Prepaid subscriber service for packet-switched and circuit-switched radio telecommunications networks
First Claim
1. A method of providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in a wireless packet-switched telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing a prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) in a home location register (HLR) in the network;
sending the PPSC from the HLR to a service node serving the mobile subscriber when the subscriber registers with the service node;
sending a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) activation request from the mobile subscriber to the service node;
sending the PPSC from the service node to a gateway service node when the PDP activation request is received in the service node;
beginning a data session by the subscriber;
in response to the PPSC, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) during the data session from at least one of the service node and the gateway service node to a prepaid center (PPC);
calculating in the PPC in near real time, a new account balance for the subscriber; and
ending the data session when the account balance is reduced to zero.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in an integrated wireless telecommunications network having a circuit-switched portion and a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) packet-switched portion. A prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) is stored in a home location register (HLR), and the PPSC is sent from the HLR to a serving mobile switching center (MSC) when the subscriber registers in the circuit-switched portion of the network. The PPSC is sent from the HLR to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) when the subscriber registers in the packet-switched portion of the network. Also, the PPSC may be sent from the SGSN to a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) in order to indicate that the subscriber is a prepaid subscriber. When the mobile subscriber begins a packet-switched data session, the SGSN, GGSN, or both periodically send partial call data records (CDRs) to a prepaid center (PPC). When the mobile subscriber begins a circuit-switched call, the MSC periodically sends partial CDRs to the PPC. The PPC calculates in near real time, a new account balance for the prepaid subscriber. The current call is disconnected, and prepaid services are stopped when the account balance is reduced to zero.
160 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in a wireless packet-switched telecommunications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing a prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) in a home location register (HLR) in the network;
sending the PPSC from the HLR to a service node serving the mobile subscriber when the subscriber registers with the service node;
sending a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) activation request from the mobile subscriber to the service node;
sending the PPSC from the service node to a gateway service node when the PDP activation request is received in the service node;
beginning a data session by the subscriber;
in response to the PPSC, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) during the data session from at least one of the service node and the gateway service node to a prepaid center (PPC);
calculating in the PPC in near real time, a new account balance for the subscriber; and
ending the data session when the account balance is reduced to zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
sending a first message from the PPC to the HLR to erase the subscriber'"'"'s subscription;
sending a second message from the HLR to the service node notifying the service node that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased; and
ending the session by the service node in response to the second message.
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4. The method of providing a prepaid subscriber service of claim 1 wherein the step of ending the data session includes the steps of:
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sending a first message from the PPC to the HLR indicating the account balance is zero;
determining in the HLR to send a second message from the HLR to the service node notifying the service node that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased; and
ending the session by the service node in response to the second message.
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5. The method of providing a prepaid subscriber service of claim 4 wherein the step of determining in the HLR to send a second message from the HLR to the service node notifying the service node that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased includes the steps of:
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retaining the subscriber'"'"'s subscription in the HLR; and
falsely notifying the service node that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased.
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6. A method of providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in an integrated wireless telecommunications network having a circuit-switched portion and a packet-switched portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing a prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) in a home location register (HLR) in the network;
sending the PPSC from the HLR to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving the prepaid subscriber when the subscriber registers in the circuit-switched portion of the network;
sending the PPSC from the HLR to a packet-switched service node serving the prepaid subscriber when the subscriber registers in the packet-switched portion of the network;
upon beginning a circuit-switched call by the mobile subscriber, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) from the MSC to a prepaid center (PPC);
upon beginning a packet-switched data session by the mobile subscriber, periodically sending partial CDRs from the packet-switched service node to the PPC;
calculating in the PPC in near real time, a new account balance for the prepaid subscriber; and
stopping the prepaid subscriber service when the account balance is reduced to zero. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
sending a first message from the PPC to the HLR to erase the subscriber'"'"'s subscription;
if the mobile subscriber is currently conducting a packet-switched data session, sending a second message from the HLR to the packet-switched service node notifying the service node that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased;
if the mobile subscriber is currently placing a circuit-switched call, sending the second message from the HLR to the MSC notifying the MSC that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased;
ending the data session by the packet-switched service node in response to the second message if the mobile subscriber is currently conducting a packet-switched data session; and
disconnecting the circuit-switched call by the MSC in response to the second message if the mobile subscriber is currently placing a circuit-switched call.
