AUTOMATED DEVICE PROVISIONING AND ACTIVATION

• US 20130231084A1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,737,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• 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 41/5003 : Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 : by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 : Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• 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 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

A method and network system for obtaining, from a management entity, a bill-by-account service policy applicable to a device group managed at least in part by the management entity, the device group including a plurality of devices including a particular device identified by a particular credential, the bill-by-account service policy comprising classification and accounting policies; identifying wireless access network data traffic associated with the particular device; based on the classification policy, identifying a particular service activity within the wireless access network data traffic, the particular service activity being a bill-by-account service activity; obtaining a record comprising the particular credential and a usage measure indicating a wireless access network usage associated with the particular service activity; and, based on the accounting policy, allocating the usage measure to an account associated with an entity that is financially responsible for usage of the wireless access network associated with the device group.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network system, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a device-group management entity, at least a portion of a bill-by-account service policy applicable to a device group managed at least in part by the device-group management entity, the device-group management entity being different from a network system operator associated with the network system, the device group including a plurality of end-user devices communicatively coupled or capable of being communicatively coupled to the network system over a wireless access network, the plurality of end-user devices including a particular end-user device, the particular end-user device identified by a particular credential differentiating the particular end-user device from all other end-user devices in the device group, the bill-by-account service policy to be applied when any end-user device in the device group communicates or attempts to communicate over the wireless access network, the bill-by-account service policy comprising;

a classification policy to assist in identifying one or more bill-by-account service activities, the one or more bill-by-account service activities being a subset of all service activities available over the wireless access network, the one or more bill-by-account service activities comprising data traffic, and

an accounting policy to assist in accounting for usage of the wireless access network associated with the one or more bill-by-account service activities;

identifying attempted or successful wireless access network data traffic associated with the particular end-user device;

based on at least a portion of the classification policy, identifying a particular service activity within the attempted or successful wireless access network data traffic associated with the particular end-user device, the particular service activity being one of the one or more bill-by-account service activities;

obtaining a record comprising the particular credential and a usage measure providing an indication of a wireless access network usage associated with the particular service activity; and

based on the accounting policy, allocating at least a portion of the usage measure to an account associated with an entity that is financially responsible for at least a portion of usage of the wireless access network associated with the device group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining, from a device-group management entity, at least a portion of a bill-by-account service policy comprises receiving a user input for establishing at least an aspect of the bill-by-account service policy through a user interface communicatively coupled to the network system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining, from a device-group management entity, at least a portion of a bill-by-account service policy comprises receiving a user input for establishing at least an aspect of the bill-by-account service policy from one of the plurality of end-user devices in the device group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-group management entity is an entity associated with a family service account, a user of at least one of the plurality of devices, or the entity that is financially responsible for at least a portion of usage of the wireless is access network associated with the device group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-group management entity is a virtual service provider or an enterprise administrator associated with an enterprise service account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining, from a device-group management entity, at least a portion of a bill-by-account service policy comprises receiving a user input for establishing at least an aspect of the bill-by-account service policy from a virtual service provider terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a notification trigger condition has been satisfied, and

based on determining that the notification trigger condition has been satisfied, sending a notification message to the particular end-user device or directing the particular end-user device to a website, a wireless application protocol (WAP) site, or a portal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a notification policy configured to assist in presenting a notification associated with at least one of the one or more bill-by-account service activities, wherein the notification provides a service usage measure associated with the at least one of the one or more bill-by-account service activities associated with the particular end-user device, a subset of end-user devices in the device group, or all end-user devices in the device group.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first usage measure and a second usage measure, the first usage measure comprising a first measure of usage of the particular service activity by the particular end-user device, and the second usage measure comprising a second measure of usage of the particular service activity by a second end-user device in the device group;

generating an aggregate usage measure based on the first usage measure and the is second usage measure; and

sending information to the particular end-user device or to the second end-user device, the information to assist in presenting a notification comprising information about the aggregate usage measure, the first usage measure, the second usage measure, or a combination of these.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first usage measure and a second usage measure, the first usage measure comprising a first measure of usage of a first plurality of service activities by the particular end user-device, the first plurality of service activities including the particular service, and the second usage measure comprising a second measure of usage of a second plurality of service activities by a second end-user device in the device group;

generating an aggregate usage measure based on the first usage measure and the second usage measure; and

sending information to the particular end-user device or to the second end-user device, the information to assist in presenting a notification comprising information about the aggregate usage measure, the first usage measure, the second usage measure, or a combination of these.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first usage measure and a second usage measure, the first usage measure comprising a first measure of usage of the particular service activity by the particular end-user device, and the second usage measure comprising a second measure of usage of the particular service activity by the particular end-user device;

generating an aggregate usage measure based on the first usage measure and the second usage measure; and

sending information to the particular end-user device or to a second end-user device in the device group, the information to assist in presenting a notification comprising information about the aggregate usage measure, the is first usage measure, the second usage measure, or a combination of these.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first usage measure and a second usage measure, the first usage measure comprising a first measure of usage of the particular service activity by the particular end-user device, and the second usage measure comprising a second measure of usage of a second service activity by the particular end-user device;

