Controlling a shared service

Abstract

A method includes obtaining a liability limit indicative of an available funding, determining whether a first amount of liability contributed by a first subscriber during a provision of a service to the first subscriber exceeds a first balance indicative of a first portion of the available funding that may be consumed by the first subscriber, determining whether a second amount of liability contributed by a second subscriber during a provision of a service to the second subscriber exceeds a second balance indicative of a second portion of the available funding that may be consumed by the second subscriber, issuing a first communication to a device to affect the provision of a service to the first subscriber if the first amount of liability exceeds the first balance, and issuing a second communication to the device to affect the provision of a service to the second subscriber if the second amount of liability exceeds the second balance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a hierarchy of a first account having a first subscriber and a second account having a second subscriber, said second account being lower in said hierarchy than said first account;   obtaining (a) a first liability limit indicative of a first available funding to said first account, and (b) a second liability limit indicative of a second available funding to said second account;   maintaining a first running total that includes a sum of (a) a first amount of liability contributed by said first subscriber during a provision of a service to said first subscriber, and (b) a second amount of liability contributed by said second subscriber during a provision of a service to said second subscriber;   determining whether said first running total exceeds said first liability limit;   issuing a first communication to a device to affect said provision of a service to said first subscriber and said provision of a service to said second subscriber, if said first running total exceeds said first liability limit.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said sum further includes (c) a first amount of credits contributed by said first subscriber, and (d) a second amount of credits contributed by said second subscriber. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining a second running total of said second amount of liability contributed by said second subscriber during said provision of a service to said second subscriber;   determining whether said second running total exceeds said second liability limit; and   issuing a second communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said second subscriber, if said second running total exceeds said second liability limit.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said second running total further includes a sum of said second amount of liability and a second amount of credits contributed by said second subscriber. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said maintaining said first running total and said maintaining said second running total are simultaneous. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) obtaining a third liability limit indicative of a third available funding to a third account in said hierarchy;   (b) maintaining a third running total including a third amount of liability contributed by said third subscriber during a provision of a service to said third subscriber;   (c) determining whether said third running total exceeds said third liability limit; and   (d) issuing a third communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said third subscriber, if said third running total exceeds said third liability limit.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) obtaining a third liability limit indicative of a third available funding to a third account in said hierarchy;   (b) maintaining a third running total including a third amount of liability contributed by said third subscriber during a provision of a service to said third subscriber;   (c) determining whether said third running total exceeds said third liability limit; and   (d) issuing a third communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said third subscriber, if said third running total exceeds said third liability limit,   wherein said sum further includes said third amount of liability.   
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a liability limit indicative of an available funding to an account;   maintaining a running total that includes a sum of an amount of liability contributed by a subscriber during a provision of a service to said subscriber;   determining an available liability that includes an amount of said running total that is below said liability limit; and   issuing a communication to a device to affect said provision of a service to said subscriber when said running total exceeds said liability limit as indicated by said first available liability.   
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that contains instructions that control said processor to cause said processor to perform actions of:
 obtaining a hierarchy of a first account having a first subscriber and a second account having a second subscriber, said second account being lower in said hierarchy than said first account; 
 obtaining (a) a first liability limit indicative of a first available funding to said first account, and (b) a second liability limit indicative of a second available funding to said second account; 
 maintaining a first running total that includes a sum of (a) a first amount of liability contributed by said first subscriber during a provision of a service to said first subscriber, and (b) a second amount of liability contributed by said second subscriber during a provision of a service to said second subscriber; 
 determining whether said first running total exceeds said first liability limit; and 
 issuing a first communication to a device to affect said provision of a service to said first subscriber and said provision of a service to said second subscriber, if said first running total exceeds said first liability limit. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said sum further includes (c) a first amount of credits contributed by said first subscriber, and (d) a second amount of credits contributed by said second subscriber. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 maintaining a second running total of said second amount of liability contributed by said second subscriber during said provision of a service to said second subscriber;   determining whether said second running total exceeds said second liability limit; and   issuing a second communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said second subscriber, if said second running total exceeds said second liability limit.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said second running total further includes a sum of said second amount of liability and a second amount of credits contributed by said second subscriber. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said maintaining said first running total and said maintaining said second running total are simultaneous. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 (a) obtaining a third liability limit indicative of a third available funding to a third account in said hierarchy;   (b) maintaining a third running total including a third amount of liability contributed by said third subscriber during a provision of a service to said third subscriber;   (c) determining whether said third running total exceeds said third liability limit; and   (d) issuing a third communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said third subscriber, if said third running total exceeds said third liability limit.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 (a) obtaining a third liability limit indicative of a third available funding to a third account in said hierarchy;   (b) maintaining a third running total including a third amount of liability contributed by said third subscriber during a provision of a service to said third subscriber;   (c) determining whether said third running total exceeds said third liability limit; and   (d) issuing a third communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said third subscriber, if said third running total exceeds said third liability limit,   wherein said sum further includes said third amount of liability.   
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that contains instructions that control said processor to cause said processor to perform actions of:   obtaining a liability limit indicative of an available funding to an account;   maintaining a running total that includes a sum of an amount of liability contributed by a subscriber during a provision of a service to said subscriber;   determining an available liability that includes an amount of said running total that is below said liability limit; and   issuing a communication to a device to affect said provision of a service to said subscriber when said running total exceeds said liability limit as indicated by said first available liability.   
     
