Operations method for providing wireless communication services

• US 9,118,780 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brink, Michael, Jarvis, Scot, Hutchenson, S. Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US14/105,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20140179267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 455405-408
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system comprising:

a wireless communication system having a server computing device for providing wireless communications services to a subscriber in return for payment of a charge, the server computing device to;

determine a period of time for which a flat rate charge for use of the wireless communications services apply, wherein the wireless communications services comprise data services;

provide, to a subscriber, unlimited access to the wireless communications services for the flat rate charge during the determined period of time; and

receive, from the subscriber, payment of the flat rate charge before access to the wireless communications services is provided to the subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications services further comprise voice services.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the voice services are provided using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computing device is further to:

determine a geographic area in which the subscriber lives, works, and plays; and

provide the wireless communications services within the determined geographic area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data services comprise a Short Message Service (SMS), wherein the data services further comprise information download services for retrieving content from a network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network comprises the Internet or a wireless communication network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data services include access to basic data information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computing device is further to determine the value of the flat rate without relation to an amount of use of the wireless communications services during the period of time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data services are provided using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the network comprises a plurality of computing devices connected via the network, wherein the plurality of computing devices include one or more of hand-held phones, car phones, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, pen-based computers, palm-top computers, pagers, hand-held e-mail devices, and portable data collection devices, wherein the plurality of computing devices are in communication with the server computing device over the network.

11. A system comprising a storage device having instructions for providing wireless communications services to a subscriber in return for payment of a charge, and a processor to execute the instructions to facilitate a mechanism to perform one or more operations comprising:

determining a period of time for which a flat rate charge for use of the wireless communications services apply, wherein the wireless communications services comprise data services;

providing, to a subscriber, unlimited access to the wireless communications services for the flat rate charge during the determined period of time; and

receiving, from the subscriber, payment of the flat rate charge before access to the wireless communications services is provided to the subscriber.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless communications services further comprise voice services.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the voice services are provided using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise:

determining a geographic area in which the subscriber lives, works, and plays; and

providing the wireless communications services within the determined geographic area.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the data services comprise a Short Message Service (SMS), wherein the data services further comprise information download services for retrieving content from a network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network comprises the Internet or a wireless communication network.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the data services include access to basic data information.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations further comprise determining the value of the flat rate without relation to an amount of use of the wireless communications services during the period of time.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the data services are provided using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the network comprises a plurality of computing devices connected via the network, wherein the plurality of computing devices include one or more of hand-held phones, car phones, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, pen-based computers, palm-top computers, pagers, hand-held e-mail devices, and portable data collection devices, wherein the plurality of computing devices are in communication with the server computing device over the network.