Policy service system and methodology

• US 20040259534A1
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: July Systems, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smotra, Sachin, Chaudhari, Ambarish, Varma, Ramesh, Gopalan, Padma Priya, Kashikar, Amod, Reddy, Rajesh T. S., Chakravorthy, Jyothirmoy
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• 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 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking

Abstract

The present invention provides for creation, relevance based discovery and delivery of services to mobile users over telecommunications networks. The services are provided on a Mobile Service Provider'"'"'s (MSP'"'"'s) network infrastructure and created in collaboration with third parties by means of service objects. Each service object is a three dimensional collection of service capabilities derived from the network infrastructure, service elements and assets like user billing relations, user profiles, device capability and location. The service capabilities address and factor in network facing, subscriber facing and third party requirements of service delivery. Service objects can be configured for different service and business priorities of the operator such as DRM and location services. A service object extends all MSP assets to third parties in a regulated manner. The user can discover relevant services, subscribe to, and personalize the services. The users receive a consolidated bill for the services they have used periodically.

Claims

1. A method for providing at least one service to a plurality of mobile users, the service being provided via a network infrastructure owned by a mobile service provider, the service being provided by at least one third party partnering the mobile service provider, the method comprising the steps of:

a) the mobile service provider creating service objects using core network information;

b) the third party creating services using at least one of the created service objects;

c) the mobile service provider enabling the provision of the created service to the mobile user via the network infrastructure;

d) the mobile user subscribing to a service being provided via the network infrastructure; and

e) the mobile user customizing the subscribed service.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating service objects using core network information comprises the steps of:

a) using the user database information for creating service objects;

b) using information related to business relationships between the mobile service provider and the third party;

c) using information related to capabilities of the network infrastructure for creating service objects; and

d) defining applications used to implement the services on the network infrastructure.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating service objects using core network information is based on Common Information Model.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of creating service objects using core network information is implemented by including at least one service capability.

5. The service capability as recited in claim 4 wherein the service capability further includes at least one execution flow.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of third party creating services using at least one of the created service objects includes attaching a charging model with the service object.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of using the information related to capabilities of the network infrastructure for creating service objects comprises the steps of:

a) defining network elements information including information relating to the capability of network elements; and

b) defining the gateway services information including information relating to the capability of gateway services.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating a service by a third party comprises the step of:

a) entering authentication information for access to service objects available with the mobile service provider, the authentication enabling the third party to gain pre-defined access to service objects;

b) selecting at least one service object;

c) configuring service parameters on the selected service objects on the basis of predefined business relationships existing between the third party and the mobile service provider; and

d) providing relevance criteria for the created service on the basis of the shared core network information.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of configuring service parameters on the basis of predefined business relationships existing between the third party and the mobile service provider comprises the steps of:

a) using the core network information that is being shared between the mobile service provider and the third party, the shared core network information being defined on the basis of the pre-defined business relationships; and

b) providing value added services in accordance with the predefined business relationship.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of creating services using at least one of the predefined service objects is carried out by the mobile service provider.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the provision of the created service to the mobile user comprises the steps of:

a) applying network level controls on the service created in accordance with business relationships;

b) applying application level controls on the service created in accordance with business relationships; and

c) applying system level controls on the system elements participating in service creation and delivery.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of a user subscribing to a service comprises the steps of:

a) the mobile service provider matching user context information with relevance criteria of services offered;

b) the mobile service provider providing to the user, a list of available services whose relevance criteria matches with the user information;

c) the user selecting from the list, at least one service; and

d) the user subscribing to the selected service.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further including the step of the mobile user customizing the service as per preference by means of the steps of:

a) the user identifying the service parameters to be customized; and

b) the user overwriting the identified service parameters.

14. A system suitable for providing at least one service to a plurality of mobile users, the service being provided via a network infrastructure owned by a mobile service provider, the service being provided by at least one third party partnering the mobile service provider, the system comprising:

a) a business gateway for enabling the provision and modification of core network information by the mobile service provider and the third party;

b) a context server for maintaining information about the system;

c) a meta directory for storing the core network information, the core network information being needed for creation and delivery of services;

d) a service catalog for storing a list of available services, and the relevance criteria corresponding to each service;

e) an intermediation gateway for enabling the delivery of services; and

f) a meta controller for providing a policy based control of the business gateway, the context server, the meta directory, the service catalog and the intermediation gateway.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the business gateway comprises:

a) a read module for reading the core network information stored in the meta directory, the information being read by the mobile service provider and the third party; and

b) a write module for providing core network information that is to be stored in the meta directory, the information being provided by the mobile service provider and the third party.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the business gateway authenticates third party for access to information available with the mobile service provider.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the context server comprises:

a) means for collecting status information about the user;

b) means for collecting status information about user devices;

c) means for collecting status information about network elements; and

d) means for collecting status information about applications enabling services.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the meta directory comprises:

a) a service directory for storing service objects created by the mobile service provider;

b) a policy repository for storing policy rules created by the mobile service provider;

c) a rights repository for storing rights created by the mobile service provider;

d) a business rules repository for storing rules decided on the basis of business relationships between the mobile service provider and third party;

e) a device profile database for storing details of user devices;

f) an application profile for storing details of the different applications that implement services; and

g) a subscriber profile for storing information about users subscribed for various services.

19. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the intermediation gateway comprises:

a) a context engine receiving context information from the context server;

b) a policy component extracting policies relevant to a service from the meta controller;

c) an application handler deciding the appropriate application corresponding to a service requested by the user; and

d) a policy enforcement engine implementing policies extracted by the policy component on the application.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the system further comprises a metering record generator for storing usage information, the usage information being used to obtain consolidated billing for the users.

21. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the meta controller comprises:

a) an execution engine for identifying policies and rights corresponding to a requested service;

b) a network resource control module for policy based control of network infrastructure;

c) an application control module for policy based control of application implementing a requested service; and

d) a system resource control module for policy based control of system elements.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the execution engine authenticates the user requesting for a service.

23. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the service catalog comprises:

a) means for extracting user information from the context server;

b) means for extracting relevance criteria for all the services stored in the service catalog; and

c) means for matching user context with relevance criteria for each service.