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8. The method of providing a prepaid subscriber service of claim 7 wherein the HLR retains the subscriber'"'"'s subscription in the HLR, and falsely notifies the service node that the subscriber'"'"'s subscription has been erased.
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9. A method of providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in an integrated wireless telecommunications network having a circuit-switched portion and a packet-switched portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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creating for the mobile subscriber, a combined subscription for circuit-switched services and packet-switched services in a home location register (HLR) in the network;
creating for the mobile subscriber, a combined account for circuit-switched services and packet-switched services in a prepaid center (PPC);
sending a Subscriber Type field in a message from the HLR to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving the prepaid subscriber when the subscriber registers in the circuit-switched portion of the network;
sending the Subscriber Type field in a message from the HLR to a packet-switched service node serving the prepaid subscriber when the subscriber registers in the packet-switched portion of the network;
upon beginning a packet-switched data session by the mobile subscriber, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) from the packet-switched service node to the PPC;
upon beginning a circuit-switched call by the mobile subscriber, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) from the MSC to the PPC;
calculating in the PPC in near real time, a new account balance for the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s combined account; and
stopping both the circuit-switched services and the packet-switched services when the account balance is reduced to zero.
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10. A system for providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in an integrated wireless telecommunications network having a circuit-switched portion and a packet-switched portion, the system comprising:
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a home location register (HLR) which stores a prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) for the mobile subscriber;
a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving the prepaid subscriber in the circuit-switched portion of the network;
a packet-switched service node serving the prepaid subscriber in the packet-switched portion of the network;
means for sending the PPSC from the HLR to the MSC when the subscriber registers with the MSC, and for sending the PPSC from the HLR to the packet-switched service node when the subscriber registers with the packet-switched service node;
means for setting up a circuit-switched call for the subscriber;
means for setting up a packet-switched data session for the subscriber;
means within the MSC for periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) during the circuit-switched call to a prepaid center (PPC) in response to the PPSC;
means within the service node for periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) during the data session to the PPC in response to the PPSC;
means within the PPC for calculating in near real time, a new account balance for the prepaid subscriber;
means within the MSC for disconnecting the circuit-switched call when the account balance is reduced to zero; and
means within the packet-switched service node for ending the data session when the account balance is reduced to zero.
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11. A method of providing a prepaid subscriber service to a mobile subscriber in an integrated wireless telecommunications network having a circuit-switched portion and a packet-switched portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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creating for the mobile subscriber in a home location register (HLR) in the network, a subscription for at least one of a circuit-switched service and a packet-switched service;
creating for the mobile subscriber in a prepaid center (PPC), an account for at least one of the circuit-switched service and the packet-switched service;
sending a prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) in a message from the HLR to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving the prepaid subscriber when the subscriber registers in the circuit-switched portion of the network;
sending the prepaid subscriber class (PPSC) in a message from the HLR to a serving packet-switched service node serving the prepaid subscriber when the subscriber registers in the packet-switched portion of the network;
sending the PPSC in a message from the serving packet-switched service node to a gateway packet-switched service node at a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context activation;
upon beginning a packet-switched data session by the mobile subscriber, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) from at least one of the serving packet-switched service node and the gateway packet-switched service node to the PPC;
upon beginning a circuit-switched call by the mobile subscriber, periodically sending partial call data records (CDRs) from the MSC to the PPC;
calculating in the PPC in near real time, a new account balance for the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s account; and
stopping at least one of the circuit-switched service and the packet-switched service when the account balance is reduced to zero.
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Specification