Data usage plan associated with user device

• US 9,396,482 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hao, Jack Jianxiu, Gallagher, John F., Oliver, Michael, Katai, Lonnie Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ravetti, Dante
• Application Number:
  US13/221,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 705/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method includes providing identifying application information associated with a user device in a network. The application information is information associated with at least one application running on the at least one user device. The method may further include identifying data usage information associated with the user device. The data usage information includes information associated with data used by the user device. In addition, the method may include associating the application information and the data usage information to determine application data usage for the user device. The method may also include identifying a data usage plan associated with the user device, and applying the data usage plan in the network based on the application data usage.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by an application server device, application information associated with at least one user device;

wherein the application information is associated with at least one application running on at least one user device in a network;

storing, by the application server device, the received application information associated with the at least one user device;

identifying, by the application server device, content information received by the at least one user device in association with the at least one application;

receiving, by a data plan server device, data usage information from the at least one user device;

wherein the data usage information includes a volume of data usage by the at least one user device;

creating, by the data plan server device, data thresholds;

receiving, by the data plan server device, the identified content information from the application server device;

receiving, by the data plan server device, the application information from the application server device;

matching, by the data plan server device, the received application information, the received content information, and the received data usage information of the at least one user device with usage of the at least one application;

identifying, by the data plan server device, application data usage from the matching;

determining, by the data plan server device, that the identified application data usage exceeds a predetermined threshold;

sending a request, by the data plan server device, to implement an advertisement based usage plan to the application server device;

transmitting, by the application server device, at least one advertisement to be associated with the content information to the data plan server device;

receiving, by the data plan server device, the transmitted at least one advertisement to be associated with the content information;

determining, by the data plan server device, one or more advertisements based on the received application information, the transmitted at least one advertisement and the identified content information; and

allocating, by the data plan server device, additional data usage capacity and the one or more advertisements to the at least one user device for a predetermined time based on the identified content information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a proposed application data usage associated with the at least one application;

determining whether the proposed application data usage is allowed under a data usage plan; and

sending the proposed application data usage upon determining that the proposed application data usage is allowed under the data usage plan.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the application information further comprises:

receiving at least one of a user identification (ID), an application ID, an action ID, a content ID, or a location, wherein the user ID is a customer ID of a user associated with the at least one user device, the application ID identifies the at least one application, the action ID indicates a particular action associated with the at least one application, the content ID identifies content received by the at least one user device, and the location indicates a location of the at least one user device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein receiving the data usage information further comprises:

receiving one or more of the user ID, the application ID, a source Internet protocol (IP), a source port, a data call type, a usage or a bill code, wherein the source IP identifies a source IP address of the data, the source port identifies a source port of the at least one application, the data call type indicates a type of data call for the at least one application, the usage indicates an amount of data used by the at least one application, and the bill code identifies a billing protocol for the data usage.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

billing the application data usage at a first billing rate to a first billing account;

receiving additional application data usage information including additional data usage; and

billing the additional application data usage using a second billing rate for a predetermined second data capacity allocation.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

billing the application data usage for a group of users associated with a plurality of user devices to a single billing account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether each of the plurality of user devices has provided a same passcode that provides access to the application data usage for a particular application; and

billing the application data usage incurred with the application to the single billing account in response to a determination that each of the plurality of user devices has provided the same passcode.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending predetermined content to the at least one user device;

sending predetermined advertisements to the at least one user device, wherein the predetermined advertisements are provided by an advertiser having an advertiser billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the advertiser billing account.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending predetermined content for a predetermined period to the at least one user device, wherein the content is provided by a content provider having a content provider billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the content provider billing account.

10. A device, comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving data usage information from at least one user device;

wherein the data usage information includes a volume of data usage by at least one user device;

creating data thresholds;

receiving content information identified from an application server device;

wherein the content information is received by the at least one user device in association with at least one application;

receiving application information from an application server device;

wherein the application information is associated with at least one application running the on at least one user device in a network;

matching the received application information, the received content information, and the received data usage information of the at least one user device with usage of the at least one application;

identifying application data usage from the matching;

determining that the identified application data usage exceeds a predetermined threshold;

sending a request to implement an advertisement based usage plan to the application server device;

receiving at least one advertisement to be associated with the content information from the application server device;

determining one or more advertisements based on the received application information, the at least one advertisement and the received content information; and

allocating additional data usage capacity and the one or more advertisements to the at least one user device for a predetermined time based on the received content information.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor performs the steps of:

billing the application data usage at a first billing rate and to a first billing account;

receiving additional application data usage information identifying an additional application data usage; and

billing the additional application data usage using a second billing rate for a predetermined second data capacity allocation to a second billing account.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the second billing account comprises an advertiser billing account.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor perform the step of:

billing the application data usage capacity allocation for a group of users associated with a plurality of user devices to a single billing account.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor perform the steps of:

determining whether each of the plurality of user devices has provided a passcode; and

billing the application data usage to the single billing account in response to a determination that each of the plurality of user devices has provided the passcode.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor perform the steps of:

sending predetermined content to the at least one user device;

sending predetermined advertisements to the at least one user device;

wherein the predetermined advertisements are sent by an advertiser having an advertiser billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the advertiser billing account.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor performs the steps of:

sending predetermined content for a predetermined period to the at least one user device, wherein the content is sent by a content provider having a content provider billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the content provider billing account.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions to be executed by a processor, the instructions including one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, for causing the processor to the operation of:

receiving data usage information from at least one user device;

wherein the data usage information includes a volume of data consumed by the at least one user device;

creating data thresholds;

receiving content information identified from an application server device;

wherein the content information is received by the at least one user device in association with at least one application;

receiving application information from an application server device;

wherein the application information is associated with the at least one application running on the at least one user device;

matching the received application information, the received content information, and the received data usage information of the at least one user device with usage of the at least one application;

identifying application data usage from the matching;

determining that the application data usage exceeds a predetermined threshold;

sending a request to implement an advertisement based usage plan to the application server device;

receiving at least one advertisement to be associated with the content information from the application server device;

receiving the at least one advertisement to be associated with content;

determining one or more advertisements based on the received application information, the at least one advertisement and the received content information; and

allocating additional data usage capacity and the one or more advertisements to the at least one user device for a predetermined time based on the receive content information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein, when receiving the application information, the one or more instructions further includes instructions to perform the operation of:

receiving at least one of a user identification (ID), an application ID, an action ID, a content ID, or a location, wherein the user ID is a customer ID of a user associated with the at least one user device, the application ID identifies the at least one application, the action ID indicates a particular action associated with the at least one application, the content ID identifies content received by the at least one user device, and the location indicates a location of the at least one user device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions further includes instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the operation of:

billing the application data usage for a group of users associated with a plurality of user devices to a single billing account.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions further includes instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the operation of:

sending predetermined content to the at least one user device;

sending predetermined advertisements to the at least one user device, wherein the predetermined advertisements are provided by an advertiser having an advertiser billing account; and

billing the application data usage to the advertiser billing account.