Mobility network operator service delivery hub

• US 9,992,119 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dunmire, David, Keith, Chad C., Owenby, Clifford Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US14/838,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20150372923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

A service delivery hub controlled by a network operator includes an access controller; a network services gateway in communication with the access controller and in communication with external network elements, a partner management center in communication with the access controller and the network services gateway, the partner management center configured to establish a service level agreement with application service providers or enabler providers; an interface defined by the service level agreement, the interface configured to provide a single point access to the application service developers, to provide a set of programming interfaces to the developers whereas the programming interfaces provide access to the external network elements; and a charging system interface to a charging gateway, wherein the charging system is subject to the service level agreement and wherein the service delivery hub allocates revenue in accordance with the service level agreement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a service delivery hub, that a service level agreement exists between a network operator and an application service provider;

providing an interface defined by the service level agreement, wherein the interface is configured to provide a single point access for the application service provider to access a first network enabler that provides access to at least one network element in a first network and a second network enabler that provides access to at least one network element in a second network;

receiving, at the service delivery hub, a request from the application service provider to communicate with the first enabler;

establishing, through the interface, a connection for the application service provider to access the first enabler; and

determining, based on the service level agreement, a cost of the application service provider'"'"'s access to the first enabler.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection is a VPN Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the request is for the application service provider to communicate with the first enabler based on a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) included in the request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the request is for the application service provider to communicate with the first enabler based on the location of the application services provider.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling access to the first enabler based upon a policy control.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein controlling access includes limiting access to the at least one external network element in the first network by the application service provider to prevent overloading.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating a portion of the cost to the first enabler.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising balancing load access to the at least one external network element in the first network.

9. A system comprising:

a partner management center configured to establish a service level agreement between a network operator associated with the system and a user;

an interface defined by the service level agreement, the interface providing a single point access for the user to access a first external network and a second external network;

a network services gateway including a first interface in communication with a first enabler of the first external network and a second interface in communication with a second enabler of the second external network;

an application service gateway that provides to the user an application programming interface for communicating with the first enabler and the second enabler;

an enterprise service bus for establishing a connection to the first enabler and for routing communications between the user and the first enabler and for routing communications between the user and the second enabler; and

a cost system for determining a cost of the user'"'"'s access of at least one of the first enabler and the second enabler.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the connection is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising determining that the request is for the application service provider to communicate with the first enabler based on a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) included in the request.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the application service gateway is configured to control access to the first enabler based upon a policy control.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the policy control includes limiting access to the first external network element by the user to prevent overloading.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the cost system is configured to allocate a portion of the cost to the first enabler.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the user is an application services provider.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the user is an aggregator.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the partnership management center is configured to establish a second service level agreement between the network operator and an enabler provider associated with the first enabler.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the enterprise service bus is configured to determine that the user is requesting access to the first enabler based on a location of the user.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the application service gateway is configured to balance load access to the first external network element.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the application services provider receives the application programming interface from the first enabler.