledgment parameter, or a combination of these.

74. The method of claim 1, wherein the device action comprises a request by the end user device to access a network service.

75. The method of claim 1, wherein the device action comprises exceeding a threshold usage amount of the at least one of the one or more network services.

76. The method of claim 1, wherein the device action comprises the end user device connecting to, attempting to communicate over, or successfully communicating over a roaming network.

77. The method of claim 1, wherein the device action comprises an attempted or successful use of a tethering service or a tethering option.

78. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message further comprises information to enable a user of the end user device to disable usage of the at least one of the one or more network services.

79. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises a request for a user acknowledgment of an overage associated with usage of the at least one of the one or more network services.

80. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises information to enable a user of the end user device to modify the service plan or to select a different service plan.