JP2003309589A - Charging method for ip network and node device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase profits of an IP network company in proportion to an increase in traffic. <P>SOLUTION: Payment to a backbone node company is made in a consumption-based measuring system according to traffic, while payment is made by an end user 900 in a fixed charge system. Also, in a node system 120 in a backbone network 10, a node device 1220 is allowed to have records each consisting of a line number, data quantity and collecting period to measure the data quantity for each line. In this way, since the payment is made from the end user in the fixed charge system, the number of traffics from the terminal or server used by the end user increases. As the result, an increase in traffic flowing into the backbone network is induced, the backbone network company having the consumption-based charging system according to the traffic can increase profits according to the increase in traffic. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for realizing a service using an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An IP network is a network that connects terminals or servers to each other, and is composed of an access network that aggregates a large number of terminals or servers and a backbone network that connects the aggregation sites. The IP network operator makes a profit by collecting the fee paid by the contractor of the service to be provided. The first conventional technology of IP network operators is that the fee system for services is a flat-rate system. The second conventional technique is
The method of collecting the charging data was the event notification method. This event notification method will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 7: RFC (Request For Comment) 2924: Accounting Attribu of IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force)
tes andRecord Formats. (September 2000.), accounting attribute and record format (September 2000). , 150-n are connected to a service device (Service Element) 250 through interfaces 600-1, ..., 600-n, and the service device 250 is connected to a billing server ( Accounting Server) 35
0 through interface 610.

[0003]

The first problem corresponding to the above-mentioned first conventional technique is the problem of the charge system. With the flat-rate charge system, even if the traffic of the IP network increases, the profit corresponding to it cannot be obtained. The second problem corresponding to the above-mentioned second conventional technique is the problem of the method of collecting the charging data. In the RFC2924, the notification of the charging data is sent from the service device 250 to the charging server 350.
It is supposed to be done by the event notification to (Usage Events). However, since the IP network is always connected by using the leased line connection, the event notification is always made in the event notification, and the service device 250 and the billing server 350 are required to have high event processing capability.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned two problems, the following is performed. First, in order to solve the first problem, the payment from the end user to the access network operator remains the fixed rate charge system while the payment from the access network operator to the backbone network operator remains the traffic pay-per-use charge system. And Then, in order to realize the billing based on the pay-per-use rate system, the data amount (for example, the layer 3 data amount common to any service using the IP network) can be measured. Next, in order to solve the second problem, as a data collection method for billing to realize this pay-per-use fee system, measurement of the amount of data on an always connected leased line is performed from the billing control device. It can be done by the signal of. Also,
The node device that measures the amount of data has a record consisting of the line number, the amount of data, and the collection period. As a specific configuration, in the IP network, from the charging control device,
By transmitting the billing data collection control signal to the node device, the node device counts the billing data. Also,
In a specific example, the billing data collection control signal has a line number as an attribute, the node device counts billing data for each line number, creates a table, and stores the data in the storage means. Further, when the billing data collection control signal is a signal for starting the collection of billing data, the record held for counting the billing data is reset, and the billing data collection control signal is changed to the billing data collection control signal. It is also possible to hold the record held for counting the billing data when the signal is the end of collection. Also, when the billing data collection control signal is a signal for reading data,
It is also possible to transmit the value of the record held for counting the billing data from the node device to the billing control device.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an IP network and the systems and devices that compose it. The terminal or server 100 connects the access network AN with a dedicated line 5
00 and are aggregated by the node system 110 in the access network. The node system 110 is connected to the backbone network by a leased line 550 to the node system 120 in the backbone network. Multiple node systems 12 in backbone network
0s are connected to each other. The mutual communication path between the terminal or the server is, for example, the terminal or server 100-1-1, the dedicated line 500-1, the node system 110-1, the dedicated line 5.
50-1, node system 120-1, dedicated line 600-
1 m, node system 120-m, dedicated line 550-m,
The node system 110-m, dedicated line 500-Nm, terminal or server 100-m-Nm. FIG. 2 shows the flow of charges in the present invention. The backbone network operator 700 pays from the access network operator 800 at a pay-as-you-go rate according to the traffic.
Receive 00. In the above communication path example, the leased line 550-
The traffic passing through 1,550-m is a part of the traffic to be metered. The total traffic that passes through a plurality of communication paths, and the traffic that passes through the leased lines 550-1 and 550-m is the total traffic that is the target of the metered system. The access network operator 800 receives payment 1000 from the end user 900 at a flat-rate charge. Here, the backbone network operator is an operator who operates the backbone network, the access network operator is an operator who operates the access network, and the end users are terminals or server users. FIG. 3 shows the device connection of the node system 120 in the backbone node of FIG. The charging control device 1210 and the node device 1220 are connected by the interface 1230. FIG. 4 shows the charging control device 1210 and the node device 121.
10 shows the transmission and reception of signals on the interface 1230 between 0s. First, the charging control device 1210 has a list of line numbers (L (line number) in FIG. 4 indicates a list of line numbers, which is a set of one or a plurality of line numbers) as an attribute and starts collection. The signal 51 is transmitted to the node device 1220. Upon receiving the collection start signal, the node device 1220 transmits a collection start signal ACK52 having the list of the received line numbers as an attribute to the charging control device 1210. After the data collection is started, the charging control device 12
10 transmits a data read signal 53 having a list of line numbers as an attribute to the node device 1220 as necessary. When the node device 1220 accepts the data read signal, the node device 1220 transmits to the charging control device 1210 a data read signal ACK54 having a list of a set of the received line number, data corresponding to the line number, and a period corresponding to the line number as attributes. To do. To end the data collection,
The charging control device 1210 transmits a collection end signal 55 having a list of line numbers as an attribute to the node device 1220. Upon receiving the collection end signal, the node device 1220 transmits a collection end signal ACK 56 having the list of the received line numbers as an attribute to the charging control device 1210. Next, a method of counting the amount of billing data will be described with reference to FIGS.
To explain. FIG. 5 shows a record 60 held by the node device 1210. The record 60 includes a line number field 61, a data amount field 62, and a collection period field 63, and further includes a collection period field 63.
Is a start time field 64 and an end time field 65.
Consists of. In the line number field 61, the line number LN
, ..., LNm, the data amount field 62 is the data amount D1, ..., Dm of each line up to that point, and the start time field 64 is the data collection start time T of each line.
s1, ..., Tsm is the time at the time of reading of each line or the data collection end time T in the end time field 65.
e1, ..., Tem are respectively stored. FIG. 6 is a state transition diagram showing processing of the data amount field and the collection period field of the line number LNi (i = 1, ..., M) of the record 60. There are two states for this process: non-collecting 71 and collecting 72. When the collection start signal 73 for the line number LNi is input, the non-collection status
The state transits from 71 to the collecting state 72. At this time, the value Di of the data amount field, the value Tsi of the start time field, and the value Tei of the end time field are reset, and the time at that time is written in the start time field Tsi (81). When the collection end signal 75 for the line number LNi is input, the collecting state 72 transits to the non-collecting state 71.
At this time, the value Di of the data amount field and the value Tsi of the start time field are held, and the time at that time is written in the end time field Tei (83). When the data read signal for the line number LNi is input in the non-collection state 71 (76), the value Di of the data amount field, the value Tsi of the start time field, and the value Tei of the end time field.
Is read (86). When the data reading signal for the line number LNi is input in the collecting state 72 (7
4) First, the time at that time is written in the end time field Tei, and the value Di of the data amount field, the value Tsi of the start time field, and the value Tei of the end time field are read (85). The processing of the data amount field, the start time field, and the end time field in the non-collecting state 71 is Di, Tsi, and Tei holding 84, and the data amount field, the start time field in the collecting state 72,
The processing of the end time field is Tsi, Tei hold and Di count 82. The above processing will be described by positioning it on the flow of FIG. At the time of A in FIG. 4, a data amount field 62 and a start time field 6 corresponding to the target line
4. Reset the end time field 65, start counting the amount of data, and write the start time field 64. At time B in FIG. 4, the end time field 65 is first written, and then the data amount field 62, the start time field 64, and the end time field 65 are read. At the time of C in FIG. 4, the counting of the data amount corresponding to the target line is finished, the value of the data amount field 62 and the value 64 of the start time field are held, and the value 65 of the end time field is written. An example of the data amount is to measure the length (octet length) of the area other than the header of the IP datagram when the layer 3 data amount is used. This is an effective method when the amount of data carried by IP is used as billing data.

