US-12621651-B2 - Decentralized network reward data usage tracking

US12621651B2US 12621651 B2US12621651 B2US 12621651B2US-12621651-B2

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: receiving, based upon a first communication between first user equipment and a first wireless network, a first temporary identifier of the first user equipment; correlating the first temporary identifier to a first permanent identifier of the first user equipment; tracking a first amount of data that is carried by the first wireless network and that is associated with the first user equipment, resulting in first tracked data usage, wherein the tracking is based upon the correlating of the first temporary identifier to the first permanent identifier; determining whether the first tracked data usage exceeds a first threshold, resulting in a first determination; and responsive to the first determination being that the first tracked data usage does not exceed the first threshold, providing a first reward to a first operator of the first wireless network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Inventors

Howard Lang
Jasminka Dizdarevic
Willem DuPlessis
Joseph Soryal
Nicholas Thompson
Marcus Thor

Assignees

AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
AT&T MOBILITY II LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221207

Claims (20)

1 . A device comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: receiving, based upon a first communication between first user equipment and a first wireless network, a first temporary identifier of the first user equipment; correlating the first temporary identifier to a first permanent identifier of the first user equipment, wherein the correlating further comprises: initiating, in response to receipt of the first temporary identifier, an identity (ID) request protocol to obtain a first permanent identifier of the first user equipment, and associating the first temporary identifier with the first permanent identifier by storing a mapping between the first temporary identifier and the first permanent identifier, wherein the mapping enables aggregation of data usage for the first user equipment across multiple temporary identifiers assigned during different communication sessions; tracking a first amount of data that is carried by the first wireless network and that is associated with the first user equipment, resulting in first tracked data usage, wherein the tracking is based upon the correlating of the first temporary identifier to the first permanent identifier; determining whether the first tracked data usage exceeds a first threshold, resulting in a first determination; and responsive to the first determination being that the first tracked data usage does not exceed the first threshold, providing a first reward to a first operator of the first wireless network.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein: the first temporary identifier comprises a TMSI, a GUTI, or any combination thereof; and the first permanent identifier comprises an IMEI.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein: the determining whether the first tracked data usage exceeds the first threshold comprises determining whether the first tracked data usage exceeds the first threshold over a predetermined time period; and the predetermined time period is one of an hour, a day, a week, or a month.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first user equipment comprises a smartphone, a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or any combination thereof.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first reward comprises a first monetary reward.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the first reward is provided by an operator of a cellular network.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein: the device comprises one or more servers; the one or more servers are configured for first communications with one or more first other servers of a first operator of a first cellular network; and the one or more servers are configured for second communications with one or more second other servers of a second operator of a second cellular network.
8 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a database storing a plurality of permanent identifiers of user equipment.
9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the correlating further comprises comparing the first temporary identifier that is received to the plurality of permanent identifiers of user equipment that are stored in the database.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein: the first wireless network comprises a 5G cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or any combination thereof; and the first communication between the first user equipment and the first wireless network is via a wireless access point.
11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, based upon a second communication between second user equipment and the first wireless network, a second temporary identifier of the second user equipment; correlating the second temporary identifier to a second permanent identifier of the second user equipment; tracking a second amount of data that is carried by the first wireless network and that is associated with the second user equipment, resulting in second tracked data usage, wherein the tracking of the second amount is based upon the correlating of the second temporary identifier to the second permanent identifier; determining whether the second tracked data usage exceeds a second threshold, resulting in a second determination; and responsive to the second determination being that the second tracked data usage does not exceed the second threshold, providing a second reward to the first operator of the first wireless network.
12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein: the second temporary identifier comprises another TMSI, another GUTI, or any combination thereof; the second permanent identifier comprises another IMEI; and the first threshold has a different value than the second threshold.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, based upon a second communication between second user equipment and a second wireless network, a second temporary identifier of the second user equipment; correlating the second temporary identifier to a second permanent identifier of the second user equipment; tracking a second amount of data that is carried by the second wireless network and that is associated with the second user equipment, resulting in second tracked data usage, wherein the tracking of the second amount is based upon the correlating of the second temporary identifier to the second permanent identifier; determining whether the second tracked data usage exceeds a second threshold, resulting in a second determination; and responsive to the second determination being that the second tracked data usage does not exceed the second threshold, providing a second reward to a second operator of the second wireless network, wherein the second operator is a different operator than the first operator.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein: the second temporary identifier comprises another TMSI, another GUTI, or any combination thereof; and the second permanent identifier comprises another IMEI.
15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the first threshold has a different value than the second threshold.
16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein: the first wireless network comprises a first 5G cellular network, a first Wi-Fi network, or any first combination thereof; and the second wireless network comprises a second 5G cellular network, a second Wi-Fi network, or any second combination thereof.
17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: obtaining a first temporary identifier of first user equipment that has communicated with a wireless network; obtaining a second temporary identifier of second user equipment that has communicated with the wireless network; obtaining data from a database of permanent user equipment identifiers; matching the first temporary identifier, based upon the data from the database, to a corresponding first permanent identifier of the first user equipment; determining a first amount of traffic that is carried by the wireless network and that is associated with the first user equipment, resulting in first determined traffic usage, wherein the determining of the first amount is based upon the matching of the first temporary identifier; determining whether the first determined traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be a statistical outlier, resulting in a first determination; responsive to the first determination being that the first determined traffic usage is not sufficiently high so as to be a statistical outlier, facilitating a providing of monetary compensation to an operator of the wireless network for carrying of the first amount of traffic; matching the second temporary identifier, based upon the data from the database, to a corresponding second permanent identifier of the second user equipment; determining a second amount of traffic that is carried by the wireless network and that is associated with the second user equipment, resulting in second determined traffic usage, wherein the determining of the second amount is based upon the matching of the second temporary identifier; determining whether the second determined traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be the statistical outlier, resulting in a second determination; and responsive to the second determination being that the second determined traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be the statistical outlier, providing no monetary compensation to the operator of the wireless network for carrying of the second amount of traffic.
