US 8,429,270 B2Granted

Network usage collection system

AssigneeVerizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

InventorsDigvijay Singh, Roman Krzanowski, Gregory Dale Best, Mustansir M. Jhaveri

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Abstract

A system includes a first database to associate a sub-interface identifier with customer information, a second database to store a history of customer usage records, and a first device. The first device may receive information from a routing device, where the information includes the sub-interface identifier for a sub-interface of the routing device and information identifying an amount of network traffic received at or transmitted from the sub-interface over a time period, use the sub-interface identifier to obtain the associated customer information from the first database, associate the customer information with the information identifying an amount of network traffic received at or transmitted from the sub-interface over a time period to create a new customer usage record, and store the new customer usage record in the second database.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

storing, by a computer device, information correlating a plurality of users to a plurality of interfaces,
each user, of the plurality of users, being associated with one or more of the plurality of interfaces, and respective sets of interfaces, in the plurality of interfaces, being included in a plurality of network devices;
determining, by the computer device, first quantities of data transmitted, respectively, by the plurality of network devices;
determining, by the computer device and based on the first quantities, second quantities of the data transmitted, respectively, via the plurality of interfaces;
determining, by the computer device, third quantities of the data associated with, respectively, the plurality of users based on the second quantities and the stored information correlating the plurality of users to the plurality of interfaces;
creating, by the computer device and based on the third quantities, a plurality of user records corresponding to the plurality of users, each of the plurality of user records being associated with a respective user, of the plurality of users, and each of the plurality of user records including:
an identifier of the respective user, and
data identifying a particular third quantity, of the third quantities, associated with the respective user;
and
storing, by the computer device, the plurality of user records.

7 more elements

A device comprising:

a memory to store instructions;
and
a processor to execute the instructions to:
associate users with a plurality of interfaces of a network device,
each of the users being associated with one or more of the plurality of interfaces,
receive a message from the network device, the message identifying a first quantity of network traffic transmitted via the network device,
identify, based on the message, second quantities of the network traffic transmitted, respectively, via the plurality of interfaces,
associate, based on the second quantities and associating the users with the plurality of interfaces, third quantities of the network traffic with the users to create records, each of records including:
an identifier of a respective one of the users, and
data identifying a particular third quantity, of the third quantities, associated with the respective user;
and
store the records.

9 more elements

A non-transitory storage device storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive a request for a report, the report including information identifying an amount of network traffic, associated with a user, that is transmitted over a time period via a network device;
one or more instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to create the report, the one or more of the plurality of instructions to create the report including:
one or more instructions to identify an interface, of a plurality of interfaces included in the network device, that is associated with the user, at least one of the plurality of interfaces not being associated with the user,
one or more instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive, from the network device, information identifying a first quantity of network traffic transmitted via the network device during the time period,
one or more instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine, based on the first quantity of the network traffic, second quantities of the network traffic received, respectively, via the plurality of interfaces during the time period, and
one or more instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to identify, based on the second quantities of the network traffic, a third quantity associated with the user during the time period, and
one or more instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to create the report based on the third quantity,
the report including information identifying the user and the third quantity;
and one or more instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to store the report.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/250,800Filed 30 Sep 2011 · continuation
Priority: 24 Sep 2007
Published: US 2012/0022986 A126 Jan 2012
Granted: 23 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06Q 30/04
Commerce: billing or invoicing
H04L 41/5067
Characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management: customer-centric…
H04L 43/065
Generation of reports: related to network devices
H04L 43/0882
Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level: utilisation of link capacity

Family

Application11/860,177Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Sep 2007
US 2012/0022986 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Jan 2012
US 8,060,602 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0083303 A1Published application
US 8,429,270 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.