Method of charging for the use of an internet service plus a service control unit and a service provider unit

• US 6,611,821 B2
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lautenschlager, Wolfgang, Orlamünder, Harald, Stahl, Uwe, Siegmund, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/162,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/30, 705/32, 705/34, 705/52, 705/53, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• 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 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of charging for the use of an internet service (SERV) by a subscriber of a communications network (KN), plus a service unit (SERV_IN) of this communications network and a service provider unit (SERVU) which furnishes the internet service (SERV). The subscriber accesses the internet service (SERV) by means of a terminal (TE) of the communications network. Establishing a communication connection between the terminal (TE) and the internet (INT) triggers the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN). When the internet service (SERV) is accessed via this communication connection, an additional control connection (KOMM) is established between the internet service (SERV) and the service unit (SERV_IN). Fee charging data which identify the fees for the use of the internet service by the subscriber are transmitted to the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN) via the control connection (KOMM), and the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN) then controls the charging of the fees in the communications network (KN).

Claims

1. A method of charging a subscriber of a communications network (KN) for the use of an internet service (SERV) obtained over the internet (INT), which the subscriber accesses by means of a terminal (TE) of the communications network (KN), wherein the communications network (KN) further has a service unit (SERV_IN), comprising the steps of:

triggering the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN) when a communication connection (COM) is established between the terminal (TE) and the internet (INT);

establishing a separate control connection (KOMM) between the internet service (SERV) and the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network when the internet service (SERV) is accessed via said communication connection (COM);

transmitting, via the control connection (KOMM) to the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network, fee charging data (CHARG), which identifies the fees for the use of the internet service by the subscriber via the terminal (TE); and

controlling the charging of said fees to the subscriber by the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN);

wherein all communication via the internet (INT) between the communications network (KN) and the internet service (SERV) consists of data other than security-relevant data of the subscriber.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control connection (KOMM) between the internet service (SERV) and the service unit (SERV_IN) is established via the internet (INT).

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fee charging data is transmitted by the internet service (SERV) to the communications network (KN) by means of an electronic transaction process (EST_TRANS), which is communicated over the control connection (KOMM).

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service unit (SERV_IN) signals the received fee charging data (CHARG) to the terminal (TE) via the communications network (KN).

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service unit (SERV_IN) includes a connection data record (CDR) associated with the subscriber, and that the service unit (SERV_IN) registers said fees for the use of the internet service in the subscriber'"'"'s connection data record (CDR).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fees are included in a telephone bill of the subscriber.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service unit (SERV_IN) includes an IN service control unit (SCP) and an internet gateway (IP) and wherein in order to establish the communication connection (COM) between the terminal (TE) and the internet (INT), the terminal (TE) sends a connection request (CALL_IN) with an IN telephone number to the service unit (SERV_IN), and that this connection request (CALL_IN) triggers service control unit (SCP) of the service unit, which thereupon causes the communication connection to be established between the terminal (TE) and the internet gateway (IP).

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the internet gateway is a service support device (IP) of the service unit.

9. A service control unit (SCP) that is used to charge for the use of an internet service (SERV) by a subscriber of a communications network (KN), who accesses the internet service (SERV) via a communication connection (COM) of the communications network between a terminal (TE) and an internet (NT), wherein the service control unit (SCP) comprises:

A) a communication unit (GTW) for establishing a separate control connection (KOMM) between the internet service (SERV) and the service control unit (SCP); and

B) a service logic (SL) configured to be triggered when the communication connection (COM) is established between the terminal (TE) and the internet (INT), the service logic for receiving fee charging data (CHARG), which identifies the fees for use of the internet service (SERV) by a subscriber, the service logic receiving the charging data via the control connection (KOMM), and the service logic controlling the charging of the fees in the communications network (KN);

wherein all communication via the internet (NT) between the communications network (KN) and the internet service (SERV) consists of data other than security-relevant data of the subscriber.

10. A service provider unit (SERVU) to furnish a chargeable internet service (SERV) for a subscriber of a communications network (KN), the communications network including a service unit (SERV_IN), the subscriber accessing the internet service (SERV) by means of a terminal (TE) of the communications network (KN), the service provider unit (SERVU) comprising:

A) a communication unit KOMM for communicating with the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN); and

B) a fee charging unit (CH_CONTR) which is designed so that, when the internet service (SERV) is accessed via a communication connection (COM) in the communications network (KIN) between the terminal (TE) and the internet (INT), the fee charging unit (CH_CONTR) additionally establishes a separate control connection (KOMM) to the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN), and controls the transmission of fee charging data (CHARG), which identify the fees for the use of the internet service (SERV) by the accessing subscriber, to the service unit (SERV_IN) of the communications network (KN) via the control connection (KOMM);

wherein all communication via the internet (INT) between the communications network (KN) and the internet service (SERV) consists of data other than security-relevant data of the subscriber.