generating an aggregate usage measure based on the first usage measure and the second usage measure; and

sending information to the particular end-user device or to a second end-user device in the device group, the information to assist in presenting a notification comprising information about the aggregate usage measure, the first usage measure, the second usage measure, or a combination of these.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity is associated with a particular application or with a particular network communication end point.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity comprises a particular data content type or a particular data traffic type.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the bill-by-account service policy is at least in part dependent on a type of the wireless access network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the type of the wireless access network is home, roaming, cellular, WiFi, or a combination of these.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and further comprising:

determining that the particular end-user device is connected to a second wireless access network; and

is refraining from applying some or all of the bill-by-account service policy to attempted or successful wireless access network data traffic over the second wireless access network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first wireless access network is a cellular network or a roaming network, and the second wireless access network is a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network or a home network.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the bill-by-account service policy is dependent at least in part on a network congestion, a time period, a quality-of-service (QoS) level, or a combination of these.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity is not available within a first service plan associated with the particular end-user device or the device group, or is available at a lower cost, and further comprising:

assisting in presenting an offer through a user interface of the particular end-user device, the offer being for a second service plan that allows for the particular service activity, and

obtaining a user response to the offer.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining that a notification trigger condition has been satisfied, the notification trigger condition defining a condition under which to present the offer through the user interface of the particular end-user device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular service activity is a first service activity, and wherein the first service activity is within a first service plan associated with the particular end-user device or the device group, and further comprising:

assisting in presenting an offer through a user interface of the particular end-user device, the offer being for a second service plan that includes a second service activity,

obtaining a user response to the offer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first service activity is sponsored by a sponsor entity, the sponsor entity other than the entity that is financially responsible for at least a portion of the wireless access network usage associated with the particular service activity by the particular end-user device, and the second service activity is a user-paid service activity.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether one or more applications on the particular end-user device are accessing network communication end points that are allowed by the bill-by-account service policy determining whether the usage measure is within a bill-by-account service policy limit.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the bill-by-account service policy is a first bill-by-account service policy, and wherein the classification policy is a first classification policy, and wherein the accounting policy is a first accounting policy, and further comprising obtaining, from the device-group management entity, at least a portion of a second bill-by-account service policy applicable to the device group, the second bill-by-account service policy comprising a second classification policy and a second accounting policy, the second bill-by-account service policy being different from the first bill-by-account service policy.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and wherein the second bill-by-account service policy is to be applied when any end-user device in the device group communicates or attempts to communicate over a second wireless access network.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the device group is a first device group, and wherein the device-group management entity is a first device-group management entity, and wherein the bill-by-account service policy is a first bill-by-account service policy, and is further comprising obtaining, from a second device-group management entity, at least a portion of a second bill-by-account service policy for a second device group, the second device group comprising a second plurality of end-user devices, the second bill-by-account policy to be applied when any end-user device in the second device group communicates or attempts to communicate over the wireless access network.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining, from a device-group management entity, at least a portion of a bill-by-account service policy applicable to a device group comprises obtaining a device-group management entity input through a secure interface, the secure interface making available to the device-group management entity a subset of service policy controls or service policy setting options less than all service policy controls or service policy setting options available to the network system operator, the service policy controls or service policy setting options enabling the device-group management entity to define the at least an aspect of the bill-by-account service policy.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the end-user devices in the device group are associated with a common account.

30. A network system comprising:

one or more user interfaces configured to accept inputs from a device-group management entity, the inputs defining or modifying at least a portion of a bill-by-account service policy applicable to a device group managed at least in part by the device-group management entity, the device-group management entity being different from a network system operator associated with the network system, the device group including a plurality of end-user devices communicatively coupled or capable of being communicatively coupled to the network system over a wireless access network, the plurality of end-user devices including a particular end-user device, the particular end-user device identified by a particular credential differentiating the particular end-user device from all other end-user devices in the device group, the bill-by-account service policy to be applied when any end-user device in the device group communicates or attempts to is communicate over the wireless access network, the bill-by-account service policy comprising;

a classification policy to assist in identifying one or more bill-by-account service activities, the one or more bill-by-account service activities being a subset of all service activities available over the wireless access network, the one or more bill-by-account service activities comprising data traffic, and

an accounting policy to assist in accounting for usage of the wireless access network associated with the one or more bill-by-account service activities; and

one or more networks elements configured to;

identify attempted or successful wireless access network data traffic associated with the particular end-user device,

based on at least a portion of the classification policy, identify a particular service activity within the attempted or successful wireless access network data traffic associated with the particular end-user device, the particular service activity being one of the one or more bill-by-account service activities,

obtain a record comprising the particular credential and a usage measure providing an indication of a wireless access network usage associated with the particular service activity, and

based on the accounting policy, allocate at least a portion of the usage measure to an account associated with an entity that is financially responsible for at least a portion of usage of the wireless access network associated with the device group.