SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING ADVICE OF CHARGES FOR SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICE

• US 20090137226A1
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: LI, Chun, SHAN, Mingjun
• Application Number:
  US12/360,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20090137226A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8154 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for implementing an AoC supplementary service so as to conveniently provide the user with more enriched AoC information. The method comprises: an application server receiving a service request initiated by a user terminal; the AS establishing a charging session with a charging system after receiving the request; the charging system transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session and the application server transmitting the AoC information to the user terminal. The system of the present invention comprises: a user terminal, an application server, and a charging system; the user terminal is adapted to transmit a service request to the application server; the application server is adapted to establish a charging session with the charging system after receiving the request; the charging system transmits the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session. The present invention can simplify the transmission of the AoC information and enrich the content contained in the AoC information.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an Advice of Charge (AoC) supplementary service comprising:

establishing, by an application server, a charging session with a charging system;

obtaining, by the charging system, AoC information, and transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session;

transmitting, by the application server, the AoC information to a user terminal.

2. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 1, wherein after establishing a charging session, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the application server, at least one of an AoC information content customization request and a trigger condition customization request to the charging system, according to a request from one of the terminal and the property service; and

verifying, by the charging system, at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition customization request.

3. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

setting, by the user terminal, customization of at least one of the AoC information and a trigger condition to the charging system, through a pre-set service configuration platform; and

verifying, by the charging system, at least one of the AoC information and the trigger condition, and saving at least one of the AoC information and the trigger condition when the verification is successful;

wherein, obtaining, by the charging system, the AoC information comprises;

acquiring, by the charging system, the AoC information according to at least one of the content customization request and the trigger condition.

4. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 2, wherein the verifying, by the charging system, at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition customization request comprises:

receiving, by the charging system, at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition customization request transmitted by the application server; and

verifying, by the charging system, at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition customization request according to a pre-set internal strategy for the trigger condition and information of the user itself.

5. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 2, wherein transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session by the charging system comprises:

receiving, by the charging system, an AoC information enquiry request from the application server and generating the AoC information according to the AoC information enquiry request and the AoC information content customization request; and

returning, by the charging system, to the application server an enquiry response information carrying the AoC information.

6. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 2, wherein transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session by the charging system comprises:

generating, by the charging system, the AoC information according to the received AoC information content customization request, when the charging system detects that the trigger condition is satisfied; and

transmitting, by the charging system, an update request carrying the AoC information to the application server through a charging interface.

7. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 2, wherein transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session by the charging system comprises:

transmitting, by the charging system, a reminder to the application server, when the charging system detected that the trigger condition is satisfied; and

generating by the charging system, the AoC information satisfying the trigger condition and transmitting the AoC information to the application server through an enquiry response, when the charging system receiving an AoC information enquiry request from the application server.

8. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 1, wherein transmitting the AoC information to the user terminal by the application server comprises:

processing, by the application server, the received AoC information; and

transmitting the AoC information to the user terminal for displaying the AoC information by a user terminal.

9. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 8, wherein the processing comprises at least one of:

adding comments related to a service; and

and converting the AoC information to a format required for the application server to interact with the user terminal.

10. A method for implementing an AoC supplementary service, comprising:

establishing a charging session with an application server;

acquiring AoC information; and

transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session, wherein the application server transmits the AoC information to a user terminal.

11. The method for implementing an AoC supplementary service of claim 10, wherein after establishing a charging session the method further comprises:

receiving and verifying at least one of an AoC information content customization request and a trigger condition customization request from the application server; and

acquiring the AoC information according to at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition customization request, when the verification is successful.

12. The method for implementing the AoC supplementary service of claim 10, wherein before establishing the charging session, the method further comprises:

verifying, at least one of the AoC information and a trigger condition which is set by the user terminal, and saving them when the verification is successful; and

acquiring the AoC information according to at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition.

13. The method for implementing the AoC supplementary service of claim 11, wherein the transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session by the charging system comprises:

receiving, an AoC information enquiry request from the application server, and generating the AoC information according to the AoC information enquiry request and the received AoC information content customization request; and

returning, to the application server an enquiry response carrying the AoC information.

19. The method for implementing the AoC supplementary service of claim 11, wherein the transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session by the charging system comprises:

generating, the AoC information according to the received AoC information content customization request, when the charging system detected that a trigger condition is satisfied; and

transmitting, an update request carrying the AoC information to the application server through a charging interface;

20. The method for implementing the AoC supplementary service of claim 11, wherein the transmitting the AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session by the charging system comprises:

transmitting, a reminder to the application server, when the charging system detected that a trigger condition is satisfied;

generating the AoC information satisfying the trigger condition; and

transmitting the AoC information to the application server through an enquiry response upon receiving an AoC information enquiry request from the application server.

14. A charging system, comprising:

a session unit, adapted to establish a channel used for a charging session with an application server and conduct the charging session; and

an AoC information processing unit, adapted to acquire the AoC information and transmit the AoC information through the channel for the charging session.

15. The charging system of claim 14, wherein the system further comprises:

a verification unit, adapted to receive and verify at least one of an AoC information content customization request and a trigger condition customization request and inform the AoC information processing unit when the verification is successful after establishing the charging session; and

receive and verify at least one of AoC information and a trigger condition and save them if the verification is successful, before establishing the charging session; and

wherein the AoC information processing unit is adapted to acquire the AoC information according to at least one of the AoC information content customization request and the trigger condition customization request.

16. A system for implementing an AoC supplementary service, comprising:

an application server, adapted to receive a service request from a user terminal, establish a charging session; and

a charging system, adapted to transmit AoC information to the application server through a channel for the charging session.

17. An application server, comprising:

a session unit, adapted to establish a channel for a charging session with a charging system and performing the charging session, and transmitting received AoC information to a user terminal through the channel for the charging session.

18. The application server of claim 17, further comprising:

a customization unit for transmitting at least one of an AoC information content customization request and a trigger condition customization request to the charging system, according to at least one of a request from the user terminal and a property of a service.