# US 2014/0194088 A1 · Methods, Systems, and Computer Program Products for Mobile Network Subscriber Incentive Programs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194088 A1 - Document ID: US20140194088A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/074,835 - Filed: 2013-11-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2009-09-03 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Pamela A.M. Bogdan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194088A1 ## CPC - H04M 15/8083: {involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts} - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates - G06Q 30/0215: {Including financial accounts} - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - H04M 15/58: {based on statistics of usage or network monitoring} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A number of reward programs can be offered to subscribers of a mobile network as an incentive to use fewer allocated resources, rather than more. For example, in some embodiments, a subscriber may elect to participate in a reward program wherein a portion of the unused resources are used to determine a monetary amount to be returned to the subscriber at, for example, the end of a year. In some embodiments, a subscriber may elect to participate in a reward program wherein a portion of the unused resources (such as unused minutes under their plan) are used to offset the costs of “green programs”, which may be implemented by the operator of the network. In other words, the subscribers can be encouraged to use fewer resources by allowing a portion of those unused resources (in the form of for example, cash) to offset the cost of a program, which the subscriber believes provides some benefit. The reward programs offered may recognize any societal issue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: providing, by a processor, a plurality of incentive programs for a subscriber to a service plan associated with a mobile communications network having mobile network resources, wherein the mobile network resources include at least one of messages and data units; receiving, by the processor, an election of an incentive program among the plurality of incentive programs for participation by the subscriber, yielding an elected incentive program; determining, by the processor, an unused portion of the mobile network resources; determining, by the processor, a value associated with the unused portion of mobile network resources; crediting the value to the elected incentive program; and offsetting costs incurred by a provider of the mobile communications network associated with the elected incentive program. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of incentive programs is selected from a group comprising a subscriber reward program, a societal issue reward program, and a charitable organization reward program. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber elected program comprises a charitable organization reward program, and wherein the method further comprises crediting an account associated with a provider of the mobile network with the value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber elected program comprises a societal issue reward program, and wherein the method further comprises crediting an account associated with a provider of the mobile network with the value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile network resources further comprise time allocated for calls by the subscriber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the value associated with the unused portion of the mobile network resources comprises: dividing unused resources allocated to the subscriber by an amount of total resources allocated to the subscriber to yield the unused portion; and multiplying a maximum reward percentage by the unused portion to yield the value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the unused portion of the mobile network resources is determined at completion of a billing cycle for the service plan. ### Claim 8 A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: providing a plurality of incentive programs for a subscriber to a service plan associated with a mobile communications network having mobile network resources, wherein the mobile network resources include at least one of messages and data units; receiving an election of an incentive program among the plurality of incentive programs for participation by the subscriber, yielding an elected incentive program; determining an unused portion of the mobile network resources; determining a value associated with the unused portion of mobile network resources; crediting the value to the elected incentive program; and offsetting costs incurred by a provider of the mobile communications network associated with the elected incentive program. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of incentive programs is selected from a group comprising a subscriber reward program, a societal issue reward program, and a charitable organization reward program. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the subscriber elected program comprises a charitable organization reward program, and wherein the operations further comprise crediting an account associated with a provider of the mobile network with the value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the subscriber elected program comprises a societal issue reward program, and wherein the operations further comprise crediting an account associated with a provider of the mobile network with the value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile network resources further comprise time allocated for calls by the subscriber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein determining the value associated with the unused portion of the mobile network resources comprises: dividing unused resources allocated to the subscriber by an amount of total resources allocated to the subscriber to yield the unused portion; and multiplying a maximum reward percentage by the unused portion to yield the value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the unused portion of the mobile network resources is determined at completion of a billing cycle for the service plan. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: providing a plurality of incentive programs for a subscriber to a service plan associated with a mobile communications network having mobile network resources, wherein the mobile network resources include at least one of messages and data units; receiving an election of an incentive program among the plurality of incentive programs for participation by the subscriber, yielding an elected incentive program; determining an unused portion of the mobile network resources; determining a value associated with the unused portion of mobile network resources; crediting the value to the elected incentive program; and offsetting costs incurred by a provider of the mobile communications network associated with the elected incentive program. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the subscriber elected program comprises a charitable organization reward program, and wherein the operations further comprise crediting an account associated with a provider of the mobile network with the value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the subscriber elected program comprises a societal issue reward program, and wherein the operations further comprise crediting an account associated with a provider of the mobile network with the value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the mobile network resources further comprise time allocated for calls by the subscriber. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein determining the value associated with the unused portion of the mobile network resources comprises: dividing unused resources allocated to the subscriber by an amount of total resources allocated to the subscriber to yield the unused portion; and multiplying a maximum reward percentage by the unused portion to yield the value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the unused portion of the mobile network resources is determined at completion of a billing cycle for the service plan.