Real-time usage monitoring for communication devices

• US 8,892,068 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Patricia Ruey-Jane, Chan-Lizardo, Louis A., Hoffner, Barry F., Tiziani, Scott Alan, Ferro, Javier Alejandro, Ritter, Phillip Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US12/793,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20110300826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-409, 37911401-140, 34087001-87044
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• 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 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8207 Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data

Abstract

A subscriber device receives a message from a network device external to the subscriber device, where the network device implements a first metering engine that meters usage of a network service by a subscriber using the subscriber device and where the message includes the subscriber'"'"'s usage data. The subscriber device includes a second usage metering engine that receives the subscriber'"'"'s usage data from the usage synchronization unit, and performs real-time metering of the subscriber'"'"'s usage of the network service, based on the subscriber'"'"'s usage data received from the network device and independently of the first metering engine of the network device, to generate real-time usage metering data. The second usage metering engine further outputs the real-time usage metering data to a display at the subscriber device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first network device configured to;

receive a first message from a subscriber device indicating a start of a network session, and

send a first request to a second network device for a first quota of service units of a subscriber associated with the subscriber device, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units comprises a first number of service units paid for by the subscriber, and

receive, from the second network device and responsive to the first request, a second message that includes the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units,

meter the subscriber device'"'"'s usage of service units based on the first quota of service units to determine a remaining number of service units,

determine whether the first quota of service units has been depleted,

send, if the first quota of service units has been depleted, a second request for a second quota of service units of the subscriber to the second network device,

receive, from the second network device responsive to the second request, a third message that includes the requested subscriber'"'"'s second quota of service units, wherein the second quota of service units comprises a second number of service units paid for by the subscriber,

meter the subscriber device'"'"'s usage of service units based on the second quota of service units to determine the remaining number of service units,

receive a first session disconnect message from the subscriber device, and

send a fourth message indicating the remaining number of service units to the second network device,

wherein the first network device, the second network device, and the subscriber device are separate devices.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the second network device, wherein the second network device is configured to;

receive the first request for the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units,

retrieve the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units, and

send the second message to the subscriber device that includes the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network device provides security functionality for the subscriber device'"'"'s packet data sessions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first network device comprises a home agent (HA) in a packet-switched network.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the second network device, wherein the second network device is further configured to;

receive the second request for the second quota of service units of the subscriber from the first network device, and

receive authorization for an additional amount of service units to be added to the second quota of service units.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the authorization for the additional amount of service units comprises payment for the additional amount of service units.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein, subsequent to receiving the second request for the subscriber'"'"'s quota of service units, the second network device is further configured to:

send the third message to the subscriber device that includes the requested subscriber'"'"'s second quota of service units.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network device is further configured to:

determine whether the second quota of service units has been depleted, and

send, if the second quota of service units has been depleted, a third request for a third quota of service units to the second network device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first network device is further configured to:

receive, responsive to the third request, a fifth message from the second network device that includes the requested subscriber'"'"'s third quota of service units, wherein the third quota of service units comprises a third number of service units paid for by the subscriber, and

meter the subscriber device'"'"'s usage of service units from the third quota of service units to determine the remaining number of service units.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber device comprises a mobile broadband air card.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the second network device, wherein the second network device is configured to;

receive the fourth message indicating the remaining number of service units, and

update an available quota of service units for the subscriber based on the received remaining number of service units.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first network device, a first message from a subscriber device indicating a start of a network session;

sending a first request for a first quota of service units of a subscriber associated with the subscriber device from the first network device to a second network device, wherein the second network device is a different device than the first network device and wherein the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units comprises a first number of service units paid for by the subscriber;

receiving, at the first network device from the second network device, a second message that includes the subscriber'"'"'s first quota of service units;

metering, at the first network device, the subscriber device'"'"'s usage of service units based on the first quota of service units to determine a remaining number of service units;

determining, at the first network device, whether the first quota of service units has been depleted;

sending, if the first quota of service units has been depleted, a second request for a second quota of service units of the subscriber from the first network device to the second network device;

receiving, at the first network device responsive to the second request, a third message from the second network device that includes the requested subscriber'"'"'s second quota of service units, wherein the second quota of service units comprises a second number of service units paid for by the subscriber;

metering, at the first network device, the subscriber device'"'"'s usage of service units based on the second quota of service units to determine the remaining number of service units;

receiving, at the first network device, a first session disconnect message from the subscriber device; and

sending a fourth message indicating the remaining number of service units from the first network device to the second network device,

wherein the first network device, the second network device, and the subscriber device are separate devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first network device comprises a home agent (HA) in a packet switched network and wherein the second network device comprises a usage monitoring platform.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, at the first network device, whether the second quota of service units has been depleted; and

sending, if the second quota of service units has been depleted, a third request for a third quota of service units from the first network device to the second network device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, at the first network device responsive to the third request, a fifth message from the second network device that includes the requested subscriber'"'"'s third quota of service units, wherein the third quota of service units comprises a third number of service units paid for by the subscriber; and

metering, at the first network device, the subscriber device'"'"'s usage of service units from the third quota of service units to determine the remaining number of service units.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the subscriber device comprises a mobile broadband air card.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the subscriber device is a different device than the first and second network devices.