Method and apparatus for tracking and billing cellular roaming charges via a data packet network

• US 20030083991A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Application Number:
  US10/279,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083991A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• 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 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• 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 2215/52 : Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 : Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 : Roaming
• 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: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 : with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/142 : over the same radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A system for tracking and for billing telephony interactions on a data-packet-network has a first telephony network covering a first service region; at least one second telephony network covering a second service region; a billing server connected to the data-packet-network, the data-packet-network bridging the first and second telephony networks; at least one telephony data packet gateway system on each of the telephony networks. In a preferred embodiment, a user subscribing to either the first or second service region as a home region and roaming by placing a call from the disparate service region has the call tracked in the disparate region at the gateway system, the tracked results sent to the billing server wherein the billing server establishes a billing record and renders the record accessible to the user.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and for billing telephony interactions on a data packet network comprising:

a first telephony network covering a first service region;

at least a second telephony network covering a second service region;

a billing server connected to the data packet network, the data packet network bridging the first and second telephony networks; and

at least one telephony data packet gateway system on each of the telephony networks;

characterized in that a user subscribing to either the first or second network as a home network and roaming by making a data connection from another network has that connection tracked in the other network by at least one the gateway systems, the tracked results sent to the billing server wherein the billing server establishes a billing record and renders the record accessible to the user or his home network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data-packet-network is the Internet network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the telephony networks are digital cellular networks.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway system is a general-packet-radio-service gateway.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracking method is packet counting.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracking method is word counting.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracking method includes a time-out threshold of inactivity.

8. A general-packet-radio-service gateway for gating and tracking telephony calls in a telephony network comprising:

a data routing and network address translation module;

a SS-7 telephony signaling module; and

a counter for counting data packets;

characterized in that the gateway tracks calls of users that are roaming on the local network and sends the results to a billing entity using the SS-7 protocol.

9. The gateway of claim 8 wherein a data packet network hosts the billing entity and the billing entity is a data server.

10. The gateway of claim 9 wherein the data-packet-network is the Internet network.

11. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the telephony network is a digital cellular network having access to other telephony networks through the gateway.

12. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the tracking method is packet counting.

13. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the tracking method is word counting.

14. The gateway of claim 8 wherein the tracking method includes a timeout threshold of inactivity.

15. The gateway of claim 8 wherein only calls that are accredited to use the network they are roaming are tracked.

16. The gateway of claim 9 wherein those calls are intercepted and monitored in real-time using at least one counter and/or timer to quantify the call for billing purposes.

17. A method for tracking calls placed from a telephony network and recording the call data for billing purposes, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a call gateway including data routing, network address translation, and packet counting capabilities to host the calls at the demarcation point of the local calling network from which the calls were placed;

(b) intercepting a first packet of a first call;

(c) sending an inquiry to a billing service about whether the caller has authorized access to roam in the calling network;

(d) receiving a response from the billing service regarding caller clearance to use the network;

(e) assuming clearance, intercepting subsequent data packets and monitoring them according to security rules; and

(f) sending the recorded results to the billing service entity.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (a) the gateway is a general-packet-radio-service gateway and the local calling network is a digital cellular network.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (a) packet counting includes word counting and a time-out period monitoring inactivity.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (b) the first packet is given an identification tag identifying the call.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (c) the billing service is hosted on the Internet network and the inquiry is sent using SS-7 signaling.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (e) the subsequent packets are associated using the same ID given to the first intercepted data packet.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (f) the recorded results are packet counting results and are sent to the billing service entity using SS-7 signaling.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein in step (f) the billing service entity is a data server on the Internet.