Service provision system for communications networks

• US 6,151,309 A
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Busuioc, Marius-Nicolae, Titmuss, Richard J., Winter, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US08/732,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/331, 370/338, 455/422, 455/432, 379/111, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/133
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13503 object-oriented systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13516 agents or brokers - user, terminal etc., also OSI agent/managers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13523 bandwidth management, e.g. capacity management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A services management system can provide services to a mobile user, via a combination of network platforms. The system uses "Co-operating Intelligent Software Agent" technology in a heterogeneous agent architecture to provide enough flexibility to deal with changing network constraints, for instance as the user moves. In an example, a fixed broadband network might be used in combination with radio transmitters of a mobile network. The agent architecture, involving autonomous agents working co-operatively, forms a layered system using the underlying fixed network for inter-agent communication. In an application, a mobile user might move from a cell of the mobile network which can provide relatively wide bandwidth to one which can only provide limited bandwidth. The service management system can advise the user what services are available in either cell, at what price, based on current bandwidth usage at the two locations. If the user was already using a service which became unavailable in the new cell, the system will advise the user and, if appropriate, put the service effectively on hold until the user enters a cell in which the service is available once more.

Claims

1. A service provision system for use with a communications network to provide a plurality of services to a network user, wherein data relevant to the plurality of services can be made available to the user dependent upon the location of the user within the network, and the user can select one or more services to be provided, said system including

control means comprising a plurality of software agents, individual agents of said plurality comprising data relevant to service provision the network,

updating means for updating data held by at least some of said software agents on a point-by-point continuous basis as the user changes location within the network,

the control means maintaining and communicating the updated data made available to the user and responsive to selection of a service by the user to trigger a process for providing the selected service to the user.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said communications network comprises at least in part a mobile communications network and the user has access to said mobile network.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the control means is responsive to transfer of the user between cells of the mobile network, said cells having different resources to offer in respect of services to the user, to update data made available to the user which is affected by said transfer.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein at least one of the services potentially available to the user is affected by bandwidth availability in the cell in which the user has access to the mobile network, and the control means may update the data available to the user in terms of either availability of such service or the price at which it would be available.

5. A system according to either of claim 3 or 4 wherein at least one of the services potentially available to the user involves the downloading of data to the user, which downloading is affected by bandwidth availability in cells of the mobile network, said system further comprising means to store data requested by the user as a consequence of selecting a service, the control means controlling downloading of said data to the user such that it is stored at times that bandwidth is not available for said downloading, and downloaded subsequently when bandwidth becomes available.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the control means includes means for tracking the location of the user with respect to the mobile network for the purpose of downloading the data to the user by means of appropriate routing through the communications network or networks.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data relevant to the plurality of services includes real-time pricing data such that the user can take the real-time pricing data into account prior to selecting a service.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein:

a plurality of said individual agents are each allocated a facility for offering a common service,

each of said plurality of individual agents holding real-time data in respect of its allocated facility'"'"'s capacity to offer the service, and

the system selects one of the allocated facilities on which to base notification to the user of current conditions under which a service might be provided.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said agents comprises means for storing an updatable business strategy, and the system accesses said business strategy prior to making cost-related service data available to a user, such that said business strategy can be applied to said cost-related service data to modify the data appropriately.

11. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

the control means is responsive to transfer of the user between cells of the mobile network, said cells having different resources to offer in respect of services to the user, to update data made available to the user which is affected by said transfer.

12. A system as in claim 11 wherein:

at least one of the services potentially available to the user is affected by bandwidth availability in the cell in which the user has access to the mobile network, and

the control means may update the data available to the user in terms of either availability of such service or the price at which it would be available.

13. A system as in claim 11 wherein:

at least one of the services potentially available to the user involves the downloading of data to the user, which downloading is affected by bandwidth availability in cells of the mobile network,

said system further comprising means to store data requested by the user as a consequence of selecting a service,

the control means controlling downloading of said data to the user such that it is stored at times that bandwidth is not available for said downloading, and downloaded subsequently when bandwidth becomes available.

