Tiered Content Delivery Billing via Network Path Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cellular network providers charge users based on data usage, leading to varying billing rates for content delivery, which can be complex and costly for both content owners and users, as existing systems lack flexibility in offering different billing tiers for content files.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows content owners to deliver content files via different billing tiers by using multiple ports and access points, enabling content owners to offer toll-free or toll-paid rates, with billing servers distributing charges accordingly, facilitating flexible pricing and cost sharing between content owners and users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If cellular network providers charge users based on data usage, then network usage is tracked and billed, but billing complexity increases and user costs vary significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments content delivery into multiple tiers with different billing rates. Content files are divided into segments that can be delivered through different network paths (toll-free vs. toll-paid), allowing granular control over billing complexity while maintaining precise usage tracking for each tier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary billing system that mediates between content owners and users. This intermediary handles the complex billing calculations and tier management, shielding end users from billing complexity while maintaining accurate usage tracking through the intermediary layer.
2Ease of operation
If content owners deliver content through single billing rate, then delivery is simple, but flexibility in pricing and profit margins is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic billing rates where content delivery can switch between toll-free and toll-paid modes based on real-time conditions such as network congestion, user preferences, and content owner pricing strategies. This allows simple base operation with flexible adaptation to different scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal content delivery system that can handle multiple billing scenarios (toll-free, toll-paid, tiered pricing) through a single unified platform. Content owners can offer content through any combination of billing modes without requiring separate delivery systems for each pricing strategy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple billing tiers are implemented, then pricing flexibility increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a new dimension to content delivery by introducing network path selection (toll-free vs. toll-paid) as an additional layer beyond traditional billing tiers. This dimensional approach allows multiple billing rates to coexist without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the differentiation occurs along a new dimension rather than requiring complex modifications to existing tier structures.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more servers may: receive information regarding a content file stored by a device; provide information associated with a first cost value corresponding to a cost to deliver the content file from the device to a user device; receive a delivery instruction directing the one or more servers to provide a portion of the content file to the user device via one or more ports or via one or more access points, each of the one or more ports or the one or more access points being associated with respective one or more second cost values; generate a key associated with the information regarding the content file and with the delivery instruction; receive an indication of selection of the key by the user device; deliver, to the user device, the portion of the content file via the one or more ports or the one or more access points.