Methods, Systems, and Products for Monitoring Service Usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248917-A1
Application number	US-201615142879-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2004
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Usage information is determined that describes usage of different services by a user device. A combined usage of the different services utilized by the user device is determined and compared to monitoring criteria. When the monitoring criteria are satisfied, an electronic message is sent to an address associated with the user device.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
determining, by a system comprising a processor, usage information associated with services utilized by a user device, wherein the services are provided by a plurality of communications systems; determining, by the system, a combined usage of the services utilized by the user device; determining, by the system, that the combined usage satisfies a monitoring criterion; and providing, by the system, an electronic message to the user device in response to the combined usage satisfying the monitoring criterion.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the system, a text message to an address associated with the user device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising including, by the system, the combined usage in the electronic message.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising including, by the system, balance information in the electronic message.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the system, an amount of data sent to an address associated with the user device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining, by the system, the amount of data is less than the monitoring criterion.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining, by the system, the amount of data exceeds the monitoring criterion.

8 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory device, the memory device storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: determining usage information associated with different services in a network utilized by a group of devices associated with a shared account; comparing a monitoring criterion to a combined usage of the different services utilized by the group of devices; determining that the combined usage of the different services utilized by the group of devices satisfies the monitoring criterion; and providing an electronic message to a device in the group of devices, the electronic message provided in response to the determining that the combined usage satisfies the monitoring criterion.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise sending the electronic message to each device in the group of devices.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise sending the electronic message to multiple devices in the group of devices.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise sending a text message as the electronic message.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise including the combined usage in the electronic message.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise including a balance in the electronic message.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise including data transferred in the electronic message.

15 . A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
identifying electronic usage information describing different services utilized by an electronic device accessing the different services via a plurality of communication systems; comparing a monitoring criterion to a combined usage of the different services utilized by the electronic device; determining that the combined usage satisfies the monitoring criterion; and sending an electronic message to an address associated with the electronic device.

16 . The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device comprises one of a group of devices associated with a shared account, and wherein the operations further comprise sending the electronic message to each device in the group of devices.

17 . The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device comprises one of a group of devices associated with a shared account, and wherein the operations further comprise sending the electronic message to multiple devices in the group of devices.

18 . The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise sending a text message as the electronic message.

19 . The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the electronic message provides an alert of additional charges based on the determining that the combined usage satisfies the monitoring criterion, and wherein the operations further comprise including the combined usage in the electronic message.

20 . The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise including a balance in the electronic message.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Aaron Jeffrey A
• Alin Jun-Gang

Classifications

• G06Q30/0269

  based on user profile or attribute · CPC title

• H04M15/00

  Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP} · CPC title

• H04M2215/46

  Connection to several service providers · CPC title

• H04M15/70

  Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges · CPC title

• H04M2215/0188

  Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number · CPC title