Sponsored Data Session Management Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile users with limited data plans are hesitant to access data-intensive services due to fear of exceeding their monthly data caps, leading to reduced usage and decreased customer traffic for content providers, as they incur additional fees for data transfer.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where content providers sponsor data usage through a Data Session Management Platform, which receives requests for sponsored data, determines eligibility, and charges the content provider for the sponsored data transfer, ensuring users are not billed for the sponsored data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If content providers offer data-intensive services, then service functionality is improved, but data charges increase for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Data Session Management Platform as an intermediary between the mobile network operator and the content provider. This platform manages data sessions, identifies sponsored content, and coordinates billing arrangements. The intermediary enables the content provider to offer data-intensive services while the mobile operator maintains control over billing, resolving the contradiction by mediating between service provision and charge management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different data access experiences to different users based on their subscription type. Sponsored content receives special treatment (free data access) while regular content follows standard billing rules. This localized differentiation allows the system to offer enhanced service functionality to specific user-content combinations without increasing charges for all users.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If users have limited data plans, then data charges are controlled, but data usage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The Data Session Management Platform acts as a mediator that identifies when a user should access content for free (sponsored content) versus when they should be charged. This intermediary enables users to increase their data usage without incurring additional charges by routing sponsored content requests through the platform, which then exempts those sessions from billing while maintaining data charge control for non-sponsored content.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the Data Session Management Platform monitors data session characteristics, identifies sponsored content based on predefined criteria, and adjusts billing accordingly. This feedback loop allows the system to dynamically determine which data usage should be free and which should be charged, enabling increased data usage without proportional increase in charges for eligible users.
3Quantity of substance
If mobile operators bill users for data usage, then revenue is maintained, but user access to content is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data traffic into different categories: sponsored content sessions and regular content sessions. By segmenting the data usage, the system can apply different billing rules to each segment. Sponsored content sessions are exempt from user billing, while regular sessions follow standard charging rules. This segmentation enables the operator to maintain revenue from regular content while providing free access to sponsored content, thereby improving ease of operation for users accessing promoted content.
4Ease of operation
If content providers sponsor data usage, then user access is improved, but content provider costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The Data Session Management Platform serves as an intermediary that manages the financial relationship between the mobile operator and the content provider. It tracks sponsored data sessions, calculates appropriate charges to the content provider, and coordinates billing. This intermediary enables the content provider to sponsor data usage and improve user access while the platform manages the cost implications through structured billing arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the billing parameter from traditional per-unit data charging to sponsored session-based charging. Instead of charging content providers for every byte transferred, the system charges based on identified sponsored sessions, allowing parameter flexibility in how costs are allocated. This parameter change enables improved user access through sponsored content while managing content provider costs through more flexible billing parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless data-oriented service provides toll free data access to wireless users, such as GSM or CDMA-based users, when accessing specified content. The content provider pays for (“sponsors”) access to specific content for wireless users, often in conjunction with advertisement campaigns. In one embodiment a separate access point name is used when making the request to distinguish between sponsored data and conventional data access requests. In another embodiment, a portal proxy is used and sponsored data is distinguished from conventional data by the address of the destination web site. Wireless users accessing the sponsored content are not billed for usage, but rather the content provider is billed for usage. A data session management platform generates appropriate call data records indicating the session usage and transmits the records to reconcile accounts between the mobile network operator and the content provider.