RU2762390C2 - Subscriber connection method - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: wireless communication networks.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of connecting subscribers in wireless communication networks associated with obtaining additional information services. To achieve the effect, the cellular operator receives a request to establish an incoming call at the signaling connection switching node, routes the incoming call to the intelligent peripheral node, which establishes a connection with the calling subscriber. In this case, the smart peripheral node plays the audio recording to the caller and simultaneously additionally establishes at least one more signaling connection of the incoming call with the called subscriber, and after the called subscriber connects to the intelligent peripheral unit, connects it to the caller and stops playing the audio recording to the caller.

EFFECT: increasing the efficiency of signaling traffic when establishing a signaling connection of an incoming call to its network.

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Description

The proposed invention relates to the field of telecommunications and communications, in particular to systems used in cellular networks of any standards, including GSM, UMTS (IN Intelligent Network), IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), and is intended to improve the operator's economic performance cellular communication (NP network provider), due to the advanced connection of voice calls, and an increase in the number of completed voice calls made to its network.

Subscriber answering machines and IVR systems of NP cellular operators are well known in the art. Call charging begins after connecting to these systems and the caller starts listening to a pre-formed audio message. The operator, in whose network the calling subscriber is registered, starts charging the call and charges the call. The operator in whose network the called party is registered charges the call to be billed to the calling party's operator for serving the call. In the current state of the art, it takes an average of 6-25 seconds to establish an incoming call signaling connection in the called subscriber operator's network. This time is due to the interaction of network nodes SSP (Signal Switching Point), SCP (Signal Control Point), subscriber databases (HLR, VLR), etc. As well as waiting for a subscriber's response after the SSP node starts transmitting signaling connections VMSC (Visited Mobile Switching Center ) ringback tone RBT (Ring Back Tone) to the MS (Mobil Station) of the called subscriber. Thus, the operator serves the incoming call for 6-25 seconds without charging the operator of the calling party for this, and the situation is aggravated in scenarios of impossibility of connecting, when the called subscriber is busy, not answering or unavailable.

The well-known voice mail service VMS (Voicemail System) is a traditional service of cellular operators. Incoming call routing to VMS server is performed by CSI (CAMEL Subscription Information) trigger on the switching node in scenarios when the called subscriber is busy or unavailable. The call service on the VMS server is completed by leaving (or not leaving) a voice message by the caller. In the current state of the art, the VMS service is not invoked in the called subscriber's ready-to-answer scenario. This scenario ends with the VMSC sending RBT to MS B of the called subscriber, waiting for it to answer the incoming call, and then connecting after it answers the call.

Voice call connectivity is a traditional service of NP cellular operators and generates a significant portion of their revenue. These services are provided to NP through the signaling network CS (Circuit Switched Domain) controlled by it with channel switching with guaranteed QoS communication quality, known as a set of signaling protocols (SIP, ISUP, etc.) of common channel signaling No. 7 OKS7 (clause 102, GOST R 53801 -2010) SS7 (clause 3.3.1 GPP TS 23.002) which in the current state of the art is evolving towards the IMS architecture. The signaling CS network provides for a settlement procedure between NP operators for servicing incoming calls in their network based on the so-called. CDR (Charging Data Records) records.

Diverse services provided to the subscriber by means of the PS (Packet Switched Domain) packet network (clause 3.3.2 GPP TS 23.002), with packet switching, are performed without direct contact with the NP. This technology in cellular networks is usually called the media layer, packet network or OTT (Over the Top) services. Mobile applications use the IP protocol stack and are known to operate on a client-server architecture in a PS network to which the NP does not have direct access.

It is known that the mobile advertising industry has significant economic potential and is used by numerous participants in the mobile advertising market for profit. A significant share of the income of participants in this market comes from the sale of advertising web-inventory (places for advertising) web-resources (web-sites). NP does not control the PS domain and has no opportunity to participate in the distribution of this income.

In the claimed method of connecting subscribers, the authors propose to determine the part of the time of establishing the signaling connection of the incoming call in the signaling network CS of the cellular operator NP with the advertising audio inventory. The operator can use this period of time to increase its economic indicators by selling it to advertisers and at the same time increase the call service time by its amount due to the advance connection of the incoming call.

