SYSTEM AND METHOD OPERABLE TO ENABLE SHORTEST CONNECTION ROUTE

• US 20120008564A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse International SA
• Original Assignee: Synapse International SA
• Inventors: Bergqvist, Per, Willehadson, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• 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 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8061 Selecting least cost route depending on origin or type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7464 Select transport technology for a given service, e.g. use for data connection WLAN rather than GSM/UMTS/GPRS or use company's communication network rather than a public network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7471 Select route depending on origin or type of service, e.g. route TDMA voice calls differently than VoIP calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber, when the mobile means has roamed between a home network comprised in the system, and a foreign network comprised in the system. When the mobile means requests connection to Internet I, a serving means comprised in the foreign network is operable to communicate with, and to receive information regarding a voucher, representing an amount of money, regarding the foreign network, from a voucher registry means comprised in the system. If a voucher, representing enough amount of money, is registered in the voucher registry means, the serving means is operable to route a packet to a gateway means comprised in the foreign network. The gateway means is operable to allocate an IP address for the mobile means and to function as an access point to Internet I.

Claims

1. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber, when said mobile means has roamed between a home network comprised in said system, and a foreign network comprised in said system, wherein, when said mobile means requests connection to Internet, a serving means comprised in said foreign network is operable to communicate with, and to receive information regarding a voucher, representing an amount of money, regarding said foreign network, from a voucher registry means comprised in said system, and if a voucher, representing enough amount of money, is registered in said voucher registry means, said serving means is operable to route a packet to a gateway means comprised in said foreign network, wherein said gateway means is operable to allocate an IP address for said mobile means and to function as an access point to Internet.

2. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 1, wherein said gateway means also is operable to count every byte transferred to/from said mobile means, and to communicate said count of bytes to said serving means, which in turn also is operable to deduct an amount of money corresponding to said count of bytes from said amount of money represented by said voucher, and to register a new amount of money for said voucher in said voucher registry means.

3. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 1, wherein said serving means also is operable, if the amount of money represented by said voucher decreases to zero, to stop the connection to Internet via said gateway means.

4. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 2, wherein said gateway means is operable to communicate said count of bytes to said serving means at the end of a session.

5. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 2, wherein said gateway means is operable to communicate said count of bytes to said serving means upon request.

6. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 1, wherein said serving means is in the form of a Serving GPRS Support Node.

7. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 1, wherein said gateway means is in the form of a Gateway GPRS Support Node.

8. A system operable to enable shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 1, wherein said mobile means is in the form of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a mobile computer.

9. A method for enabling shortest connection route, with the aid of a system, for a mobile means of a subscriber, when said mobile means has roamed between a home network comprised in said system, and a foreign network comprised in said system, wherein said method comprises the steps:

with the aid of said mobile means, to request connection to Internet;

with the aid of a serving means comprised in said foreign network, to communicate with, and to receive information regarding a voucher, representing an amount of money, regarding said foreign network, from a voucher registry means comprised in said system;

if a voucher, representing enough amount of money, is registered in said voucher registry means, with the aid of said serving means, to route a packet to a gateway means comprised in said foreign network; and

with the aid of said gateway means, to allocate an IP address for said mobile means, and to function as an access point to Internet.

10. A method for enabling shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 9, wherein said method also comprises the steps:

with the aid of said gateway means, to count every byte transferred to/from said mobile means;

to communicate said count of bytes to said serving means;

with the aid of said serving means, to deduct an amount of money corresponding to said count of bytes from said amount of money represented by said voucher; and

to register a new amount of money for said voucher in said voucher registry means.

11. A method for enabling shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 9, wherein said method also comprises the step:

if the amount of money represented by said voucher decreases to zero, with the aid of said serving means, to stop the connection to Internet via said gateway means.

12. A method for enabling shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 10, wherein said step to communicate said count of bytes to said serving means is performed at the end of a session.

13. A method for enabling shortest connection route for a mobile means of a subscriber according to claim 10, wherein said step to communicate said count of bytes to said serving means is performed upon request.

14. At least one computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of at least one digital computer comprising software code portions for performing the steps of claim 9 when said at least one product is/are run on said at least one computer.