Method, system and network server for recording use of network service capability by applications

• US 20060282515A1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tian, Linyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

The present invention discloses method, system and network server for recording use of network service capability by applications (APPs), and the key points of the methods comprise: a network server acquires an identity of the APP and type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP, conducts service logic processing, and writes a message of use of network service capability, which comprises at least the identity of the APP and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP. With the methods of this invention, the purpose of making effective records of use of network service capability by APPs provided by service providers is implemented. Furthermore, management of APPs, such as charging, may be conducted by utilizing the records.

Claims

1. A method for recording use of network service capability by an application (APP), comprising the steps of:

initiating by the APP an invocation request containing an identity of the APP and invocation parameters to a network server;

obtaining by the network server the identity of the APP and type information of the network service capability requested by the APP from the received invocation request;

recording by the network server a message of use of network service capability, which at least comprises the identity of the APP and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

said invocation request comprises a synchronous invocation request based on interfaces;

and

after recording by the network server a message of use of network service capability, the method further comprises;

returning a response of the performing result to the APP by the network server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

said invocation request comprises an asynchronous invocation request based on interfaces;

and

after recording by the network server a message of use of network service capability, the method further comprises;

performing call-back on the APP for notifying the APP of the performing result by the network server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

said invocation request comprises a notifying invocation request based on interfaces, which further comprises information for subscribing a network event;

and

after recording by the network server a message of use of network service capability, the method further comprises;

deciding by the network server whether a triggering condition required by the subscription of a network event in the notifying invocation request is met, if not, conducting no processing;

if yes, invoking a notifying interface of the APP, notifying the APP of the network event subscribed thereof, and recording another message of use of network service capability.

5. The method of claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein said interface is a message communication interface, a file interface, or an Application Programming Interface (API);

wherein said message communication interface comprises a network protocol message interface, and said network protocol message is a TCP/IP message, an HTTP message, or an XML message; and

said invocation based on an API interface is a local invocation or a remote invocation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

setting triggering conditions, which are determined in accordance with functions of the network server, for the network to initiatively send the APP a notifying message; and

when a triggering condition of the APP is currently met, based on a preset corresponding relation between the network event and an identity of the APP, obtaining the identity of the APP corresponding to the received network event and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP, implementing service logic processing, invoking a notifying interface of the APP to send a notifying message to the APP, and recording a message of use of network service capability by the network server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said message of use of network service capability further comprises:

a serial number of the message, an end mark of the message, an APP priority identifier, an identifier of QoS level of the APP, one or more subscriber numbers, starting time of the request and ending time of the request, an initiator ID and state information on whether the APP has successfully used the network service capability.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

said serial number of the message is constituted jointly by submitting time of the message, a property code of network service capability, and a serial number;

said type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP comprises;

a number of the capability type and a type of the interface used by the APP;

said capability type comprises network service capability for voice services, network service capability for data services, or network service capability for management;

said type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP further comprises a serial number of a capability server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a charging matrix of use of network service capability; and

sending by the network server a list of use of network service capability which records multiple messages of use of network service capability to a pre-configured network usage list processing module, and the network usage list processing module pricing the received list of use of network service capability according to the acquired charging matrix of use of network service capability, and producing a charging account for the APP.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said list of use of network service capability is in a form of a file or a database, and said network usage list processing module obtains the list of use of network service capability by way of FTP or reading the database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein,

when used for charging, said message of use of network service capability further comprises an identity of charging mode and a current session identity assigned for the current session by the object providing capability services;

said identity of charging mode is an identity of free charge, an identity of charging per message, or an identity of charging by monthly payment.

12. A method for recording use of network service capability, comprising the steps of:

configuring triggering conditions, which are determined according to functions of the network side, for the network side to initiatively send a notifying message to an APP; and

when a triggering condition of the APP is currently met, obtaining the identity of the APP corresponding to the received network event as well as type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP based on a pre-configured corresponding relation between a network event and an identity of the APP, performing service logic processing, invoking a notifying interface of the APP, sending a notifying message to the APP, and recording a message of use of network service capability by the network server;

said message of use of network service capability at least comprises the identity of the APP and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said message of use of network service capability further comprises:

a serial number of the message, an end mark of the message, an APP priority identifier, an identifier of QoS level of the APP, one or more subscriber numbers, starting time of the request and ending time of the request, an initiator ID and state information on whether this service logic processing has successfully used the network service capability; and

said method for recording said state information on whether this service logic processing has successfully used the network service capability comprises;

after sending a notifying message to the APP, deciding by the network server whether the returned message from the APP, indicates normal, if yes, recording the state information as this service logic processing has succeeded in using the network service capability, otherwise, recording the state information as this service logic processing has failed to use the network service capability;

or directly recording the state information as this service logic processing has succeeded in using the network service capability after the network server sends the notifying message to the APP;

wherein said state information on whether this service logic processing has successfully used the network service capability is identified by a state code.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

configuring a charging matrix of use of network service capability;

sending by the network server a list of use of network service capability for recording multiple messages of use of network service capability to a pre-configured network usage list processing module, and pricing the received list of use of network service capability according to the obtained charging matrix of use of network service capability, and producing a charging account for the APP by the network usage list processing module.

