Traffic Shaping of Cellular Service Consumption Through Modification of Consumer Behavior Encouraged by Cell-based Pricing Advantages

• US 20080207164A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: D-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen, Waters, Timothy Moffett, Seaman, James Wesley, Dawson, Christopher James
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8154 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Changes in wireless service user behavior are encouraged and produced to shape utilization patterns among cells within a rate plan region by using shaping rules which define potential discounts from a standard charge rate under certain cell-specific utilization conditions, analyzing the shaping rules and utilization statistics of a cell upon service initiation, generating a discount from the standard rate for underutilized cells. The user is notified of these discount opportunities using text messages, icons, or other means. Over time, the users learn that at certain places and times, significant discounts are offered, and thus changes their behavior to take advantage of those discounts, thereby shaping traffic in a manner desired by the service provider.

Claims

1. A system for encouraging changes in user behavior of usage of wireless services in order to effect shaping of traffic and utilization patterns among a plurality of cells within a rate plan region, said system comprising:

a rate plan defining at least one standard charge rate of service consumption for services consumed within a rate plan region;

one or more shaping rules which define potential discounts from said standard charge rate under certain cell-specific utilization conditions, wherein said shaping rules comprise a graduated comparative function of a percentage discount from said standard charge rate as a function of a ratio of utilization of a current cell and a geographically adjacent cell;

a receiver configured to receive real time utilization statistics for a cell in which a mobile device is currently located, said cell being within said rate plan region;

an analyzer configured to, responsive to receipt of a service initiation request from said mobile device, consider one or more shaping rules with respect to said received real-time utilization statistics, and to generate a discount value relative to said standard charge rate if said real time statistics indicate under utilization of said cell; and

a user notifier set by said analyzer to notify a user of said mobile device of said discount value available for consuming a wireless service from said cell by providing an outlined icon having a percentage of said outline graphically unfilled to visually approximate a percentage discount offered in order to encourage said service consumption and to effect behavior modification of said user over a period of time.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shaping rules further comprise a graduated continuous function of a percentage discount from said standard charge rate as a function of utilization of a cell.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said function comprises a stepwise function.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said user notifier comprises a text message.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said user notifier comprises a displayable cost meter.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said user notifier comprises a set of monetary symbols of graduated size.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said user notifier comprises a monetary symbol having a percentage of fill correlating to cost.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said user notifier comprises an icon having a plurality of colors correlated to cost.

9. An article of manufacture for changing user behavior of usage of wireless services in order to effect shaping of traffic and utilization patterns among a plurality of cells within a rate plan region, the article comprising:

a computer readable medium suitable for encoding program code; and

one or more program codes encoded by said computer readable medium and configured to cause a processor to;

accessing a rate plan having at least one standard charge rate of service consumption for services consumed within a rate plan region;

defining one or more shaping rules having potential discounts from said standard charge rate under certain cell-specific utilization conditions, wherein said shaping rules comprise a graduated comparative function of a percentage discount from said standard charge rate as a function of a ratio of utilization of a current cell and a geographically adjacent cell;

receiving real time utilization statistics for a cell in which a mobile device is currently located, said cell being within said rate plan region;

responsive to receipt of a service initiation request from said mobile

device, generating a discount value relative to said standard charge rate in consideration of one or more shaping rules if said real time statistics indicated under utilization of said cell; and

setting a notifier indicating to said user said discount value available for consuming a wireless service from said cell by providing an outlined icon having a percentage of said outline graphically unfilled to visually approximate a percentage discount offer in order to encourage said service consumption and to effect behavior modification of said user over a period of time.

10. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said program code for defining shaping rules further comprise program code for defining shaping rules which include a graduated continuous function of a percentage discount from said standard charge rate as a function of utilization of a cell.

11. The article as set forth in claim 10 wherein said function comprises a stepwise function.

12. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said program code for setting a user notifier comprises program code for transmitting a text message.

13. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said software for setting a user notifier comprises program code for displaying a cost meter.

14. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said program code for setting a user notifier comprises program code for providing a set of monetary symbols of graduated size.

15. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said program code for setting a user notifier comprises program code for providing a monetary symbol having a percentage of fill correlating to cost.

16. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said program code for setting a user notifier comprises program code for providing an icon having a plurality of colors correlated to cost.