Method and apparatus for providing value-based resource management and admission control

• US 9,419,977 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sporel, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeudy, Josnel
• Application Number:
  US14/163,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/808 User-type aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services

Abstract

An approach for providing value-based resource management and admission control is described. A value-based platform may receive a request from a user or a service provider to access an asset, a service, or a combination thereof. The value-based platform may further apply a policy rule to account information associated with the user to determine a user value score. The value-based platform may also generate prioritization information for admitting the user to the asset, the service, or a combination thereof based on the user value score.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device, a request from a user to access an asset or a service;

retrieving, by the device and from a first database, a policy rule;

retrieving, by the device and from a second database, account information associated with the user, wherein the account information includes a service plan corresponding to the user and purchase history information corresponding to the user;

converting, by the device, the account information to numerical values;

applying, by the device, the policy rule to the numerical values to determine a user value score, wherein applying the policy rule to the numerical values includes applying the policy rule to numerical values associated with the service plan and to numerical values associated with the purchase history information;

generating, by the device, prioritization information for the user based on the user value score; and

allowing, by the device, the user to access the asset or the service in a priority order compared to other users based on the prioritization information.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a management of a resource for providing the asset or the service based on the user value score.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the management of the resource includes a reservation or an allocation of at least a portion of the resource.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying the policy rule to determine an asset value score for the asset or a service value score for the service,

wherein the prioritization information for allowing the user to access the asset or the service is further based on the asset value score or the service value score.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the policy rule determines the user value score, the asset value score, or the service value score based on one or more of:

revenue information associated with the account information, promotional information, or network resource availability information.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a historical user value score for the user based on the account information,

wherein the prioritization information is further based on the historical user value score.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an alternative asset or an alternative service to the user in place of the asset or the service based on the prioritization information.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining contextual information associated with the user, the asset, or the service, wherein the prioritization information is further based on the contextual information.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store instructions;

a first database;

a second database; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

receive a request from a user to access an asset or a service;

retrieve, from the first database, a policy rule;

retrieve, from the second database, service plan information corresponding to the user and purchase history information corresponding to the user;

convert the service plan information and purchase history information to numerical values;

apply the policy rule to the numerical values corresponding to the service plan information and to the numerical values corresponding to the purchase history information to determine a user value score;

generate prioritization information for the user based on the user value score; and

allow the user to access the asset or the service in a priority order compared to other users based on the prioritization information.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

initiate a management of a resource for providing the asset or the service based on the user value score.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the management of the resource includes a reservation or an allocation of at least a portion of the resource.

12. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

apply the policy rule to determine an asset value score for the asset or a service value score for the service,

wherein the prioritization information for allowing the user to access the asset or the service is further based on the asset value score or the service value score.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the policy rule determines the user value score, the asset value score, or the service value score based on one or more of:

revenue information associated with account information of the user, promotional information, or network resource availability information.

14. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine a historical user value score for the user based on account information of the user,

wherein the prioritization information is further based on the historical user value score.

15. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

provide an alternative asset or an alternative service to the user in place of the asset or the service based on the prioritization information.

16. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine contextual information associated with the user, the asset, or the service, wherein the prioritization information is further based on the contextual information.

17. A system comprising:

a first database;

a second database; and

a hardware processor configured to;

receive a request from a user to access an asset or a service;

retrieve, from the first database, a policy rule;

retrieve, from the second database, service plan information corresponding to the user and purchase history information corresponding to the user;

convert the service plan information and the purchase history information to numerical values;

apply the policy rule to the numerical values corresponding to the service plan and the numerical values corresponding to the purchase history information to determine a user value score;

generate prioritization information for the user based on the user value score; and

allow the user to access the asset or the service in a priority order compared to other users based on the prioritization information.

18. A system of claim 17, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

initiate a management of a resource for providing the asset or the service based on the user value score.

19. A system of claim 18, wherein the management of the resource includes a reservation or an allocation of at least a portion of the resource.

20. A system of claim 17, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

apply the policy rule to determine an asset value score for the asset or a service value score for the service,

wherein the prioritization information for allowing the user to access the asset or the service is further based on the asset value score or the service value score.