Method and arrangement in a communication network

• US 9,654,590 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Kvernvik, Tor, Svensson, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia-Ching, Karina J
• Application Number:
  US13/377,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,881 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 15/09 Third party charged communications
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing labelling information to a third party regarding terminal users in a communication network. A labelling unit receives communication related data generated from executed communications of the terminal users, and fetches stored labelling rules which have been configured specifically for the third party. The labelling unit then converts the communication related data into labelling information, where a communication habits vector is determined by applying the fetched labelling rules on the received communication related data, and the labelling information is determined for the terminal user(s) based on the resulting communication habits vector. The determined labelling information is finally delivered to the third party.

Claims

1. A method of providing labelling information to a receiving third party regarding one or more terminal users in a communication network, comprising the following steps executed by a labelling unit connected to a data mining system:

receiving communication related data generated from executed communications of said one or more terminal users;

fetching stored labelling rules which have been configured specifically for the third party;

converting the received communication related data into labelling information, wherein a communication habits vector is determined by applying the fetched labelling rules on the received communication related data, and the labelling information is determined for the terminal user(s) based on the resulting communication habits vector, said labelling information representing a description of the terminal user(s) with respect to their communication habits,

wherein the labelling rules are configured by defining the communication habits vector as a plurality of measurable communication habits parameters that correspond to different aspects of the communication habits of the terminal user(s), and configuring thresholds for each of the plurality of measurable communication habits parameters as limits for predefined user labels, classes or categories;

generating a profile of the terminal user(s) by customising a user(s) profile expressed in a format used by a Data Mining Engine (DME) from which the communication related data is received; and

delivering the determined labelling information to the third party, wherein the labelling information is delivered using a protocol and an interface adapted to the third party.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delivered labelling information includes a label, category or class of the terminal user(s) as defined by the labelling rules.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the labelling information is described with a terminology independent of the underlying traffic types and communication techniques.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication habits vector is determined by determining the values of the communication habits parameters from the received communication related data, and a user label, class or category is determined based on said preconfigured limits for each parameter in the communication habits vector.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communication habits vector is representative for a single terminal user or a cluster of plural terminal users having similar communication habits.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication related data is received from the DME as processed by one or more Machine Learning Algorithms (MLAs).

7. A labelling unit connected to a data mining system for providing labelling information to a receiving third party regarding one or more terminal users in a communication network, comprising circuitry configured to:

receive communication related data generated from executed communications of said one or more terminal users;

fetch stored labelling rules which have been configured specifically for the third party, and to convert the received communication related data into labelling information, including determining values of parameters in a communication habits vector by applying the fetched labelling rules on the received communication related data, and determining labelling information for the terminal user(s) based on the communication habits vector, said labelling information representing a description of the terminal user(s) with respect to their communication habits;

store the labelling rules which have been configured by defining the communication habits vector as a plurality of measurable communication habits parameters that correspond to different aspects of the communication habits of the terminal user(s), and configuring thresholds for each of the plurality of measurable communication habits parameters as limits for predefined user labels, classes or categories;

generate a profile of the terminal user(s) by customising a user(s) profile expressed in a format used by a Data Mining Engine (DME) from which the communication related data is received; and

deliver the determined labelling information to the third party, wherein the labelling information is delivered using a protocol and an interface adapted to the third party.

8. The labelling unit according to claim 7, wherein the delivered labelling information includes a label, category or class of the terminal user(s) as defined by the labelling rules.

9. The labelling unit according to claim 7, wherein the labelling information is described with a terminology independent of the underlying traffic types and communication techniques.

10. The labelling unit according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the communication habits vector by determining the values of the communication habits parameters from the received communication related data, and determining a user label, class or category based on said preconfigured limits for each parameter in the communication habits vector.

11. The labelling unit according to claim 7, wherein said communication habits vector is representative for a single terminal user or a cluster of plural terminal users having similar communication habits.

12. The labelling unit according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive the communication related data from the DME as processed by one or more Machine Learning Algorithms (MLAs).

13. The labelling unit according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

create labelling information relating to social network relations of the terminal user(s);

and

generate a profile of a cluster of terminal user(s) by customising a cluster profile expressed in said format used by the DME.