Operations method for providing wireless communication services

• US 8,630,616 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hutcheson, S. Douglas, Brink, Michael, Jarvis, Scot
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/602,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408, 379/114.01, 379/114.03
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8005 Flat-fee
• 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 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• 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 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an improved operations method for a wireless communication system. The improved business method, operations method, network and system of the present invention includes the steps of delivering cellular services to the mass market, reducing peak capacity, increasing overall capacity utilization, improving capital utilization, providing an “all-you-can-eat” pricing model, and designing capacity based upon where the users live, work, and play.

Claims

1. A method of providing wireless communication services, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication service plan that includes at least one voice service and at least one data service;

permitting a mobile communication device user to subscribe to the wireless communication service plan;

receiving at least a partial payment corresponding to the wireless communications service plan from the mobile communication device user; and

providing, responsive to receiving the at least partial payment, wireless communication service to the mobile communication device user in accordance with the wireless communication service plan, wherein access to at least one of the at least one voice service and at least one data service under the wireless communication service plan is unlimited.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication service plan comprises a flat-rate plan.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing unlimited access to both the at least one voice service and the at least one data service under the wireless communication service plan.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at least a partial payment further comprises receiving an automated payment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one voice service comprises nationwide long-distance calling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data service comprises download services for retrieving Internet content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data service comprises Short Message Service (SMS) messaging.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data service comprises transfer of video data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication service plan includes a first data service for which use is unlimited and a second data service for which use is limited.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication service plan includes a first voice service for which use is unlimited and a second voice service for which use is limited.

11. A method of providing wireless communication services, the method comprising:

establishing a flat-rate wireless communication service plan that includes unlimited access to a data service;

receiving an advance payment associated with a mobile communication device for the flat-rate wireless communication service plan, the advance payment corresponding to a predetermined period of time; and

providing, responsive to receiving the advance payment, wireless communication service to the mobile communication device, for the predetermined period of time, in accordance with the flat-rate wireless communication service plan.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the flat-rate wireless communication service plan further includes unlimited access to voice service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the voice service is at least partially provided using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data service is provided using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data service comprises text messaging.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the flat-rate wireless communication service plan further includes data download service adapted to provide access to Internet content, wherein the flat-rate wireless communication service plan provides unlimited access to the data download service.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving an advance payment further comprises:

automatically charging a credit card associated with a user of the mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein a coverage area corresponding to the flat-rate wireless communication service plan comprises a sub-national coverage area.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that an advanced payment for a current period has not been received from a subscriber to the flat-rate wireless communication service plan; and

suspending services under the flat-rate wireless communication service plan for a mobile communication device corresponding to the subscriber until the advanced payment is received.

20. An apparatus to provide wireless communication services, the apparatus comprising a computing device to perform one or more operations comprising:

establishing a wireless communication service plan that includes at least one voice service and at least one data service;

permitting a mobile communication device user to subscribe to the wireless communication service plan;

receiving at least a partial payment corresponding to the wireless communications service plan from the mobile communication device user; and

providing, responsive to receiving the at least partial payment, wireless communication service to the mobile communication device user in accordance with the wireless communication service plan, wherein access to at least one of the at least one voice service and at least one data service under the wireless communication service plan is unlimited.