Communication system and method for determining user fee on the basis of quality of service

• US 20020031094A1
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nitta, Yoshio
• Application Number:
  US09/938,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20020031094A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• 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 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS

Abstract

A communication system is composed of a quality determining unit, a gateway, and a user fee determining unit. The quality determining unit determines a QoS (quality of service). The gateway transfers an IP datagram at said QoS. The user fee determining unit determines a user fee for said IP datagram based on said QoS.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a quality determining unit which determines a QoS (quality of service);

a gateway which transfers an IP datagram at said QoS; and

a user fee determining unit which determines a user fee for said IP datagram based on said QoS.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway transfers a group of IP datagrams including said IP datagram, and said QoS includes a priority for said IP datagram in the transfer of said group of IP datagrams.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said QoS includes a maximum allowable difference from a predetermined delay time for transferring said IP datagram.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway includes a buffer transiently storing said IP datagram, and said QoS includes a size of said buffer.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said QoS includes provision of a firewall service.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said QoS includes provision of a VTN (Virtual Personal Network) service.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is provided with an API (Application Interface) for accessing said quality determining unit to set said QoS.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway detects a protocol used for the transfer of said IP datagram, and said quality determining unit determines said QOS based on said protocol.

9. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein said quality determining unit includes a first table indicative of a correspondence between said protocol and said QoS, and determines said QoS referring to said first table.

10. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein said quality dete rmining unit determines said QOS based on a TOS (Type of Service) of said IP datagram.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein said quality determining unit includes a second table indicative of a correspondence among said protocol, said ToS and said QoS, and determines said QoS referring to said second table.

12. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein said IP datagram includes an IP address of a user communicating said IP datagram, and said quality determining unit determines said QoS based on said IP address.

13. The communication system according to claim 12, wherein said quality determining unit includes a third table indicative of a correspondence among said protocol, said IP address and said QoS, and determines said QoS referring to said third table.

15. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein said gateway transfers a group of IP datagrams including said IP datagram, and said QoS includes a priority for said IP datagram in the transfer of said group of IP datagrams.

16. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein said QOS includes a maximum allowable difference from a predetermined delay time for transferring said IP datagram.

17. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein said gateway includes a buffer transiently storing said IP datagram, and said QoS includes a size of said buffer.

18. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein said gateway is provided with an API (Application Interface) for accessing said quality determining unit to set said QOS.

19. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein said quality determining unit determines said QoS based on a ToS (Type of Service) of said IP datagram.

20. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein said IP datagram includes an IP address of a user communicating said IP datagram, and said quality determining unit determines said QoS based on said IP address.

21. The communication system according to claim 20, wherein said QoS includes provision of a firewall service.

22. The communication system according to claim 20, wherein said QoS includes provision of a VTN (Virtual Personal Network) service.

24. The communication system according to claim 23, wherein said user fee determining unit determines said user fee based on a ToS of said IP datagram.

14. A communication system comprising:

a gateway which transfers an IP datagram, wherein said gateway detects a protocol used for the transfer of said IP datagram; and

a quality determining unit which determines a QoS (quality of service) based on said protocol, wherein said gateway transfers said IP datagram at said QoS.

23. A communication system comprising:

a gateway which transfers an IP datagram, wherein said gateway detects a protocol used for the transfer of said IP datagram; and

a user fee determining unit which determines a user fee for said IP datagram based on said QoS.

25. A communication method comprising:

determining a QoS;

transferring an IP datagram at said QoS by a communication system; and

determining a user fee for use of said communication system based on said QoS.

26. A communication method comprising:

receiving an IP datagram;

detecting a protocol used for transmitting said IP datagram;

determining a QoS; and

transferring said IP datagram at said QoS.

27. A communication method comprising:

transferring an IP datagram by a communication system;

detecting a protocol used for transmitting said IP datagram;

determining a user fee for use of said communication system based on said protocol.