14. A system as in claim 13 wherein:

the control means includes means for tracking the location of the user with respect to the mobile network for the purpose of downloading the data to the user by means of appropriate routing through the communications network or networks.

10. A service provision system for use with a communications network including a mobile communications sub-network to provide a plurality of services to a network user having access to the mobile sub-network, wherein data relevant to the plurality of services can be made available to the user, dependent upon the location of the user within the network and the user can select one or more services to be provided, said system comprising:

control means including a plurality of software agents inter-communicating with one another via commonly formatted messages, individual agents of said plurality including data relevant to service provision via the network, and

updating means for updating data held by at least some of said software agents on a point-by-point continuous basis as the user changes location within the network,

the control means controlling the updated data made available to the user and responsive to selection of a service by the user to trigger a process for providing the selected service to the user via the mobile sub-network.

15. A system as in claim 10 wherein:

data relevant to the plurality of services includes real-time pricing data such that the user can take the real-time pricing data into account prior to selecting a service.

16. A system as in claim 10 wherein:

a plurality of said individual agents are each allocated a facility for offering a common service,

each of said plurality of individual agents holding real-time data in respect of its allocated facility'"'"'s capacity to offer the service, and

the system selects one of the allocated facilities on which to base notification to the user of current conditions under which a service might be provided.

17. A system as in claim 10 wherein:

at least one of said agents comprises means for storing an updatable business strategy, and

the system accesses said business strategy prior to making cost-related service data available to a user, such that said business strategy can be applied to said cost-related service data to modify the data appropriately.

18. A method of service provision for use with a communications network including a mobile communications sub-network to provide a plurality of services to a network user having access to the mobile sub-network, wherein data relevant to the plurality of services can be made available to the user dependent upon the location of the user within the network, and the user can select one or more services to be provided, said method comprising:

using a plurality of object-oriented software agents inter-communicating with one another via commonly formatted messages to maintain data relevant to service provision via the network,

updating data held by at least some of said software agents via said commonly formatted messages on a point-by-point continuous basis as the user changes location within the network, and

controlling the updated data made available to the user and responsive to selection of a service by the user to trigger a process for providing the selected service to the user via the mobile sub-network.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein:

the transfer of the user between cells of the mobile network having different resources to offer in respect of services to the user causes update data to be made available to the user which is affected by said transfer.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein at least one of the services potentially available to the user is affected by bandwidth availability in the cell in which the user has access to the mobile network, and wherein:

the data available to the user is updated in terms of either availability of such service or the price at which it would be available.

21. A method as in claim 19 wherein at least one of the services potentially available to the user involves the downloading of data to the user, which downloading is affected by bandwidth availability in cells of the mobile network,

said method further comprising:

storing data requested by the user as a consequence of selecting a service, and

controlling downloading of said data to the user such that it is stored at times that bandwidth is not available for said downloading, and downloaded subsequently when bandwidth becomes available.

22. A method as in claim 21 further comprising:

tracking the location of the user with respect to the mobile network for the purpose of downloading the data to the user by means of appropriate routing through the communications network.

23. A method as in claim 18 wherein:

data relevant to the plurality of services includes real-time pricing data such that the user can take the real-time pricing data in to account prior to selecting a service.

24. A method as in claim 18 wherein:

a plurality of said individual agents are each allocated a facility for offering a common service,

each of said plurality of individual agents holding real-time data in respect of its allocated facility'"'"'s capacity to offer the service, and

the system selects one of the allocated facilities on which to base notification to the user of current conditions under which a service might be provided.

25. A method as in claim 18 wherein:

at least one of said agents stores an updatable business strategy, and

the system accesses said business strategy prior to making cost-related service data available to a user, such that said business strategy can be applied to said cost-related service data to modify the data appropriately.