PROVIDING A NETWORK NODE WITH SERVICE REFERENCE INFORMATION

• US 20090059904A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: EIKKULA, Jari
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/48 Sending information over a non-traffic network channel or another connection than the one actually used, e.g. signalling, D-channel, data and voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

Service reference information is added to an IP telephony signaling protocol message and the IP telephony signaling protocol message is then sent to the network node in order to provide a network node using the IP telephony signaling protocol, e.g., SIP, with service reference information needed for billing purposes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

adding non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information to an IP telephony signaling protocol message; and

sending the IP telephony signaling protocol message to a network node.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said IP telephony signaling protocol message is a message initiating a session.

3. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

routing a call to the network node via an entry point; and

performing said adding in the entry point.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least the address of the entry point is added as service reference information to the IP telephony signaling protocol message.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service reference information comprises CAMEL-related information, the method further comprising:

routing a call to the network node via an entry point;

generating a CAMEL call reference number for the call in the entry point; and

adding at least the CAMEL call reference number as said service reference information to the IP telephony signaling protocol message in the entry point.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service reference information comprises CAMEL-related information, the method further comprising

routing a call to the network node via an entry point;

generating a CAMEL call reference number for the call in the entry point; and

coding the CAMEL call reference number and the address of the entry point to a digit string; and

adding at least the digit string as service reference information to the IP telephony signaling protocol message in the entry point.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said IP telephony signaling protocol message is a response message acknowledging a message invoking a session.

8. A method according to claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving an IP telephony signaling protocol message in a network node serving a called subscriber; and

adding at least the address of said network node serving a called subscriber as service reference information to the response message.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service reference information comprises CAMEL-related information and said IP telephony signaling protocol message is a response message acknowledging a message invoking a session, the method further comprising:

receiving an IP telephony signaling protocol message invoking a session in a network node serving a called subscriber;

generating a CAMEL call reference number for the call in said network node serving a called subscriber; and

adding at least the CAMEL call reference number as service reference information to the response message in said node serving a called subscriber.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service reference information comprises CAMEL-related information and said IP telephony signaling protocol message is a response message acknowledging a message invoking a session, the method further comprising:

receiving an IP telephony signaling protocol message in a network node serving a called subscriber;

generating a CAMEL call reference number for the call in said network node serving a called subscriber;

coding the CAMEL call reference number and the address of said network node serving a called subscriber to a digit string; and

adding at least the digit string as service reference information to the response message.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service reference information comprises OSA-related information.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service reference information comprises Parlay API-related information.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said IP telephony signaling protocol comprises SIP.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said IP telephony signaling protocol comprises H.323.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said service reference information comprises CAMEL-related information added to the header of the IP telephony signaling protocol message.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein said service reference information comprises CAMEL-related information added to the body of the SIP message.

30. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information comprises a charging identifier generated to be used in billing as charging correlation information.

17. A communications system providing IP telephony, the system comprising:

user equipment;

a first network node; and

a second network node,

wherein the first network node is arranged to add non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information relating to a call made to the user equipment to an IP telephony signaling protocol message and to send the IP telephony signaling protocol message to the second network node; and

the second network node is arranged to separate the service reference information from the IP telephony signaling protocol message.

18. A communications system according to claim 17, wherein

the first network node is arranged to add its address as service reference information to the IP telephony signaling protocol message.

19. A communications system according to claim 17, wherein

the communications system provides a CAMEL service;

and

the first network node is arranged to generate a CAMEL call reference number and to add at least the generated CAMEL call reference number as service reference information to the IP telephony signaling protocol message.

20. A communications system providing IP telephony, the system comprising:

user equipment;

a first network node; and

a second network node,

wherein the first network node is arranged

to add first service reference information relating to a call made to the user equipment to an IP telephony signaling protocol message initiating a session,

to send the IP telephony signaling protocol message initiating a session to the second network node,

to receive a response message acknowledging the IP telephony signaling protocol message initiating a session, and

to separate second service reference information relating to the call from the SIP response message;

wherein the second network node is arranged

to separate the first service reference information from the IP telephony signaling protocol message initiating a session,

to add the second service reference information to the response message and

to send the response message to the first network node,

wherein the first service reference information is non-IP telephony signaling protocol service information.

21. A network node in a communications system providing IP telephony, wherein the network node comprises means for adding non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information to an IP telephony signaling protocol message.

23. A network node according to claim 21, wherein the network node comprises a call state control function configured to generate the non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information.

31. A network node according to claim 23, wherein the call state control function is configured to generate, as the non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information, a charging identifier to be used in billing as charging correlation information.

22. A network node in a communications system providing IP telephony, wherein the network node comprises means for separating non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information from an IP telephony signaling protocol message.

24. A processor configured to add non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information to an IP telephony signaling protocol message.

25. A processor configured to separate non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information from an IP telephony signaling protocol message.

26. A processor configured to separate a charging identifier to be used in billing as charging correlation information from an SIP message.

27. A processor configured to generate a charging identifier to be used in billing as charging correlation information and to add at least the charging identifier to an SIP message.

28. A computer readable medium having a computer-executable software routine comprising adding non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information to an IP telephony signaling protocol message.

29. A computer readable medium having a computer-executable software routine comprising separating non-IP telephony signaling protocol service reference information from an IP telephony signaling protocol message.