In the context of the application, the following definitions are accepted - homeNet subscriber - subscriber registered in the NP network, offNet subscriber - subscriber not registered in the NP network. Subscriber A (Calling) - the calling subscriber, Subscriber B (Called) - the called subscriber. In the general case, it is assumed that subscriber A is an offNet subscriber, in a particular case, subscriber A can be both a homeNet and an offNet subscriber. Incoming call - an incoming voice call made by offNet or homeNet subscriber A homeNet subscriber B. Advertising audio inventory - the period of time from receiving by the VMSC switching node in the area of which the homeNet subscriber is served homeNet of subscriber B to a call, during which the cellular operator NP performs RBT signal transmission to MS B. Advertising audio content is any audio recording containing meaningful audio information of an advertising nature, including in an interactive form.

The method of connecting subscribers proposed by the authors is aimed at increasing the economic indicators of the NP cellular operator within the framework of providing them with traditional communication services in the CS signaling network due to:

1.Sales of advertising content (advertising audio inventory), which in the signaling CS network is the equivalent of advertising web-inventory in the packet PS network;

2. an increase in the service time of an incoming voice call, which is a consequence of the advance connection of an incoming call to advertising inventory before connecting with the called subscriber (advance connection);

3.increase in the number of incoming calls made to the NP operator's network by making an automatic call and then connecting the called subscriber B with the calling subscriber A in scenarios when the called subscriber B is busy, does not answer or is unavailable, including to another active MS device B of the called party.

Known from patent sources:

Patent RU2384966 describes a method for replacing the ring back tone RBT, which is performed by the MSC when connecting a voice call. The disadvantage of this method is the impossibility of the cellular operator to extract additional income (except for the subscription to the service) from replacing the dial tone due to the impossibility of integrating actual advertising at the time of connection. The disadvantage is also the technical impossibility of providing an increase in the time of the voice connection for the presentation of the increased invoice NP B, in which the subscriber calling offNet is registered.

Patent RU2675784 describes a method of controlled disconnection of a voice call and its routing to additional types of services by establishing a second signaling connection increased by Δt in comparison with the available credit account of the subscriber calling homeNet. The method seems to be effective within the framework of the technical problem posed by the invention, nevertheless, it is adapted to making outgoing calls to offNet by a subscriber, which makes it impossible, for obvious reasons, to increase NP income in mutual settlements. Also, the method cannot promote the sale of advertising audio inventory due to the lack of interest of the caller in listening to it.

Patent RU113623 describes a method for connecting an incoming call to one of several mobile devices of the called homeNet subscriber in the event that the mobile device (MSISDN) to which the call is being made is not available for connection. The method contributes in part to generating revenue NP serving the called homeNet subscriber by attempting to connect to an active device on the network. Nevertheless, like the previous analogs, it does not increase the time of making a voice call and does not provide the sale of advertising audio inventory.

Application US12566189 (Pub.No 20100086107) is chosen by the authors for a prototype and describes a method of delivering voice (audio) advertising to a subscriber by intercepting and recognizing an established signaling session of a voice connection of subscribers. The obvious technical disadvantage of the proposed method is the need to perform laborious interception of the voice audio channel after the establishment of the signal connection (Fig. 3, paragraph 5 of the formula). This makes it impossible to generate additional profit for the operator from the increase in the time to establish a signaling connection to make a call (early connection). Moreover, the very procedure of interception, recognition, transformation into text and further analysis of voice channels entails a laborious modification of the operator's infrastructure. Given that external analytics (DMP Data Management Platform systems), as a rule, have the necessary advertising profile of the subscriber, and its use for these purposes seems to be economically more preferable. The disadvantage of the application is the absence and impossibility of implementing the integration of advertising audio content into the connection of a voice call of subscribers.

The technical task of the proposed method for connecting subscribers is to increase the economic performance of the NP mobile operator through the sale of advertising content and to increase the efficiency of using signaling traffic when establishing a signaling connection of an incoming call to its network.

The technical problem is achieved by a method for connecting subscribers, in accordance with which a cellular operator receives a request to establish an incoming call at a signaling connection switching node, routes an incoming call to an intelligent peripheral node that establishes a connection with the caller, and the intelligent peripheral node plays audio to the caller recording in the form of an audio notification, including in an interactive form using technical means of speech synthesis and recognition and at the same time additionally establishes at least one more signaling connection of an incoming call with the called subscriber, and after the called subscriber connects to the intelligent periphery node, connects it to the calling subscriber and stops playing the audio to the caller. In this case, an intelligent peripheral node is a VMS network node of GSM, UMTS standards, or an AS network node of an IMS standard, or any other network node that implements the logic of audio notifications, including speech and in an interactive form using technical means of speech synthesis and recognition. And the switching node of signaling connections is a VMSC network node of GSM, UMTS standards, or a CSCF network node of IMS standard, which performs the functions of managing SIP sessions, or any other standard network node that performs the logic of switching signaling connections using SIP, ISUP protocols, and a request to establish an incoming call is a message on the signaling protocols SIP, ISUP.

