Information Gathering From Traffic Flow in a Communication Network

• US 20080279113A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: First Hop Oy (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Koponen, Juha, Kalliola, Janne, Dahlblom, Thomas, Tiihonen, Mikko, Wong, MengHong, Aalto, Markus, Lattu, Tommi
• Granted Patent: US 7,733,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for gathering information from traffic flowing in communication networks. The method includes generating in a network element, which sees the traffic flowing in the network, events on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions, an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow, sending said events for analysis in a central processing element, analysing said events in said central processing element, and conveying on the basis of said analysis information to network operator systems.

Claims

1. A method for gathering information from traffic flowing in communication networks, characterised in that the method comprising

receiving in a central processing element events generated and sent by a network element, which sees the traffic flowing in the network, the events being generated on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions and an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow,

analysing said events in said central processing element according to business logic comprised the central processing element, and

conveying on the basis of said analysis information to network operator systems.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network element is a network element which participates in transmission of the traffic flow and said event comprises an information query, and

said conveying of information comprises requesting information from the network operator systems, the method further comprising

receiving said requested information at the central processing element, and

sending, from the central processing element to the network element, a response to the query on the basis of said received information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said event comprises an information query, which comprises a data object, and

said conveying of information comprises sending the data object to the network operator systems, the method further comprising

modifying said data object in the network operator systems,

obtaining the modified data object into the central processing element, and

sending, from the central processing element to the network element, said modified data object as a response to the query.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said conveying of information comprises updating of information in the network operator systems.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said information that is conveyed to the network operator systems comprises executable logic and/or parameters for executable logic.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein the method further comprises

halting processing of traffic flow in said network element, when said event comprising an information query is sent, and

continuing with the processing after a response to the query is received at the network element.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said halting and continuing are conducted synchronously or asynchronously.

8. A method according to claim 2 wherein the method further comprises

continuing with the processing of traffic flow in said network element before a response to the query is received at the network element.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said analysing of a received event in said central processing element comprises

looking for said received event in a predefined event tree, the event tree comprising a set of events arranged in a tree according to their properties and the events in the tree being accompanied with a corresponding action,

executing the corresponding action, if said received event is found in the event tree, and

looking for and executing an action relating to a higher-level event, if said received event is not found in the event tree.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said analysing of a received event in said central processing element further comprises

executing also the actions relating to all higher-level events above said received event.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising conducting access control in said central processing element with regard to actions relating to the events received from the network element.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network operator systems comprise a billing system, a client capability system, a location system, a hand-set database, an authentication system, a reporting system, an OSA (Open Service Architecture) Parlay system, an OSA Parlay X system, an ss7 connectivity to HLR (Home Location Register) system, a Presence server, a customer profile database, a pre-paid billing system, a post-paid billing system, a content transcoding system, and/or a digital rights management system.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network element is a gateway, a router, a firewall, a GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node), a Service Delivery Platform or a part of a Service Delivery Platform, some other traffic relaying network element or a traffic snooping system.

14. A system for gathering information from traffic flowing in communication networks, the system comprising at least one network element, via which the traffic flow passes, and network operator systems wherein the system further comprises

a central processing element, which is connected to the network element and to the network operator systems, and

said network element comprises

equipment for generating events on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions, an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow, and

equipment for sending said events for analysis in the central processing element, and in that

said central processing element comprises

equipment for analysing said events,

business logic according to which said analysis is configured to be done, and

equipment for conveying on the basis of said analysis information to the network operator systems.

15. A network element, via which traffic flow of a communication network passes, wherein the network element is arranged to co-operate with a central processing element, and the network element comprises

equipment for generating events on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions, an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow, and

equipment for sending said events for analysis in the central processing element.

16. A network element according to claim 15, wherein said network element is a gateway, a router, a firewall, a GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node), a Service Delivery Platform or a part of a Service Delivery Platform, some other traffic relaying network element or a traffic snooping system.

17. A network element according to claim 15, wherein the equipment for generating are configured to generate an event comprising an information query, and in that the network element is configured

to halt processing of traffic flow in said network element, when said event comprising an information query is sent, and

to continue with the processing after a response to the query is received at the network element.

18. A network element according to claim 17, wherein the network element is configured to conduct said halting and continuing synchronously or asynchronously.

19. A network element according to claim 17, wherein the network element is configured to continue with the processing of traffic flow before a response to the query is received at the network element.

20. A central processing element for gathering information from traffic flowing in communication networks, wherein the central processing element is arranged to co-operate with at least one network element, via which the traffic flow passes and network operator systems, and in that the central processing element comprises

equipment for receiving events generated in a network element on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions, an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow,

equipment for analysing said events,

business logic according to which said analysis is configured to be done, and

equipment for conveying on the basis of said analysis information to the network operator systems.

21. A central processing element according to claim 20, wherein said event comprises an information query, and said equipment for conveying information are configured

to request information from the network operator systems, and the central processing element is further configured to

to receive said requested information, and

to send to the network element a response to the query on the basis of said received information.

22. A central processing element according to claim 20, wherein said event comprises an information query, which comprises a data object, and said equipment for conveying information are configured

to send the data object to the network operator systems, and the central processing element is further configured to

to obtain the data object in a form modified by the network operator systems, and

to send to the network element said modified data object as a response to the query.

23. A central processing element according to claim 20, wherein said equipment for conveying information are configured to update information in the network operator systems.

24. A central processing element according to claim 23, wherein said information that is configured to be conveyed to the network operator systems comprises executable logic and/or parameters for executable logic.

25. A central processing element according to any claims 20, wherein or analysing a received event said equipment for analysing are configured

to look for said received event in a predefined event tree, the event tree comprising a set of events arranged in a tree according to their properties and the events in the tree being accompanied with a corresponding action,

to execute the corresponding action, if said received event is found in the event tree, and

to look for and executing an action relating to a higher-level event, if said received event is not found in the event tree.

26. A central processing element according to claim 25, wherein said equipment for analysing are further configured

to execute also the actions relating to all higher-level events above said received event.

27. A central processing element according to claim 20, wherein the central processing element is configured to conduct access control with regard to actions relating to the events received from the network element.

28. A memory medium embodying a computer program executable in a network element, via which traffic flow of a communication network passes, wherein the network element is arranged to co-operate with a central processing element, and wherein the computer program controls the network element

to generate events on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions, an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow, and

to send said events for analysis in the central processing element.

29. A memory medium embodying a computer program for a central processing element for gathering information from traffic flowing in communication networks, wherein the central processing element is arranged to co-operate with at least one network element, via which the traffic flow passes and network operator systems, and wherein the computer program controls the central processing element

to receive events generated in a network element on the basis of the traffic flow and predefined instructions, an event being a piece of information indicating that a certain matter has occurred in the traffic flow,

to analyse said events according to business logic comprised in the central processing element, and

to convey on the basis of said analysis information to the network operator systems.