CHARGING SYSTEM AND CHARGING METHOD

• US 20080319884A1
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: ZHANG, Wei, YI, Zhiquan, ZHANG, Fei
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/65 Off-line charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/882 for continuing the call beyond the limit using an alternative, e.g. alternative account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

The present invention provides a charging system and charging method. An online charging system and an offline charging system are interconnected via a shared data center to make up a dual-engine structure, which is able to implement online charging, offline charging, account sharing, switching between prepaid and postpaid modes, and binding of voice and data services. With the invention, an operator can possess more flexible charging and control capabilities, lower the cost of arrearage, and have stronger competitiveness.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising an online charging system, an offline charging system, and a shared data center, wherein:

the online charging system is adapted to implement online hot billing for services according to shared data;

the offline charging system is adapted to implement offline charging by means of call detail record, CDR collection, and CDR processing, according the shared data; and

the shared data center is adapted to manage the shared data and synchronize the shared data to the online charging system and the offline charging system, for access and use by the online charging system and the offline charging system.

2. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a service bearer network adapted to interact with the online charging system, and the offline charging system to perform charging triggering and service control.

3. The charging system of claim 2, wherein the online charging system comprises a charging control unit, an account management unit, and a rating unit;

wherein;

the charging control unit is adapted to invoke the rating unit and the account management unit, and to work with the service bearer network to complete charging related operations, according to the shared data in the shared data center, when a user is using a service;

the account management unit is adapted to manage account balances of the user according to user account information, requested credit line, and action type information provided by the charging control unit; and

the rating unit is adapted to rate according to a charging request sent by the charging control unit, and determine a charge or usable quantity according to a rating policy in the shared data center.

4. The charging system of claim 3, wherein the charging control unit comprises a session charging subunit and an event charging subunit;

wherein;

the session charging subunit is adapted to interact with the account management unit and the rating unit, respectively, to complete online bearer control in real time based on the account balance; and

the event charging subunit is adapted to interact with the account management unit and the rating unit, respectively, to perform ratings according to charging information of a current event and post expense items to an account of the user.

5. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the offline charging system comprises a preprocessing unit, a service identifying unit, a rating/charging unit, and an accounting unit;

wherein;

the preprocessing unit is adapted to implement format conversion, record consolidation, and error detection/correction for CDRs collected from the service bearer network;

the service identifying unit is adapted to identify the type of a service, according to the CDRs;

the rating/charging unit is adapted to calculate charges based on the preprocessed CDRs, according to shared data in the shared data center and identification information; and

the accounting unit is adapted to complete posting of accounts and to generate bills, according to calculation results of the rating/charging unit.

6. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the shared data center comprises a data access unit, a data model converting unit, and a database;

wherein;

the data access unit is adapted to update the shared data, and to interact with the online charging system and the offline charging system;

the data model converting unit is adapted to implement conversion of different data between the database, and the online charging system or the offline charging system; and

the database is adapted to store the shared data related charging.

7. The charging system of claim 2, wherein the service bearer network comprises an online charging trigger point and an offline charging CDR collection point;

wherein;

the online charging trigger point is adapted to interact with the online charging system in real time to implement online charging and control; and

the offline charging CDR collection point is adapted to generate a CDR when a user is using an offline service, and provides the CDR for the offline charging system to carry out charging processing.

8. The charging system of claim 7, wherein the service bearer network is a fixed network or a mobile network.

9. A charging method, comprising:

receiving, by way of an online charging system, service data synchronized by a shared data center, wherein the service data is configured by an operation support/customer service system and is sent to the shared data center; and

processing, by way of the online charging system, service usage of a user in real time according to the service data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the service data is configured by an operation support/customer service system, according to the according to the user request or an operator request.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

synchronizing, via the online charging system, all data and information to an offline charging system through the shared data center.

12. A charging method, comprising:

receiving, by way of an offline charging system, service data synchronized by a shared data center, wherein the service data is configured by an operation support/customer service system and is sent to the shared data center; and

processing, by way of the offline charging system, a call detail record (CDR) of a user according to the service data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the service data is configured by an operation support/customer service system, according to the user request or an operator request.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

synchronizing, via the offline charging system, all data and information to an online charging system through the shared data center.

15. A charging method, comprising:

receiving, by way of a shared data center, service data configured by an operation support/customer service system; and

synchronizing, by way of the shared data center, the service data to an online charging system and an offline charging system, wherein the online charging system and the offline charging system rates a service usage of a user according to the service data.