The proposed method is illustrated by drawings:

FIG. 1 The generalized architecture of the signaling network CS of the NP operator is presented for the implementation of the method of connecting subscribers

FIG. 2 shows a generalized network dialogue of network nodes for implementing a method for connecting subscribers.

In the figures, the connections of the CS signaling network are shown with dashed lines. In the call diagram of FIG. 2, the audio phase is indicated by a highlighted continuous line.

The figures do not limit the network architecture, call flow, or entity interaction scheme within the scope of the present invention, but illustrate a preferred implementation that provides the claimed technical result. The implementation of the claimed method is illustrated on the architecture of the IN (UMTS) network based on the IP platform (Intelligent Peripheral) VMS. Taking into account the specification of the architecture of IMS networks, the claimed method can be implemented on the basis of a standard AS (Application Server). In order to simplify the description, the method is demonstrated based on the SIP signaling protocol operating in both the IN architecture (UMTS) and the IMS network architecture. As a specialist understands, without limiting the generality and scope of legal protection, the method is carried out on the basis of the signaling ISUP protocol operating in the architectures of GSM and IN (UMTS) networks.

Figure 1 shows the generalized architecture of the signaling network CS of the operator NP in the network of which the subscriber MS B called homeNet is registered, served by the current switching node SSP VMSC, which performs the functions of switching signaling connections using the signaling protocols SIP, ISUP. The IP VMS intelligent periphery node is represented by a standard network node VMS (Voicemail System) - a system for registering, storing and redirecting telephone voice messages that implements the logic of VAS (Value Added Services) additional services in the IN network. Within the framework of the claimed method, IP VMS is a technical means that performs the logic of audio notifications, including speech, in an interactive form using technical means of speech synthesis and recognition. MS A - the calling subscriber, in Fig. 1, 2 is designated as offnet, without loss of generality of the method and scope of legal protection, homeNet can be subscriber B. In IMS networks, the functions of the IP VMS node are performed by the STAS (Smart Telecom Application Server) network node developed by the applicant. standards of the classic SIP AS (Application Server) of the IMS network architecture, the software part of which is the applicant's know-how. The functions of the SSP VMSC switching node in the IMS network architecture are performed by a standard SIP server that performs the CSCF (Call / Session Control Function) SIP session control functions and routes SIP connections between the UE (User Equipment) and IMS network nodes. The operator can define any subset of homeNet subscribers, all incoming calls of which must be routed to the IP VMS to play advertisements to the calling subscriber A. This subset is standardly determined by the CSI trigger CAMEL subscriptions on the SSP VMSC switching node. The operator can economically stimulate subscribers to such a subscription from a portion of the revenue from the sale of advertising content.

The process of servicing an incoming call within the framework of the proposed method is illustrated by the diagram of Fig. 2 - OffNet subscriber A (Calling) makes a voice call to subscriber B (Called). After processing at the gateway switching node GMSC operator NP and determining the current switching node VMSC according to HLR MAP SendRoutingInformation (for simplicity, not shown in the figures), the SIP protocol message for establishing an incoming call connection arrives at the current switching node SSP VMSC homeNet MS B subscriber - 1 INVITE (Calling A, Called B). When the subscription trigger CSI trig init is triggered, the VMSC routes the incoming call to the IP VMS host - 2 INVITE (Calling A, Called B). The IP VMS node replies to MS A with a 3 200 OK message that it is ready for the session, and after acknowledging the calling party MS A 4 ACK, MS A connects to the IP VMS node. The connection (media phase) AD CONTENT provides for the transmission of an audio notification to MS A, preferably containing advertising content. The interactivity of the audio notification can be implemented by the synthesizing and speech recognition software logic of the IP VMS host. The logic of speech synthesis and recognition is mainly implemented by standard software tools for converting speech to text and searching for substring patterns in the text to execute a predefined program script. In this case, another channel of commutation with the subscriber may be involved. For example, an audio notification may contain a service offer, the subscription to which will be approved by subscriber A by sending him an SMS, USSD, PUSH or SIM STK message. At the same time, the IP VMS node forms on behalf of the calling (Calling A) subscriber MS A a request to establish an incoming call connection 5 INVITE (Calling A, Called B). After the standard SIP dialogue of equipment functionality negotiation, MS A replies with a 6 180 RINGING message (SIP analog of RBT signal) to start receiving an incoming call message by the called subscriber (Calling A). After the called user (Calling A) receives the incoming call, MS B sends a 7,200 OK message to the IP VMS address. Upon receipt of the 200 OK message, the IP VMS node stops transmitting the audio notification to MS A, responds with an 8 ACK confirmation of readiness to connect and connects the subscribers MS A and MS B, the VOICE PHASE conversation phase begins. If it is impossible to get through to subscriber B (Fig. 2-5.6) and overcome the reason for the failed initial call during the time Δt of the audio notification transmission (Fig. 2 Δt = t ₂ -t ₁ ), after its end, the IP VMS launches a standard voice mail script with by asking subscriber A to leave a voice mail message for subscriber B. During this period, IP VMS continues to try to call subscriber B and, if answered, connects subscribers.

