Dynamically adjusting a data usage plan based on data usage statistics

• US 9,049,589 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zalmanovitch, Gil, Scott, Gregory James, Guday, Shai, Kwok, Alec Garvin, Jiang, Yue, Ma, Kenneth Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US13/721,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 455/407
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• 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 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/846 optical, e.g. icon
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/856 : Unsuccessful event
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/86 : Recipients of the notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 : Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Embodiments automatically adjust one or more terms of a data usage plan of a user to reduce network transfer costs for the user. Data usage statistics representing network data consumption by at least one computing device of the user are received or collected. The data usage plan is compared with the data usage statistics (e.g., to estimate any excess network transfer costs), and the data usage plan is adjusted accordingly and based on other data usage plans or adjustments that are available.

Claims

1. A system for reducing costs associated with a data usage plan, the system comprising:

a memory area associated with a mobile computing device, said memory area storing data describing a plurality of data usage plans, the plurality of data usage plans including a current data usage plan; and

a processor programmed to;

collect data usage statistics describing network data consumed by the mobile computing device under the current data usage plan, wherein the collected data usage statistics indicate a breakout of the data usage by the mobile computing device over a plurality of different types of network connections and a threshold value associated with each of the network connections, wherein the data usage statistics indicate the breakout of the data usage and the threshold value for at least a cellular connection and a Wi-Fi connection;

compare the collected data usage statistics with the data describing each of the plurality of data usage plans stored in the memory area; and

automatically, without input from a user of the mobile computing device, exchanging the current data usage plan for another one of the plurality of data usage plans, wherein said exchanging reduces costs associated with network data transfers by the mobile computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of data usage plans is stored in the memory area as an extensible markup language schema.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the extensible markup language schema has a plurality of fields, each of the plurality of fields comprising one or more of the following:

peak times, off-peak times, peak time network data consumption quota, off-peak time network data consumption quota, peak time network data consumption remaining, off-peak time network data consumption remaining, a roaming rate, a mobile operator name, a billing cycle type, and a network connection type.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to collect the data usage statistics by receiving at least a portion of the data usage statistics from a mobile operator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to collect the data usage statistics by receiving at least a portion of the data usage statistics from other computing devices associated with the data usage plan.

6. The system of claim 1, further wherein each of the plurality of data usage plans includes a threshold value representing a maximum amount of network data consumption allotted under the data usage plan.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for upgrading or downgrading the data usage plan without input from a user of the mobile computing device.

8. A method comprising:

accessing, by a computing device, data describing a data usage plan associated with at least one computing device;

receiving data usage statistics describing network data consumed by the at least one computing device under the data usage plan, wherein the received data usage statistics indicate a breakout of the network data consumed by the at least one computing device over a plurality of different types of network connections and a threshold value associated with each of the network connections;

comparing the accessed data with the received data usage statistics; and

automatically adjusting, without input from a user of the at least one computing device, one or more terms of the data usage plan based on the comparison, wherein after the adjustment, the one or more automatically adjusted terms along with expected cost savings anticipated based on the adjustment are displayed to the user of the least one computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the data usage statistics comprises receiving the data usage statistics from one or more of the following:

a mobile operator, and another computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically upgrading or downgrading the data usage plan without input from the user of the at least one computing device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the data usage plan includes threshold values representing a maximum amount of network data consumption allotted under the data usage plan, and automatically adjusting the one or more terms comprises increasing at least one of the threshold values based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the data usage plan includes threshold values representing a maximum amount of network data consumption allotted under the data usage plan, and wherein automatically adjusting the one or more terms comprises decreasing at least one of the threshold values based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the data usage plan includes threshold values representing a maximum amount of network data consumption allotted under the data usage plan, each of the threshold values being associated with at least one network connection of the at least one computing device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein accessing data describing the data usage plan comprises accessing an extensible markup language schema.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising requesting opt-in consent from the user to retrieve the data describing the data usage plan from a mobile operator, wherein the at least one computing device, after retrieving the data, is synchronized with the mobile operator.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the accessed data with the received data usage statistics comprises comparing threshold values with network data consumption.

17. One or more computer storage media embodying computer-executable components, said components comprising:

a communications interface component that when executed causes at least one processor to receive data describing a data usage plan associated with at least one computing device, the communications interface component further receiving data usage statistics describing network data consumed by the at least one computing device under the data usage plan, wherein the received data usage statistics indicate a breakout of the network data consumed by the at least one computing device over a plurality of different types of network connections and a threshold value associated with each of the network connections;

a prediction component that when executed causes at least one processor to compare the received data with the received data usage statistics;

a plan component that when executed causes at least one processor to automatically adjust, without input from a user of the at least one computing device one or more terms of the data usage plan based on the comparison performed by the prediction component, wherein said adjustment reduces costs associated with the network data consumption by the at least one computing device; and

a user interface component that when executed causes at least one processor to present the data usage plan adjusted by the plan component to the user of the at least one computing device.

18. The computer storage media of claim 17, wherein the plan component further estimates excess data consumption charges based on the comparison performed by the prediction component.

19. The computer storage media of claim 18, wherein the prediction component further compares the received data usage statistics with at least one other data usage plan, and wherein the plan component further estimates, without user input and based on the comparison performed by the prediction component, cost savings associated with changing from the data usage plan to the at least one other data usage plan, the user interface component further displaying the cost savings along with threshold values associated with the different types of network connections for the adjusted data usage plan.

20. The computer storage media of claim 19, wherein the user interface component presents the data usage plan adjusted by the plan component by displaying the cost savings estimated by the plan component.