Service offer set publishing to device agent with on-device service selection

• US 8,898,293 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• 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., Lavine, James, Raissinia, Alireza
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/239,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20120087319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 235/379, 235/380, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 705/1, 705/3, 370/329
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• 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 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A network system comprising memory configured to store a service offer set identifying one or more service plans available to an end-user device, the one or more service plans enabling the end-user device to communicate over a wireless access network; and one or more network elements configured to obtain the service offer set from memory, send information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device over the wireless access network, the information enabling the end-user device to present, through a user interface, one or more service plan selection options associated with the one or more service plans available to the end-user device, receive an offer set user selection from the end-user device, the offer set user selection indicating a user selection of at least one of the one or more service plan selection options, and provision one or more functions based on the offer set user selection.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

memory configured to store a service offer set, the service offer set identifying one or more service plans available to an end-user device, the one or more service plans enabling the end-user device to communicate over a wireless access network; and

one or more network elements configured to;

obtain the service offer set from memory,

send information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device over the wireless access network, the information associated with the service offer set enabling the end-user device to present, through a user interface of the end-user device, one or more service plan selection options associated with the one or more service plans available to the end-user device,

receive an offer set user selection from the end-user device, the offer set user selection indicating a user selection of at least one of the one or more service plan selection options, and

provision one or more functions based on the offer set user selection.

2. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network elements comprises a service controller.

3. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the service offer set is based on information from a service design center, the service design center comprising a user interface configured to accept service offer set design parameters, and wherein the service design center is configured to provide the service offer set design parameters to the network system in a format that enables the network system to send the information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device over the wireless access network.

4. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein send information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device over the wireless access network comprises:

push the information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device.

5. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein send information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device over the wireless access network comprises:

provide the information associated with the service offer set to the end-user device in response to a request from the end-user device.

6. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network elements includes an application programming interface (API), and wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to receive, through the API, a request from the end-user device for the information associated with the service offer set.

7. The network system recited in claim 6, wherein the API is a secure interface that is accessed by providing a device credential, a user credential, or an application credential.

8. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network elements is configured to determine one or more network provisioning instructions based on information in the offer set user selection.

9. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more network elements includes an application programming interface (API), and wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to receive, through the API, the offer set user selection from the end-user device.

10. The network system recited in claim 9, wherein the API is a secure interface that is accessed by providing a device credential, a user credential, or an application credential.

11. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more functions is a data path network access control element.

12. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more functions is a service accounting or billing element.

13. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more functions is a service processor agent policy enforcement setting.

14. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein provision one or more functions based on the offer set user selection comprises provision a subset of all functions responsible for network-based policy enforcement associated with the at least one of the one or more service plan selection options to enable a temporary service lease.

15. The network system recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to revoke the temporary service lease.

16. The network system recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to assist in notifying a user of the end-user device that the temporary service lease has been revoked.

17. The network system recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to:

track service usage associated with the temporary service lease, and

allocate a measure of the service usage associated with the temporary service lease to a user account.

18. The network system recited in claim 6, wherein the request from the end-user device for the information about the service offer set comprises a request from an end-user device software application or an end-user device operating system function.

19. The network system recited in claim 9, wherein the offer set user selection comprises information from an end-user device software application or an end-user device operating system function.

20. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the service offer set is based on an end-user device activity.

21. The network system recited in claim 20, wherein the end-user device activity comprises an attempt to access the wireless access network, an attempt to access a roaming access network, an attempt to use a particular application on the end-user device, an attempt by the particular application on the end-user device to access the wireless access network, a successful access to the wireless access network, a successful access to the roaming access network, a successful use of the particular application on the end-user device, or a successful access to the wireless access network by the particular application on the end-user device.

22. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the service offer set is based on a location of the end-user device.

23. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to send usage information to the end-user device.

24. The network system recited in claim 23, wherein the usage information comprises an indication of a number of bytes.

25. The network system recited in claim 23, wherein the usage information comprises an indication of an amount of usage.

26. The network system recited in claim 23, wherein the usage information comprises an indication of an amount of time or a time period.

27. The network system recited in claim 23, wherein the usage information comprises an indication of a percentage of a service usage limit.

28. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to send a notification to the end-user device.

29. The network system recited in claim 28, wherein the notification is based on information from a service design center, the service design center comprising a user interface configured to assist in creating the notification.

30. The network system recited in claim 28, wherein the notification comprises a service offer, information about a service usage, information about an amount of service used, information about a percentage of a service usage limit, or an indication that a service usage limit has been reached.

31. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to:

determine that a trigger condition has been met, and

send a notification to the end-user device based on the determination that the trigger condition has been met.

32. The network system recited in claim 31, wherein the trigger condition is that an amount of service usage by the end-user device has been reached.

33. The network system recited in claim 31, wherein the trigger condition is that a service usage by the end-user device has reached a percentage of a limit.

34. The network system recited in claim 31, wherein the trigger condition is based on an attempted or successful service usage, an attempted or successful application usage, an attempted or successful website access, an attempted or successful access to a roaming network, an attempted or successful access to a home network, an attempted or successful access to a cellular network, or an attempted or successful access to a WiFi network.

35. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to send information about a trigger condition to the end-user device, wherein satisfaction of the trigger condition triggers presentation of a notification message through a user interface of the end-user device.

36. The network system recited in claim 35, wherein the trigger condition is that a service usage amount by the end-user device has reached a particular amount.

37. The network system recited in claim 35, wherein the trigger condition is that a service usage by the end-user device has reached a percentage of a limit.

38. The network system recited in claim 35, wherein the trigger condition is based on an attempted or successful service usage, an attempted or successful application usage, an attempted or successful website access, an attempted or successful access to a roaming network, an attempted or successful access to a home network, an attempted or successful access to a cellular network, or an attempted or successful access to a WiFi network.

39. The network system recited in claim 14, wherein the temporary service lease provides for end-user device service usage in accordance with the at least one of the one or more service plan selection options before completion of provisioning of all functions responsible for network-based policy enforcement associated with the at least one of the one or more service plan selection options.

40. The network system recited in claim 14, wherein the subset of all functions responsible for network-based policy enforcement associated with the at least one of the one or more service plan selection options includes a function that controls service usage by the end-user device.

41. The network system recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to track service usage associated with the temporary service lease.

42. The network system recited in claim 41, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to allocate a measure of the service usage associated with the temporary service lease to a user account.

43. The network system recited in claim 41, wherein the one or more network elements are further configured to zero-rate the service usage associated with the temporary service lease.