In the diagram of FIG. 2, it can be seen that the call processing time Δt = t ₂ -t ₁ = AD INVENTORY at the VMSC switching node for cellular operator NP is in the current state of the art a useful unused advertising audio inventory that can be sold to advertisers. Additionally, the same time Δt increases the connection time of subscribers MS A and MS B due to automatic additional call 5 INVITE (Calling A, Called B) by the IP VMS node of subscriber MS B and seamless connection of the initial incoming call 2 INVITE (Calling A, Called B) and additional call 5 INVITE (Calling A, Called B). At the same time, the additional call increases the number of completed voice calls due to the attempt of the IP VMS host to overcome the cause of the inability to connect to subscriber B in the busy, no answer, or unavailable scenarios. In the worst case, if it is impossible to overcome the reason for the impossibility of the initial connection with the subscriber B at a given time, the NP operator increases its economic performance by servicing the incoming call for a time Δt and selling advertising audio content during this time period. In the best case, the operator will complement the increased economic indicators by successfully overcoming the impossibility of the initial connection and servicing the incoming call after connecting the initial and additional call - subscribers A (Calling) and B (Called).

In the current state of the art, the scenario of routing an incoming call to the IP VMS ends up leaving (or not leaving) the caller A (Calling) a voice message to the called B (Called) subscriber. Taking into account the call processing delays on the IP VMS - MS B signaling link and the corresponding reaction of the called (Called B) subscriber to the incoming call, this time Δt = t ₂ -t _{1 is} on average from 6 to 25 seconds. As shown above, the method proposed by the authors uses this time to improve the economic performance of the cellular operator NP by selling it to advertisers and early connection of the incoming call at time t _{1. The} sale of advertising audio inventory can be realized by external network nodes by analogy with the Internet advertising auction OpenRTB on the PS network or through direct sales to advertisers - Direct Binding in terms of online advertising. In another application, the operator may deliver other meaningful announcements or entertainment content to subscriber A (Calling). Initiation of call 5 INVITE (Calling A, Called B) by the IP VMS network node on behalf of the subscriber MS A fits well into the SIP protocol paradigm and does not cause any difficulties for a specialist. Also, as a specialist understands, the proposed method is similarly implemented on the ISUP protocol specification, taking into account message formats and rules for signaling exchange of network nodes. The method proposed by the authors fits well into the IMS network architecture based on a standard AS (Application Server) server.

Claims (4)

1. A method of connecting subscribers, in accordance with which a cellular operator receives a request to establish an incoming call at a signaling connection switching node, routes an incoming call to an intelligent peripheral node, which establishes a connection with a caller, characterized in that the intelligent peripheral node reproduces to the caller audio recording and at the same time additionally establishes at least one more signaling connection of the incoming call with the called subscriber, and after connecting the called subscriber with the intelligent peripheral unit, connects it with the calling subscriber and stops playing the audio recording to the calling subscriber. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the audio recording is made in the form of an audio announcement containing advertising content, including in an interactive form, using technical means of speech synthesis and recognition. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the intelligent peripheral node is a VMS network node of GSM, UMTS standards, or an AS network node of an IMS standard, or any other network node that implements the logic of audio notifications, including speech and in an interactive form using technical means of speech synthesis and recognition. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching node of signaling connections is a VMSC network node of GSM, UMTS standards, or a CSCF network node of IMS standards, performing SIP session management functions, or any other standard network node performing signaling connection switching logic via SIP, ISUP, and a request to establish an incoming call is a message via signaling protocols SIP, ISUP.

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