System and method for providing statistics for flexible billing in a cable environment

• US 7,028,088 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, John R. III, Koperda, Francis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D
• Application Number:
  US09/588,211
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/224, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 725/1, 725/2, 725/4, 725/5, 725/8
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5675 Timeslot assignment, e.g. TDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5679 Arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A system for providing flexible billing in a cable environment can establish billing practices based on tier level of service, quality of service or the amount of network resources consumed. A plurality of tiers or levels of service can be defined by parameters including at least a maximum or peak bit rate or bandwidth for providing services over a shared channel. A plurality of levels or tiers of services are defined by maximum bandwidth or bit rate and a subscriber receives service at that subscribe-to level or at a slower data rate depending on availability of shared bandwidth. Quality of service is maintaining the specified bandwidth, jitter or delay. The amount of network resources consumed may be expressed in terms of the amount of data transmitted or the connect time of a network access device to the network.

Claims

1. A method of providing statistics for billing users of data services provided over a cable television network comprising the steps of:

monitoring a length of an upstream connection of a network access device and storing data related to said length of said upstream connection of said network access device;

monitoring an amount of data transmitted across said upstream connection and storing data related to said amount of data transmitted across said upstream connection; and

monitoring an amount of data rejected as exceeding a requested bandwidth and storing data related to said amount of data rejected as exceeding said requested bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving parametric statistical data for a session of a network access device at an administration computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said parametric statistical data comprises amount of data transferred.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring the bit error rate of the data transmitted across said upstream connection and storing data related thereto.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring and storing the start time of the connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of service tiers depending on maximum shared bandwidth or bit rate.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing an authorized level of service data for subscribers, an administration computer communicating said authorized level of service to a link access controller for regulating service at said authorized level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring and storing the start time of the connection.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording an address of the network access device and of the apparatus to which said network access device is linked during said connection.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an authorized level of service data for subscribers, an administration computer communicating said authorized level of service to a link access controller for regulating service at said authorized level.

11. A method of providing statistics for billing users of data services provided over a cable television network comprising the steps of:

monitoring a length of an upstream connection of a network access device and

storing data related to said length of said upstream connection of said network access device;

monitoring an amount of data transmitted across said upstream connection and storing data related he to said amount of said data transmitted across said upstream connection; and

monitoring a bit error rate of said upstream connection and storing data related to said bit error rate of said upstream connection.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring an amount of data rejected as exceeding a requested bandwidth and storing data related thereto.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing an authorized level of service data for subscribers, an administration computer communicating said authorized level of service to a link access controller for regulating service at said authorized level.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a plurality of service tiers depending on a maximum shared bandwidth or bit rate.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving parametric statistical data for a session of a network access device at an administration computer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said parametric statistical data comprises the total amount of data transferred.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring and storing the start time of the connection.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

recording the address of the network access device and of an apparatus to which said network access device is linked during said connection.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a plurality of service tiers depending on a maximum shared bandwidth or bit rate.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing an authorized level of service data for subscribers, an administration computer communicating said authorized level of service to a link access controller for regulating service at said authorized level.