System and method for charging in a communications network and a communications network charging server

• US 20040247100A1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hakala, Harri, Tornkvist, Robert, Halkosaari, Matti
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1421 Indication of expected costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 2215/016 : Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• 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 2215/7277 : Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 : Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 : Available credit
• 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 2215/92 : Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• 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: H04Q 2213/13097 : Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 : Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 : Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 : Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and a method for charging in a communication network and to a communication network charging server. The system comprises a client (1) associated with the network for providing services to subscribers associated with the network. The charging server (2) is adapted to handle subscriber account information, and the said client (1) is adapted to send a first charging request message for a service, to the charging server (2) before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol (3). The charging server (2) is also adapted to perform pre-reservation of an amount of resources from the subscriber'"'"'s account, wherein the amount depends on a requested amount included in the message about the service, and to return an answer message including information indicating whether an amount of resources is pre-reserved from said subscriber account for enabling usage of the service to the client (1) using the on-line charging protocol (3).

Claims

1. A system for charging in a communications network, comprising an Intelligent Network (IN) service associated with the network for providing services to subscribers associated with the network, comprising:

a charging server adapted to handle subscriber account information,

said IN service is adapted to send a first charging request message for a service, to the charging server before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol,

said charging server is adapted to perform pre-reservation of an amount of resources from the subscriber'"'"'s account, said amount depending on a requested amount included in said message; and

to return an answer message including information indicating whether an amount of resources is pre-reserved from said subscriber account for enabling usage of said service to the IN service using said on-line charging protocol.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the IN service is adapted to send a second charging request message to the charging server using said on-line charging protocol, said request message including the amount of resources used by the subscriber,

the charging server is adapted to deduct the amount of resources used by the subscriber from the subscriber'"'"'s account, and to return an answer message to the IN service using said on-line charging protocol, wherein the answer message includes the amount of resources used for the usage of said service.

3. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein said first charging request message includes subscriber identification and a value of the amount of resources requested.

4. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein said first charging request message includes the allowed duration for the consuming of the reserved resources.

5. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein the first charging request message expresses the requested amount of resources as a monetary value, and that the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a monetary value.

6. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein

the first charging request message expresses the requested value as a number of service events,

the charging server is adapted to rate the service events, and

the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a number of reserved service events.

7. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein

the first charging request message expresses the requested value as a length of service time,

the charging server is adapted to rate the service events, and

the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a length of reserved service time.

8. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein

the first charging request message expresses the requested value as a volume for data transfer,

the charging server is adapted to rate the service events, and

the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a reserved volume for data transfer.

9. The charging system according to claim 8, wherein the on-line charging protocol is based on the Diameter protocol.

10. The charging system according to claim 8, wherein the on-line charging protoclol is based on the Parlay protocol.

11. The charging system according to claim 8, wherein the on-line charging protocol is based on the SS7 protocol.

12. The charging system according to claim 8, wherein the on-line charging protocol is based on the INAP CS1 protocol.

14. The charging system according to claim 12, wherein the IN service is a Premium Rate call, Mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) call, Prepaid charging or Personal Number.

13. (Canceled)

15. A system for charging in a communications network, comprising:

an Intelligent Network service associated with the network for providing services to subscribers associated with the network, comprising

a charging server adapted to handle subscriber account information,

said IN service is adapted to send a first charging request message for a service, to the charging server before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol,

said charging server is adapted to rate the service and return an answer message to the IN service using an on-line charging protocol, said answer message including the price indication(s) of the requested service.

16. A method for charging in a communications network comprising an Intelligent Network service associated with the network for providing services to subscribers associated with the network and a charging server adapted to handle subscriber account information having the subscriber account information, comprising the steps of:

said IN service sending a first charging request message for a service, to the charging server before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol,

said charging server performing pre-reservation of an amount of resources from the subscriber'"'"'s account, wherein said amount depends on a requested amount included in said message; and

returning an answer message including information indicating whether an amount of resources is pre-reserved from said subscriber account for enabling usage of said service to the IN service using said on-line charging protocol.