[0006]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the end user pays a fixed amount, it is possible to communicate without worrying about the amount of communication traffic. This induces an increase in communication traffic from the end user and, as a result, an increase in traffic flowing from the access network to the backbone network. Backbone network operators receive a pay-as-you-go rate-based payment, which can be expected to increase as traffic increases. Further, since the node device measures and responds to the billing data in response to the control signal from the billing control device, it is possible to prevent the billing data processing capacity from increasing even with the constant connection.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing a network configuration, a node system, and an apparatus for explaining the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the flow of gold according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing device connection of a node system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow showing a processing flow according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a table showing records held by the device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a transition diagram showing state transitions of the device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a device configuration for explaining processing according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Backbone network, 20 ... Access network, 100 ... Terminal or server, 110, 120
... node system, 500, 550, 600 ... dedicated line,
700 ... Backbone network operator, 800 ... Access network operator, 900 ... End user, 1
210 ... Charging control device, 1220 ... Node device, 150
... service consumer, 250 ... service device, 350 ... billing server.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A billing method for use of an IP network comprising an access network and a backbone network connecting the access networks, wherein a fee for a service for an end user of the access network operator is a flat rate system, and A method for charging an IP network, wherein the fee for the service of the backbone network operator to the access network operator is a pay-as-you-go system according to traffic. 2. An IP network consisting of an access network and a backbone network connecting between the access networks, which is a node device interposed between the access network and the backbone network, and which is a charging data collection control signal from the charging control device. Is received and the billing data is counted. 3. The node device according to claim 2, wherein the node device has billing data for each line number. 4. When the billing data collection control signal is a signal for starting collection of billing data, the node device resets a record held for counting billing data, and the billing is performed. 3. The node device according to claim 2, wherein a record held for counting the billing data is held when the billing data collection control signal is a signal for ending the collection of billing data. 5. The value of a record held for counting the accounting data is transmitted to the accounting control device when the accounting data collection control signal is a signal for reading data. Item 3. The node device according to item 2.