Mobile communication system for call charging and corresponding mobile station

• US 6,553,217 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2000
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kundorf, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/485,891
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/405, 455/409, 455/414
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• 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: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

One or more preferred call numbers are defined and managed for mobile subscribers. A destination number dialed with the call is compared to the preferred call numbers for the mobile subscriber. When the destination call number is identical to a preferred call number, the call charges are determined by a charging device in the mobile network in a different manner than the usual charge. The storing of the preferred call numbers can occur at the mobile station side in a mobile station or at the network side. Based on the subscriber-specific stipulation of preferred call numbers, mobile subscribers have the ability to select and define specific call destinations which are charged differently than other calls, for instance according to a more favorable fee schedule. This increases the flexibility of the mobile subscribers and network operators with respect to the scheduling of calling rates.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system for charging calls that can be sent and received by mobile stations of mobile subscribers in a mobile radio network with a cellular network structure based on radio cells having a mobile station side and a network side, comprising:

radio equipment configured for sending and receiving at least one of signaling and payload information to and from the mobile stations;

switching equipment configured for switching at least one of signaling and payload connections between the network side and the mobile stations;

storage equipment for storing subscriber data of the mobile subscriber; and

a charging device for recording call-related data records and calculating the respective call charge dependent on the data records;

wherein one or more preferred call numbers are respectively defined and managed for each of the mobile subscribers; and

an item of control information is allocated to a destination call number that is dialed with a call in order to denote that the destination call number is a preferred call number, the destination call number is compared to the one or more preferred call numbers defined for the mobile subscriber, and when the destination call number is identical to a preferred call number, call charges are determined by the charging device in a prescribed manner different from normal call charges.

2. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored at the mobile station side.

3. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored in at least one of the mobile station and a subscriber identity module of the mobile station.

4. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a memory entry is formed at least from the preferred call number and a corresponding call destination.

5. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the memory entry contains a short code marking the preferred call number and a name of a called subscriber as the corresponding call destination.

6. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control information marking the presence of a preferred call number is signaled together with the destination call number from the mobile station to the mobile radio network and a subscriber-specific charging of the call is prompted based on the control information received.

7. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein information indicating at least the subscriber-specific charging of the call is held ready by the mobile radio network, signaled to the mobile station, and displayed to the mobile subscriber by the mobile station.

8. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control information marking the presence of a preferred call number is signaled to the mobile station and displayed.

9. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored at the network side.

10. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored in at least one subscriber database of the mobile radio network as subscriber data for the respective subscriber.

11. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the preferred call numbers that are entered as subscriber data are managed by the network operator of the mobile radio network.

12. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored in at least one subscriber database of a service control point of an intelligent network for the respective subscriber.

13. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the preferred call numbers stored in the service control point are managed by the network operator of the intelligent network.

14. The mobile communication system as claimed claim 9, wherein the preferred call numbers are managed by the mobile station via a subscriber-controlled input.

15. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the subscriber-controlled input for managing the preferred call numbers is charged to the subscriber separately.

16. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the preferred call numbers are managed via signaling messages that initiate at least one of an adding of new preferred call numbers, a removing of stored preferred call numbers, a modifying of stored preferred call numbers and an interrogating of the stored preferred call numbers.

17. The mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored in the charging device at the network side and the presence of a preferred call number is first taken into consideration only when the data records are linked for purposes of calculating the call charge.

18. A mobile station for sending and receiving calls of mobile subscribers in a mobile radio network having a cellular structure that is based on radio cells, the radio network comprised of radio equipment for sending and receiving at least one of signaling and payload information to and from the mobile station, switching equipment configured for switching at least one of signaling and payload connections between the network side and the mobile stations, storage equipment for storing subscriber data of the mobile subscriber;

and a charging device for recording call-related data records and calculating the respective call charge dependent on the data records, the mobile station comprising;

a control and management unit configured for respectively defining and managing one or more preferred call numbers for each of the mobile subscribers;

a comparison unit configured for comparing a destination call number that is dialed with a particular call to the preferred call numbers, the destination call number having an item of control information allocated thereto to denote that the destination call number is a preferred call number; and

a receiving/transmitting unit that is configured to signal the item of control information marking the presence of a preferred call number to the mobile radio network together with the destination call number when the destination call number is identical to preferred call number;

wherein call charges within the mobile radio network are calculated by the charging device in a prescribed manner different from normal call charges.

19. The mobile station as claimed in claim 18, wherein the preferred call numbers are stored in at least one of the mobile station and a subscriber identification module of the mobile station.

20. The mobile station as claimed in claim 18, wherein a memory entry is formed from the preferred call number and at least one corresponding call destination.

21. The mobile station as claimed in claim 20, wherein the memory entry contains a short code marking the presence of the preferred call number and a name of a called subscriber as the corresponding call destination.

22. The mobile station as claimed in claim 18, wherein the control information marking the presence of a preferred call number is signaled together with the destination call number to the mobile radio network and a subscriber-specific charging of the call is prompted based on the control information received.

23. The mobile station as claimed in claim 18, wherein information indicating at least the subscriber-specific charging of the call is received by the mobile radio network and is displayed and reported by the mobile station via at least one of optical and acoustical means.