Method and system for gsm billing during wlan roaming

• US 20060004643A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOGEWA Holding AG
• Original Assignee: TOGEWA Holding AG
• Inventors: Stadelmann, Toni, Conn, Jeremy Richard, Kauz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• 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 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• 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 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• 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 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 : Roaming
• 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: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 : Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for recording and billing of services during roaming of a mobile IP node (20) in heterogeneous WLANs, in which first call detail records are transmitted from an access server (23/1001) to a billing module (1003) and second call detail records from the access server to a proxy module (1002). By means of a clearing module (1004), the obtained service is billed (1016) at a provider (1008) of a fixed network (1007) and/or TAP files (1017) are transmitted to a GSM (1005) service provider (1006) for billing.

Claims

1. Computer-aided method for recording and billing of services during roaming of a mobile IP node (20) in heterogeneous WLANs, the mobile IP node (20) accessing an access point (21/22) of a WLAN within a basic service area of a WLAN via a wireless interface, the basic service area of the WLAN including one or more access points (21/22) assigned to an access server (23/1001), at which the mobile IP node (20), upon request of the access server (23/1001), transmits to the access server (23/1001) an IMSI stored on an SIM card (201) of the mobile IP node (20), and the IMSI of the IP node (20) is stored in a database (31) of an SIM-RADIUS module (30), characterized

in that by means of an SIM user database (34) and an SIM gateway module (32), an SIM-RADIUS module (30) supplements user-specifically the logical IP data channel of the WLAN toward corresponding GSM data for signal and data channels of a GSM network, the authentication and/or service authorization of the mobile IP node (20) being carried out at an HLR (37) and/or VLR (37) of a GSM network, based on the IMSI of the SIM card (201) of the mobile node (20),

in that by means of a billing gateway interface a billing module (1003) accesses the access server (23/1001), first call detail records of the mobile IP node (20) being transmitted (1011) from the access server (23/1001) to the billing module (1003), and the billing gateway interface (1031) including an assigned billing management database (1032) with the configuration profile of each access server (23/1001),

in that second call detail records of the mobile IP node (20) are transmitted to a proxy module (1002), which proxy module (1002) captures at least the identity of the mobile IP node (20) and/or duration and/or provider of the obtained service and passes it on (1012) to the billing module (1003), and in that the billing module (1003) generates TAP files (1014) corresponding to the obtained service, based on the data of the proxy module (1002) and the first call detail records (1011), and transmits these together with billing instructions (1013) to a clearing module (1004), the billing instructions (1013) including at least user-specific and/or service-provider-specific billing data, and the clearing module (1004) billing (1016) the service obtained by the user (1008) to a provider (1008) of a fixed network (1007) and/or transmitting the TAP files (1017) to a GSM (1005) service provider (1006) for billing.

2. Computer-aided method according to claim 1, characterized in that a first call detail record is created based at least on the IP address of the mobile IP node (20) and identifications of the service provider whose service was obtained by the mobile node.

3. Computer-aided method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data stream of the mobile node (20) when accessing the WLAN from the access point (21/22) is directed via a mobile radio network service provider.

4. Computer-aided method according to claim 1, characterized in that the TAP files (1014) are created based at least on Inter Operator Tariffs and Public Mobile Network TAP identification codes.

5. Computer-aided method according to claim 1, characterized in that the billing management database (1032) includes IP addresses and/or GSM identification of the users and/or service providers.

6. Computer-aided method according to claim 1, characterized in that the billing management database (1032) includes Inter Operator Tariffs and Public Mobile Network TAP identification codes.

7. Computer-aided method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second <

sic. first>

SIM-based call detail records of the mobile IP node (20) are transmitted (1010/1011) from the access server (23/1001) to the billing module (1003) and the first <

sic. second>

IP-based call detail records from the access server (23/1001) to the proxy module (1002).

8. System for recording and billing services during roaming of a mobile IP node (20) in heterogeneous WLANs, which system includes at least one WLAN with a basic service area in each case, which basic service area of a WLAN includes one or more access points (21/22) assigned to an access server (23/1001), which access points (21/22) include a wireless interface (211) for communication with mobile IP nodes (20), and which mobile IP nodes (20) include a SIM card (201) for storing an IMSI, characterized

in that the access server (23/1001) <

includes>

a SIM-RADIUS module (30), an SIM user database (34) and an SIM gateway module (32) for user-specific supplementation of the logical IP data channel of the WLAN toward corresponding GSM data for signal and data channels of a GSM network, the authentication and/or service authorization of the mobile IP node (20) being carried out at an HLR (37) and/or VLR (37) of a GSM network, based on the IMSI of the SIM card (201) of the mobile node (20),

in that the access server (23/1001) includes a billing module (1003) with a billing gateway interface (1031) for access to access servers (23/1001), first call detail records of the mobile IP node (20) being transmittable (1011) from the access server to the billing module (1003), and the billing gateway interface (1031) including an assigned billing management database (1032) with the configurations of the individual access servers (23/1001),

in that by means of a proxy module (1002) second call detail records of the mobile IP node (20) are downloadable (1010) from the access server (1001), by means of the proxy module (1002) at least the identity of the mobile IP node (20), duration and provider of the obtained service being able to be captured and able to be passed on (1012) to the billing module (1003),

in that by means of the billing module (1003) TAP files (1014) corresponding to the obtained service are able to be generated, and these are transmittable, together with billing instructions (1013), to a clearing module (1004), the billing instructions (1013) including at least user-specific and/or service-provider-specific billing data.

9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that by means of the access server (23/1001) second call detail records are able to be created based at least on the IP address of the mobile IP node (20) and identifications of the service providers whose service was obtained by the mobile node.

10. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the data stream of the mobile IP node (20) during access to the WLAN from the access point (21/22) is directed via a mobile radio network service provider.

11. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the TAP files (1014) include at least information relating to Inter Operator Tariffs and Public Mobile Network TAP identification codes.

12. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the billing management database (1032) includes IP addresses and/or GSM identification of the users and/or service providers.

13. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the billing management database (1032) includes Inter Operator Tariffs and Public Mobile Network TAP identification codes.

14. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the first SIM-based call detail records of the mobile IP node (20) are transmitted (1010/1011) from the access server (23/1001) to the billing module (1003), and the second IP-based call detail records from the access server (23/1001) to the proxy module (1002).