AI Risk Model for XaaS Pricing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Anything as a Service (XaaS) models face challenges in accurately predicting and pricing user support costs, leading to potential undercharging of high-risk users and overcharging of low-risk users, due to flat pricing approaches that disregard unique user characteristics.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) risk model that differentiates between immutable and mutable features using a causal tree model, allowing for personalized predictions and recommendations to optimize pricing based on user-specific data, including site conditions and product usage patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If flat pricing approaches are used for XaaS models, then pricing simplicity is maintained, but accuracy in predicting and pricing user support costs deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepricing simplicityVSAvoidsupport cost prediction accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments users into different risk groups based on their characteristics and behavior patterns. By dividing the user base into segments with similar support cost profiles, the system can apply differentiated pricing to each segment, improving overall pricing accuracy while maintaining simplicity through standardized segment-based pricing rules rather than individualized assessments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the pricing parameter from a flat uniform rate to a risk-adjusted variable rate based on user characteristics. By introducing risk scores derived from multiple user attributes (company size, product usage, support history), the system transforms pricing from a static parameter to a dynamic one that reflects actual support cost variations across different user segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If risk-based personalized pricing is implemented, then support cost prediction accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport cost prediction accuracyVSAvoidpricing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating risk scores and segmenting users before the actual pricing process. By conducting clustering analysis and risk assessment in advance, the system prepares user segments and their corresponding pricing multipliers beforehand, so that during service delivery, pricing can be applied automatically based on pre-determined segments without real-time complex calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces risk scores and user segments as intermediary concepts between raw user data and final pricing decisions. These intermediaries simplify the complexity by aggregating multiple user attributes into a single risk score, which then maps to predefined pricing segments, creating a layered approach that manages complexity at each stage rather than processing all raw data directly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If user characteristics are disregarded in pricing, then pricing fairness is simplified, but user satisfaction deteriorates due to overcharging low-risk users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepricing structure simplicityVSAvoiduser satisfaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by tailoring pricing to specific user segments rather than applying a uniform rate to all users. Each user segment receives pricing optimized for their specific risk profile and characteristics, allowing low-risk users to be charged less and high-risk users to be charged more, thereby improving overall user satisfaction while maintaining a structured approach through segment-based differentiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20230351242A1Risk analysis for computer services
Publication Date: 2023.11.02 DELL PROD LP
  • US20230351242A1 patent drawing
  • US20230351242A1 patent drawing
  • US20230351242A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A system can train an artificial intelligence risk model to produce a trained model, wherein labeled training data for the training comprises respective features of users and products, and corresponding labels of respective support costs, wherein the trained model comprises a causal tree model that is configured to differentiate between first features that are immutable to an entity that utilizes the trained model and second features that are mutable to the entity. The system can, in response to applying a input to the trained model, wherein the input comprises a feature of a user and a product, produce an output that indicates a predicted support cost that corresponds to the input.