Determining multiple users of a network enabled device

• US 9,301,126 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Scarr, Kevin Tristan, Ignatyev, Oleksiy, Scharf-Katz, Volkmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/310,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/73, 455/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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

Abstract

Methods of predicting a change of users of a network enabled device and a network and network device configured to perform the methods. A present device category and a present device demographic profile are associated with the network enabled device. The present device category is one of a plurality of predefined categories each having a demographic profile associated therewith. The method includes: detecting a network event corresponding to the network enabled device; determining an event category corresponding to the detected network event, the event category being one of the plurality of predefined categories; and comparing the event category with the present device category. When the event category differs from the present device category, determining a new demographic profile based on the present device demographic profile and the demographic profile associated with the event category; and comparing the new demographic profile with the present device demographic profile. When the new demographic profile differs from the present device demographic profile, setting forth an alert predicting a change of users of the network enabled device.

Claims

1. A method of predicting a change of users of a network enabled device, a present device category and a present device matrix respectively corresponding to a category and demographic profile associated with the network enabled device, the present category being one of a plurality of predefined categories corresponding to groups of similar network events, each predefined category having a demographic profile associated therewith, the present device matrix having a present segment leader, the method comprising:

detecting a network event corresponding to the network enabled device;

determining an event category corresponding to the detected network event, the event category being one of the plurality of predefined categories;

comparing the event category with the present device category; and

when the event category differs from the present device category;

calculating a new relative matrix based on the present device matrix and the demographic profile associated with the event category;

determining a new segment leader corresponding to the new relative matrix;

determining an increase of value of the new segment leader;

comparing the new segment leader to the present segment leader and the increase of value of the new segment leader to a predetermined threshold value; and

when the new segment leader differs from the present segment leader and the increase of value is greater than the predetermined threshold value, setting forth an alert predicting a change of users of the network enabled device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the present device matrix and the new relative matrix each comprise a plurality of segments, each segment having a probability value corresponding to a specific demographic.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the new segment leader is the segment of the new relative matrix having the largest value.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein determining an increase of value of the new segment leader comprises:

determining a segment value of the new segment leader in the new relative matrix;

determining a segment value of the new segment leader in the present matrix; and

determining the difference between the segment values of the new segment leader.

5. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the present segment leader is the segment of the present device matrix having the largest value.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein calculating the new relative matrix comprises:

calculating a preliminary matrix; and

normalizing the preliminary matrix to obtain values for the new relative matrix.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein calculating the preliminary matrix comprises multiplying the present device matrix by the demographic profile associated with the event category.

8. The method recited in claim 6, wherein normalizing the preliminary matrix comprises dividing each entry of the preliminary matrix by the sum of the entries of the preliminary matrix.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein setting forth the alert comprises transmitting a message to a network application indicating that a change of users has likely occurred on the network enabled device, the message including an indication of a demographic segment to which the new user of the network enabled device likely belongs.

10. A method of monitoring for a change of users of a network enabled device, a present device category and a present device matrix respectively corresponding to a running category and running demographic profile associated with the network enabled device, a predetermined threshold being associated with the network enabled device, the present category being any one of a plurality of predefined categories corresponding to groups of similar network events, each predefined category having a demographic profile associated therewith, the present device matrix having a present segment leader, the method comprising:

continuously performing the following method;

detecting a network event corresponding to the network enabled device;

determining an event category corresponding to the detected network event, the event category being one of the plurality of predefined categories;

comparing the event category with the present device category; and

when the event category differs from the present device category;

calculating a new relative matrix based on the present device matrix and the demographic profile associated with the event category;

determining a new segment leader corresponding to the new relative matrix;

determining an increase of value of the new segment leader;

comparing the new segment leader to the present segment leader and the increase of value of the new segment leader to the predetermined threshold value;

when the new segment leader differs from the present segment leader and the increase of value is greater than the predetermined threshold value, setting forth an alert predicting a change of users of the network enabled device; and

updating the present device category and the present matrix to respectively equal the event category and the new relative matrix.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein calculating the new relative matrix comprises:

calculating a preliminary matrix; and

normalizing the preliminary matrix to obtain values for the new relative matrix.

12. The method recited in claim 11, wherein calculating the preliminary matrix comprises multiplying the present device matrix by the demographic profile associated with the event category.

13. The method recited in claim 11, wherein normalizing the preliminary matrix comprises dividing each entry of the preliminary matrix by the sum of the entries of the preliminary matrix.

14. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the method is performed by a network device other than the network enabled device.

15. A method of predicting a change of users for each of a plurality of network enabled devices of a network, the method comprising:

performing, by the network, the method recited in claim 10 for each network enabled device.

16. A network enabled device configured to monitor a plurality of communication devices over a network, the network device comprising:

a processor; and

memory, the memory having stored thereon a plurality of demographic profiles, each corresponding to one of a plurality of predefined categories corresponding to groups of similar network events, a present device category selected from one of the plurality of predefined categories based on recent network events corresponding to the communication device, a present device demographic profile based at least in part on the present device category, and a present device matrix having a present segment leader,

the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network enabled device to perform the following;

detect a network event corresponding to the network enabled device;

determine an event category corresponding to the detected network event, the event category being one of the plurality of predefined categories;

comparing the event category with the present device category; and

when the event category differs from the present device category;

calculating a new relative matrix based on the present device matrix and the demographic profile associated with the event category;

determining a new segment leader corresponding to the new relative matrix;

determining an increase of value of the new segment leader;

comparing the new segment leader to the present segment leader and the increase of value of the new segment leader to a predetermined threshold value; and

when the new segment leader differs from the present segment leader and the increase of value is greater than the predetermined threshold value, setting forth an alert predicting a change of users of the network enabled device.

17. A network enabled device configured to monitor a plurality of communication devices over a network, the network device comprising:

a processor; and

memory, the memory having stored thereon a present device category and a present device matrix respectively corresponding to a running category and running demographic profile associated with the network enabled device, and a predetermined threshold being associated with the network enabled device, the present category being any one of a plurality of predefined categories corresponding to groups of similar network events, each predefined category having a demographic profile associated therewith, the present device matrix having a present segment leader,

the memory having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network enabled device to continuously perform the following;

detect a network event corresponding to the network enabled device;

determine an event category corresponding to the detected network event, the event category being one of the plurality of predefined categories;

compare the event category with the present device category; and

when the event category differs from the present device category;

calculate a new relative matrix based on the present device matrix and the demographic profile associated with the event category;

determine a new segment leader corresponding to the new relative matrix;

determine an increase of value of the new segment leader;

compare the new segment leader to the present segment leader and the increase of value of the new segment leader to the predetermined threshold value;

when the new segment leader differs from the present segment leader and the increase of value is greater than the predetermined threshold value, set forth an alert predicting a change of users of the network enabled device; and

update the present device category and the present matrix to respectively equal the event category and the new relative matrix.