Cost control management in telecommunication systems

• US 20010049656A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Roslof, Janne, Halkosaari, Matti
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A cost control method for a mobile terminal 2,3 using a mobile telecommunication system comprises sending a cost control request from a Network Element (NE) 5,6, which is an access point for the mobile terminal 2,3 to the system, to a Cost Control Function (CCF) 10. A cost control result is determined at the CCF 10 in response to said request, and the cost control result returned to the NE 5,6. The result is interpreted at the NE 5,6 and acted upon.

Claims

1. A cost control method for a mobile terminal using a mobile telecommunication system, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a cost control request from a Network Element (NE), which is an access point for the mobile terminal to the system, to a Cost Control Function (CCF);

determining a cost control result at the CCF in response to said request;

returning the cost control result to the NE; and

interpreting said result at the NE to determine the actions required, and carrying out the determined actions.

2. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein said result contains an instruction to notify the mobile terminal of certain information, and the step of interpreting said result comprises determining the mechanism by which the terminal is to be notified.

3. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the request and response messages are transported between the NE and the CCF using a lightweight transport mechanism.

4. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the lightweight protocol is TCP/IP and the messages are encapsulated directly into the payload of IP datagrams.

5. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the mobile telecommunication system is a UMTS based system.

6. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the mobile telecommunication system is a GSM based system and said NE is a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) or Gateway MSC (GMSC).

7. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the system supports GPRS, and the NE is a GPRS Serving Node (GSN) or a Gateway GSN (GGSN).

8. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the CCF is implemented in the home mobile network of the mobile terminal.

9. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the cost control message relates to an Initial Interrogation, an Intermediate Interrogation, or a Final Interrogation.

10. A mobile telecommunication system, the system comprising:

a Network Element (NE), which in use is an access point for a mobile terminal to the system;

a Cost Control Node (CCN);

means at the NE for sending a cost control request to the CCN;

means at the CCN for determining a cost control result in response to receipt of said request;

means at the CCN for returning a cost control result to the NE; and

means at the NE for interpreting said result to determine the actions required,

and for carrying out the determined actions