Network service plan design

• US 9,858,559 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Green, Jeffrey, Lavine, James, James, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US13/842,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 705 34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3267 In-app payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1417 Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 : Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A technique involves modular storage of network service plan components and provisioning of same. A subset of the capabilities of a service design system can be granted to a sandbox system to enable customization of service plan offerings or other controls.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network computer system to provision a plurality of data services to be delivered to a wireless end-user device via one or more wireless networks, the method comprising:

maintaining a hierarchical service plan database of database objects including reusable service plan filters, service policy components, service policies, and service plans,

each service plan filter specifying an attempted or actual wireless network service access event for an end-user device,

each service policy component comprising a collection of one or more of the service plan filters and, for each such filter, an end-user device policy state associated with the filter,

each service policy comprising a collection of one or more of the service policy components and, for each such component, one or more actions to be triggered when the component matches an end-user device policy state and an end-user device attempted or actual service access event, and

each service plan comprising a collection of one or more service policies that are provisioned together for the delivery of one or more wireless data services to an end-user device;

operating a design center graphical user interface (GUI) to allow manipulation of the database, the GUI to allow one or more service designers to

define service plans as hierarchies of service policies, service policy components, and reusable service plan filters,

define service plan priorities for two or more overlapping service plans, each overlapping service plan having at least one respective multi-match service policy component that can match the same combination of an end-user device policy state and an end-user device attempted or actual service access event as a service policy component of at least one other overlapping service plan,

specify, for at least one of the multi-match service policy components, a multi-match entry that indicates whether or not that service policy component allows a re-match condition, and

commit the defined service plans and service plan priorities to the service plan database;

automatically generating a plurality of prioritized policy instructions based at least in part on first and second ones of the overlapping service plans and their respective service plan priorities, and the specified at least one multi-match entry, the prioritized policy instructions defining dynamic applicable policy selection criteria that allow concurrent application of service policies from both the first and second ones of the overlapping service plans, associated with the delivery of a particular data service to a wireless end-user device; and

outputting the plurality of prioritized policy instructions to one or more processing elements to configure the one or more processing elements to apply, in connection with one or more data services and at least one given wireless end-user device, the first and second ones of the overlapping service plans.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein outputting the plurality of prioritized policy instructions to one or more processing elements comprises outputting at least one of the prioritized policy instructions to a service processor within the given wireless end-user device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein outputting the plurality of prioritized policy instructions to one or more processing elements comprises outputting at least one of the prioritized policy instructions to a network element that performs access control functions or access accounting functions for a plurality of wireless end-user devices, the plurality of wireless end-user devices including the given wireless end-user device to which the service is to be delivered.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the end-user device policy states are reusable objects of the hierarchical service plan database, and wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to

graphically select one or more reusable device policy states,

graphically select one or more reusable service plan filters,

graphically specify a combination of the device policy state and service plan filter selections, and

cause the network computer system to generate from the device policy state and service plan filter selections a new reusable service policy component object in the database.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein graphically select one or more reusable service plan filters comprises graphically select first and second service plan filters,

wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to graphically specify a respective filter priority for the first and second service plan filters as a part of the new reusable service policy component object, and

the network computer system, for a defined service plan including the new reusable service policy component object, generating the prioritized policy instructions to apply the first and second service plan filters using the specified filter priority.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy components and the actions are reusable objects of the hierarchical service plan database, and wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to

graphically select one or more reusable service policy components,

graphically select one or more reusable actions,

graphically specify a combination of the service policy component and action selections, and

cause the network computer system to generate from the service policy component and action selections a new reusable service policy object in the database.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein graphically select one or more reusable service policy components comprises graphically select first and second service policy components,

wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to graphically specify a respective policy component priority for the first and second service policy components as a part of the new reusable service policy object, and

the network computer system, for a defined service plan including the new reusable service policy object, generating the prioritized policy instructions to apply the first and second service policy components using the specified policy component priority.

11. The method of claim 9, each service policy component object associated with one of a plurality of service component classes, and wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to specify the service component class for a service policy component object.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein graphically select one or more reusable service policy components comprises graphically select first and second service policy components associated respectively with first and second different service component classes,

wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to graphically specify a respective service component class priority for the first and second service component classes, and

the network computer system, for a defined service plan including the new reusable service policy object, generating the prioritized policy instructions to apply the first and second service policy components using the specified component class priority.

13. The method of claim 1, each service plan object associated with one of a plurality of service plan classes, and wherein operating the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises allowing the one or more service designers to specify the service plan class for a service plan object.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the first and second ones of the overlapping service plans are associated with respective first and second different service plan classes, each class having a respective plan class priority, and wherein generating the prioritized policy instructions is further based on the respective plan class priorities.

15. The method of claim 1, the hierarchical service plan database further comprising catalog objects, each catalog object comprising a collection of multiple service plans that can be provisioned for a defined group of end-user devices, the defined service plan priorities definable specific to the service plans as collected in the catalog object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the service plans are reusable objects of the hierarchical service plan database that can be graphically selected by the one or more service designers for inclusion in different catalog objects.

