Telecom Device App Analyzes Usage Data for Plan Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cellular users are often mismatched to their plans, leading to unexpected high bills and increased customer care costs, as existing technologies lack comprehensive evaluation tools for determining the profitability of potential users, causing carriers to unknowingly attract unprofitable or loss-inducing customers.

Innovation Solution

A telecommunications device with an application program that analyzes usage and operational information to determine if alternative cellular plans offer better value, using proprietary algorithms to generate customized plans and provide users with activation options, while also allowing for remote server verification and plan activation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If carriers use only public information (e.g., credit score) to evaluate potential users, then the evaluation process is simple and quick, but the accuracy and comprehensiveness of user profitability assessment is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser profitability assessment accuracyVSAvoidevaluation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple data sources including public information (credit scores), private carrier information (usage patterns, billing history), and third-party data into a unified evaluation system. This merging of diverse information sources enables comprehensive user profitability assessment while maintaining system manageability through integrated architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of potential users before they are fully acquired by analyzing their usage patterns and profitability indicators in advance. This allows carriers to assess user value proactively during the acquisition process rather than reactively after problems arise, improving assessment accuracy without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If users are provided with limited public plan information only, then the information provision process is simple, but users cannot make informed decisions about cost-effective plans

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of plan informationVSAvoidinformation processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary application program that acts as a mediator between users and plan information. This application aggregates, analyzes, and presents comprehensive plan information including cost-effectiveness comparisons in an user-friendly format, reducing the perceived complexity for users while delivering complete information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables users to independently evaluate their own plan options through the application program, which automatically analyzes their usage patterns and compares them against available plans. Users receive personalized recommendations without requiring complex manual analysis, making comprehensive information accessible through simple self-service interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If carriers acquire users without comprehensive profitability evaluation, then user acquisition is fast and straightforward, but carriers may unknowingly acquire unprofitable or loss-inducing customers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser acquisition profitabilityVSAvoidacquisition process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary profitability evaluation during the user acquisition process by analyzing usage patterns, credit information, and carrier-specific data before final acquisition decisions are made. This advance assessment ensures reliable user acquisition without significantly complicating the overall process, as the evaluation integrates seamlessly into existing acquisition workflows.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2974510B1Telecommunication device and method for improving telecommunications device experiences
Publication Date: 2018.09.05 T MOBILE US INC
  • EP2974510B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2974510B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2974510B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods for providing a better user experience and provider profitability. An exemplary system includes a telecommunications device subject to a cellular service plan from a cellular carrier. The telecommunications device includes an application program that gathers device usage data and determines whether the current cellular service plan is the best service plan based on gathered usage data. If a current cellular service plan is not the best service plan, based on the gathered usage data, then cellular service plans from the current cellular service provider or other service providers are measured against the gathered device-usage data to determine the best available service plan.