Patent Publication Number: US-11039017-B2

Title: Adaptive M2M billing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Under 35 USC 119(e), this application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/784,750, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, and is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/945,571, filed Jul. 18, 2013, entitled “CONTEXT ORIENTED BILLING”, and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/945,645, filed Jul. 18, 2013, entitled “M2M BILLING RECONCILIATION,” both assigned to the assignee of the present invention, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed toward machine to machine (M2M) networks and more particularly to a method and system for providing information related to billing in such networks. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Machine to Machine (M2M) systems networks are utilized to provide communications between machines. What is meant by M2M is one or more machines using network resources to communicate with a remote application infrastructure for the purposes of monitoring and control, either of the “machine” itself, or of the surrounding environment. There is a desire to accurately monitor the billing information associated with this type of networks. The present invention is directed to a need. 
     SUMMARY 
     A computer implemented method is disclosed. The computer implemented method comprises providing a guaranteed price plan to a customer for a predetermined time period and learning about network element usage over the predetermined time period to provide a learned price plan. The computer implemented method also comprises determining a new price plan based on the learned price plan. Finally, the computer implemented method comprises utilizing the new price plan with customer&#39;s network elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional billing system architecture. It includes network elements (machines) that provide meeting data to a billing system. 
         FIG. 2  replaces the billing system with a billing and analytics system. The system includes a process for adaptively determining the billing. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a billing and analytics architecture in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the operation of the billing and analytics architecture in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a data processing system  500  suitable for storing the computer program product and/or executing program code in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is directed toward networks and more particularly to a method and system for providing information related to billing in such networks. 
     The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiments and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a basic M2M network  100 . The M2M network  100  comprises a circuit-switched voice network  193  that connects mobile handsets  192  with the public switched telephone network (PSTN)  110 . Overlaid on top of the network is a packet-switched data network  194 . Although circuit-switched SMS messages are used in M2M applications, increasingly M2M data is sent in packet format. 
     Base station controllers (BSCs)  114  control a number of base transceiver stations (BTSs)  116  that control the actual radio towers and interact with the handsets  192 . Packet control units (PCUs)  114  transfer packets bound for the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network to a local service GPRS support node (SGSN)  102 . Home location registers (HLRs) are a function on both the GSM and GPRS network, and essentially serves to identify mobile stations/end-points with specific account information. The SGSN establishes the packet data protocol (PDP) context with the Gateway GPRS support node (GGSN)  10 . Upon activation packets bound for external networks (e.g., the Internet  108  or corporate private data networks (PDNs)  106 ) pass through the mobile packet gateway. Each mobile network gateway contains a number of virtual and physical access point nodes (APNs)  104  that define the specific external network, whether public or private, to which the packet is destined. 
     Mobile packet gateways like GGSNs along with HLRs are two of the most critical network elements relative to M2M service deliver in the mobile network. Mobile packet gateways provide security, Quality of Service (QoS) enforcement, and interaction with charging and billing systems for mobile data service. Mobile packet gateways are also central to interconnecting the mobile infrastructure with 3rd-party networks, most importantly ASPs in the case of the M2M market. HLRs are critical to service creation and management of remote devices in the field. 
     As used herein the term M2M communication is understood to include methods of utilizing various connected computing devices, servers, clusters of servers, wired and/or wirelessly, which provide a networked infrastructure to deliver computing, processing and storage capacity as services where a user typically accesses. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a conventional billing system architecture  200  utilized with M2M networks. The architecture  200  includes a network having network elements (NEx) (e.g. devices connected to the network such as machines, phones, communicators, etc.)  201 A,  201 B,  201 C, a billing and administration system (BAS)  202 , an invoice and reporting function  204 , a customer function  206 , an accounting and sales function  208 , and a price plan system  210 . 
     The BAS  202  provides for receiving data input from the NEs and also provides for calculating and determining billing and related administrative information for customer accounts in relation to the NE devices being used on the associated network; the calculated billing and related administrative information is provided as input to the invoice and reporting function. The invoice and reporting function  204  provides for generating an invoice based on an arrangement between the network operator and the customer, typically in the form of a billing relating information about expenses arising from the NEs activity associated with the operator&#39;s network. Once input data is processed by the invoice and reporting function, billing details and routing of invoices, as one example, are then output to the customer function  206  in accordance with customer account details. 
     The customer function  206  provides for interaction with the customer and includes providing for arranging billing to the customer as well as receiving input from the customer (such as with discrepancies, account updates, device updates, other communications, etc.). Updates and requests from the customer function are input to the accounting and sales function  208 . The accounting and sales function  208  may update, add, subtract and otherwise modify information associated with a customer&#39;s account, including device updates and billing plans, such that the BAS processing more accurately reflects the activities and administrative aspects of the customer account. The accounting and sales function  208  will output information to the Price Plan system including modifications to a customer&#39;s pricing plan and updated pricing plans available to the customer to better reflect a customer&#39;s needs. The Price Plan system  210  provides for information concerning the available billing, usage, device activity and associated network operations information concerning a customer&#39;s account. The pricing plans of a Price Plan system  210  may change from time to time to better reflect customer and market needs. The Price Plan system  210  outputs updates of the Price Plan as input to the BAS  202 . 
     From  FIG. 2 , operatively, after receiving input of the NEs and the associated Price Plan system information, the BAS calculates a customer&#39;s bill based upon the price plan for the network elements. The calculated bill is output as input to the invoice and reporting function. The invoice and reporting function then generates invoices and routes the invoices to the customer, along with other reports as may be defined by the customer or operator. The customer receives the billings and reports via the customer function and may provide feedback or additional response, which when received is input to the accounting and sales function (e.g. accounting department) may then act in response to the customer feedback to adjust a billing, modify the account, adjust a price plan, and similar. Output from the accounting and sales function is processed by the Price Plan System to update pricing plan information which is then used by the BAS to calculate billings in a further activity. 
