System and method for monitoring account usage on a platform

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring account usage on a platform that includes creating an account on a platform; assigning a usage model of the account; running an application of the account on the platform; monitoring usage of the application of the account; identifying a usage event of the usage model in the monitored usage; and generating an event response based on the usage event.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 a telephony platform system mapping a first URI of an external first developer system to a first platform endpoint of a first sub-account that is associated with an external first customer system;   a call router of the platform system receiving, from an external first entity system, a first incoming telephony communication addressed to the first platform endpoint;   responsive to the first incoming telephony communication, the call router retrieving at least one telephony application instruction associated with the first URI from the first developer system;   the call router running the at least one telephony application instruction to interact with the first entity system;   a usage monitoring engine of the platform system monitoring use of the platform system to run the at least one telephony application instruction of the first developer system on behalf of the first sub-account;   responsive to the usage monitoring engine identifying a first usage event of a first usage model of the first sub-account during the monitoring, the platform system generating billing data for the first sub-account by using pricing information of the identified first usage event as specified by the first usage model.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein first platform endpoint includes at least one of a phone number, an SMS short code, a fax number, an e-mail address, and a telephony address. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first sub-account is managed by an account system of the platform system, and wherein the first sub-account is a sub-account of a first parent account that is associated with the first developer system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the platform system is a hardware system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the platform system is a multi-tenant telephony platform system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first incoming telephony communication is a voice call. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 the platform system mapping a second URI of the external first developer system to a second platform endpoint of a second sub-account that is associated with an external second customer system;   the call router receiving, from an external second entity system, a second incoming telephony communication addressed to the second platform endpoint;   responsive to the second incoming telephony communication, the call router retrieving at least one telephony application instruction associated with the second URI from the first developer system;   the call router running the at least one telephony application instruction of the second URI to interact with the second entity system;   the usage monitoring engine monitoring use of the platform system to run the at least one telephony application instruction of the second URI of the first developer system on behalf of the second sub-account;   responsive to the usage monitoring engine identifying a second usage event of a second usage model of the second sub-account during the monitoring of the second sub-account, the platform system generating billing data for the second sub-account by using pricing information of the identified second usage event as specified by the second usage model.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 the platform system determining a parent billing amount for a sum of usage of the first sub-account, usage of the second sub-account, and usage of the first parent account by using pricing information of a first parent account usage model,   the platform system determining a sum of amounts billed to the first sub-account and the second sub-account,   responsive to a determination by the platform system that the sum of amounts billed to the first sub-account and the second sub-account is less than the parent billing amount, the platform system generating billing data for the parent account based on the difference between the parent billing amount and the determined sum, and   responsive to a determination by the platform system that the sum of amounts billed to the first sub-account and the second sub-account is greater than the parent billing amount, the platform system transferring funds to the first parent account for the difference between the determined sum and parent billing amount.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first usage model is different from the second usage model. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least one price for usage for the first parent account as indicated by the first parent account usage model is less than a price for usage for the first sub-account as indicated by the first usage model. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least one price for usage for the first parent account as indicated by the first parent account usage model is greater than a price for usage of the first sub-account as indicated by the first usage model.