4. A network computer system for provisioning a plurality of data services to be delivered to a wireless end-user device via one or more wireless networks, the system comprising

computing circuitry, including one or more processors and non-transitory memory to store program code which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

maintain a hierarchical service plan database of database objects including reusable service plan filters, service policy components, service policies, and service plans,

each service plan filter specifying an attempted or actual wireless network service access event for an end-user device,

each service policy component comprising a collection of one or more of the service plan filters and, for each such filter, an end-user device policy state associated with the filter,

each service policy comprising a collection of one or more of the service policy components and, for each such component, one or more actions to be triggered when the component matches an end-user device policy state and an end-user device attempted or actual service access event, and

each service plan comprising a collection of one or more service policies that are provisioned together for the delivery of one or more wireless data services to an end-user device;

operate a design center graphical user interface (GUI) on a user interface to allow manipulation of the database, the GUI to allow one or more service designers to

define service plans as hierarchies of service policies, service policy components, and reusable service plan filters,

define service plan priorities for two or more overlapping service plans, each overlapping service plan having at least one respective multi-match service policy component that can match the same combination of an end-user device policy state and an end-user device attempted or actual service access event as a service policy component of at least one other overlapping service plan,

specify, for at least one of the multi-match service policy components, a multi-match entry that indicates whether or not that service policy component allows a re-match condition, and

commit the defined service plans and service plan priorities to the service plan database;

automatically generate a plurality of prioritized policy instructions based at least in part on first and second ones of the overlapping service plans and their respective service plan priorities, and the specified at least one multi-match entry, the prioritized policy instructions defining dynamic applicable policy selection criteria that allow concurrent application of service policies from both the first and second ones of the overlapping service plans, associated with the delivery of a particular data service to a wireless end-user device; and

output the plurality of prioritized policy instructions to one or more processing elements to configure the one or more processing elements to apply, in connection with one or more data services and at least one given wireless end-user device, the first and second ones of the overlapping service plans.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the program code which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to output the plurality of prioritized policy instructions to one or more processing elements comprises instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to output at least one of the prioritized policy instructions to a service processor within the given wireless end-user device.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the program code which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to output the plurality of prioritized policy instructions to one or more processing elements comprises instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to output at least one of the prioritized policy instructions to a network element that performs access control functions or access accounting functions for a plurality of wireless end-user devices, the plurality of wireless end-user devices including the given wireless end-user device to which the service is to be delivered.

17. The network computer system of claim 4, wherein the end-user device policy states are reusable objects of the hierarchical service plan database, and wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to

graphically select one or more reusable device policy states,

graphically select one or more reusable service plan filters,

graphically specify a combination of the device policy state and service plan filter selections, and

cause the network computer system to generate from the device policy state and service plan filter selections a new reusable service policy component object in the database.

18. The network computer system of claim 17,

wherein graphically select one or more reusable service plan filters comprises graphically select first and second service plan filters,

wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to graphically specify a respective filter priority for the first and second service plan filters as a part of the new reusable service policy component object, and

the network computer system, for a defined service plan including the new reusable service policy component object, to generate the prioritized policy instructions to apply the first and second service plan filters using the specified filter priority.

19. The network computer system of claim 4, wherein the service policy components and the actions are reusable objects of the hierarchical service plan database, and wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to

graphically select one or more reusable service policy components,

graphically select one or more reusable actions,

graphically specify a combination of the service policy component and action selections, and

cause the network computer system to generate from the service policy component and action selections a new reusable service policy object in the database.

20. The network computer system of claim 19,

wherein graphically select one or more reusable service policy components comprises graphically select first and second service policy components,

wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to graphically specify a respective policy component priority for the first and second service policy components as a part of the new reusable service policy object, and

the network computer system, for a defined service plan including the new reusable service policy object, to generate the prioritized policy instructions to apply the first and second service policy components using the specified policy component priority.

21. The network computer system of claim 19, each service policy component object associated with one of a plurality of service component classes, and wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to specify the service component class for a service policy component object.

22. The network computer system of claim 21,

wherein graphically select one or more reusable service policy components comprises graphically select first and second service policy components associated respectively with first and second different service component classes,

wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to graphically specify a respective service component class priority for the first and second service component classes, and

the network computer system, for a defined service plan including the new reusable service policy object, to generate the prioritized policy instructions to apply the first and second service policy components using the specified component class priority.

23. The network computer system of claim 4, each service plan object associated with one of a plurality of service plan classes, and wherein to operate the design center GUI to allow manipulation of the database further comprises to allow the one or more service designers to specify the service plan class for a service plan object.

24. The network computer system of claim 23,

wherein the first and second ones of the overlapping service plans are associated with respective first and second different service plan classes, each class having a respective plan class priority, and wherein to generate the prioritized policy instructions is further based on the respective plan class priorities.

25. The network computer system of claim 4, the hierarchical service plan database further comprising catalog objects, each catalog object comprising a collection of multiple service plans that can be provisioned for a defined group of end-user devices, the defined service plan priorities definable specific to the service plans as collected in the catalog object.

26. The network computer system of claim 25, wherein the service plans are reusable objects of the hierarchical service plan database that can be graphically selected by the one or more service designers for inclusion in different catalog objects.