System and method for enabling reciprocal billing for different types of communications over a packet network

• US 8,130,793 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Stephen K., Morrill, Robert J., Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H.
• Application Number:
  US11/809,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 370/485, 379/114.03, 379/114.28, 379/112.06, 37911401-11409, 379/112.07, 379/121.01, 379/121.04, 455/406
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for determining inter-carrier network usage may be used. The method may include determining network usage of a first packet network managed by a first communications carrier by subscribers of a second communications carrier that manages a second packet network. The network usage may distinguish communications of data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content. Network usage of the second packet network by subscribers of the first communications subscriber may be determined. A network usage differential between the determined usages of the first and second packet networks may be determined, where the network usage information may distinguish communications of data packets including real-time and non-real-time content.

Claims

1. A system for determining inter-carrier network usage, said system comprising:

at least one database configured to store network usage information of a first packet network managed by a first communications carrier, said at least one database configured to store first network usage information of the first packet network by subscribers of a second communications carder communicating via the first packet network, the stored network usage information distinguishing network usage derived from data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content communicated over the first packet network, wherein the real-time content comprises information of at least one of voice data, voice over IP data (VoIP), speech during a telephone call, video data related to a live broadcast, music data related to a live broadcast, or gaming data, and the non-real-time content comprises information of at least one of music downloads, webpage content, or program update downloads, wherein the stored network usage information includes a first billing rate for real-time content and a second billing rate for non-real-time content; and

a processing unit configured to obtain second network usage information collected by the second communications carrier representative of subscribers of the first communications carrier communicating via a second packet network managed by the second communications carrier, the second network usage information distinguishing network usage derived from data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content communicated via the second packet network, said processing unit further configured to determine a network usage differential between the first and second distinguished network usage information associated with the real-time content and apply the first billing rate for real-time content, wherein said processing unit is further configured to cause communications of subscribers of the first communications network to be routed via the second packet network if the network usage differential is determined to be below a threshold and to be routed via a third packet network if the network usage differential is determined to be above the threshold, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine if the network usage differential is above the threshold due to routing of data packets including real-time content, routing of data packets including non-real-time content, or both, and responsive to a determination that the network usage differential is above the threshold due to routing of data packets including real-time content and not due to routing of data packets including non-real-time content, routing only the data packets including real-time content via the third packet network while maintaining routing of the data packets including non-real-time content via the second packet network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second packet networks include respective session border control network communications devices in communication with one another, communications of the subscribers of the first and second communications carriers being routed by respective carriers via the session border control devices to communicate over the second and first packet networks, respectively.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein determining if the network usage differential is below or above the threshold comprises distinguishing the network usage differential between a real-time network usage differential and a non-real-time network usage differential, and comparing the real-time network usage differential and the non-real-time network usage differential to the threshold.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit is further configured to cause communications of subscribers of the first communications network to be routed via a third packet network if at least one network performance information parameter of the second packet network is determined to be above a threshold.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein at least one network performance information parameter being above the threshold is indicative of the second packet network having a quality of service representative of an impairment or congestion of communications.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the network performance information parameter is associated with communications of data packets including real time content.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit is further configured to determine a price of routing communications via the second packet network and route communications via a third packet network if the price is above a threshold.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the price for routing communications via the second packet network itemizes a price for communicating data packets including real-time content.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said processing unit is configured to determine the price multiple times during a day.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit is further configured to determine price of communicating data packets via packet networks of multiple communications carriers and causing communications of subscribers of the first communications carrier to be communicated over a packet network having the lowest price.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the price distinguishes a price for communicating data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content and wherein communications of data packets including real-time content and data packets including non-real-time content are routed over different packet networks based on lowest price for communicating each type of data packet.

12. A method for determining inter-carrier network usage, said method comprising:

storing in memory network usage of a first packet network managed by a first communications carrier by subscribers of a second communications carrier that manages a second packet network, the network usage distinguishing communications of data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content, wherein the real-time content comprises information of at least one of voice data, voice over IP data (VoIP), speech during a telephone call, video data related to a live broadcast, music data related to a live broadcast, or gaming data, and the non-real-time content comprises information of at least one of music downloads, webpage content, or program update downloads;

storing in a database a first billing rate for real-time content and a second billing rate for non-real-time content, the first billing rate for real-time content includes a per megabyte real-time rate and a fiat real-time data rate for a set amount of data transferred;

determining network usage of the second packet network by subscribers of the first communications subscriber;

determining using a processor a network usage differential between the determined distinguished network usage of the first and second packet networks associated with the real-time content;

determining a costs for the determined network usage differential associated with the real-time content based on the first billing rate for real-time content;

determining whether network usage differential is below a threshold, which includes determining whether a real-time network usage differential is below the threshold and a non-real-time network usage differential is below the threshold;

if both the real-time network usage differential and non-real-time network usage differential are determined to be below the threshold, routing communications of the subscribers of the first communications carrier via the second packet network; and

otherwise, if the non-real-time network usage differential is determined to be above the threshold and the real-time network usage differential is determined to be below the threshold, routing the communications of the subscribers of the first communications carrier containing non-real-time content via a third packet network and routing the communications of the subscribers of the first communications carrier containing real-time content via the second packet network.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising determining at least a portion of the network usage of the first packet network based on communications routed from the second packet network to the first packet network.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising determining a bill between the first and second communications carriers based on the network usage differential, the billed itemizing network usage for communications of data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether at least one network performance information parameter is above a threshold; and

routing communications of the subscribers of the first communications carrier via a third packet network if the at least one network performance information parameter is determined to be above the threshold.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining whether the at least one network performance information parameter is above the threshold includes determining that the second packet network has a transmission quality representative of an impairment or congestion of communications.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining whether the at least one network performance information parameter is above the threshold includes determining whether at least one network performance parameter associated with data packets including real-time content is above the threshold.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining a price for routing communications via the second packet network; and

routing communications via a third packet network if the price is above a threshold.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein determining the price includes determining a price for communicating data packets including real-time content.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein determining the price includes determining the price multiple times during a day.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining prices of communicating data packets via packet networks of respective multiple communications carriers; and

routing communications of subscribers of the first communications carrier over a packet network having the lowest price.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein determining prices includes determining prices for communicating data packets including real-time content and non-real-time content, and further routing communications of real-time content over a packet network having the lowest price of communicating real-time content.