METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20120096156A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Kvernvik, Tor, Svensson, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing labelling information to a third party regarding terminal users in a communication network. A labelling unit receives communication related data generated from executed communications of the terminal users, and fetches stored labelling rules which have been configured specifically for the third party. The labelling unit then converts the communication related data into labelling information, where a communication habits vector is determined by applying the fetched labelling rules on the received communication related data, and the labelling information is determined for the terminal user(s) based on the resulting communication habits vector. The determined labelling information is finally delivered to the third party.

Claims

1. A method of providing labelling information to a receiving third party regarding one or more terminal users in a communication network, comprising the following steps executed by a labelling unit connected to a data mining system:

receiving communication related data generated from executed communications of said one or more terminal users;

fetching stored labelling rules which have been configured specifically for the third party;

converting the received communication related data into labelling information, wherein a communication habits vector is determined by applying the fetched labelling rules on the received communication related data, and the labelling information is determined for the terminal user(s) based on the resulting communication habits vector, said labelling information representing a description of the terminal user(s) with respect to their communication habits; and

delivering the determined labelling information to the third party.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the delivered labelling information includes a label, category or class of the terminal user(s) as defined by the labelling rules.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the labelling information is described with a terminology independent on the underlying traffic types and communication techniques.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the labelling information is delivered using a protocol and an interface adapted to the third party.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the labelling rules are configured by defining the communication habits vector as a plurality of measurable communication habits parameters, and configuring parameter thresholds or intervals as limits for predefined user labels, classes or categories.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the communication habits vector is determined by determining the values of the communication habits parameters from the received communication related data, and a user label, class or category is determined based on said preconfigured limits for each parameter in the communication habits vector.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said communication habits vector is representative for a single terminal user or a cluster of plural terminal users having similar communication habits.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communication related data is received from a Data Mining Engine (DME) as processed by one or more Machine Learning Algorithms (MLAs).

9. A labelling unit connected to a data mining system for providing labelling information to a receiving third party regarding one or more terminal users in a communication network, comprising:

a receiving unit adapted to receive communication related data generated from executed communications of said one or more terminal users;

a converting unit adapted to fetch stored labelling rules which have been configured specifically for the third party, and to convert the received communication related data into labelling information, including determining values of parameters in a communication habits vector by applying the fetched labelling rules on the received communication related data, and determining labelling information for the terminal user(s) based on the communication habits vector, said labelling information representing a description of the terminal user(s) with respect to their communication habits; and

a delivery unit adapted to deliver the determined labelling information to the third party.

10. A labelling unit according to claim 9, wherein the delivered labelling information includes a label, category or class of the terminal user(s) as defined by the labelling rules.

11. A labelling unit according to claim 9, wherein the labelling information is described with a terminology independent on the underlying traffic types and communication techniques.

12. A labelling unit according to claim 9, wherein the labelling information is delivered using a protocol and an interface adapted to the third party.

13. A labelling unit according to claim 9, further comprising a storage unit in which the labelling rules have been configured by defining the communication habits vector as a plurality of measurable communication habits parameters, and in which parameter thresholds or intervals have been configured as limits for predefined user labels, classes or categories.

14. A labelling unit according to claim 13, wherein the converting unit is further adapted to determine the communication habits vector by determining the values of the communication habits parameters from the received communication related data, and determining a user label, class or category based on said preconfigured limits for each parameter in the communication habits vector.

15. A labelling unit according to claim 9, wherein said communication habits vector is representative for a single terminal user or a cluster of plural terminal users having similar communication habits.

16. A labelling unit according to claim 9, wherein the receiving unit is further adapted to receive the communication related data from a Data Mining Engine (DME) as processed by one or more Machine Learning Algorithms (MLAs).

17. A labelling unit according to claim 9, wherein the converting unit includes one or more of:

a social network module adapted to create labelling information relating to social network relations of the users;

a profile module adapted to generate a profile of a user by customising the user profile expressed in a format used by a DME from which the communication related data is received; and

a cluster module adapted to generate a profile of a cluster of users by customising the cluster profile expressed in said format used by the DME.