Correlation of call data for calling and called parties in wireless telecommunication networks

• US 7,031,697 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yao, Jie, Yang, ZhongJin
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, HUY Q
• Application Number:
  US10/624,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20050020252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/415, 455/416, 455/401, 455/418, 455/419, 455/426.1, 455/406, 455/445, 455/407, 455/428, 455/409, 455/426.2
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• 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: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Call data associated with one call is correlated from separate call records associated with the calling and called parties in which at least one of the parties is a wireless user. Statistical information is gathered based on whether one of the parties to the call subscribes to one call feature/service and the other party to the call subscribes to a predetermined call feature/service. This information is typically utilized by telecommunication service providers.

Claims

1. An automated method for correlating call data associated with one call from separate call detail records associated with the calling and called parties in which at least one of the parties is a wireless user in a wireless telecommunication network comprising the steps of:

accessing a first call detail record associated with one of the calling and called parties for a first previously completed call;

ascertaining the identity of the other of the calling and called parties from the first call detail record;

determining if the one party subscribes to a first feature based on information contained in the first call detail record;

accessing a second call detail record associated with the other of the calling and called parties for the first call where the second call detail record is stored independent of the storage of the first call detail record;

determining if the other party subscribes to a predetermined feature based on information contained in the second call detail record;

determining if a predetermined correlation exists for the first call based on whether the one party subscribes to the first feature and the other party subscribes to the predetermined feature based on information contained in the first and second call detail records.

2. The automated method according to claim 1 wherein the first call detail record is stored at a first location associated with a first switch that supports the one of the calling and called parties, and the second call detail record is stored at a second location associated with a second switch that supports the other of the calling and called parties.

3. The automated method according to claim 1 wherein the step of accessing the second call detail record comprises transmitting a query from a correlation measurement node to another node in which the second call detail record is stored.

4. The automated method according to claim 3 wherein the step of determining if the other party subscribes to the predetermined feature comprises receiving a reply message at the correlation measurement node in response to said query of the another node, the reply message containing data indicating whether the other party subscribes to the predetermined feature.

5. The automated method according to claim 3 wherein the step of determining if the other party subscribes to the predetermined feature comprises receiving a reply message at the correlation measurement node in response to said query of the another node, the reply message indicating that information is not currently available as to whether the other party subscribed to the predetermined feature, the step of accessing the second call detail record further comprising transmitting another query from the correlation measurement node to a database that stores information on features subscribed to by wireless users, receiving another reply message at the correlation measurement node in response to the another query, the another reply message containing data indicating whether the other party subscribes to the predetermined feature.

6. The automated method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining if a predetermined correlation exists comprises determining if both of the following conditions are true:

the first party subscribed to the first feature at the time of the first call; and

the second party subscribed to the predetermined feature at the time of the first call.

7. The automated method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of modifying the first call detail record to indicate that the other party subscribed to the predetermined feature if it is determined that the predetermined correlation exists for the first call based on whether the one party subscribes to the first feature and the other party subscribes to the predetermined feature.

8. The automated method according to claim 7 wherein the step of modifying the first call detail record to indicate that the other party subscribed to the predetermined feature is implemented where the first feature and the predetermined feature are the same feature.

9. An automated method for obtaining statistical information based on calls in a wireless telecommunication network comprising the steps of:

determining for one previously completed call between a first wireless user and a second user if the first wireless user subscribes to a first predetermined call feature based on information contained in a first call detail record associated with said one call where said first call detail record represents one of call origination and call termination;

identifying a second call detail record associated with said one call based on information contained in a first call detail record, said second call detail record being stored independent of storage of the first call detail record and representing the other of call origination and call termination;

determining for the one call if the second user subscribes to a second predetermined call feature based on information contained in the second call detail record;

repeating the above steps for other calls;

maintaining a count of the calls in which both of the above determining steps are true and comparing said count with the total number of calls to generate said statistical information.

10. The automated method according to claim 9 wherein the step of determining for the one call if the second user subscribes to the second predetermined call feature comprises transmitting a query from a correlation measurement node to another node in which the second call detail record is stored.

11. The automated method according to claim 10 wherein the step of determining for the one call if the second user subscribes to the second predetermined call feature comprises receiving a reply message at the correlation measurement node in response to said query of the another node, the reply message containing data indicating whether the second party subscribes to the second predetermined feature.

12. The automated method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of modifying the first call detail record to indicate that the second user subscribed to the second predetermined feature if it is determined that a predetermined correlation exists for the first call based on whether the first user subscribes to the first feature and the second user subscribes to the predetermined feature.

13. The automated method according to claim 12 wherein the step of modifying the first call detail record to indicate that the second user subscribed to the second predetermined feature is implemented where the first and second predetermined features are the same feature.