Enterprise wireless device usage reporting

• US 9,198,016 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Active Network Incorporated (Cvent Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Active Network Incorporated (Cvent Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ingino, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US13/790,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/408, 705/30, 705/34, 705/73, 379/114.22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

The management of communications devices on an application service system is disclosed. The communications devices are associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number. Charge data is received on the application service system from a billing system of the wireless provider. The charge data is for one of the communications devices. The charge data is then saved in a wireless device inventory database that includes one or more device records, each of which is associated with a particular one of the communications devices. The device records are also be defined by a wireless number and a charge record that includes one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor. The charge data is stored in the device record. A report may be generated from the wireless device inventory database.

Claims

1. A method for managing on an application service system one or more communications devices each associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a first query to a first billing system of a first wireless service provider for charge data of the first one of the communications devices;

receiving on the application service system charge data responsive to the first query;

initiating a data communications link from the application service system to a second billing system of a different wireless service provider;

logging into the second billing system with different administrator credentials associated with the enterprise by which at least one of the communication devices are managed;

generating a second query to the second billing system of the different wireless service provider for charge data of a second one of the communications devices;

receiving on the application service system charge data responsive to the second query;

saving the charge data in a wireless device inventory database connected to the application service system, the wireless device inventory database including one or more device records each associated with a particular one of the communications devices and defined at least by a one of a wireless number and a charge record including one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor, the charge data being stored in the charge record of a one of the device records for the communications device as designated by a device identifier included in the charge data; and

generating on the application service system a report from the wireless device inventory database based upon at least a portion of an aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the billing systems includes an application programming interface, the application service system interacting with at least one of the billing systems over the application programming interface to receive the charge data for direct transfer into respective charge identifiers and charge amounts of the one of the device records for the communications device to which the charge data pertains.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a data communications link from the application service system to the first billing system; and

logging into the first billing system with administrator credentials associated with an enterprise by which at least one of the communication devices are managed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received charge data is in a raw format lacking direct correspondence to the respective charge identifiers and charge amounts of the one of the device records for the communication device to which the charge data pertains.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device records are each additionally defined by a chargeback identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated report is a finance report including the entirety of the aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated report is a personal report including the data for the one of the device records having a common.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

flagging one or more device records with corresponding charge amounts below a predefined threshold.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the charge identifiers is a flat fee assessed by the wireless service provider.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the charge identifiers is a usage metric.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the charge identifiers is a supplemental fee assessed for additional usage beyond one or more predefined subscription limits established by the wireless service provider.

5. A method for managing on an application service system one or more communications devices each associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the application service system charge data from a billing system of the wireless provider for a first one of the communications devices;

saving the charge data in a wireless device inventory database connected to the application service system, the wireless device inventory database including one or more device records each associated with a particular one of the communications devices and defined at least by a one of a wireless number and a charge record including one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor, the charge data being stored in the charge record of a one of the device records for the communications device as designated by a device identifier included in the charge data;

wherein the received charge data is in a raw format lacking direct correspondence to the respective charge identifiers and charge amounts of the one of the device records for the communication device to which the charge data pertains;

parsing the received charge data in the raw format to mapped fields and values corresponding to the respective charge identifiers and charge amounts of the one of the device records for the communications device to which the charge data pertains; and

generating on the application service system a report from the wireless device inventory database based upon at least a portion of an aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records.

7. A method for managing on an application service system one or more communications devices each associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the application service system charge data from a billing system of the wireless provider for a first one of the communications devices;

saving the charge data in a wireless device inventory database connected to the application service system, the wireless device inventory database including one or more device records each associated with a particular one of the communications devices and defined at least by a one of a wireless number and a charge record including one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor, the charge data being stored in the charge record of a one of the device records for the communications device as designated by a device identifier included in the charge data, wherein the device records are each additionally defined by a chargeback identifier;

assigning a value for the chargeback identifier based upon a charge unit reference of the one of the device records for the communications device to which the charge data pertains;

wherein the charge unit reference is associated with a predefined division of an enterprise to which costs of the subscription account of the wireless service is allocated; and

generating on the application service system a report from the wireless device inventory database based upon at least a portion of an aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records.

8. A method for managing on an application service system one or more communications devices each associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the application service system charge data from a billing system of the wireless provider for a first one of the communications devices;

saving the charge data in a wireless device inventory database connected to the application service system, the wireless device inventory database including one or more device records each associated with a particular one of the communications devices and defined at least by a one of a wireless number and a charge record including one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor, the charge data being stored in the charge record of a one of the device records for the communications device as designated by a device identifier included in the charge data, wherein the device records are each additionally defined by a chargeback identifier; and

generating on the application service system a report from the wireless device inventory database based upon at least a portion of an aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records;

wherein the generated report is a division report derived from the aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records, the device records for the division report each having common chargeback identifier values which are associated with the division of the enterprise.

9. A method for managing on an application service system one or more communications devices each associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the application service system charge data from a billing system of the wireless provider for a first one of the communications devices;

saving the charge data in a wireless device inventory database connected to the application service system, the wireless device inventory database including one or more device records each associated with a particular one of the communications devices and defined at least by a one of a wireless number and a charge record including one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor, the charge data being stored in the charge record of a one of the device records for the communications device as designated by a device identifier included in the charge data, wherein the device records are each additionally defined by a chargeback identifier; and

generating on the application service system a report from the wireless device inventory database based upon at least a portion of an aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records

wherein the chargeback identifier is a cross reference to a division record stored in an enterprise division database, the division record being defined by at least a wireless number for a corresponding communications device and user associated therewith.

16. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory program storage medium readable by a data processing apparatus, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the data processing apparatus to perform a method for managing on an application service system one or more communications devices each associated with a user and a subscription account of a wireless service provider as identified by a wireless number, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the application service system charge data from a billing system of the wireless provider for a first one of the communications devices;

saving the charge data in a wireless device inventory database connected to the application service system, the wireless device inventory database including one or more device records each associated with a particular one of the communications devices and defined at least by a one of a wireless number and a charge record including one or more charge identifiers and corresponding charge amounts therefor, the charge data being stored in the charge record of a one of the device records for the communications device as designated by a device identifier included in the charge data, wherein the device records are each additionally defined by a chargeback identifier;

assigning a value for the chargeback identifier based upon a charge unit reference of the one of the device records for the communications device to which the charge data pertains;

wherein the charge unit reference is associated with a predefined division of an enterprise to which costs of the subscription account of the wireless service is allocated; and

generating on the application service system a report from the wireless device inventory database based upon at least a portion of an aggregate of data stored in the one of the device records.