System for collecting billable information in a group communication system

• US 20070214069A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kalantri, Sacchindrakumar
• Application Number:
  US11/363,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214069A1
• 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 12/1432 Metric aspects
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2093 Push to talk
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• 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: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for collecting and managing billable information in a group communication system such as a push-to-talk (PTT) dispatch system. A local node collects the billable event data associated with the group communication and stores it in a flat file database. The billable event data is forwarded from the local node to a centralized node in accordance with a forwarding scheme where it is stored in a more robust relational database.

Claims

1. A local node for collecting and managing billable information in a group communication system, the system comprising:

a media control unit (MCU) manager configured to detect a group communication among members of a net associated with the local node, wherein the MCU manager is further configured to collect billable event data associated with the group communication; and

a local log server configured to store the billable event data within the local node associated with the net upon the group communication ending;

wherein the billable event data from the local node is forwarded to a centralized node.

2. The local node of claim 1, further comprising:

a forwarding scheme saved at the local node;

wherein the billable event data is forwarded to the centralized node in accordance with the forwarding scheme.

3. The local node of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter at the local node configured to define categories of the billable event data to collect.

4. The local node of claim 1, wherein said billable event data is deleted from the local node after the billable event data is forwarded to the centralized node.

5. The local node of claim 1, wherein the local node is one of a plurality of local nodes associated with the centralized node, and said net is one of a plurality of nets configured to engage in group communications, each of said plurality of nets being associated with at least one of the plurality of local nodes.

6. The local node of claim 1, wherein the members of the net comprise at least three members of the net.

7. A system for collecting and managing billable information in a group communication system, the system comprising:

logic configured to detect a group communication among members of a net;

logic configured to collect billable event data associated with the group communication;

logic configured to store the billable event data within a local node associated with the net upon the group communication ending; and

logic configured to forward the billable event data from the local node to a centralized node.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

logic configured to store the billable event data in a relational database within the centralized node;

wherein the billable event data is stored in a flat-file database within the local node.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the billable event data includes NetStartedEvent specifying when the group communication started among the members of the net, and NetShutdownEvent specifying when the group communication was shut down.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the billable event data is forwarded to the centralized node in accordance with a forwarding scheme.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

filter logic configured to implement a filter at the local node to define categories of the billable event data to collect at the local node.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

logic configured to delete said billable event data from the local node after the centralized node stores the billable event data.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the members of the net comprise at least three members of the net.

14. A method of collecting and managing billable information in a group communication system, the method comprising:

detecting a group communication among members of a net;

collecting billable event data associated with the group communication;

storing the billable event data within a local node associated with the net upon the group communication ending; and

forwarding the billable event data from the local node to a centralized node.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing the billable event data in a relational database within the centralized node; and

storing the billable event data in a flat-file database within the local node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the billable event data includes NetStartedEvent specifying when the group communication started among the members of the net, and NetShutdownEvent specifying when the group communication was shut down.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using a forwarding scheme at the local node;

wherein the billable event data is forwarded in accordance with the forwarding scheme.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a synch command at the local node;

wherein the billable event data is forwarded in response to the synch command.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

implementing a filter at the local node to define categories of the billable event data to collect.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

deleting said billable event data from the local node after forwarding the billable event data to the centralized node.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the local node is one of a plurality of local nodes associated with the centralized node, and said net is one of a plurality of nets configured to engage in group communications, each of said plurality of nets being associated with at least one of the plurality of local nodes.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein messages for the group communication are sent via half-duplex communication links.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the members of the net comprise at least three members of the net.

23. The method of claim 23, wherein the group communication is transmitted to a first one of the at least three subscriber devices via at least one of a first RNC and a first BSC and the group communication is transmitted to a second one of the at least three members via at least one of a second RNC and a second BSC.