15. A system for recording use of network service capability by an APP, comprising:

an application (APP), a network server including a logic processing module and a network operation processing module, and one or more network function performing module, said network server also includes a network usage recording module, wherein

said APP is for initiating an invocation request to the logic processing module in the network server, where the invocation request contains an identity of the APP and invocation parameters;

or for receiving a performing result from the logic processing module in the network server;

said logic processing module is for obtaining the identity of the APP and the invocation parameters from the received invocation request, determining the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP according to the received invocation request after deciding the invocation parameters in the request are legitimate, and sending network operating commands to the network operation processing module or receiving the processing result of network operation from the network operation processing module;

or sending to the network usage recording module the obtained identity of the APP initiating the request and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP;

said network operation processing module is for analyzing the network operating command received from the logic processing module, sending the analyzed command to the network function performing module corresponding to the command, and analyzing the processing result of network operation returned from the network function performing module before returning the analyzed result to the logic processing module;

said network function performing module is for implementing network operation in accordance with the received command;

said network usage recording module is for recording, based on the received information, a message of use of network service capability, which at least comprises an identity of the APP and type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein

said invocation request initiated by the APP to the logic processing module is a synchronous invocation request, an asynchronous invocation request, or a notifying invocation request based on interfaces;

if the invocation request received by the logic processing module from the APP is a notifying invocation request, the invocation request further comprises information of a network event, and after a triggering condition required by the subscription of a network event is currently met, said logic processing module acquires the identity of the APP initiating the request and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP, invokes the network operation processing module to conduct network operation, receives a processing result of network operation from the network operation processing module before invoking a notifying interface of the APP to notify the APP of the network event subscribed, and records another message of use of network service capability.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein

the network function performing module is further used for submitting information of a network event to the network operation processing module when a pre-configured triggering condition for initiatively performing operation by the network side is met;

said network operation processing module is further used for analyzing the received information of the network event before submitting the analyzed information to the logic processing module;

said logic processing module is further used for, according to the received information of the network event as well as a pre-configured corresponding relation between the network event and the identity of the APP, acquiring the identity of the APP corresponding to the received information of network event and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP, sending a notifying message to the APP, and delivering the acquired information to the network usage recording module.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a network usage list processing module, which receives from the network usage recording module a list of use of network service capability for recording multiple messages of use of network service capability, prices the list of use of network service capability according to a pre-configured charging matrix of use of network service capability, and produces a charging account for the APP.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a subscriber CDR processing module and a subscriber CDR recording module inside the network server;

and

said subscriber CDR recording module is for receiving statistical information including time duration and/or flow volume and terminal addresses from the network operation processing module, recording the received information, and sending the recorded information to the subscriber CDR processing module;

said subscriber CDR processing module is for pricing the received statistical information according to a pre-configured charging matrix of a subscriber'"'"'s CDR, and producing an account bill for the subscriber.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein

said message of use of network service capability further comprises:

an APP priority identifier, an identifier of QoS level of the APP, one or more subscriber numbers, starting time of the request and ending time of the request, an initiator ID and state information on whether this service logic processing has successfully used the network service capability; and

when used for charging, said message of use of network service capability further comprises a serial number of the message, an end mark of the message, an identity of charging mode and a current session identity;

said identity of charging mode comprises an identity of free charge, an identity of charging per message, or an identity of charging by monthly payment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein

said serial number of the message is constituted jointly by submitting time of the message, a property code for network service capability, and a serial number;

said type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP comprises;

a serial number of the capability type and the interface type used by the APP, and said capability type comprises network service capability for voice services, network service capability for data services, or network service capability for management;

said type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP further comprises a serial number of the capability server.

22. A system for recording use of network service capability by an APP, comprising an application (APP), a network server including a logic processing module and a network operation processing module, a network function performing module, wherein a network usage recording module is included in the network server, and

said network function performing module is for submitting information of a network event to the network operation processing module in the network server when a pre-configured triggering condition of initiatively informing by the network side is met;

said network operation processing module is for analyzing the received information of the network event before submitting the analyzed information to the logic processing module in the network server;

or for analyzing the network operating command received from the logic processing module, sending the analyzed command to the network function performing module corresponding to the command, and analyzing the processing result of network operation received from the network function performing module before returning the result to the logic processing module;

said logic processing module is for, according to the received information of the network event as well as a pre-configured corresponding relation between the network event and the identity of the APP, acquiring the identity of the APP corresponding to the received network event and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP, or sending the network operating command to the network operation processing module, or sending a notifying message to the APP according to the processing result of network operation returned from the network function performing module, or sending the acquired information to the network usage recording module;

said application (APP) is for receiving the notifying message from the logic processing module;

said network usage recording module is for recording a message of use of network service capability, which at least comprises an identity of the APP and type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a network usage list processing module, which receives from the network usage recording module a list of use of network service capability for recording messages of use of network service capability, prices the list of use of network service capability according to a pre-configured charging matrix of use of network service capability, and produces a charging bill for the APP.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a subscriber CDR processing module, as well as a subscriber CDR recording module included in the network server;

and

said subscriber CDR recording module is for receiving statistical information including time duration and/or flow volume and terminal addresses from the network operation processing module, recording the received information, and sending the recorded information to the subscriber CDR processing module;

said subscriber CDR processing module is for pricing the received statistical information according to a pre-configured charging matrix of a subscriber'"'"'s CDR, and forming an account bill for the subscriber.

25. A network server for recording use of network service capability by an APP, comprising:

a logic processing module, a network operation processing module and a network usage recording module, wherein

said logic processing module is for obtaining the identity of the APP and the invocation parameters from a received invocation request, determining the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP according to the received invocation request after deciding the invocation parameters in the request are legitimate, and sending network operating commands to the network operation processing module;

or receiving the processing result of network operation from the network operation processing module;

or sending to the network usage recording module the obtained identity of the APP initiating the request and the type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP; and

said network operation processing module is for analyzing the network operating command received from the logic processing module, or analyzing the processing result of network operation before returning the analyzed result to the logic processing module; and

said network usage recording module is for recording, based on the received information, a message of use of network service capability, which at least comprises an identity of the APP and type information of the network service capability providing services for the APP.