Device assisted CDR creation, aggregation, mediation and billing

• US 8,788,661 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/158,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20140128026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 183 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/409, 455/419, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 370/244, 370/250.1, 370/252, 370/328, 705/30, 705/34, 707/694, 707/705, 709/223, 709/224, 709/232, 709/233, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/39 Credit based
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• 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 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/752 Terminal based account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 : involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 : Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8257 : Unit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 : characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 : WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 : Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7213 : Terminal based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 : Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/78 : Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/786 : Unit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7886 : Apply cheapest or best package, e.g. selection among available tariffs or packages least cost routing H04M2215/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method performed by a network system, the method comprising: monitoring traffic over a wireless network between the network system and a device, the traffic being within a service plan associated with the device; obtaining a first accounting of usage of the wireless network associated with a first portion of the traffic, wherein a sponsor sponsors at least a portion of the usage of the wireless network associated with the first portion of the traffic; based on the monitored traffic, obtaining a second accounting of usage of the wireless network associated with a second portion of the traffic not including the first portion of the traffic, the subscriber associated with the wireless device being financially responsible for usage of the wireless network associated with the second portion of the traffic; and providing an accounting record to the sponsor based on the first accounting.

Claims

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

monitoring data traffic over a wireless access network between the network system and a wireless mobile device, the network system being operated by or on behalf of a network operator, the data traffic being within a service plan associated with the wireless mobile device;

obtaining a first accounting, the first accounting being an accounting of usage of the wireless access network associated with a first portion of the data traffic, the first portion of the data traffic uniquely identified with a particular application of a plurality of applications on the wireless mobile device, the particular application being responsible for the first portion of the data traffic, wherein a service sponsor sponsors at least a portion of the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic, the service sponsor being an entity other than a subscriber associated with the wireless mobile device and other than the network operator;

based on the monitored data traffic, obtaining a second accounting, the second accounting being an accounting of usage of the wireless access network associated with a second portion of the data traffic, the second portion of the data traffic not including the first portion of the data traffic, the second accounting not accounting for the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic, the subscriber associated with the wireless mobile device being financially responsible for usage of the wireless access network associated with the second portion of the data traffic; and

providing an accounting record to the service sponsor, the accounting record being based on the first accounting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising billing the service sponsor for the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic, or billing the subscriber associated with the wireless mobile device for the usage of the wireless access network associated with the second portion of the data traffic.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a service policy to control the first portion of the data traffic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein applying the service policy to control the first portion of the data traffic comprises blocking, throttling, or shaping the first portion of the data traffic.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an offset based on the first accounting; and

adjusting a subscriber account based on the offset, the subscriber account being associated with the subscriber associated with the wireless mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first accounting comprises receiving the first accounting from the wireless mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first accounting comprises receiving the first accounting from the service sponsor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first accounting comprises determining or calculating the first accounting.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first accounting comprises identifying a characteristic or tag in the data traffic, the characteristic or tag providing information to assist in identifying the particular application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the characteristic or tag comprises an address identifying a proxy server or an intermediate server.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a third accounting, the third accounting being an accounting of usage of the wireless access network associated with a third portion of the data traffic, the third portion of the data traffic comprising unclassified data traffic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the unclassified data traffic comprises data traffic that does not include a reference identifier, a characteristic, a tag, or a traffic parameter enabling the traffic to be classified as being within the first portion of the data traffic or within the second portion of the data traffic.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the data traffic is less than all traffic uniquely identified with the particular application.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the first portion of the data traffic within the monitored data traffic.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the first portion of the data traffic within the monitored data traffic is based on a period of time, a quality-of-service (QoS) class, a time of day, a network busy state, a bandwidth, a data usage, or a combination of these.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the first portion of the data traffic within the monitored data traffic is based on one or more network addresses.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more network destinations are operated or controlled by or on behalf of the service sponsor.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification to a user of the wireless mobile device, the notification providing information associated with the first portion of the data traffic or with a previous, ongoing, or future usage of the wireless access network associated with the particular application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the first portion of the data traffic or with the previous, ongoing, or future usage of the wireless access network associated with the particular application comprises information about the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the first portion of the data traffic or with the previous, ongoing, or future usage of the wireless access network associated with the particular application indicates that at least a portion of the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic has been sponsored, is being sponsored, or will be sponsored.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising establishing, in cooperation with the wireless mobile device, a service control link between the network system and the wireless mobile device, the service control link for conveying control information between the network system and the wireless mobile device, the control information being distinct from the data traffic, and wherein providing the notification to a user of the wireless mobile device comprises sending the notification to the wireless mobile device over the service control link.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification to a user of the wireless mobile device, the notification for informing the user of the wireless mobile device of a potential difference between in the first accounting and a third accounting.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

obtaining an acknowledgment from the wireless mobile device, the acknowledgment indicating that the user of the wireless mobile device has acknowledged the notification.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the data traffic is uniquely identified with a network address, a website, a time of day, a period of time, a network busy state, a device location, a roaming condition of the wireless mobile device, a media access control (MAC) or physical layer (PHY) efficiency or inefficiency, a data usage limit, a network type, a content type, a traffic type, a quality-of-service (QoS) class, a bandwidth, or a combination of these.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a notification to the wireless mobile device, the notification for informing a user of the wireless mobile device of a change in how the first accounting or the first portion of the data traffic is being determined or will be determined.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading software to the wireless mobile device, the software enabling the wireless mobile device to identify the first portion of the data traffic or to at least assist the network system to obtain the first accounting.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing, in cooperation with the wireless mobile device, a service control link between the network system and the wireless mobile device, the service control link for conveying control information between the network system and the wireless mobile device, the control information being distinct from the data traffic, and wherein obtaining the first accounting is based on information sent or received over the service control link.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the information sent or received over the service control link comprises information from the wireless mobile device that assists the network system to identify the first portion of the data traffic.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more machine-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network system, cause the one or more processors to:

monitor data traffic over a wireless access network between a network system and a wireless mobile device, the network system being operated by or on behalf of a network operator;

obtain a first accounting, the first accounting being an accounting of usage of the wireless access network associated with a first portion of the data traffic, the first portion of the data traffic uniquely identified with a particular application of a plurality of applications on the wireless mobile device, the particular application being responsible for the first portion of the data traffic, wherein a service sponsor sponsors at least a portion of the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic, the service sponsor being an entity other than a subscriber associated with the wireless mobile device and other than the network operator;

obtain a second accounting, the second accounting being an accounting of usage of the wireless access network associated with a second portion of the data traffic, the second portion of the data traffic not including the first portion of the data traffic, the second accounting not accounting for the usage of the wireless access network associated with the first portion of the data traffic, the subscriber associated with the wireless mobile device being financially responsible for usage of the wireless access network associated with the second portion of the data traffic; and

provide an accounting record to the service sponsor, the accounting record being based on the first accounting.