Architecture to facilitate the monetization of disparate, inter-worked push to talk technologies

• US 20060063549A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Choksi, Ojas Thakor
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

An inter-working network includes a plurality of interfaces for facilitating communications with a plurality of dispatch networks, a signaling controller, a media gateway and a system for facilitating the monetization of inter-carrier dispatch communications. The signaling controller and media gateway generate dispatch call records for dispatch sessions facilitated through the inter-working network. The system includes a billing accumulator and a settlement entity. The billing accumulator is interfaced with the inter-working network and includes logic to receive and store the dispatch call data records from the inter-working architecture. The settlement entity is interfaced with the billing accumulator, and includes settlement logic for converting each stored dispatch call data record to a billing record for each of at least two of the dispatch networks.

Claims

1. In an inter-working architecture facilitating dispatch communications between a plurality of dispatch networks, a system for facilitating the monetization of inter-carrier dispatch communications comprising:

a billing accumulator interfaced with the inter-working architecture, the billing accumulator including logic to collect and store dispatch call data records from the inter-working architecture; and

a settlement entity interfaced with the billing accumulator, the settlement entity including settlement logic for converting each stored dispatch call data record to a billing record for each of the plurality of the dispatch networks.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the inter-working architecture includes a signaling controller adapted to manage a dispatch session between an originating dispatch network and at least one target dispatch network, and wherein the billing accumulator receives the dispatch call data records from the signaling controller.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the inter-working architecture includes a media gateway adapted to convert real-time media between an originating dispatch network and a target dispatch network, and wherein the billing accumulator receives the dispatch call data records directly from the media gateway.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the inter-working architecture includes a media gateway adapted to convert real-time media between an originating dispatch network and a target dispatch network, and wherein the billing accumulator receives the dispatch call data records from the media gateway via the signaling controller.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a contract entity interfaced with the settlement entity, the contract entity storing rules for converting the stored dispatch call data records to billing records in accordance with terms associated with the plurality of dispatch networks involved in the session, the stored rules directing the settlement logic.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising an administrative entity interfaced with the inter-working architecture, the administrative entity receiving address translations from the inter-working architecture.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the address translations are used to identify end users and dispatch networks associated with the dispatch session, and corresponding settlement rules to be applied to the received dispatch call data records.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the billing accumulator is further interfaced with a first of the plurality of dispatch networks, the billing accumulator receiving roaming call data records from the first dispatch network for a roaming subscriber of the second dispatch network, the roaming call data records defining dispatch calls wherein at least one of the dispatch callers is the roaming subscriber of the second dispatch network.

9. A network for inter-working a plurality of dispatch networks, at least two of the dispatch networks having incompatible technologies, the network comprising:

a billing clearinghouse storing call detail records and usage data reports relating to dispatch sessions implemented across the network;

a plurality of points-of-presence (POPs) connected to billing clearinghouse, the POPs generating the call detail records and usage data reports; and

a plurality of border gateways interfacing each of the dispatch networks to at least one of the plurality of points-of-presence.

10. The network of claim 9 wherein each point-of-presence interfaces with a core inter-working network to locate a target dispatch network associated with a target user, and wherein each point-of-presence is adapted to determine a regional point-of-presence serving the target dispatch network.

11. The network of claim 9 wherein the billing clearinghouse generates billing data for an originating dispatch network and billing data for the target dispatch network in accordance with the call detail records and usage data reports associated with the dispatch session.

12. The network of claim 9 wherein the billing clearinghouse generates an invoice to each of the originating dispatch network and the target dispatch network in accordance with each dispatch network'"'"'s respective billing terms and conditions.

13. A method for monetizing inter-working a plurality of disparate dispatch networks, each dispatch network providing dispatch services to a plurality of subscriber units, comprising the steps of:

receiving a dispatch session request from an originating dispatch network, the dispatch session request identifying a target user;

processing, in a point-of-presence, the dispatch session request, including allocating signaling and media resources;

forwarding the dispatch session request to a border gateway associated with the target dispatch network;

facilitating the dispatch session between the originating dispatch network and target dispatch network; and

generating an invoice for each of the originating dispatch network and target dispatch network, including charges for facilitating the dispatch session.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein signaling resources are allocated in a plurality of points-of-presence, each point-of-presence generating dispatch call data records and usage data records for the dispatch session.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the signaling resources are allocated in a first point-of-presence and media resources are allocated in a second point-of-presence, each point-of-presence generating dispatch call data for the dispatch session.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising aggregating the generated dispatch call data and usage data for the dispatch session.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising applying settlement logic to the aggregated dispatch call data to produce billing data for each of the originating dispatch network and the target dispatch network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the settlement logic is associated with the originating dispatch network and the target dispatch network.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the settlement logic applied to each dispatch call data record is further associated with the point-of-presence that generated the dispatch call data record.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the settlement logic includes a set of criteria comprising at least one of a number of PTT button pushes requesting a session floor, a number of regions, a size of participating carriers, a group size for the session, a number of carriers involved in the session, a number of bytes transmitted, an identity of transcoding resources allocated, and an identify and duration of inter-working applications used.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a request for an inter-working application; and

executing the inter-working application during the session,

wherein the invoice includes charges for the use of the inter-working application.