Sponsoring data usage and usage of content provider web sites and applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826105-B2
Application number	US-201314132829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A device receives an identifier associated with a user device, and receives information associated with data usage by the user device. The device determines whether the data usage is sponsored by a sponsor based on the identifier and the information associated with the data usage. The sponsor sponsors data usage associated with particular content accessed by the user device. The device assigns charges for the data usage to an account associated with the user device when the data usage is not sponsored by the sponsor, or to an account associated with the sponsor when the data usage is sponsored by the sponsor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by an identity server device, a request to create a data usage sponsorship campaign from a sponsor server device associated with a sponsor for sponsoring data usage;
receiving, by the identity server device, from the sponsor server device, and based on providing a configuration interface, information for the data usage sponsorship campaign associated with an entity-identifiable group of users,
the information for the data usage sponsorship campaign including an entity-selected first date, an entity-selected second date, entity-selected content, and entity-selected cost information;
generating, by the identity server device and based on the request, configuration information for the data usage sponsorship campaign;
configuring, by the identity server device, the data usage sponsorship campaign based on the configuration information;
receiving, by the identity server device and from a content server device, an identifier associated with a user device,
the identifier being provided to the identity server device based on embedded code included in particular content accessed by the user device,
the embedded code being provided by the identity server device to the content server device,
the embedded code enabling the content server device to support the data usage sponsorship campaign,
the embedded code including one of an application, a code snippet, a script, or a widget that is embedded in the particular content, and
the embedded code causing the user device to provide the identifier to the content server device;
receiving, by the identity server device, information associated with data usage by the user device while the particular content is accessed by the user device;
determining, by the identity server device, whether the data usage is sponsored by the sponsor based on the identifier and the information associated with the data usage,
the sponsor sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the user device on a first date,
the sponsor not sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the user device on a second date,
the second date being different than the first date,
the sponsor sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the user device during a first time of day, and
the sponsor not sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the user device during a second time of day,
the second time of day being different than the first time of day; and
assigning, by the identity server device, charges for the data usage:
to an account associated with the user device when the data usage is not sponsored by the sponsor, or
to an account associated with the sponsor when the data usage is sponsored by the sponsor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the identity server device, the sponsor based on the identifier and the information associated with the data usage; and
identifying, by the identity server device, the account associated with the sponsor.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the information associated with the data usage includes one or more of:
information associated with a geographic location of the user device during the data usage, or
information associated with the particular content accessed by the user device during the data usage.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the sponsor sponsors the data usage of the user device based on one or more of:
a geographic location of the user device during the data usage,
the particular content accessed by the user device during the data usage, or
a threshold associated with the data usage.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, by the identity server device, the configuration information for the data usage sponsorship campaign.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the user device is associated with the data usage sponsorship campaign based on the identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the configuration information for the data usage sponsorship campaign.

8. An identity server device comprising:
one or more processors to:
receive, from a sponsor server device associated with a sponsor for sponsoring data usage, a request to create a data usage sponsorship campaign,
provide, based on receiving the request, a configuration interface,
receive, from the sponsor server device and based on providing the configuration interface, information for the data usage sponsorship campaign associated with an entity-identifiable group of users,
the information for the data usage sponsorship campaign including an entity-selected first date, an entity-selected second date, entity-selected content, and entity-selected cost information,
generate, based on the request, configuration information for the data usage sponsorship campaign,
configure the data usage sponsorship campaign based on the configuration information,
the data usage sponsorship campaign sponsoring data usage associated with particular content accessed by a plurality of user devices on a first date;
the data usage sponsorship campaign not sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the plurality of user devices on a second date,
the second date being different than the first date,
the data usage sponsorship campaign sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the plurality of user devices during a first time of day, and
the data usage sponsorship campaign not sponsoring data usage associated with the particular content accessed by the plurality of user devices during a second time of day,
the second time of day being different than the first time of day;
receive an identifier associated with a user device, of the plurality of user devices, from a content server device,
the identifier being provided to the identity server device based on embedded code included in the particular content accessed by the user device,
the embedded code being provided by the identity server device to the content server device,
the embedded code enabling the content server device to support the data usage sponsorship campaign,
the embedded code including one of an application, a code snippet, a script, or a widget that is embedded in the particular content, and
the embedded code causing the user device to provide the identifier to the content server device,
receive information associated with data usage by the user device while the particular content is accessed by the user device,
determine whether the data usage is included in the data usage sponsorship campaign based on the identifier and the information associated with the data usage,
determine the sponsor based on the identifier and the information associated with the data usage,
identify an account associated with the sponsor, and
assign charges for the data usage:
to an account associated with the user device when the data usage is not included in the data usage sponsorship campaign, or
to the account associated with the sponsor when the data usage is included in the data usage sponsorship campaign.

9. The identity server device of claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
store the configuration information for the data usage sponsorship campaign.

10. The identity server device of claim 8 , where the information associated with the data usage includes one or more of:
information associated with a geographic location of the user device during the data usage, or
information associated with the particular content accessed by the user device during the data usage.

11. The identity server

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Sharma Manish
• Flores Kevin
• Blong Devin
• Chaudhary Tushar
• Yadav Annu
• Pai Gurudutt

Classifications

• H04M15/09

  Third party charged communications · CPC title

• H04M15/8083 Primary

  involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts · CPC title