Real-time network for distributed telecommunication accounting systems

• US 5,732,127 A
• Filed: 12/21/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Erricson Incorporated
• Inventors: Hayes, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/576,073
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/121, 379/126, 379/127, 379/133, 379/139, 379/229, 379/230, 379/201, 379/207, 379/221
• US Class Current: 379/114.28
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• 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: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A telecommunications switch serving a roaming mobile station transports the resulting billing records by setting up a communication link with an administrative billing center connected to a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network by utilizing Signal Connection Control Point (SCCP) signals. Once the connection is established between the telecommunication switch and the administrative billing center, Data Message Handler (DMH) formatted data are stored into a Data Form 2 (DT2) SCCP signal by the telecommunication switch and transported to the administrative billing center via the SS7 telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A system for communicating accounting messages within a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

an administrative center for collecting and analyzing accounting messages associated with telecommunications service being provided toward a particular telecommunications subscriber;

a switch node connected to said telecommunications network, said switch node providing telecommunications services to said telecommunications subscriber for which said accounting messages are generated, said switch node further comprising;

a first subsystem for formatting said accounting messages in accordance with a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard; and

a second subsystem for encapsulating said DMH formatted account messages within a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) protocol based signal and communicating said SCCP protocol based signal to said administrative center; and

a communication link connecting said node to said administrative center and transporting said SCCP protocol based signal encapsulating said DMH formatted account messages.

2. The System of claim 1 wherein said second subsystem utilizes a Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) SCCP Signal Data Form 2 (DT2) to encapsulate said DMH formatted accounting messages.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said communications link is configured in accordance with Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) protocols, and said administrative center comprises:

a first subsystem for receiving said SCCP protocol based signal over said communications link from said switch node using a Message Transfer Part (MTP) level of said Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) protocols;

a second subsystem for processing said SCCP protocol based signal, said second subsystem extracting said DMH formatted account messages encapsulated within said received SCCP protocol based signal and processing said extracted DMH formatted account messages.

4. A Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) network system for transporting accounting messages, said network system comprising:

a plurality of nodes, wherein certain ones of said nodes generate Data Message Handler (DMH) formatted accounting messages;

a plurality of communications links interconnecting said plurality of nodes;

a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) module within each of said nodes for encapsulating said DMH formatted accounting messages within a SCCP based signal; and

a Message Transfer Part (MTP) module within each of said nodes connected to said SCCP module for communicating said SCCP based signal encapsulating said DMH formatted accounting messages over said communications links.

5. The System of claim 4, wherein said SCCP based signal for encapsulating said DMH formatted accounting messages comprise SS7 SCCP Signal Data Form 2 (DT2) signal.

6. A method of transporting accounting data from a first node to a second node wherein said first node and second node are connected within a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network, said method comprises the steps of:

formatting said accounting data according to a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard

encapsulating said DMH formatted accounting data within a SS7 Signaling Connection Control Point (SCCP) based signal; and

transporting said SCCP based signal encapsulating said DMH formatted accounting data from said first node to said second node within said SS7 telecommunications network.

7. The method of transporting accounting data as claimed in claim 6, wherein said step of transporting said SCCP based signal includes the step of communicating a SS7 SCCP based Data Form 2 (DT2) signal encapsulating said DMH formatted data.

8. The method of transporting accounting data as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first node comprises a telecommunications switch.

9. The method of transporting accounting data as claimed in claim 6 wherein said second node comprises an administrative billing center.

10. A system for transporting accounting data from a first node to a second node within a Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) telecommunications network, wherein said system comprising:

means for collecting and formatting said accounting data according to a Data Message Handler (DMH) standard within said first node;

means for encapsulating said DMH formatted data within a SS7 Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) signal; and

means for transporting said SCCP based signal encapsulating said DMH formatted data from said first node to said second node.

11. A telecommunications system comprising:

a plurality of telecommunications switches, each switch generating a set of signaling messages to provide telecommunications services, and generating accounting messages formatted in accordance with a Data Message Handler Standard in response to the provision of said telecommunications services;

an administrative billing center for collecting and analyzing said accounting messages;

a Common Channel Signaling (CCS) network for interconnecting said plurality of telecommunications switches and said administrative billing center; and

a transport mechanism provided within each of said plurality of telecommunications switches for encapsulating said generated DMH formatted accounting messages within a CCS based signal and communicating said CCS based signal to said administrative center over said CCS network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said CCS telecommunications link comprises a CCS System No. 7 (SS7) protocol telecommunications link.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said CCS based signal comprises a Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) based signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said SCCP based signal comprises a SCCP based Data Form 2 (DT2) signal.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said administrative billing center further comprises an application module for receiving said transported SCCP based signal over said CCS network and extracting said encapsulated DMH formatted accounting messages within said SS7 based signal.