Method to push toll-free applications to a user device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016337526-A1
Application number	US-201415107357-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present system relates to a server providing data connectivity to an electronic device. The server includes a memory storing data connectivity policy information for the electronic device. The policy information defines a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with service provider(s) over a telecommunication network. The server has a receiver, which monitors data traffic from instances of applications installed on the electronic device, and has a usage monitor, which maintains a first quantity indicative of the monitored data traffic. A data connectivity policy manager detects that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of the data connectivity policy, determines a first application requesting such traffic, retrieves a second application linked to the first application, the second application having data traffic billing specific to the second application, and presents the second application to the electronic device.

First claim

1 . A server for providing data connectivity to an electronic device, the server comprising:
a memory storing data connectivity policy information for the electronic device, the data connectivity policy information defining a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with one or more service providers over a telecommunication network, a receiver configured to monitor, via data connections over the telecommunication network, data traffic from instances of one or more applications installed on the electronic device; a usage monitor configured to maintain a first quantity indicative of the data traffic monitored via the data connections, and; a data connectivity policy manager configured to:
detect that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of the data connectivity policy;
determine from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic; and,
retrieve a second application linked to the first application.

2 . A server according to claim 1 , wherein the second application is characterized with data traffic billing specific to the second application.

3 . A server according to claim 2 , wherein the second application is the same as the first application.

4 . A server according to claim 1 , wherein the data traffic threshold is defined for the electronic device.

5 . A server according to claim 1 , wherein the data traffic threshold is defined for an application.

6 . A server according to claim 1 , wherein the data traffic threshold and the first quantity are measures of a quantity of data traffic.

7 . A server according to claim 1 , wherein the data traffic threshold and the first quantity are measures of a duration of the data traffic exchanged over the data connections.

8 . A server according to claim 1 , the data connectivity policy manager being further arranged when determining from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic to:
retrieve the data packet that caused the first quantity to exceed the data traffic threshold, determine the application requesting the retrieved data packet.

9 . A server according to claim 1 , the data connectivity policy manager being further arranged when determining from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic to:
retrieve the data traffic from the start of the maintaining of the first quantity, determine the application based on the application most responsible for the retrieved data traffic.

10 . A server according to claim 1 , the data connectivity policy manager being further arranged to
present the second application to the electronic device.

11 . A method for providing data connectivity to an electronic device in a telecommunication network, the method being carried out by an access control server of the telecommunication network and comprising:
monitoring, via data connections over the telecommunication network, data traffic from instances of one or more applications installed on the electronic device; maintaining a first quantity indicative of the data traffic monitored via the data connections; detecting that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of a data connectivity policy associated to the electronic device, the data connectivity policy defining a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with one or more service providers over the telecommunication network; determining from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic; retrieving a second application linked to the first application.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor of an access control server of a telecommunications network for providing data connectivity to an electronic device in the telecommunication network, the instructions configuring the access control server to perform acts of:
monitoring, via data connections over the telecommunication network, data traffic from instances of one or more applications installed on the electronic device; maintaining a first quantity indicative of the data traffic monitored via the data connections; detecting that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of a data connectivity policy associated to the electronic device, the data connectivity policy defining a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with one or more service providers over the telecommunication network; determining from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic; and retrieving a second application linked to the first application.

13 . An electronic device, comprising:
a receiver configured to monitor data traffic exchanged with one or more service providers over a telecommunication network from instances of one or more applications installed on the electronic device; a usage monitor configured to maintain a first quantity indicative of the monitored data traffic, and; a data connectivity policy manager configured to:
detect that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of a data connectivity policy associated to the electronic device, the data connectivity policy defining a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with one or more service providers over the telecommunication network;
determine from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic; and,
send a request to a server for a second application, the request comprising the determined first application.

14 . A method for providing data connectivity to an electronic device in a telecommunication network, the method being carried out by an electronic device in a telecommunication network and comprising:
monitoring, via data connections over the telecommunication network, data traffic from instances of one or more applications installed on the electronic device; maintaining a first quantity indicative of the data traffic monitored via the data connections; detecting that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of a data connectivity policy associated to the electronic device, the data connectivity policy defining a data traffic threshold marking a change in data traffic billing for data traffic the electronic device may exchange with one or more service providers over the telecommunication network; determining from the data traffic that caused the detection a first application requesting such data traffic; and, sending a request to a server for a second application, the request comprising the determined first application.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor of an electronic device in a telecommunication network, the instructions configuring the electronic device to perform acts of
monitoring, via data connections over the telecommunication network, data traffic from instances of one or more applications installed on the electronic device; maintaining a first quantity indicative of the data traffic monitored via the data connections; detecting that the first quantity exceeds the data traffic threshold of a data connectivity policy associated to the electronic device, the data connectivity policy defining a data traffic threshold mark

Assignees

• Orange

Inventors

• Mandanapu Subash

Classifications

• H04M15/08

  Metering calls to called party {, i.e. B-party charged for the communication} · CPC title

• H04L41/5029

  Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less · CPC title

• H04L12/1475

  the splitting involving a third party · CPC title

• H04L12/1467

  involving prepayment · CPC title

• H04L12/1435

  volume-based · CPC title