Method of and equipment for credit management for access in a telecommunications network

• US 20050086141A1
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lewis, Peter Reginald
• Application Number:
  US10/500,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086141A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• 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 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7277 : Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 : Session based

Abstract

This invention describes a method for carrying out forced booking of reserved credits for the credit management of prepaid accounts within a multi service telecommunications environment. This method can be used in a multi service telecommunications environment (1), wherein a credit management system (8) is in communicative connection with a number of service provisioning systems (3-7), using a telecommunications network (2) and where at least one user of an account can access the network by both mobile and fixed access means (10, 11, 13), characterized in that the credit management system (8) is arranged for carrying out a forced booking in order to update account balance information.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method for managing unit reservation of an account by a credit management system in a multi service telecommunications system, wherein services are provided in exchange for units, wherein a predetermined amount of units is available for the account and which units are reserved before provisioning of a service, comprising:

a step of forced booking during service provisioning by said credit management system of actually consumed units for at least one service.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said forced booking is carried out if said amount of units drops below a predetermined threshold.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said forced booking is service dependent.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein in connection with said forced booking a request for accreditation of units can be carried out for said services.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein accreditation of said units is subject to a plurality of accreditation rules.

28. The method according to claim 27, in which at least one of said accreditation rules is dependent on the actual use of said units per unit of time per service.

29. The method according to claim 27, in which at least one of said accreditation rules is dependent on a classification of said services.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said classification is a prioritization.

31. The method according to claim 27, in which at least one of said accreditation rules is dependent on the amount of units requested.

32. The method according to claim 27, in which at least one of said accreditation rules is dependent on the life-span of requested units.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said units are monetary units.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein said units are units of time.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein said units are units of volume.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said volume is a data volume.

37. The method according to claim 32, wherein said units relate to the amount of used bandwidth.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said account can be accessed by at least one user.

39. The method according to claim 38, which is used in a telecommunications environment, wherein at least one of the services provided relates to a group comprising voice, data and internet communications.

40. The method as described in claim 39, wherein said telecommunications environment is accessible via a group comprising wireless and fixed connections to a telecommunications network.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein management or provisioning of said services is carried out by a plurality of service provisioning systems which are in communicative connection with said credit management.

42. A multi service telecommunications system, comprising:

at least one credit management system for registering or managing reservation of available units in an account comprising a predetermined amount of units, further comprising means for providing services in exchange for units, said means being further arranged for reserving units before provisioning of a service, wherein

said credit management system is arranged for carrying out a forced booking of actually consumed units during service provisioning for at least one service.

43. The multi service telecommunications system according to claim 42, wherein said credit management system forms at least a part of a device comprised in said telecommunication system.

44. The multi service telecommunications system according to claim 42, wherein said credit management system forms at least a part of a user device comprised in an arrangement for connecting to said telecommunications system.