     It is desirable to be able to adjust the billing information before the accounting department receives the billing information and minimize the need for customer feedback. Furthermore it is desirable to be able to adjust the billing information before the customer receives an invoice. Finally it is desirable to be for the network to identify billing opportunities using the billing system architecture. 
     Accordingly, a system and method in accordance with an embodiment replaces the conventional billing system architecture a billing and analytics architecture. The billing and analytics architecture in accordance with an embodiment allows for a more accurate accounting of the revenues for an M2M network. Furthermore such a system may minimize the need for customer feedback and concerns. Finally such a system and method in accordance with an embodiment can be utilized to identify new billing opportunities in such a network. To describe the features of such a system refer now to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying Figures. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a billing and analytics architecture  300  in accordance in accordance with an embodiment. Network elements NE 1 , NE 2  and NE 3  (machines) are provided to a billing system and analytics system  302 . NE 1 -NE 3  could be any type of device, appliance, terminal, remote device, wireless asset, etc. are intended to be inclusive, interchangeable, and/or synonymous with one another and other similar communication-based equipment for purposes of the present invention though one will recognize that functionally each may have unique characteristics, functions and/or operations which may be specific to its individual capabilities and/or deployment. 
     The billing system and analytics system  302  provides invoices and reports  304 . A price plan system  310  receives device usage information from the system  302  and provides a guaranteed price plan to the billing and analytics system  302  and initially provides a guaranteed price plan for the network elements. Inputs to the price plan system are an initial price plan and a manual override of learned values. To describe the features of this system in more detail please refer now to the following discussion and the accompanying Figures. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart of the operation of the billing and analytics architecture  300  in accordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment, a process for adaptively determining a billing is provided. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4  together, first an initial guaranteed price plan for a predetermined time period is provided to a customer, via step  402 . Next, device usage over the predetermined time period is learned to provide a learned price plan, via step  404 . The learned price plan can be for the whole account for a particular user, for a group of devices within the account, or for a learned pooling policy within the account. This allows for learning the price plan system and adaptively changing the price based upon usage. The new price plan is provided to the price plan system  310 , via step  406 . Finally the new price plan is provided by the billing and analytics system  302  to be utilized with the customer&#39;s network elements, via step  408 . This process can be repeated to ensure that the customer is getting the appropriate pricing for network element usage over the network. 
     In some instances for example if the device usage fluctuates widely from one period to the next it may be desirable to rest from one system. Hence one of the inputs to the price plan system  310  is a manual override to the learned values such a learning process can begin again. 
     A billing and analytics architecture in accordance with an embodiment allows for a more accurate accounting of the revenues for an M2M network. Furthermore such a system may minimize the need for customer feedback and concerns. Finally such a system and method in accordance with an embodiment can be utilized to identify new billing opportunities in such a network. 
     System Overview 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a data processing system  500  suitable for storing the computer program product and/or executing program code in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The data processing system  500  includes a processor  502  coupled to memory elements  504   a - b  through a system bus  506 . In other embodiments, the data processing system  500  may include more than one processor and each processor may be coupled directly or indirectly to one or more memory elements through a system bus. 
     Memory elements  504   a - b  can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times the code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. As shown, input/output or I/O devices  508   a - b  (including, but not limited to, keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) are coupled to the data processing system  500 . I/O devices  508   a - b  may be coupled to the data processing system  500  directly or indirectly through intervening I/O controllers (not shown). 
     In  FIG. 5 , a network adapter  510  is coupled to the data processing system  502  to enable data processing system  502  to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through communication link  512 . Communication link  512  can be a private or public network. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters. 
     Any theory, mechanism of operation, proof, or finding stated herein is meant to further enhance understanding of the present invention and is not intended to make the present invention in any way dependent upon such theory, mechanism of operation, proof, or finding. It should be understood that while the use of the word preferable, preferably or preferred in the description above indicates that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, that scope being defined by the claims that follow. 
     Similarly, it is envisioned by the present invention that the term communications network includes communications across a network (such as that of a M2M but not limited thereto) using one or more communication architectures, methods, and networks, including but not limited to: Code division multiple access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) (“GSM” is a trademark of the GSM Association), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G LTE, wireless local area network (WIFI), and one or more wired networks. 
     Accordingly, a system and method in accordance with one or more embodiments presented above overcomes the challenges of existing practices and provides a more robust and convenient architecture enabling improved information and billing details to be provided to a customer, operator or other. The present invention also provides for more accurate and aligned accounting of a user&#39;s revenues or expenses for an M2M or similar network. Furthermore such a system may minimize the need for customer feedback and concerns. Additionally, such a system and method in accordance with an embodiment can be utilized to identify new billing opportunities in such a network. 
     Embodiments described herein can take the form of an entirely hardware implementation, an entirely software implementation, or an implementation containing both hardware and software elements. Embodiments may be implemented in software, which includes, but is not limited to, application software, firmware, resident software, microcode, etc. 
     The steps described herein may be implemented using any suitable controller or processor, and software application, which may be stored on any suitable storage location or computer-readable medium. The software application provides instructions that enable the processor to cause the receiver to perform the functions described herein. 
     Furthermore, embodiments may take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     The medium may be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, semiconductor system (or apparatus or device), or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk, and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include DVD, compact disk-read-only memory (CD-ROM), and compact disk-read/write (CD-RAN). 
     Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Many other embodiments of the present invention are also envisioned.