17. The method according to claim 16, further further comprising the steps of:

said IN service sending a second charging request message to the charging server using said on-line charging protocol, wherein said request message includes the amount of resources used by the subscriber,

the charging server deducting the amount of resources used by the subscriber from the subscriber'"'"'s account, and returning an answer message to the IN service using said on-line charging protocol, wherein the answer message includes the accumulated amount of resources used for the usage of said service.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first charging request message includes the allowed duration for the consuming of the reserved resources.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the charging request message expresses the requested value as a monetary value, and that the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a monetary value.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the charging request message expresses the requested value as a number of service events, and that the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a number of reserved service events.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the charging request message expresses the requested value as a length of service time, and that the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a length of reserved service time.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the charging request message (4,8) expresses the requested value as a volume for data transfer, and that the charging answer message (5,9) expresses the reserved monetary amount as a reserved volume for data transfer.

42. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of the charging server deducting the account based on the reserved amount of resources.

23. A method for charging in a communications network comprising an Intelligent Network service associated with the network for providing services to subscribers associated with the network and a charging server adapted to handle subscriber account information having the subscriber account information, the method comprising the steps of:

said IN service sending a first charging request message for a service, to the charging server before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol,

said charging server rating the service and returning an answer message to the IN service using an on-line charging protocol, wherein said answer message includes the price indication of the requested service.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the charging request message expresses a request for the price of a service event(s), and that the charging answer message expresses only price indications of the requested service event(s).

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of the charging server deducting the account based on the reserved amount of resources.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the In service is a Premium Rate call, Mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) call, Prepaid charging or Personal Number.

26. (Canceled)

28. A charging server for charging service usage in a communications network, wherein:

the charging server is adapted to;

handle subscriber account information,

receive a first charging request message for a service from an Intelligent Network service, before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol,

perform pre-reservation of an amount of resources from the subscriber'"'"'s account, said amount depending on a requested amount included in said message about said service, and to return an answer message including information indicating whether an amount of resources are pre-reserved from said subscriber account for enabling usage of said service to the IN service using said on-line charging protocol.

29. The charging server according to claim 28, wherein the charging server is adapted to:

receive a second charging request message from the IN service using said on-line charging protocol said request message including the amount of resources used by the subscriber,

deduct the amount of resources used by the subscriber from the subscriber'"'"'s account, and return an answer message to the IN service using said on-line charging protocol, wherein the answer message includes the accumulated amount of resources used for the usage of said service.

30. The charging server according to claim 29, wherein said first charging request message includes subscriber identification and a value of the amount of resources requested.

31. The charging server according to claim 30, wherein said first charging request message includes the allowed duration for the consuming of the reserved resources.

32. The charging server according to claim 31, wherein the first charging request message expresses the requested amount of resources as a monetary value, and that the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a monetary value.

33. The charging server according to claim 31, wherein

the first charging request message expresses the requested value as a number of service events,

the charging server is adapted to rate the service events, and

the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a number of reserved service events.

34. The charging server according to claim 31, wherein

the first charging request message expresses the requested value as a length of service time,

the charging server is adapted to rate the service events, and

the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a length of reserved service time.

35. The charging server according to claim 31, wherein

the first charging request message expresses the requested value as a volume for data transfer,

the charging server is adapted to rate the service events, and

the charging answer message expresses the reserved monetary amount as a reserved volume for data transfer.

36. The charging system according to claim 33, wherein the IN service is a service/network element and that the charging server is a credit control server, wherein and the credit control server performs the credit check and the pre-reservation.

37. The charging server according to claim 36, wherein the credit control server performs the rating of the service.

38. The charging server according to claim 37, wherein the on-line charging protocol is based on the Diameter protocol, the Parlay protocol, the ss7 protocol, or the INAP CS1 protocol.

39. A charging server for charging service usage in a communications network, wherein the charging server is adapted to:

handle subscriber account information,

receive a first charging request message for a service from an Intelligent Network service, before the service is provided, using an on-line charging protocol, and

rate the service and return an answer message to the IN service using an on-line charging protocol, said answer message including the price indications of the requested service event(s).

41. The charging system according to claim 39, wherein the In service is a Premium Rate call, Mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) call, Prepaid charging or Personal Number.

40. (Canceled)