Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing billing and usage data to downstream applications
First Claim
1. A method for acquiring billing and usage data in an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment, the method comprising:
- copying, by at least one message copy function in at least one Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network element, a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS), wherein the IMS accounting message is a Diameter protocol-based message, wherein the call signaling message includes a signaling system number 7 (SS7) message, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, a SIGTRAN message, or a call detail record (CDR), and wherein the IMS accounting message includes a charging detail record;
providing, by at least one communications function in the at least one IMS network element, the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message to an application for one of billing verification and fraud detection by comparing the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message, wherein the call signaling message and the IMS account message are destined for a destination different from the application; and
correcting, by the application, information contained in the IMS accounting message based on the copied call signaling message.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
It is an object of the presently disclosed subject matter to provide billing and usage data to downstream applications. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for acquiring billing and usage data in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment. The method includes copying at least one of a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS) and providing the at least one copied message to an application for one of billing verification, fraud detection, revenue assurance, and data analysis. The types of acquired data may be copied separately or in combination, and the copied data may be examined, compared, or otherwise utilized separately or in combination.
91 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method for acquiring billing and usage data in an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment, the method comprising:
-
copying, by at least one message copy function in at least one Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network element, a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS), wherein the IMS accounting message is a Diameter protocol-based message, wherein the call signaling message includes a signaling system number 7 (SS7) message, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, a SIGTRAN message, or a call detail record (CDR), and wherein the IMS accounting message includes a charging detail record; providing, by at least one communications function in the at least one IMS network element, the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message to an application for one of billing verification and fraud detection by comparing the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message, wherein the call signaling message and the IMS account message are destined for a destination different from the application; and correcting, by the application, information contained in the IMS accounting message based on the copied call signaling message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A system for acquiring billing and usage data in an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment, the system comprising:
-
at least one message copy function (MCF) in at least one Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network element, the MCF for copying a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS), wherein the call signaling message includes a signaling system number 7 (SS7) message, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, a SIGTRAN message, or a call detail record (CDR), and wherein the IMS accounting message includes a charging detail record; and a communications function in the at least one IMS network element, the communications function for providing the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message to an application for one of billing verification and fraud detection by comparing the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message, wherein the call signaling message and the IMS account message are destined for a destination different from the application, wherein the application corrects information contained in the IMS accounting message based on the copied call signaling message. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
in an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment; copying, by at least one message copy function (MCF) in the at least one Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network element, a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS), wherein the IMS accounting message is a Diameter protocol-based message, wherein the call signaling message includes a signaling system number 7 (SS7) message, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, a SIGTRAN message, or a call detail record (CDR), and wherein the IMS accounting message includes a charging detail record; providing, by at least one communications function in the at least one IMS network element, the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message to an application for one of billing verification and fraud detection by comparing the copied call signaling message and the copied IMS accounting message, wherein the call signaling message and the IMS account message are destined for a destination different from the application; and correcting, by the application, information contained in the IMS accounting message based on the copied call signaling message.
Specification