Multiple usage rates
AssigneeTextnow, Inc.
InventorDerek Ting
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example communications system for providing communication services between communications devices may employ multiple usage rates for metered communication services. A method for adjusting usage amounts to account for multiple usage rates may include determining a usage adjustment factor for a communications event; determining a metered usage amount for the communications event; and determining an adjusted usage amount based on the usage adjustment factor and the metered usage amount for the communications amount. Thus, a billing system in the communications system may determine an invoice amount based on the adjusted usage amount and a predetermined bill rate.
Claims15
A method comprising:
- determining at least two usage adjustment factors for a communications event occurring at a communications device, each of the at least two usage adjustment factors corresponding to a potential parameter of the communications event;
- determining a metered usage amount for the communications event;
- selecting one of the at least two usage adjustment factors, wherein the potential parameter of the selected usage adjustment factor matches an actual parameter of the communications event;
- and
- applying the selected usage adjustment factor to the metered usage amount to obtain an adjusted usage amount.
A communications device comprising:
- a memory and a processor, the processor configured to:
- determine at least two usage adjustment factors for a communications event, each of the at least two usage adjustment factors corresponding to a potential parameter of the communications event;
- determine a metered usage amount for the communications event;
- select one of the at least two usage adjustment factors, wherein the potential parameter of the selected usage adjustment factor matches an actual parameter of the communications event;
- and
- apply the selected usage adjustment factor to the metered usage amount to obtain an adjusted usage amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.