Flexible rating rules and calender rules implemented in a real-time charging system for a telecommunications network

• US 20080014904A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Johnson, Robert, Hsu, Jeff, Crimi, Joseph, Stilborn, Richard, Gupla, Arvind, Hopson, Alan, McMahon, Cathryn, Silverstein, Glenn, Mir, Amanullah, Nettar, Dinesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 15/22 according to time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects

Abstract

By coupling a rating engine with call processing, rating rules are generated that enable a flexible interface between call process and call rating without necessitating that fixed data be passed between them. The real time charging system (RCS) provides a process that creates a generic entity, called a bucket, and uses it to keep track of account information and/or to count types of usage. The bucket allows an operator to define accounts and usage counters and how they are used as part of the rating rules. Use of these buckets is defined in rating rules, thus turning control over subscriber account and usage counters to the network operator. Further, the RCS provides a calendar option for limiting times during which calls to general telephone numbers can be made or received.

Claims

1. A real-time charging system for use in a telecommunications system having one or more subscribers, comprising:

service logic for processing a service request from a requesting subscriber of the one or more subscribers;

a rating rules database having one or more rating rules;

a tag based on network provided data, configuration data, and subscriber data of the requesting subscriber;

a rating engine in communication with the service logic for determining a charge for the requested service based on the tag and one of the one or more rating rules from the rating rules database; and

one or more balance buckets for tracking a balance of the requested service, and one or more usage buckets for tracking a usage of the requested service, each of said one or more balance buckets and one or more usage buckets created by the rating engine based on the one of the one or more rating rules.

2. The real-time charging system of claim 1 wherein one or more balance buckets and one or more usage buckets is for each type of service to which the requesting subscriber subscribes.

3. The real-time charging system of claim 2 wherein the service request is for a type of service, and additional service requests for the same type of service are tracked by the bucket for the same type of service.

4. The real-time charging system of claim 2 wherein one of the one or more balance buckets and one of the one or more usage buckets is for voice service and another of the one or more balance buckets and another of the one or more usage buckets is for SMS messaging service.

5. The real-time charging system of claim 4 wherein the balance bucket for voice service and the usage bucket for voice service is denoted in minutes of service.

6. The real-time charging system of claim 4 wherein the balance bucket for SMS messaging service and the usage bucket for SMS messaging service is denoted in the number of SMS messages.

7. The real-time charging system of claim 1 further comprising one or more shared balance buckets and one or more shared usage buckets, each shared balance bucket and each shared usage bucket for a group of said one or more subscribers, wherein each balance bucket and each usage bucket for each subscriber in the group of subscribers is at a lower level of a hierarchy than the shared balance buckets and the shared usage buckets for the group of subscribers.

8. The real-time charging system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the balance buckets have an associated expiration date after which any remaining balance cannot be used by the requesting subscriber.

9. The real-time charging system of claim 1 wherein each usage bucket has a reset date after which date the usage bucket will be reset to zero.

10. The real-time charging system of claim 1 wherein the rating engine generates additional balance buckets and additional usage buckets based on bonuses provided to the requesting subscriber for predetermined account activity.

11. The real-time charging system of claim 1 further comprising network interface resources for communicating with one or more telecommunications networks.

12. The real-time charging system of claim 1 wherein one or more balance buckets are created by one of initial provisioning, account activation, awarding of a bonus, periodic charging, voucher recharging, external payment gateways, a web-based self-management application, and a customer service representative.

13. The real-time charging system of claim 1 further comprising means for communicating with an external voucher database system for increasing the balance of one or more balance buckets of the requesting subscriber.

14. The real-time charging system of claim 1, further comprising a calendar set of restrictions indicating if the service request is allowable based on a time of the service request.

15. A method of real-time charging for services in a telecommunications system having one or more subscribers, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a service request from a requesting subscriber;

creating a tag based on network information, configuration data, and subscriber data of the requesting subscriber;

passing the tag and the service request to a rating engine having one or more rating rules;

determining a charge for the requested service based on one of the one or more rating rules and the tag; and

using the rating engine and the one of the one or more rating rules to create one or more balance buckets for tracking a balance of the requested service and one or more usage buckets for tracking a usage of the requested service.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

generating a call detail record regarding the requested service.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

indicating if the service request is allowable based on a time of the service request and a calendar set of restrictions.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

creating one or more shared balance buckets and one or more shared usage buckets, each shared balance bucket and each shared usage bucket for a group of said one or more subscribers, wherein each balance bucket and each usage bucket for each subscriber in the group of subscribers is at a lower level of a hierarchy than the shared balance buckets and the shared usage buckets for the group of subscribers.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein one or more of the balance buckets have an associated expiration date after which any remaining balance cannot be used by the requesting subscriber.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein each usage bucket has a reset date after which date the usage bucket will be reset to zero.