Transmission of call detail records in a telecommunications system

• US 20010024950A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hovi, Mika Vaino Oskari, Ahlback, Hans Christian, Hakala, Harri Tapani
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/48 Sending information over a non-traffic network channel or another connection than the one actually used, e.g. signalling, D-channel, data and voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method of routing Call Detail Records (CDRs) for a subscriber 2 from a foreign network 3 to a home network 1 whilst the subscriber is roaming in the foreign network 3. The method comprises transferring from the home network 1 to the foreign network 3, during registration of the subscriber 2 with an exchange 4 of the foreign network 3, an address of a billing system 7 of the home network 1 in a signalling network 8 to which said exchange 4 and said billing system 7 are coupled. Said address is associated with CDRs generated by said exchange 4 in respect of the subscriber 2, and the CDRs transferred from said exchange 4 to said billing system 7 over said signalling network 8 on the basis of the associated address.

Claims

1. A method of routing Call Detail Records (CDRs) for a subscriber from a serving exchange to a billing system, the method comprising:

transferring from a subscriber register to said serving exchange, an address of a billing system in a signalling network to which said serving exchange and said billing system are coupled;

associating said address with CDRs generated by said serving exchange in respect of the subscriber; and

transferring said CDRs from said serving exchange to said billing system over said signalling network on the basis of the associated address.

2. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the serving exchange and the subscriber register are located respectively in a foreign network and a home network, when the subscriber is roaming in the foreign network.

3. A method according to

claim 2

, wherein said home and foreign networks are GSM networks and the serving exchange is an MSC/VLR.

4. A method according to

claim 2

, wherein said home and foreign networks are GPRS networks or UMTS networks.

5. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the billing system address is transferred between the subscriber register and the serving exchange using a traffical protocol.

6. A method according to

claim 5

, wherein the traffical protocol is the Mobile Application Part (MAP) protocol.

7. A method according to

claim 6

, wherein the billing system address is included in one of the MAP messages:

InsertSubscriberData;

DeleteSubscriberData; and

Sendroutinglnforesult.

8. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein said subscriber register is a Home Location Register (HLR) of the subscriber'"'"'s home network, the address being sent from the HLR to the serving exchange during a subscriber registration process.

9. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein said signalling network over which the CDRs are sent is an IP based network, and the address of the billing system is an IP address.

10. A method of routing Call Detail Records (CDRs) for a subscriber from a Gateway MSC (GMSC) to a billing system, the method comprising:

transferring from a Home Location Register (HLR) to the GMSC an address of a billing system in a signalling network to which said GMSC and said billing system are coupled;

associating said address with CDRs generated by said GMSC in respect of the subscriber; and

transferring said CDRs from said GMSC to said billing system over said signalling network on the basis of the associated address.

11. A Home Location Register (HLR) of a mobile telecommunications network, the HLR comprising:

memory means for recording a signalling network address of a billing system of the telecommunications network;

means for receiving a registration request from a serving exchange in respect of a roaming subscriber; and

means for responding to said request by returning to said serving exchange the billing system address.

12. An exchange of a mobile telecommunications network, the exchange comprising:

means for sending a registration request to a subscriber register of a home network of a subscriber seeking to register with the exchange; and

means for receiving from said subscriber register an address of a billing system of the home network, the address being an address in a signalling network to which the exchange and the billing system are coupled,

whereby Call Detail Records (CDRs) subsequently generated by the exchange in respect of said subscriber can be sent to the billing system over said signalling network.