Service selection set publishing to device agent with on-device service selection

• US 10,171,990 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• 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., Lavine, James, Raissinia, Alireza
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy, Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/416,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20170208459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 455405, 4554141, 4554321, 705 16, 705 21, 705 261, 705 2643, 709217-223
• 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 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for publishing a service offer set to a device agent on an end-user device and for on-device selection of a service. In some embodiments, a network system publishes a service offer set to an end-user device over a wireless access network, receives an offer set user selection from the end-user device, and provisions one or more network functions based on the offer set user selection.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

a service design center to create a service offer set;

memory configured to store the service offer set, the service offer set identifying one or more service plans available to a wireless end-user device, the one or more service plans, upon provisioning for the wireless end-user device, enabling the wireless end-user device to communicate over a wireless access network;

a near-real time device message queue configured to obtain the service offer set from memory; and

a real-time gateway configured to;

send information associated with the service offer set from the near-real time device message queue to the wireless end user device over the wireless access network, the information associated with the service offer set enabling the wireless end-user device to present, through a user interface of the wireless end-user device, one or more service plan selection options associated with the one or more service plans available to the wireless end-user device,

receive an offer set user selection from the wireless end-user device, the offer set user selection indicating a user selection of at least one of the one or more service plan selection options, and

provision one or more network functions based on the offer set user selection.

2. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a service controller.

3. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is a first user interface, the service design center comprising a second user interface configured to accept service offer set design parameters, and wherein the service design center is further configured to provide the service offer set design parameters to the network system in a format that enables the network system to send the information associated with the service offer set to the wireless end-user device over the wireless access network.

4. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein sending information associated with the service offer set to the wireless end-user device over the wireless access network comprises pushing the information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device.

5. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein sending information associated with the service offer set to the wireless end-user device over the wireless access network comprises providing the information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device in response to a request from the end-user device.

6. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the real-time gateway includes an application programming interface (API), and wherein the real-time gateway is further configured to receive, through the API, a request from the wireless end-user device for information associated with the service offer set.

7. The network system recited in claim 6, wherein the real-time gateway is further configured to receive, through the API, the offer set user selection from the wireless end-user device.

8. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network functions comprises a data path network access control element.

9. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network functions comprises a service accounting element or a billing element.

10. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network functions comprises a service processor agent policy enforcement element.

11. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the service offer set and/or the information associated with the service offer set is tailored for the wireless end-user device based on a wireless end-user device activity.

12. The network system recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless end-user device activity comprises an attempt to access the wireless access network, an attempt to access a roaming access network, an attempt to use a particular application on the wireless end-user device, an attempt by the particular application on the wireless end-user device to access the wireless access network, a successful access to the wireless access network, a successful access to the roaming access network, a successful use of the particular application on the wireless end-user device, or a successful access to the wireless access network by the particular application on the wireless end-user device.

13. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the service offer set is based on a location of the wireless end-user device.

14. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the real-time gateway is further configured to send wireless network usage information to the wireless end-user device.

15. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the real-time gateway is further configured to, based on a determination that a trigger condition has been met, send a notification to the wireless end-user device.

16. The network system recited in claim 15, wherein the trigger condition is based on an activity by the wireless end-user device, the activity comprising one or more of an attempted or successful service usage, an attempted or successful application usage, an attempted or successful website access, an attempted or successful access to a roaming network, an attempted or successful access to a home network, an attempted or successful access to a cellular network, and an attempted or successful access to a WiFi network.

17. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the service offer set or the information associated with the service offer set is based on a characteristic of the wireless end-user device or associated with a user of the wireless end-user device.