Zero-Rated APN for Wireless Maintenance Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication subscribers are reluctant to download or send data due to concerns about exceeding their data limits, which can lead to low acceptance rates of maintenance releases and diagnostic data sharing, posing challenges for service providers in improving network performance and troubleshooting issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a zero-rated access point name (APN) that allows data traffic to be sent and received without impacting the subscriber's data limit, enabling distinctive communication services such as software updates, diagnostic data collection, and promotional content without billing, while preventing fraudulent use through API requests and constrained network domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data transmission is allowed for maintenance and diagnostic purposes, then network performance improvement and troubleshooting capability are enhanced, but subscribers may exceed their data limits and incur additional charges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data transmission into two distinct pathways: standard data transmission that counts against subscriber data limits, and zero-rated data transmission through a dedicated zero-rated APN that does not consume subscriber data allowances. This segmentation allows maintenance and diagnostic traffic to be separated from regular user traffic, enabling network performance improvement without impacting subscriber data limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a zero-rated APN as an intermediary pathway between mobile devices and the network. This intermediary allows diagnostic and maintenance data to flow independently from standard user data, acting as a mediator that enables network management functions without consuming subscriber data allowances or requiring user awareness of data consumption.
2Productivity
If zero-rated APN is implemented to allow unrestricted data transmission, then subscriber acceptance of maintenance releases improves, but fraudulent use may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by restricting the zero-rated APN to specific, predefined network domains and IP addresses relevant to maintenance and diagnostic functions. Rather than allowing unlimited access, the zero-rated pathway is locally optimized for specific purposes (software updates, diagnostic data collection) while maintaining control mechanisms to prevent fraudulent use outside these designated areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the network monitors and tracks usage of the zero-rated APN. The system evaluates whether traffic patterns conform to expected maintenance and diagnostic behaviors, providing feedback control that can identify and prevent fraudulent usage while allowing legitimate maintenance operations to proceed without charge.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of wireless communication. The method comprising receiving by an application executing on a mobile communication device a provisioning payload comprising a zero-rated access point name (APN) from a wireless communication network, where the zero-rated APN is used by the wireless communication network to provide a distinctive communication service to the mobile communication device without counting data tonnage associated with the distinctive communication service against a data limit of a wireless communication service plan associated with the mobile communication device, receiving by the application a command to initiate the distinctive communication service, engaging the distinctive communication service to use the zero-rated APN in conducting the distinctive communication service, and providing the distinctive communication service to the mobile communication device at a lower quality of service (QoS) by a wireless communication network node relative to a standard QoS provided to standard communication service in the wireless communication network.