Cost control in a SIP based network

• US 20020176405A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Aijala, Timo
• Application Number:
  US10/132,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20020176405A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 15/41 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 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• 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 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• 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 2215/202 : VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 : Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• 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 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8108 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 : Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A method of controlling costs associated with a Voice Over IP connection by including in a call connection set-up message sent over an IP network a maximum charge parameter and, when the connection is required to break out of the IP network into a telecommunication network, comparing the maximum charge parameter contained in the set-up message with a charge parameter associated with the break out part of the connection, and making a decision on completing the break out part of the connection based on the result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of controlling costs associated with a Voice Over IP connection, the method comprising:

including in a call connection set-up message sent over an IP network a maximum charge parameter;

when the connection is required to break out of the IP network into a telecommunication network, comparing the maximum charge parameter contained in the set-up message with a charge parameter associated with the break out part of the connection; and

making a decision on completing the break out part of the connection based on the result of the comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum charge parameter contained in the IP set-up message is a fixed monetary value or an equivalent fixed number of chargeable units.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum charge parameter is a maximum permitted call tariff.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the decision on whether or not to complete the break out part of the connection is made by a media gateway controller (MGC) interfacing the IP network to the telecommunications network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the maximum charge parameter contained in the set-up message exceeds the charge parameter associated with the break out, at least one of a calling party, a calling party'"'"'s ISP, and an access network operator is asked to authorize a higher charge.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the VOIP connection is established over the IP network using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the call connection set-up message comprises an INVITE message.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising carrying out said comparison at a SIP server following receipt at the SIP server of the INVITE message containing the maximum charge parameter.

8. A Media Gateway Controller (MGC) for controlling a Media Gateway (MG), the MGC and the MG operating respectively at the call control and bearer control levels of a communications system and being coupled between an IP network and a telecommunication network, the MGC comprising:

means for receiving a VOIP connection set-up message from said IP network;

means for comparing a maximum charge parameter contained in the set-up message with a charge parameter associated with a break out of the connection into the telecommunication network; and

means for breaking out the connection based upon a result of the comparison.

9. The MGC of claim 8, wherein said VOIP connection set-up message is a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE VOIP connection set-up message.

10. The MGC of claim 8, wherein the means for breaking out establishes a circuit switched connection over the telecommunication network when the charge parameter is less than the maximum charge parameter.

11. A method of controlling the cost of a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) call, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call set-up message from an IP network, said call set-up message containing a maximum charge tariff for a part of the call carried on a telecommunication network;

determining a charge tariff associated with the part of the call carried on the telecommunication network;

comparing the charge tariff to the maximum charge tariff; and

establishing a circuit switched connection to the called party if the charge tariff is less than or equal to the maximum charge tariff.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

rejecting the call set-up message if the charge tariff is more than the maximum charge tariff.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

notifying at least one of a calling party, a calling party'"'"'s ISP, and an access network operator of the rejection of the call set-up message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of notifying further comprising the step of:

requesting authorization for a higher tariff charge for the call from at least one of a calling party, a calling party'"'"'s ISP, or an access network operator.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to the step of receiving, the steps of:

generating the call set-up message, said call set-up message further containing a called party address; and

forwarding the call set-up message to a media gateway controller of the called party, said media gateway controller performing said step of determining the charge tariff based on the called party address.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a session initiation protocol (SIP) server for receiving the call connection set-up message from the calling party network and forwarding the call connection set-up message to the media gateway controller.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the media gateway controller is further configured to establish a circuit switched connection to the called party if the actual charge parameter is less than or equal to the maximum charge parameter.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the media gateway controller is further configured to reject the call connection set-up message if the charge parameter is more than the maximum charge parameter.

16. A system for controlling a cost associated with a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection, said system comprising:

a calling party network configured to send a call connection set-up message over an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

a media gateway controller configured to receive the call connection set-up message sent over the IP network, determine a charge parameter of a part of a call over a telecommunications network, compare a maximum charge parameter included in the call connection set-up message to the determined charge parameter, and make a decision on completing the call based on the comparison.