Method and apparatus for monitoring service usage in a communications network

• US 7,760,861 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/263,274
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/114.14, 379/121.04, 379/127.02, 379/133, 379/134, 379/145, 379/188, 379/189, 379/197, 379/114.01, 379/191, 379/196, 455/410, 705/52, 705/75, 705/76
• US Class Current: 379/114.14
• 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 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8207 Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/78 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7813 Time based data, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8158 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting abnormal calling activity in a communications network is described. In one embodiment, usage data associated with at least one phone number is obtained from the communications network. The usage data is subsequently processed to determine if abnormal calling activity associated with the at least one phone number is exhibited.

Claims

1. A method for detecting abnormal calling activity in a communications network, comprising:

obtaining usage data associated with a phone number from said communications network;

processing said usage data to determine if abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number is exhibited;

contacting a credit bureau to acquire credit history data if said abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number is determined to be exhibited; and

generating an alarm notification to indicate detection of said abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number if said credit history data indicates unauthorized activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the IP network comprises at least one of:

a Voice over IP (VoIP) network or a Service over IP (SoIP) network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining step occurs on a periodic basis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining step further comprises:

acquiring said customer data from a billing server residing in said communications network.

6. An apparatus for detecting abnormal calling activity in a communications network, comprising:

means for obtaining usage data associated with a phone number from said communications network;

means for processing said usage data to determine if abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number is exhibited;

means for contacting a credit bureau to acquire credit history data if said abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number is determined to be exhibited; and

means for generating an alarm notification to indicate detection of said abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number if said credit history data indicates unauthorized activity.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said communications network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the IP network comprises at least one of:

a Voice over IP (VoIP) network or a Service over IP (SoIP) network.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for obtaining further comprises:

means for acquiring said customer data from a billing server residing in said communications network.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for detecting abnormal calling activity in a communications network, comprising:

obtaining usage data associated with a phone number from said communications network;

processing said usage data to determine if abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number is exhibited;

contacting a credit bureau to acquire credit history data if said abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number is determined to be exhibited; and

generating an alarm notification to indicate detection of said abnormal calling activity associated with said phone number if said credit history data indicates unauthorized activity.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said communications network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the IP network comprises at least one of:

a Voice over IP (VoIP) network or a Service over IP (SoIP) network.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said obtaining step occurs on a periodic basis.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said obtaining step further comprises:

acquiring said customer data from a billing server residing in said communications network.