System and associated method for measuring communication data volume and type thereof

• US 6,954,714 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sumino, Hiromitsu, Ishikawa, Norihiro, Ueno, Hidetoshi, Suzuki, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/333,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 702127-128, 702/179.1, 702/82, 702187-190, 705/64, 705/77, 700/8, 700/28, 700/89, 709/203, 709/204, 340/853.1, 370232-234
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function

Abstract

It is an object of the invention to measure a communication data volume for each service type in measuring a communication data volume in a charging process and the like. The invention comprises a plurality of measuring points 131 to 133 for measuring a communication data volume and a data relaying apparatus 120 for transmitting received data to any of the plurality of measuring points 131 to 133. The data relaying apparatus 120 has a service-type judging means 121 for judging the service type of the received data, a measuring point determining means 122 for determining the measuring points 131 to 133 to which the data is to be transmitted based on the service type and a data transmission means 122 for transmitting the data to the measuring point thus determined, and each of the plurality of measuring points 131 to 133 has a communication data measuring means for measuring the communication data volume of the data received from the data relaying apparatus 120.

Claims

1. A communication data volume measuring system having a plurality of measuring points for measuring a communication data volume and a data relaying apparatus for receiving data and transmitting said data to any of said plurality of measuring points, wherein:

said data relaying apparatus comprises;

a service-type judging means for judging the service type of said received data;

a measuring point determining means for determining the measuring point to which said data is to be transmitted from among said plurality of measuring points based on said service type; and

a data transmission means for transmitting said data to said determined measuring point, and

each of said plurality of measuring points comprises;

a data receiving means for receiving said data from said data relaying apparatus; and

a communication data volume measuring means for measuring the communication data volume of said received data.

2. The communication data volume measuring system according to claim 1, wherein:

a server for transmitting said data to said data relaying apparatus is provided;

said server comprises an adding means for adding an HTTP extension header indicating the service type of said data; and

said service-type judging means of said data relaying apparatus judges said service type based on said HTTP extension header added to said received data.

3. The communication data volume measuring system according to claim 2, wherein, when said data is transmitted through a secure communication, said adding means of said server adds an HTTP extension header indicating said service type to data transmitted in response to an HTTP signal requesting the start of the secure communication.

4. A data relaying apparatus in a communication data volume measuring system comprising a plurality of measuring points for measuring a communication data volume and a data relaying apparatus for receiving data and transmitting said data to any of said plurality of measuring points, including:

a service-type judging means for judging the service type of said received data;

a measuring point determining means for determining the measuring point to which said data is to be transmitted from among said plurality of measuring points based on said service type; and

a data transmission means for transmitting said data to said determined measuring point.

5. A data relaying apparatus for transmitting and receiving data and measuring a communication data volume, comprising:

a service-type judging means for judging the service types of said received data;

a communication data volume measuring means for measuring the communication data volume of said received data for each of said service types; and

a data transmission means for transmitting said data.

6. A communication data volume measuring method in a communication data volume measuring system comprising a plurality of measuring points for measuring a communication data volume and a data relaying apparatus for receiving data and transmitting said data to any of said plurality of measuring points, comprising the steps of:

A) judging the service type of said received data at said data relaying apparatus;

B) determining the measuring point to which said data is to be transmitted from among said plurality of measuring points based on said service type at said data relaying apparatus;

C) transmitting said data to said determined measuring point from said data relaying apparatus; and

D) measuring the communication data volume of said received data at said determined measuring point.

7. The communication data volume measuring method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of:

E) adding an HTTP extension header indicating the service type of said data at a server transmitting said data to said data relaying apparatus,

wherein, in said step A), said data relaying apparatus judges said service type based on said HTTP extension header added to said data.

8. The communication data volume measuring method according to claim 7, wherein, in said step E), when said data is transmitted through a secure communication, said server adds an HTTP extension header indicating said service type to data transmitted in response to an HTTP signal requesting the start of the secure communication.

9. A data relaying method in a communication data volume measuring system comprising a plurality of measuring points for measuring a communication data volume and a data relaying apparatus for receiving data and transmitting said data to any of said plurality of measuring points, comprising the steps of:

F) judging the service type of said received data;

G) determining the measuring point to which said data is to be transmitted from among said plurality of measuring points based on said service type; and

H) transmitting said data to said determined measuring point.

10. A data relaying method in a data relaying apparatus for transmitting and receiving data and measuring a communication data volume, comprising the steps of:

I) judging the service types of said received data;

J) measuring the communication data volume of said received data for each of said service types; and

K) transmitting said data.

11. A program for causing a computer to execute the data relaying method according to claim 9 or 10.

12. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the data relaying method according claim 9 or 10 is recorded.

13. A communication data volume measuring system having a plurality of measuring points for measuring a communication data volume and a data relaying apparatus for receiving data and transmitting said data to any of said plurality of measuring points, wherein:

said data relaying apparatus comprises;

a service-type judgment unit configured to judge the service type of said received data;

a measuring point determining unit configured to determine the measuring point to which said data is to be transmitted from among said plurality of measuring points based on said service type; and

a data transmission unit configured to transmit said data to said determined measuring point, and

each of said plurality of measuring points comprises;

a data receiving unit configured to receive said data from said data relaying apparatus; and

a communication data volume measuring unit configured to measure the communication data volume of said received data.