Mobile-radio network with debit accounts

• US 5,592,535 A
• Filed: 04/02/1996
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Sel AG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Sel AG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Klotz, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US08/630,727
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 235/280, 364/408
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• 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 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13527 protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A mobile-radio network (MRS) includes a mobile switching center (MSC) for receiving incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers (A). In response to the incoming calls, certain ones of the incoming calls are selected if the respective mobile-radio subscriber (A) has a debit account assigned to it and the debit account has a credit balance. The credit balance is compared with a predetermined minimum balance (Dmin1) and a call is completed if the credit balance exceeds the predetermined minimum balance. The debit account for the respective mobile-radio subscriber is charged a unit fee. Incorporated in the mobile switching center (MSC) is a service switching point (SSP). Additionally, a service control point (SCP) is connected to the service switching point and includes an arithmetic unit (DC) for call charging. The mobile-radio network structure makes it possible to establish connections and charge incoming calls using simple exchange protocols (INAP) without having to change conventional network protocols (MAP).

Claims

1. A mobile-radio network comprising:

a mobile switching center for receiving incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers, said mobile switching center including means responsive to said incoming calls for selecting incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers having a predetermined subscriber profile, the predetermined subscriber profile indicating that an incoming call is from a respective mobile-radio subscriber having a debit account, and

network elements of an intelligent network connected to said mobile switching center, said mobile switching center forwarding the selected incoming calls to said network elements, said network elements including;

means for storing, for at least one respective mobile-radio subscriber, a debit account having a credit balance indicative of an amount of credit, and

means responsive to a selected incoming call from the respective mobile-radio subscriber;

for accessing the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber,

for comparing the credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber with a first predetermined minimum balance,

for establishing a connection for the selected incoming call from the respective mobile-radio subscriber if the credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber exceeds said predetermined minimum balance,

for, once the connection is established, charging the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber by consecutively deducting a unit fee, and

for releasing the connection for the selected incoming call if the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber shows no credit balance.

2. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network elements comprise a service switching point, which is connected to or incorporated in the mobile switching center, and a service control point, which is connected to the service switching point, the service control point storing debit accounts and including an arithmetic unit for call charging.

3. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 2 wherein the service switching point and the service control point exchange protocols which are standardized in the intelligent network.

4. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 2 wherein the service switching point includes signaling means for signalling call charge information to a respective mobile-radio subscriber.

5. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 4 wherein the signalling means signals the call charge information in accordance with a short-message protocol when the arithmetic unit determines that the credit balance has fallen below a given amount.

10. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means responsive to said incoming calls includes means for evaluating a predetermined subscriber profile contained in a digital word.

11. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 10, wherein said digital word includes an additional bit which indicates whether a mobile-radio subscriber has an assigned debit account.

12. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means responsive to said incoming calls includes means for evaluating a predetermined subscriber profile contained in a digital word.

13. A mobile-radio network as claimed in claim 12, wherein said digital word includes an additional bit which indicates whether a mobile-radio subscriber has an assigned debit account stored in the service control point.

6. A method of establishing a connection and charging incoming calls in a mobile-radio network comprising a mobile switching center and network elements of an intelligent network, the network elements including a service switching point which is connected to or incorporated in the mobile switching center and a service control point which is connected to the service switching point, the method comprising the following steps:

storing in the service control point, for at least one respective mobile-radio subscriber, a debit account having a credit balance indicative of an amount of credit;

receiving incoming calls from mobile-radio subscribers at the mobile switching center;

selecting incoming calls that have a predetermined subscriber profile, the predetermined subscriber profile indicating that an incoming call is from a respective mobile-radio subscriber having a debit account;

forwarding the selected calls to the service switching point;

accessing the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber for each selected incoming call;

comparing the credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber to a predetermined minimum balance;

establishing a connection for a selected incoming call if the debit account of the respective mobile-radio subscriber shows a credit balance greater than the predetermined minimum balance;

once a connection is established, charging for the selected incoming call by consecutively deducting a predetermined unit fee from the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber; and

releasing the connection for the selected incoming call if the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber shows no credit balance.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the following steps are taken between the steps of charging for the selected incoming call and releasing the connection:

after each consecutive deduction of the unit fee, determining a current credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber; and

signaling the current credit balance to the respective mobile-radio subscriber by means of a short-message protocol.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the following steps are taken between the steps of charging for the selected incoming call and releasing the connection:

after each consecutive deduction of the unit fee, determining a current credit balance in the debit account of the respective mobile radio subscriber; and

signaling the current credit balance to the respective mobile-radio subscriber by means of a short-message protocol if the magnitude of the current credit balance corresponds to a predetermined minimum value.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the predetermined minimum value corresponds to a predetermined credit balance.