SYSTEMS FOR ENABLING SUBSCRIBER MONITORING OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK USAGE AND SERVICE PLANS

• US 20120276867A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Openet Telecom Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Openet Telecom Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: MCNAMEE, Alan, DUNNE, Cameron Ross, HOGAN, Joe, LEHANE, Bart, D'SOUZA, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/65 Off-line charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/71 Modifying recharging resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/723 using the user's device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8022 Determining tariff or charge band
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Methods, servers and systems for directly accessing and modify charging information maintained within a telecommunications operator'"'"'s business and operating systems'"'"' infrastructure from user equipment. A mobile application server may receive a charging request from a user equipment, identify a relevant charging system based on the received request, send a charging request to the identified charging system for processing, receive a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system, generate a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message, and send the generated second response message to the user equipment. The received charging request may include various types of information, including information for transferring cost or billing information from a first billing category to a second billing category.

Claims

1. A method of accessing live charging information in a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving in a mobile application server a first charging request from a user equipment;

identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request;

generating a second charging request message based on the first charging request;

sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system for processing;

receiving in the mobile application server a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system in response to sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system;

generating in the mobile application server a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message; and

sending from the mobile application server the generated second response message to the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes at least one of:

charging information associated with a specific network subscriber;

charging information associated with a subscriber defined counter;

charging information associated with a specific service for the specific network subscriber;

charging information associated with non-telecommunications related service; and

charging information associated with specific devices belonging to the specific network subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system for processing comprises sending a charging request that instructs the identified charging system to modify charging information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a threshold based on information included in the first charging request.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending a notification to the user equipment when the set threshold is breached.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request comprises:

receiving information from subscriber repository;

determining a charging system type based on the information received from subscriber repository; and

identifying the relevant charging system based on the determined charging system type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request comprises identifying one of an online charging system (OCS) and an offline charging system (OFCS).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting future charging spending balances and rates based on the charging information included in the first response message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes information for obtaining network connectivity without having a prior commercial relationship.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes loyalty information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes information for transferring cost information from a first billing category to a second billing category.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first charging request from a user equipment;

identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request;

generating a second charging request message based on the first charging request;

sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system for processing;

receiving a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system in response to sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system;

generating a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message; and

sending the generated second response message to the user equipment.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes at least one of:

charging information associated with a specific network subscriber;

charging information associated with a subscriber defined counter;

charging information associated with a specific service for the specific network subscriber;

charging information associated with non-telecommunications related service; and

charging information associated with specific devices belonging to the specific network subscriber.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system for processing comprises sending a charging request that instructs the identified charging system to modify charging information.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

setting a threshold based on information included in the first charging request.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

sending a notification to the user equipment when the set threshold is breached.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request comprises:

receiving information from subscriber repository;

determining a charging system type based on the information received from subscriber repository; and

identifying the relevant charging system based on the determined charging system type.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request comprises identifying one of an online charging system (OCS) and an offline charging system (OFCS).

19. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

predicting future charging spending balances and rates based on the charging information included in the first response message.

20. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes information for obtaining network connectivity without having a prior commercial relationship.

21. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes loyalty information.

22. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes information for transferring cost information from a first billing category to a second billing category.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations for accessing live charging information in a telecommunications network comprising:

receiving a first charging request from a user equipment;

identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request;

generating a second charging request message based on the first charging request;

sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system for processing;

receiving a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system in response to sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system;

generating a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message; and

sending the generated second response message to the user equipment.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes at least one of:

charging information associated with a specific network subscriber;

charging information associated with a subscriber defined counter;

charging information associated with a specific service for the specific network subscriber;

charging information associated with non-telecommunications related service; and

charging information associated with specific devices belonging to the specific network subscriber.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that sending the generated second charging request to the identified charging system for processing comprises sending a charging request that instructs the identified charging system to modify charging information.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations comprising:

setting a threshold based on information included in the first charging request.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations comprising:

sending a notification to the user equipment when the set threshold is breached.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request comprises:

receiving information from subscriber repository;

determining a charging system type based on the information received from subscriber repository; and

identifying the relevant charging system based on the determined charging system type.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that identifying a relevant charging system based on the first charging request comprises identifying one of an online charging system (OCS) and an offline charging system (OFCS).

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations comprising:

predicting future charging spending balances and rates based on the charging information included in the first response message.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes information for obtaining network connectivity without having a prior commercial relationship.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes loyalty information.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor of a mobile application server to perform operations such that receiving a first charging request from a user equipment comprises receiving a charging request that includes information for transferring cost information from a first billing category to a second billing category.