Traffic shaping of cellular service consumption through modification of consumer behavior encouraged by cell-based pricing advantages

A computer system for encouraging changes in user behavior of usage of wireless services in order to effect shaping of traffic and utilization patterns among a plurality of cells within a rate plan region, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to define a rate plan having at least one standard charge rate of service consumption for services consumed within a rate plan region;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to provide a shaping rule which defines potential discounts from the standard charge rate under certain cell-specific utilization conditions, wherein the shaping rule comprises a graduated comparative function of a percentage discount from the standard charge rate as a ratio function of utilization of a current cell and utilization of a geographically adjacent cell;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive real time utilization statistics for a cell in which a mobile device is currently located, the cell being within the rate plan region;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to, responsive to receipt of a service initiation request from the mobile device, consider the shaping rule with respect to the received real-time utilization statistics, and to generate a discount value relative to the standard charge rate if the real time statistics indicate under utilization of the cell;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to send a notification to a user of the mobile device of the discount value available for consuming a wireless service from the cell by providing an outlined icon having a percentage of the outline graphically unfilled to visually approximate a percentage discount offered in order to encourage the service consumption and to effect behavior modification of the user over a period of time.