     
         17 . A storage medium comprising instructions tangibly embodied thereon, wherein said instructions are readable by a processor, and cause said processor to perform actions of:
 obtaining a hierarchy of a first account having a first subscriber and a second account having a second subscriber, said second account being lower in said hierarchy than said first account;   obtaining (a) a first liability limit indicative of a first available funding to said first account, and (b) a second liability limit indicative of a second available funding to said second account;   maintaining a first running total that includes a sum of (a) a first amount of liability contributed by said first subscriber during a provision of a service to said first subscriber, and (b) a second amount of liability contributed by said second subscriber during a provision of a service to said second subscriber;   determining whether said first running total exceeds said first liability limit; and   issuing a first communication to a device to affect said provision of a service to said first subscriber and said provision of a service to said second subscriber, if said first running total exceeds said first liability limit.   
     
     
         18 . The storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein said sum further includes (c) a first amount of credits contributed by said first subscriber, and (d) a second amount of credits contributed by said second subscriber. 
     
     
         19 . The storage medium of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 maintaining a second running total of said second amount of liability contributed by said second subscriber during said provision of a service to said second subscriber;   determining whether said second running total exceeds said second liability limit; and   issuing a second communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said second subscriber, if said second running total exceeds said second liability limit.   
     
     
         20 . The storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein said second running total further includes a sum of said second amount of liability and a second amount of credits contributed by said second subscriber. 
     
     
         21 . The storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein said maintaining said first running total and said maintaining said second running total are simultaneous. 
     
     
         22 . The storage medium of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 (a) obtaining a third liability limit indicative of a third available funding to a third account in said hierarchy;   (b) maintaining a third running total including a third amount of liability contributed by said third subscriber during a provision of a service to said third subscriber;   (c) determining whether said third running total exceeds said third liability limit; and   (d) issuing a third communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said third subscriber, if said third running total exceeds said third liability limit.   
     
     
         23 . The storage medium of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 (a) obtaining a third liability limit indicative of a third available funding to a third account in said hierarchy;   (b) maintaining a third running total including a third amount of liability contributed by said third subscriber during a provision of a service to said third subscriber;   (c) determining whether said third running total exceeds said third liability limit; and   (d) issuing a third communication to said device to affect said provision of a service of said third subscriber, if said third running total exceeds said third liability limit,   wherein said sum further includes said third amount of liability.   
     
     
         24 . A storage medium comprising instructions tangibly embodied thereon, wherein said instructions are readable by a processor, and cause said processor to perform actions of:
 obtaining a liability limit indicative of an available funding to an account;   maintaining a running total that includes a sum of an amount of liability contributed by a subscriber during a provision of a service to said subscriber;   determining an available liability that includes an amount of said running total that is below said liability limit; and   issuing a communication to a device to affect said provision of a service to said subscriber when said running total exceeds said liability limit as indicated by said first available liability.