Enterprise access control and accounting allocation for access networks

• US 8,924,469 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G., Raissinia, Alireza, Green, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/248,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/216, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/238, 709/224, 370/230, 370/289, 370/312, 370/313, 726/1, 726/4, 705/30, 705/34, 455/30, 455/34, 455/404.1, 455/405, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5691 Access to open networks; Ingress point selection, e.g. ISP selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/825 based on the number of used channels, e.g. bundling channels, frequencies or CDMA codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

Enterprise and consumer billing allocation for wireless communication device service usage activities is provided. In some embodiments, enterprise and consumer billing allocation for wireless communication device service usage activities includes: monitoring a service usage activity of a wireless communication device, and determining an enterprise and consumer billing allocation for the monitored service usage activity; reporting the monitored service usage activity to a network element, in which the network element determines an enterprise and consumer billing allocation for the monitored service usage activity; or providing a service design center for configuring an enterprise and consumer billing allocation of monitored service usage activities for a plurality of wireless communication devices associated with an enterprise account, and implementing the configured enterprise and consumer billing allocation for monitored service usage activities for the plurality of wireless communication devices associated with the enterprise account.

Claims

1. A network system for providing one or more notification messages associated with an end-user device, the network system comprising:

a first set of one or more elements configured to;

obtain a first notification policy comprising a first trigger condition and an associated first notification message, the first trigger condition specifying a condition associated with one or more attempted or successful end-user device activities over a wireless access network, the first notification message comprising notification information to be presented through a user interface,

based on the first trigger condition, determine one or more trigger identification instructions, the one or more trigger identification instructions configured to assist a second set of one or more elements in identifying when the first trigger condition occurs, the second set of one or more elements being responsible for monitoring service usage over the wireless access network associated with the end-user device,

communicate the one or more trigger identification instructions to the second set of one or more elements,

receive a trigger condition indication from the second set of one or more elements, the trigger condition indication indicating that the first trigger condition has occurred, and

at least assist in presenting the notification information through the user interface; and

a communicate interface enabling the first set of one or more elements to communicate with the second set of one or more elements.

2. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more elements comprise a first service design center, and further comprising a master service design center configured to define a first notification policy design capability set for the first service design center, the first notification policy design capability set comprising a first subset of a master policy capability set.

3. The network system recited in claim 2, wherein the master service design center is further configured to define a second notification policy design capability set for a second service design center, the second notification policy design capability set comprising a second subset of the master policy capability set, the second subset of the master policy capability set either identical to or different from the first subset of the master policy capability set.

4. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that a period of time has elapsed since a previous trigger condition occurred, and wherein the notification information comprises a measure of an amount or a cost of service usage associated with the end-user device.

5. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that the end-user device has consumed a particular amount of service usage, and wherein the notification information comprises a measure of the particular amount of service usage.

6. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is a user interface of the end-user device, and wherein at least assist in the presenting the notification information through the user interface comprises send at least a portion of the notification information to the end-user device.

7. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more elements includes a service design center hosted on an operator network.

8. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more elements includes a service design center hosted on an enterprise network.

9. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that a service usage by the end-user device has reached a service usage limit, or the end-user device has incurred a specified amount of accrued cost.

10. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that a service usage by the end-user device has reached a roaming service usage limit, or the end-user device has incurred a specified amount of accrued roaming service cost.

11. The network system recited in claim 1, further comprising the second set of one or more elements, and wherein the second set of one or more elements is configured to:

execute the one or more trigger identification instructions to identify when the first trigger condition occurs, and

send the trigger condition indication to the first set of one or more elements.

12. The network system recited in claim 11, wherein the second set of one or more elements is further configured to classify service usage by network destination, and wherein the first trigger condition is associated with one or more device network destination access activities.

13. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more elements comprises a service usage monitor located in a wireless operator network.

14. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more elements comprises a service usage monitor located in an enterprise access network.

15. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more elements comprises a service usage monitor located on the end-user device.

16. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first notification policy is associated with a first device group defined by a first set of device credentials or a first user group defined by a first set of user credentials, and wherein the first set of one or more elements is further configured to obtain a second notification policy comprising a plurality of second trigger conditions and, for each of the plurality of second trigger conditions, an associated second notification message, the second notification policy associated with a second device group defined by a second set of device credentials or a second user group defined by a second set of user credentials.

17. The network system recited in claim 16, wherein the first notification policy comprises a subset of the second notification policy.

18. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is an end-user device user interface.

19. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the trigger condition is that the end-user device attempted an activity that requires a service plan to be activated or purchased.

20. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is an end-user device user interface, and wherein the first set of one or more elements is further configured to obtain, from the end-user device, a response to the notification information.

21. The network system recited in claim 20, wherein the response comprises a request to activate or purchase a service plan for the end-user device.

22. The network system recited in claim 21, wherein the first set of one or more elements is further configured to at least assist in activating the service plan for the end-user device.

23. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more elements comprises a billing system, a gateway, a home agent, a service plan provisioning system, or a combination of these.

24. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises a warning.

25. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises an indication that an attempted activity is not allowed.

26. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that the end-user device has consumed a particular amount of service usage.

27. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that the end-user device has consumed a particular amount of service usage on a roaming network.

28. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that the end-user device is connected to or is attempting to connect to a roaming network.

29. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more elements comprises a service design center, a network provisioning translator, a provisioning element, or a combination of these.

30. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is a service design center user interface.

31. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that the end-user device has incurred a cost of service usage, and the notification information comprises a measure of the cost of service usage or an aggregate service usage cost.

32. The network system recited in claim 11, wherein the second set of one or more elements is further configured to block or to assist in blocking one or more communications associated with the end-user device after the first trigger condition has occurred.

33. The network system recited in claim 11, wherein the second set of one or more elements is further configured to restrict or to assist in restricting one or more communications associated with the end-user device after the first trigger condition has occurred.

34. The network system recited in claim 11, wherein the second set of one or more elements is further configured to classify service usage by device application, and wherein the first trigger condition is associated with one or more device application access activities.

35. The network system recited in claim 34, wherein the second set of one or more elements comprises a usage accounting server, a firewall, a gateway, a deep packet inspection element, a home agent, or a combination of these.

36. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises information about a data usage.

37. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises information about a status of the end-user device.

38. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises real-time or near-real-time information about a data usage associated with the end-user device.

39. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises information about a data usage availability.

40. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises information about a data usage entitlement.

41. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises a report of usage.

42. The network system recited in claim 41, wherein the report of usage provides information about usage associated with a user, a user group, the end-user device, a device group, a location, or a combination of these.

43. The network system recited in claim 1, wherein the first trigger condition is that the one or more attempted or successful end-user device network access activities indicate a network access pattern.

44. The network system recited in claim 43, wherein the network access pattern is associated with a particular application on the end-user device.

45. The network system recited in claim 43, wherein the network access pattern is associated with one or more network destinations, websites, or network servers.

46. The network system recited in claim 43, wherein the notification information comprises information about the network access pattern.

47. The network system recited in claim 43, wherein the notification information comprises information that the network access pattern has occurred.