16. A charging method based on account sharing, comprising:

receiving, by way of the shared data center, a Change Profile message sent by an operation support/customer service system;

synchronizing, by way of the shared data center, profile information to an online charging system; and

synchronizing, by way of the shared data center, profile information to an offline charging system, wherein the online charging system or the offline charging system performs charging and account processing, according to a user-defined account sharing rule in the profile information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, if the online charging system processes shared accounts on a uniform basis when a user uses an offline service, processing via the offline charging system comprises:

sending, by way of an offline charging CDR collection point, a call detail record (CDR) to the offline charging system after the user finishes using the service;

determining, by way of the offline charging system, the charged party, and sending the CDR to the online charging system if the CDR is to be processed by the online charging system;

otherwise, processing the CDR by the offline charging system; and

sending, by way of the offline charging system, the CDR to the online charging system for processing, where operations, such as posting of a shared account, are completed, according to an account balance shared with online charging.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, if the online charging system and the offline charging system process share accounts separately, when the user uses an online service, processing by the online charging system comprises:

requesting and obtaining accumulative quantity information of an account from the shared data center;

receiving charging information of the user sent by an online charging trigger point;

charging the user according to the user'"'"'s order information and a charging rule;

sending a charging response to the online charging trigger point; and

settling the account when an accounting period ends, storing an accumulative quantity at the end of the accounting period, and synchronizing the accumulative quantity to the shared data center.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, if the online charging system and the offline charging system process shared accounts separately when the user uses an offline service, processing by the offline charging system comprises:

requesting and obtaining accumulative quantity information of an account from the shared data center;

receiving a CDR from an offline charging CDR collection point when the user finishes using the service;

carrying out charging processing on the CDR and responding to a local balance, and sending another request to the shared data center when the balance is insufficient; and

settling the account when an accounting period ends, storing an accumulative quantity at the end of the accounting period, and synchronizing the accumulative quantity to the shared data center.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein, if the user attempts to query shared account information, the method further comprises:

receiving, by way of the shared data center, a query request;

wherein the query request is sent by an operation support/customer service system when receiving a balance query request from the user;

sending, by way of the shared data center, the query request to the online charging system and receiving the account balance and accumulative quantity information from the online charging system, when the queried account relates to the online charging system;

or

sending, by way of the shared data center, a query request to the offline charging system and receiving account balance information from the offline charging system, when the queried account relates to the offline charging system;

adding up, by way of the shared data center, three balances, respectively, in the online charging system, the offline charging system, and a local database of the shared data center, and sending balance information to the operation support/customer service system.

21. A charging method which supports switching between prepaid and postpaid modes, comprising:

receiving a Change Payment Mode message, wherein the Change Payment Mode message is sent by an operation support/customer service system when the user is authenticated and the price is changed on the basis of user information, according to the Change Payment Mode request initiated by the user;

sending, by way of the shared data center, a Change Payment Mode notification to an online charging system;

receiving related account information synchronized by an online charging system after processing account settlement for a related product instance; and

sending a Change Payment Mode notification to an offline charging system to request the offline charging system to continue processing the related product instance, wherein the offline charging system continues with related charging processing, according to the related account information from the shared data center sent by the online charging system;

or

sending a Change Payment Mode notification to an offline charging system;

receiving related account information synchronized by an offline charging system after processing account settlement for a related product instance; and

sending a Change Payment Mode notification to the online charging system to request the online charging system to continue processing the product instance;

wherein the online charging system continues with related charging processing, according to the related account information from the shared data center sent by the offline charging system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the Change Payment Mode notification is sent to a service bearer network by way of an operation support/customer service system, wherein the service bearer network modifies the payment mode attribute of a product according to the Change Payment Mode notification.

23. A charging method binding voice and data services, comprising:

receiving, by way of a shared data center, configuration information of a binding scheme from an operation support/customer service system; and

sending, by way of the shared data center, the configuration information of the binding scheme to an offline charging system and an online charging system, respectively, wherein the online charging system performs ratings and deductions according to the binding scheme and the user'"'"'s order information, and the offline charging system processes the binding scheme according to collected call detail records (CDRs).

24. An online charging system, comprising a charging control unit, an account management unit, and a rating unit;

wherein;

the charging control unit is adapted to invoke the rating unit and the account management unit, and to work with a service bearer network to complete charging-related operations according to a shared data synchronized from a shared data center when a user is using a service;

the account management unit is adapted to manage account balances of the user according to user account information, requested credit line, and action type information provided by the charging control unit; and

the rating unit is adapted to rate according to a charging request sent by the charging control unit, and determine a charge or usable quantity according to a rating policy from the shared data center.

25. An offline charging system, comprising a preprocessing unit, a service identifying unit, a rating/charging unit, and an accounting unit;

wherein;

the preprocessing unit is adapted to implement format conversion, record consolidation, and error detection/correction for CDRs collected from a service bearer network;

the service identifying unit is adapted to identify type of a service, according to the CDRs;

the rating/charging unit is adapted to calculate charges based on the preprocessed CDRs, according to shared data synchronized from a shared data center and identification information; and

the accounting unit is adapted to complete posting of accounts and to generate bills, according to calculation results of the rating/charging unit.

26. A shared data center comprising a data access unit, a data model converting unit, and a database, wherein:

the data access unit is adapted to interact with an online charging system and an offline charging system, and to update shared data to the online charging system and the offline charging system;

the data model converting unit is adapted to implement conversion of different data between the database and the online charging system or the offline charging system; and

the database is adapted to store the shared data related charging.