Dynamic usage inequity detection and/or remedy

• US 9,503,585 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Richard, Marini, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Mehmood B
• Application Number:
  US14/593,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

An architecture that can dynamically detect and/or automatically remedy service usage inequities in a communications network is provided. For example, based upon a comparison of incoming call detail records (CDRs) to various subscriber information entities (e.g., service plan, blacklisted devices for the service plan, historic or current billing cycle usage, etc.), the architecture can identify when a usage inequity occurs or is likely to occur, substantially in real time.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving call detail record data comprising first information relating to a call detail record that is generated in response to a communication transaction associated with a subscriber identity that subscribes to a provisioned service provided by a communication network comprising the network device;

receiving provision data comprising second information relating to a service agreement associated with the provisioned service in connection with the subscriber identity;

based on a comparison of the call detail record data to the provision data, determining the communication transaction described by the call detail record data violates a term of service described by the service agreement; and

transmitting event message data that describes a usage violation of the term of service to another network device that determines a defined treatment to apply in response to the usage violation.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the usage violation relates to usage of the provisioned service by an unauthorized device that is not authorized by the service agreement.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein the unauthorized device is communicatively tethered to an authorized device that is authorized by the service agreement.

4. The network device of claim 2, wherein the unauthorized device employs a subscriber identity module associated with an authorized device that is authorized by the service agreement.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining an avoidable usage charge for the subscriber identity based on an examination of communication transactions associated with the subscriber identity that are described by call detail records.

6. The network device of claim 5, wherein the determining the avoidable usage charge for the subscriber identity is based on a forecast of usage relative to a time remaining in a billing period.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a potential cost savings for the subscriber identity based on a forecast of communication transactions associated with the subscriber identity.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving other provision data comprising third information relating to other service plans available to the subscriber identity that differ from a service plan associated with the service agreement for the subscriber identity.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining a potential cost savings for the subscriber identity based on comparison of data usage with respect to the service agreement versus data usage with respect to another service plan of the service plans available to the subscriber identity.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving call detail record data comprising first information relating to a call detail record that is generated in response to a communication transaction associated with a subscriber identity of a subscriber that has subscribed to a service provided by a communication network;

receiving provision data comprising second information relating to a service agreement for the service provided by the communication network;

in response to a determination that the communication transaction described by the call detail record data violates a term of service described by the service agreement, constructing usage violation data that describes a violation of the term of service; and

providing the usage violation data to a network device that determines a defined mitigation procedure to apply based on a defined policy.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the usage violation data relates to usage of the service by an unauthorized device that is not authorized by the service agreement.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the unauthorized device is communicatively tethered to an authorized device that is authorized by the service agreement.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the unauthorized device employs a subscriber identity module associated with an authorized device that is authorized by the service agreement.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining an avoidable usage charge for the subscriber identity based on an examination of communication transactions associated with the subscriber identity that are described by call detail records.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining a potential cost savings for the subscriber identity based on a forecast of communication transactions associated with the subscriber identity.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving other provision data comprising third information relating to other service plans available to the subscriber identity that differ from a service plan associated with the service agreement for the subscriber identity.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining a potential cost savings for the subscriber identity based on comparison of data usage with respect to the service agreement versus data usage with respect to another service plan of the service plans available to the subscriber identity.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, call detail record data comprising first information relating to a call detail record that is generated in response to a communication transaction associated with a subscriber identity that is subscribed to a provisioned service provided by a communication network;

receiving, by the system, provision data comprising second information relating to a service agreement associated with the provisioned service and the subscriber identity;

determining, by the system, the communication transaction described by the call detail record data violates a term of service described by the service agreement;

generating, by the system, usage violation data that describes a violation of the term of service; and

transmitting, by the system, the usage violation data to a network device that determines a defined treatment to apply in response to the usage violation data.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining, by the system, an avoidable usage charge charged to the subscriber identity based on an examination of communication transactions associated with the subscriber identity that are described by call detail records.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining, by the system, a potential cost savings for the subscriber identity based on comparison of data usage with respect to the service agreement versus data usage with respect to another service plan available to the subscriber identity.