Methods, systems and computer products to incentivize high speed internet access

• US 7,742,945 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Salazar, Gonzalo, Rauba, Rimas
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clawson; Stephen J
• Application Number:
  US11/845,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 370/486
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0058 Allocation criteria

Abstract

Temporary increased broadband bandwidth services for high speed access and download of Internet websites are provided to end user DSL subscribers by a system and method to increase speed of accessing certain Internet websites to incentivize the end user DSL subscribers to purchase higher speed broadband services and to incentivize content providers to pay for the temporary increased broadband services. The speed category of a customer premises equipment turbo modem is controlled by either a wired or wireless serving center computer processor, based on either the wired or wireless serving center computer processor determining whether to download Internet and video content at a predetermined selected speed category.

Claims

1. A method for providing a communications service incentive by a service center having a computer, the method comprising:

controlling by a computer a speed category of a turbo modem operative to connect to customer equipment, wherein the computer causes a turbo modem speed governor to operate the turbo modem at different speeds;

determining by the computer one of whether to download a content at a predetermined selected speed category and whether to download a predetermined content at a designated speed category,

wherein the predetermined selected speed category and the designated speed category are offered to a customer as a high speed service to incentivize the customer to purchase a permanent high speed broadband service;

determining by the computer that downloading from a content provider is complete;

in response to the service provider receiving an indication from the content provider and in response to the content provider paying for high speed minutes, providing by the computer the high speed minutes to the customer when the downloading is complete;

wherein the high speed minutes are for high speed service of the service provider; and

storing an amount of the high speed minutes, wherein the amount of high speed minutes increases with subsequent downloading from the content provider;

prompting by the computer the customer to purchase the permanent high speed broadband service;

determining by the computer whether the customer purchases the permanent high speed broadband service; and

ending by the computer the high speed service.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high speed service is a temporary turbo high speed broadband service, wherein controlling the speed category of the turbo modem is based on a predetermined temporary increase in the predetermined selected speed category to download and view the content, and wherein one of a serving wire center computer processor and a serving wireless center computer processor controls the speed category of the turbo modem.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein determining that downloading is complete includes one of completing, in a first completing operation, downloading of the content at the predetermined selected speed category, if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor to download the content at the predetermined selected speed category and completing, in a second completing operation, downloading the predetermined content at the designated speed category, if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor to download the predetermined content at the designated speed category.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein determining that downloading is complete further includes determining whether the customer completes viewing the predetermined content at the designated speed category.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein prompting the customer to purchase the permanent high speed broadband service is initiated by one of a serving wire center computer processor and a serving wireless center computer processor and carried out by a subscriber device;

further comprising notifying the customer of the amount of high speed minutes that are available for accessing the Internet.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein ending the temporary turbo high speed broadband service includes one of ending the temporary turbo high speed broadband service, if the customer does not purchase the permanent high speed broadband service and ending the temporary turbo high speed broadband service, after the customer purchases the permanent high speed broadband service.

7. A program product stored as a listing of computer executable program code on a computer readable medium for providing a communications service, when executed by a processor, the listing of computer executable program code causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

controlling a speed category for a turbo modem operative to connect to customer equipment, wherein the computer causes a turbo modem speed governor to operate the turbo modem at different speeds;

determining one of whether to download a content at a predetermined selected speed category and whether to download a predetermined content at a designated speed category, wherein the predetermined selected speed category and the designated speed category are offered to a customer as a high speed service to incentivize the customer to purchase a high speed broadband service;

determining that downloading from the content provider is complete;

in response to the service provider receiving an indication from the content provider and in response to the content provider paying for high speed minutes, providing the high speed minutes to the customer when the downloading is complete;

wherein the high speed minutes are for high speed service of the service provider;

storing an amount of the high speed minutes, wherein the amount of high speed minutes increases with subsequent downloading from the content provider;

prompting the customer to purchase the high speed broadband service;

determining whether the customer purchases the high speed broadband service; and

ending the high speed service.

8. The program product according to claim 7, wherein controlling the speed category of the turbo modem is based on a predetermined temporary increase in the predetermined selected speed category to download and view advertisements and video content.

9. The program product according to claim 8, wherein determining that downloading is complete includes one of completing, in a first completing operation, downloading of the content at the predetermined selected speed category, if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor to download the content at the predetermined selected speed category and completing, in a second completing operation, downloading of the predetermined content at the designated speed category, if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor to download the predetermined content at the designated speed category, and completing in a third completing operation, downloading of a designated content if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor that the customer has completed viewing the designated content.

10. The program product according to claim 9, further comprising determining by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor that the customer is awarded credit from a content service provider for additional free high speed downloads, when the customer completes viewing the designated content.

11. The program product according to claim 10, wherein the high speed service is a temporary turbo high speed broadband service.

12. The program product according to claim 11, wherein prompting the customer to purchase the high speed broadband service is initiated by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor.

13. The program product according to claim 12, wherein the temporary turbo high speed broadband service is ended by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor after one of the customer does not purchase the high speed broadband service and the customer purchases the high speed broadband service.

14. A system for providing communications service incentives, the system comprising:

a turbo broadband service incentive computer system including a subscriber device and one of a serving wire center computer processor and a serving wireless center computer processor,

wherein the subscriber device contains a turbo modem comprising a turbo modem speed governor to operate the turbo modem at different speeds, and

wherein the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor contain a computer executable program that when executed by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor, causes the turbo broadband service incentive computer system to;

control a speed category for the turbo modem;

determine one of whether to download a content at a predetermined selected speed and whether to download a predetermined content at a designated speed and whether to download a designated content, designated by a content service provider at a high speed, wherein the predetermined selected speed, the designated speed, and the designated content are offered to a customer as a set of high speed services to incentivize the customer to purchase a high speed broadband service by improving the customer'"'"'s viewing experience, and wherein the content service provider is incentivized to pay for high speed download because of increased interest in the content service provider'"'"'s content;

determine whether the customer completes viewing the predetermined content at the designated speed category;

determine that downloading of any content from the content provider is complete;

in response to the service provider receiving an indication from the content provider and in response to the content provider paying for high speed minutes, provide the high speed minutes to the customer when the downloading is complete;

wherein the high speed minutes are for high speed service of the service provider;

store an amount of the high speed minutes, wherein the amount of high speed minutes increases with subsequent downloading from the content provider;

prompt the customer to purchase a permanent high speed broadband service;

determine whether the customer purchases the permanent high speed broadband service; and

end the set of high speed services.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein control of the speed category of the turbo modem is based on a predetermined temporary increase in the predetermined selected speed to download and view advertisements and video content, and wherein the turbo modem is provided to the customer by a broadband service provider.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein downloading of any content is completed by one of completing, in a first completing operation, downloading of the content at the predetermined selected speed category, if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor to download the content at the predetermined selected speed category and completing, in a second completing operation, downloading of the predetermined content at the designated speed category, if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor to download the predetermined content at the designated speed category, and completing in a third completing operation, downloading of the designated content if it is determined by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor that the customer has completed viewing the designated content.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor determines that the customer is awarded credit for additional free high speed downloads, when the customer has completed viewing the designated content.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the set of high speed services compose a temporary turbo high speed broadband service.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein prompting the customer to purchase the permanent high speed broadband service is initiated by one of the serving wire center computer processor and the serving wireless center computer processor.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the temporary turbo high speed broadband service is ended after one of the customer does not purchase the permanent high speed broadband service and the customer purchases the permanent high speed broadband service.