Campus Billing System for Wireless Cost Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Businesses face challenges in managing and reducing the costs of wireless communications due to employees' personal use, as existing solutions either incur additional costs or are inconvenient for employees, such as private wireless networks with security and quality issues, or reimbursement methods that require frequent submissions.
Innovation Solution
A campus calling plan that allows users to have unlimited calls within a defined geographic area and to external communication terminals for a fixed monthly fee, using a method that determines the billing rate based on whether the call originates within the predetermined area of use and includes the user in a list of subscribers, enabling zero-rated calls for campus communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a private wireless network is deployed across the campus, then personal use costs are avoided, but security and quality of service issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wireless network into two distinct parts: a private campus wireless network for business communications and a public macro network for personal use. This segmentation allows the business to control and monitor campus traffic while employees can use their personal phones on the macro network, resolving both cost control and reliability concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a billing system as an intermediary that mediates between the private campus network and public macro network. The billing system determines whether calls originate on campus and applies different billing rates accordingly, enabling cost management without requiring employees to switch networks or submit manual reimbursements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If employees use their personal mobile stations on the macro network, then flexibility is maintained, but personal use costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different billing qualities based on location. Calls originating on campus receive preferential billing treatment (free or reduced rate) while calls from off-campus locations are billed at standard rates. This local differentiation allows employees to maintain mobility using their personal phones while the business controls costs for campus-based communications.
3Loss of energy
If reimbursement requests are submitted monthly, then cost control is achieved, but employee convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The billing system performs preliminary action by automatically determining call origin and applying appropriate billing rates in real-time. The system pre-configures campus location parameters and billing rules, so when a call occurs, the system automatically identifies whether it should be free or billed, eliminating the need for employees to submit monthly reimbursement requests.
4Loss of energy
If different billing rates are assigned based on call origin, then cost management is improved, but billing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The billing system performs self-service by automatically determining call origin based on predefined campus location parameters and applying the appropriate billing rate without manual intervention. The system maintains its own database of campus locations and billing rules, autonomously making billing decisions based on call metadata, which simplifies the overall process despite the multi-rate structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and computer-readable medium for managing billing for calls within a user's telecommunications campus. According to the method and computer-readable medium for managing billing for calls within a user's campus, users can make unlimited calls within the campus by determining whether a call from a user begins in a predetermined area of use; determining whether the user is on a predetermined list of users, if the call began in the predetermined area of use; assigning a first billing rate to the call, if the predetermined list of users includes the user; and assigning a second billing rate to the call, if the predetermined list of users does not include the user.