IP Library Granted Patent US 9,473,922
Granted Patent B2
US 9,473,922 · App. 13/856,986 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Hybrid liability model

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,473,922
App. No.
13/856,986
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for setting a billing allocation between a user and a company allowing the costs for personal and work use of a mobile device during a period to be allocated as desired. The system and method further provides for allocation of costs associated with obtaining a new mobile device. The billing allocation model provides maximum flexibility to allow a user to obtain the mobile device desired, while still allowing the user to take advantage of a company's preferred corporate rates and discounts and allowing a company to maintain control of mobile device costs relating to purchase and use of the mobile device.

Claims (49)

1. A method for automatically allocating costs of a mobile telecommunications plan between a user and an entity via software executing on a computer comprising the steps of:

saving user information on a storage accessible by the computer;

presenting a plurality of billing schemes to the user accessing the computer with a user computer;

said user selecting one of the plurality of billing schemes via the user computer, the selected billing scheme comprising a ruleset for determining future billing allocations between the user and the entity for mobile telecommunications use by a mobile device;

transmitting the selected billing scheme to the computer; and

said software analyzing the selected billing scheme and generating an approval or rejection of the selected billing scheme based, at least in part, on data received from an administration computer;

wherein, if the selected billing scheme is accepted, said software configures the computer based on the ruleset of the selected billing scheme to allocate billing between the user and the entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the selected one of the plurality of billing schemes is rejected, the method further comprising the steps of:

said user selecting a second one of the plurality of billing schemes via the user computer;

transmitting a second selection of one of the plurality of billing schemes to the computer;

wherein, if the second selected billing scheme is accepted, said software configures the computer based on the ruleset of the selected billing scheme to allocate billing between the user and the entity.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second selected billing scheme is different than the selected billing scheme.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of billing schemes is selected from the group consisting of: a percentage of all charges attributed to the user's mobile device during a period; as notated line items from a bill; as a percentage of notated line items from a bill; and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the period comprises a billing cycle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is an employee of the entity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the selected billing scheme includes a requirement that the user pay at least a portion of a bill issued for a period, the method further comprises the steps of:

automatically paying the portion of a bill allocated to the user by at least one of the following schemes: charging a user credit card, charging a user account, performing a payroll deduction, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for the procurement of a mobile telecommunications device to the computer;

determining if a cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device exceeds a threshold limit;

wherein, if the cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device does not exceed a threshold limit, transmitting an order to a third party to fulfill the request.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein, if the cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device does exceed a threshold limit, the method further comprising the steps of:

charging the user the cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device that exceeds the threshold limit; and

wherein, if the cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device that exceeds the threshold limit is paid by the user, transmitting an order to a third party to fulfill the request.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device that exceeds the threshold limit is paid by at least one of the following schemes: automatically charging a user credit card, automatically charging a user account, automatically performing a payroll deduction, and combinations thereof.

11. A system for automatically allocating costs of a mobile telecommunications plan between a user and an entity comprising:

a server, having a network connection and a storage, where user information is saved on said storage;

software executing on said server to present a plurality of billing schemes to the user;

software executing on said server to receive a selection of one the plurality of billing schemes, the selected billing scheme comprising a ruleset for determining future billing allocations between the user and the entity for mobile telecommunications use by a mobile device; and

software executing on said server to analyze the selected billing scheme and generate an approval or rejection of the selected one of the plurality of billing schemes based, at least in part, on data received from an administration computer;

wherein, if the selected billing scheme is accepted, software executes on said server to configure the server to allocate billing between the user and the entity based on the selected billing scheme.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein if the selected one of the plurality of billing schemes is rejected, the system further comprises:

software executing on said server receive a second selection of one the plurality of billing schemes;

wherein, if the second selected billing scheme is accepted, said software configures the server based on the ruleset of the selected billing scheme to allocate billing between the user and the entity.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of billing schemes is selected from the group consisting of: a percentage of all charges attributed to the user's mobile device during a period; as a percentage of notated line items from a bill; and combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the period comprises a billing cycle.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

software executing on said server to receive a mobile telecommunications device procurement request;

software executing on said server to determine if a cost for procuring a mobile telecommunications device identified in mobile telecommunications device procurement request exceeds a threshold limit;

wherein, if the cost for procuring the mobile telecommunications device does not exceed a threshold limit, software executes on said server to transmit an order to a third party to fulfill the request.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the user accesses said server via a web page interface.

17. A method for automatically allocating costs of a mobile telecommunications plan between a user and an entity via software executing on a server comprising the steps of:

saving user information on a storage accessible by a server;

presenting a plurality of billing schemes to the user accessing the server with a user computer selected from the group consisting of: a percentage of all charges attributed to the user's mobile device during a period; as a percentage of notated line items from a bill; and combinations thereof;

transmitting a selection of one the plurality of billing schemes to the server, the selected billing scheme comprising a ruleset for determining future billing allocations between the user and the entity for mobile telecommunications use by a mobile device; and

said software analyzing the selected billing scheme and generating an approval or rejection of the selected billing scheme based, at least in part, on data received from an administration computer;

wherein, if the selected billing scheme is accepted, said software configures the server to allocate billing between the user and the entity based on the selected billing scheme.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein when the selected billing scheme includes a requirement that the user pay at least a portion of a bill issued for a period, the method further comprises the steps of:

automatically paying the portion of a bill allocated to the user by at least one of the following schemes: charging a user credit card, charging a user account, performing a payroll deduction, and combinations thereof.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2018
From: TANGOE, LLC; TANGOE US, INC.; MOBI WIRELESS MANAGEMENT, LLC
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047697/0104 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL 042734 FRAME 0555 Recorded Nov 30, 2018
From: OBSIDIAN AGENCY SERVICES, INC.
To: TANGOE, LLC; TANGOE US, INC.
Reel/Frame 047691/0457 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 16, 2018
From: TANGOE, INC.
To: TANGOE US, INC.
Reel/Frame 047590/0729 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2017
From: ASENTINEL, LLC; TANGOE, INC.
To: OBSIDIAN AGENCY SERVICES, INC., C/O TENNENBAUM CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
Reel/Frame 042734/0555 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2013
From: DEBENEDICTIS, CHRISTOPHER J.; HICKS, JEREMY J.
To: TANGOE, INC.
Reel/Frame 030179/0485 →