Front-end charging system that generates charging data per entity having a revenue share

• US 9,380,168 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Xiangyang, Cai, Yigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Casca, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/320,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20120088469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/422.1, 455/405, 455/408, 455/456.1, 455/432.1, 455/410, 455/552.1, 370/259, 379/32.01, 379/114.2, 379/220.01, 726/1, 726/4, 705/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/54 for revenue sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• 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 2215/0172 Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Charging systems and methods are disclosed for determining the share of call revenue for multiple entities. One embodiment comprises a charging controller that is coupled to a mobile network and an online charging system. The charging controller receives charging data for a call in the mobile network, and processes the charging data and charging rules to identify entities that have a share in revenue for the call. The charging controller generates a charging request message indicating the entities having a revenue share in the call, and transmits the charging request message to the online charging system to cause the online charging system to determine the revenue share for each of the entities.

Claims

1. A charging system comprising:

a charging controller that comprises a hardware element coupled to an Offline Charging System (OFCS) and an Online Charging System (OCS) over Diameter interfaces;

the OCS comprises a server that provides an online charging function (OCF), an Account Balance Management Function (ABMF), and a common rating engine that is shared by the OCS and the OFCS;

the OCS, through the server, receives charging data for a call over a mobile network, calculates an overall charge for the call, and generates a first rated Charging Data Record (CDR) for the call indicating the overall charge;

the charging controller, through the hardware element, receives the first rated CDR for the call, processes the first rated CDR and charging rules to identify entities that have a share in revenue of the overall charge for the call, generates a charging request message for each of the entities having a revenue share in the call, and transmits the charging request messages to the OCS over one of the Diameter interfaces;

the OCS, through the server, receives the charging request messages from the charging controller, identifies a profile for each of the entities having a revenue share, determines a revenue share amount for each of the entities based on their profile and a rating provided by the common rating engine, and generates a second rated CDR for each of the entities having a revenue share;

wherein the second rated CDRs each indicate an identifier for an entity having a revenue share, and a revenue share amount indicating a monetary amount owed by the entity or payable to the entity.

2. The charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the OFCS receives the second rated CDRs for each of the entities having a revenue share from the OCS, correlates the second rated CDRs to generate a consolidated CDR that indicates the revenue share amount for each of the entities, and transmits the consolidated CDR to a billing system.

3. The charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the second rated CDRs each indicate a charging type for the call, wherein the charging type is selected from retail charging, wholesale charging, content charging, interconnect charging, and roaming charging.

4. The charging system of claim 3 wherein:

for retailing charging, the revenue share amount represents service units an end user pays to a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) or a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO);

for wholesale charging, the revenue share amount represents service units the MVNO pays to the MNO for network usage;

for content charging, the revenue share amount represents service units the MNO pays for the content supplied by a content provider;

for interconnect charging, the revenue share amount represents service units the MNO pays to another network operator that interconnects the call; and

for roaming charging, the revenue share amount represents service units a visiting MNO pays to a visited MNO for a local user to roam in a foreign network.

5. The charging system of claim 1 wherein:

the OCS, through the server, determines a subscription ID for each of the entities having a revenue share, and inserts the subscription ID in a corresponding charging request message.

6. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging rules include retail rules defining conditions for retail charging.

7. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging rules include wholesale rules defining conditions for wholesale charging.

8. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging rules include interconnect rules defining conditions for interconnect charging.

9. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging rules include content rules defining conditions for content charging.

10. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging rules include roaming rules defining conditions for roaming charging.

11. A method of determining the share of call revenue for a call in a charging system, wherein the charging system includes a charging controller comprising a hardware element coupled an Offline Charging System (OFCS) and an Online Charging System (OCS) over Diameter interfaces, the method comprising:

receiving, in a server of the OCS, charging data for a call in the mobile network, wherein the server provides an online charging function (OCF), an Account Balance Management Function (ABMF), and a common rating engine that is shared by the OCS and the OFCS;

calculating an overall charge for the call in the server of the OCS;

generating, at the server of the OCS, a first rated Charging Data Record (CDR) for the call indicating the overall charge;

receiving the first rated CDR for the call in the charging controller;

processing, at the hardware element of the charging controller, the first rated CDR and charging rules to identify entities that have a share in revenue of the overall charge for the call;

generating, at the hardware element of the charging controller, a charging request message for each of the entities having a revenue share in the call;

transmitting the charging request messages from the charging controller to the OCS over one of the Diameter interfaces;

receiving the charging request messages in the server of the OCS from the charging controller;

identifying, at the server of the OCS, a profile for each of the entities having a revenue share;

determining, at the server of the OCS, a revenue share amount for each of the entities based on their profile; and

generating, at the server of the OCS, a second rated CDR for each of the entities having a revenue share;

wherein the second rated CDRs each indicate an identifier for an entity having a revenue share, and a revenue share amount indicating a monetary amount owed by the entity or payable to the entity.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving, at the OFCS, the second rated CDRs for each of the entities having a revenue share from the OCS;

correlating, at the OFCS, the second rated CDRs to generate a consolidated CDR that indicates the revenue share amount for each of the entities; and

transmitting the consolidated CDR from the OFCS to a billing system.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the second rated CDRs each indicate a charging type for the call, wherein the charging type is selected from retail charging, wholesale charging, content charging, interconnect charging, and roaming charging.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

for retailing charging, the revenue share amount represents service units an end user pays to a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) or a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO);

for wholesale charging, the revenue share amount represents service units the MVNO pays to the MNO for network usage;

for content charging, the revenue share amount represents service units the MNO pays for the content supplied by a content provider;

for interconnect charging, the revenue share amount represents service units the MNO pays to another network operator that interconnects the call; and

for roaming charging, the revenue share amount represents service units a visiting MNO pays to a visited MNO for a local user to roam in a foreign network.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein generating a charging request message for each of the entities having a revenue share comprises:

determining, at the server of the OCS, a subscription ID for each of the entities having a revenue share; and

inserting, at the server of the OCS, the subscription ID in a corresponding charging request message.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging rules include retail rules defining conditions for retail charging.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging rules include wholesale rules defining conditions for wholesale charging.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging rules include interconnect rules defining conditions for interconnect charging.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging rules include content rules defining conditions for content charging.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging rules include roaming rules defining conditions for roaming charging.