CHARGING FOR OPERATOR-ASSISTED SESSIONS IN IMS NETWORKS

• US 20110078061A1
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Xiangyang, Cai, Yigang
• Granted Patent: US 9,424,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• 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 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

IMS networks and methods are disclosed for charging for operator-assisted sessions. To perform the charging, an operator assistance application server (AS) acts as an interface between an operator system (legacy or IMS) and charging systems for the IMS network. When an operator-assisted session is initiated in the IMS network, the operator assistance AS receives a session initiation message in SIP, and transmits the session initiation message to the operator system to allow the operator system to collect charging information from an end user. The operator assistance AS then receives a service request message from the operator system that includes the collected charging information, and detects a charging event. The operator assistance AS generates a Diameter charging request message, maps the charging information from the service request message to the Diameter charging request message, and transmits the Diameter charging request message to a charging system to charge for the operator-assisted session.

Claims

1. An operator assistance application server, comprising:

an interface system operable to receive a session initiation message in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for an operator-assisted session in an IMS network, to transmit the session initiation message to an operator system to allow the operator system to collect charging information from an end user of the operator-assisted session, and to receive a service request message from the operator system that includes the collected charging information; and

a charging function operable to detect a charging event responsive to receiving the service request message, to generate a Diameter charging request message, to map the charging information from the service request message to the Diameter charging request message, and to transmit the Diameter charging request message to a charging system in the IMS network.

2. The application server of claim 1 further comprising a service connection system, wherein:

the charging function is further operable to receive a Diameter charging response message from the charging system either authorizing or rejecting the operator-assisted session; and

the service connection system is operable to initiate a requested service for the operator-assisted session if the charging system authorized the operator-assisted session.

3. The application server of claim 1 wherein:

if the operator system comprises a legacy system, then the interface system is further operable to convert the session initiation message from SIP to a legacy signaling protocol before transmitting the session initiation message to the operator system.

4. The application server of claim 1 wherein:

the charging function is further operable to process the charging information to determine if the operator-assisted session comprises a prepaid session or a postpaid session; and

if the operator-assisted session comprises a prepaid session, then the charging function is further operable to format the charging information into a Diameter Ro Credit Control Request (CCR) message, and to transmit the CCR message to an Online Charging System (OCS) in the IMS network.

5. The application server of claim 4 wherein:

if the operator-assisted session comprises a postpaid session, then the charging function is further operable to format the charging information into a Diameter Rf Accounting Request (ACR) message, and to transmit the ACR message to an Offline Charging System (OFCS) in the IMS network.

6. The application server of claim 1 further comprising:

an automated operator system operable to prompt the end user for the charging information responsive to receiving the session initiation message, to collect the charging information from the end user, to prompt the end user for the service request for the operator-assisted session, and to transmit a service request message to the charging function that includes the charging information.

7. A method of providing operator assistance in an IMS network, the method comprising:

receiving a session initiation message in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for an operator-assisted session in an IMS network;

transmitting the session initiation message to an operator system to allow the operator system to collect charging information from an end user of the operator-assisted session;

receiving a service request message from the operator system that includes the collected charging information;

detecting a charging event responsive to receiving the service request message;

generating a Diameter charging request message;

mapping the charging information from the service request message to the Diameter charging request message; and

transmitting the Diameter charging request message to a charging system in the IMS network.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a Diameter charging response message from the charging system either authorizing or rejecting the operator-assisted session; and

initiating a requested service for the operator-assisted session if the charging system authorized the operator-assisted session.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein if the operator system comprises a legacy system, then the method further comprises:

converting the session initiation message from SIP to a legacy signaling protocol before transmitting the session initiation message to the operator system.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

processing the charging information to determine if the operator-assisted session comprises a prepaid session or a postpaid session; and

if the operator-assisted session comprises a prepaid session, then formatting the charging information into a Diameter Ro Credit Control Request (CCR) message, and transmitting the CCR message to an Online Charging System (OCS) in the IMS network.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

if the operator-assisted session comprises a postpaid session, then formatting the charging information into a Diameter Rf Accounting Request (ACR) message, and transmitting the ACR message to an Offline Charging System (OFCS) in the IMS network.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

prompting the end user for the charging information responsive to receiving the session initiation message;

collecting the charging information from the end user; and

prompting the end user for the service request for the operator-assisted session.

13. An IMS network, comprising:

an online charging system (OCS) operable to perform online charging;

an offline charging system (OFCS) operable to perform offline charging; and

an operator assistance application server operable to receive a session initiation message in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for an operator-assisted session, to transmit the session initiation message to an operator system to allow the operator system to collect charging information from an end user of the operator-assisted session, to receive a service request message from the operator system that includes the collected charging information, to detect a charging event responsive to receiving the service request message, to generate a Diameter charging request message, to map the charging information from the service request message to the Diameter charging request message, and to transmit the Diameter charging request message to either the OCS or the OFCS.

14. The IMS network of claim 13 wherein:

the operator assistance application server is further operable to receive a Diameter charging response message from the OCS or the OFCS either authorizing or rejecting the operator-assisted session, and to initiate a requested service for the operator-assisted session if the OCS or the OFCS authorized the operator-assisted session.

15. The IMS network of claim 13 wherein:

if the operator system comprises a legacy system, then the operator assistance application server is further operable to convert the session initiation message from SIP to a legacy signaling protocol before transmitting the session initiation message to the operator system.

16. The IMS network of claim 13 wherein:

the operator assistance application server is further operable to process the charging information to determine if the operator-assisted session comprises a prepaid session or a postpaid session; and

if the operator-assisted session comprises a prepaid session, then the operator assistance application server is further operable to format the charging information into a Diameter Ro Credit Control Request (CCR) message, and to transmit the CCR message to the OCS.

17. The IMS network of claim 16 wherein:

if the operator-assisted session comprises a postpaid session, then the operator assistance application server is further operable to format the charging information into a Diameter Rf Accounting Request (ACR) message, and to transmit the ACR message to the OFCS.

18. The IMS network of claim 13 wherein:

the operator assistance application server is further operable to prompt the end user for the charging information responsive to receiving the session initiation message, to collect the charging information from the end user, and to prompt the end user for the service request for the operator-assisted session.