18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein: the first temporary identifier comprises a first TMSI, a first GUTI, or any first combination thereof; the corresponding first permanent identifier comprises a first IMEI; the second temporary identifier comprises a second TMSI, a second GUTI, or any second combination thereof; the corresponding second permanent identifier comprises a second IMEI; the wireless network comprises a wireless access point; the first user equipment comprises a first smartphone, a first cellular telephone, a first tablet computer, a first laptop computer, or any third combination thereof; and the second user equipment comprises a second smartphone, a second cellular telephone, a second tablet computer, a second laptop computer, or any fourth combination thereof.
19 . A method, comprising: obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a first temporary identifier of first user equipment that has communicated with a first wireless network; obtaining, by the processing system, a second temporary identifier of second user equipment that has communicated with a second wireless network, the second wireless network being distinct from the first wireless network; obtaining, by the processing system, data from a database comprising permanent user equipment identifiers; matching, by the processing system, the first temporary identifier to a corresponding first permanent identifier of the first user equipment, wherein the matching of the first temporary identifier is based upon the data from the database; determining, by the processing system, a first amount of traffic that is carried by the first wireless network and that is associated with the first user equipment, resulting in first tracked traffic usage, wherein the determining of the first amount is based upon the matching of the first temporary identifier; determining, by the processing system, whether the first tracked traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be a statistical outlier, resulting in a first determination; responsive to the first determination being that the first tracked traffic usage is not a statistical outlier, facilitating a providing of monetary compensation to a first operator of the first wireless network for carrying of the first amount of traffic; matching, by the processing system, the second temporary identifier to a corresponding second permanent identifier of the second user equipment, wherein the matching of the second temporary identifier is based upon the data from the database; determining, by the processing system, a second amount of traffic that is carried by the second wireless network and that is associated with the second user equipment, resulting in second tracked traffic usage, wherein the determining of the second amount is based upon the matching of the second temporary identifier; determining, by the processing system, whether the second tracked traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be the statistical outlier, resulting in a second determination; and responsive to the second determination being that the second tracked traffic usage is a statistical outlier, providing no monetary compensation to a second operator of the second wireless network for carrying of the second amount of traffic.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein: the determining whether the first tracked traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be a statistical outlier comprises determining whether the first tracked traffic usage is greater, by a first predetermined amount, than a first average amount of traffic used by all first other user equipment on the first wireless network over a first time period; and the determining whether the second tracked traffic usage is sufficiently high so as to be a statistical outlier comprises determining whether the second tracked traffic usage is greater, by a second predetermined amount, than a second average amount of traffic used by all second other user equipment on the second wireless network over a second time period.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/351,154 filed on Jun. 10, 2022. All sections of the aforementioned application(s) and/or patent(s) are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The subject disclosure relates to decentralized network reward data usage tracking. BACKGROUND Decentralized networks can be created when individual network hotspot owner(s), or private RAN node owner(s), determine the capacity and location of network hotspot (or private RAN node) deployment (rather than such determination(s) being made by a centralized network planning organization). Hotspot (or private RAN node) owners can receive a “reward” for purchasing, deploying, and maintaining network coverage. Often, the reward is usage-based. There can be a financial incentive for some reward recipients to “game” the system, especially when the reward is usage-based, while some network users have an “unlimited” usage rate plan. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a communication network in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system (which can function fully or partially within the communication network of FIG. 1) in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system (which can function fully or partially within the communication network of FIG. 1) in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2C depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2D depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2E depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 2F is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system (which can function fully or partially within the communication network of FIG. 1) in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized communication network in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a computing environment in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a mobile network platform in accordance with various aspects described herein. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting embodiment of a communication device in accordance with various aspects described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrative embodiments for decentralized network reward data usage tracking. Other embodiments are described in the subject disclosure. As described herein, various embodiments can provide for making certain network measurements in order to permit “unlimited” usage (where approved by a rate plan) while eliminating (or reducing) the financial incentive to “game” the system. In one example, by capping the financial reward per device, the financial incentive is removed for a hotspot owner to obtain a device with an “unlimited” data plan and simply “pump” large amounts of data through the device for no useful purpose, other than generating hotspot rewards. As described herein, various embodiments can provide mechanisms to allow “unlimited” usage and at the same time “limited” rewards. In various examples, in order to accomplish this task, usage measurements can be made: (a) per carrier; (b) per hotspot; and (c) per user equipment (UE). In one specific example, the per UE measurements need not identify the actual owner of the UE, but simply be able to distinguish one UE from another. As described herein, various embodiments can provide for combining a conventional temporary identifier with a conventional device identifier in a new way. In this regard, it is noted that certain conventional temporary identifiers associated with data traffic between the UE and the hotspot (such as a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI)) will change each time a UE moves in and out of a RAN coverage area. On the other hand, a device identifier such as a conventional International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)) is a globally unique mechanism to distinguish one device from another. By building (according to various embodiments) a relationship between a TMSI and an IMEI, it is possible to aggregate usage across multiple sessions with a given hotspot (e.g., in order to determine the total data usage carried by that hotspot for that particular UE during a given time period). In