CHARGING SYSTEM FOR A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090291667A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fratti, Marco, Vakil, Faramak, Kumar, Surender, Boscovic, Dragan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 12/1475 the splitting involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• 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 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A communication system comprises network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) and user equipments (101), at least some of which comprise a charging proxy (205). The system further comprises a charging server (111) which includes a topic controller (305) for initializing charging topics where each charging topic is associable with charging data. The charging server (111) furthermore comprises functionality for registering proxies as subscribing proxies or publishing proxies (or both) for the different charging topics. A receiver (301, 311) receives charging data messages from charging proxies and validates a first set of charging data belonging to a first charging topic in response to a first set of charging proxies registered as publishing proxies for the first charging topic. A charging data transmitter (313) transmits the first set of charging data to a second set of charging proxies registered as subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.

Claims

1. A charging system for a communication system, the charging system comprising:

a plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) of a fixed network of the communication system;

a plurality of user equipments (101) of the communication system, at least some of the plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) and the plurality of user equipments (101) comprising a charging proxy (205); and

a charging server (111) comprising;

a topic controller (305) for initializing charging topics, each charging topic being associable with charging data,

a publication controller (307) for, for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as publishing proxies,

a subscription controller (309) for, for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as subscribing proxies,

a receiver (301) for receiving charging data messages from proxies,

a charging data receiver (311) for validating a first set of charging data belonging to a first charging topic in response to a first set of charging proxies registered as publishing proxies for the first charging topic, and

a transmitter (313) for transmitting the first set of charging data to a second set of charging proxies registered as subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.

2. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging data receiver (311) is arranged to include charging data of charging data messages in the first set of charging data only for charging data messages received from charging proxies of first set of charging proxies.

3. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) comprises at least one network element selected from the group consisting of:

a network operator billing network element; and

a third-party service provision network element.

4. The charging system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the charging proxies are arranged to transmit a charging event message in response to a detection that a charging condition has been met, the charging event message being associated with a charging topic.

5. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging server (111) is arranged to distribute reporting requirements for the first topic to at least the first set of charging proxies, and wherein each charging proxy of the first set of charging proxies is arranged to generate charging data messages in response to the reporting requirements.

6. The charging system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the charging proxies are arranged to transmit a charging topic setup request to the charging server;

and wherein the topic controller (305) is arranged to initialize a charging topic in response to receiving the charging topic setup request.

7. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter (313) is arranged to broadcast charging topic characterizing data messages for the charging topics to the charging proxies.

8. The charging system of claim 7 wherein the broadcast charging topic characterizing data message for a first charging topic comprises characterizing data for the first charging topic originating from at least one of a publishing charging proxy and an originating charging proxy for the first charging topic.

9. The charging system of claim 7 wherein at least some of the charging topic characterizing data messages comprise data selected from the group consisting of:

requirement data for publishing proxies for a charging topic;

requirement data for subscribing proxies for a charging topic; and

charging event reporting requirement data for a charging topic.

10. The charging system of claim 1 further comprising:

a billing processor (109) for generating communication service charging data for at least one communication service in response to the charging data messages and the charging topics.

11. The charging system of claim 10 wherein the billing processor (109) is arranged to combine charging data for a plurality of charging topics when generating the communication service charging data for the at least one communication service.

12. The charging system of claim 10 wherein the at least one communication service is a composite communication service comprising a plurality of different communication services at least some of which are associated with different charging topics of a plurality of charging topics.

13. The charging system of claim 10 wherein the billing processor (109) is arranged to combine charging data from a plurality of charging proxies when generating the communication service charging data for the at least one communication service.

14. The charging system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the charging topics relates to at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:

a communication service;

a third-party identity;

a charging discount; and

an advertisement activity.

15. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging server (111) is arranged to combine charging data from a plurality of charging data messages for a first charging topic into composite charging data;

and wherein the transmitter (313) is arranged to transmit the composite charging data to subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.

16. A charging server (111) for a communication system, the communication system including a plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) of a fixed network and a plurality of user equipments (101), at least some of the plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) and the plurality of user equipments (101) comprising a charging proxy (205), the charging server (111) comprising:

a topic controller (305) for initializing charging topics, each charging topic being associable with charging data;

a publication controller (307) for, for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as publishing proxies;

a subscription controller (309) for, for each of the charging topics, registering proxies of the charging proxies as subscribing proxies;

a receiver (301) for receiving charging data messages from charging proxies;

a charging data receiver (311) for validating a first set of charging data belonging to a first charging topic in response to a first set of charging proxies registered as publishing proxies for the first charging topic; and

a transmitter (313) for transmitting the first set of charging data to a second set of charging proxies registered as subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.

17. A method of operation for a communication system, the communication system including a plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) of a fixed network and a plurality of user equipments (101), at least some of the plurality of network elements (103, 105, 107, 109) and the plurality of user equipments (101) comprising a charging proxy, the method comprising:

initializing (401) charging topics, each charging topic being associable with charging data;

for each of the charging topics, registering (403) proxies of the charging proxies as publishing proxies;

for each of the charging topics, registering (405) proxies of the charging proxies as subscribing proxies;

receiving (407) charging data messages from proxies;

validating (409) a first set of charging data belonging to a first charging topic in response to a first set of charging proxies registered as publishing proxies for the first charging topic; and

transmitting (411) the first set of charging data to a second set of charging proxies registered as subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

distributing reporting requirements for the first topic to at least the first set of charging proxies.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

initializing a charging topic in response to receiving a charging topic setup request.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

combining charging data from a plurality of charging data messages for the first charging topic into composite charging data; and

transmitting the composite charging data to subscribing proxies for the first charging topic.