AU2000236696B2 - Data charging method and data charging system - Google Patents

Description

I

SPECIFICATION

DATA ACCOUNTING METHOD AND DATA ACCOUNTING SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a data accounting technique, particularly to a technique effective to apply to a data accounting processing along with a data communication using an information network and an access to an information resource on the information network by an information communication terminal such as a portable phone or a personal computer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For example, in a data communication on an information network such as the Internet, data is transmitted/received between computers in a data format called a packet. The form of usage charge of the network used here is roughly classified into a passed-packet-quantity-based accounting type whose accounting target is the quantity of packets (amount of data) and a connecting-time-based accounting type whose accounting target is usage time. In either accounting system, the communication charge is not classified by usage purpose of contents, e-mail and VoIP (Voice Over IP) utilized from a portable terminal such as a computer, portable phone, PHS (Personal Handyphone System), and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) (hereinafter, collectively called as portable terminal).

In other words, in a conventional technique, a portable -2 phone or PIES carrier acquires a communication log having the total quantity of packets passing through an in-house network recorded therein, calculates the communication charge based thereon, and further sums the monthly-charge-fixed information providing charge, which i -s treated as a total usage charge.

In this case, it is ipossile to specify a usage purpose both in a circuit switching system and in a packet communication system. Thus, a system capable of classifying the communication charge by a usage purpose utilized from a computer or portable terminal. is not realized in the conventional data communication.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Along with the spread of computers or portable terminals, data commnun ication systems have been adopted in companies, but in many cases, classification billing of the comnunication charge by a usage purpose utilized from a personal computer or portable terminal Is desired as, one of ado~ption conditions.

In other words, in a company and the like, when a portable terminal is used for business, a case where a user has and uses one portable terminal both for public and f or pr~ivate is more convenient than a case where the user has and uses a plurality of portable terminals separately for public and for private from viewpoint of handling-of the portable terminal by the user, management by the company, and the like.

In this case, there is of course generated at the company side 004709908 S-3a demand for clearly classifying the communication charges between those Sgenerated by use for accomplishing the business and those generated by private use Cc so as to only pay the communication charge matched with the business purpose (hereinafter, which is denoted as public/private classification), but a problem lies in that it is impossible to conduct such a classification billing of the data oC communication charge in the conventional technique.

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Further, from viewpoint of the mobile phone or PHS carrier which Sprovides data communication services, a technical problem also lies in that, in a conventional comprehensive accounting, it is impossible to provide various services such as service improvement by various unit charge settings according to usage purposes, data types, and the like.

It would be desirable for the present invention to provide a data accounting technique capable of realizing usage-based accounting by usage purpose of information network or information resource utilized from an information communication terminal such as a computer or a portable terminal in the data communication of passed-packets-quantity-based accounting type.

It would also be desirable for the present invention to provide a data accounting technique capable of realizing various and accurate accountings according to usage purposes in the data communication utilizing the information network by the information communication terminal.

It would also be desirable for the present invention to provide a data accounting technique capable of realizing both improvement of convenience of the user and the enterprise by use of the information communication terminal both for public and for private, and appropriateness of charge contributions by clarifying the public/private classification of the usage charge of the information communication terminal or the data communication.

004709908 Ni a\ 5 -4- It would be further desirable for the present invention to provide a data accounting technique capable or realizing provision of various services by various unit charge settings and the like according to usage purpose or data type.

It would be still further desirable for the present invention to provide a data accounting technique capable of grasping information on usage state by usage purpose by the user of the information communication terminal and realizing accurate marketing in the data communication service.

In one aspect the present invention provides a data accounting method for performing accounting according to the amount of data on an information network which a user transmits/receives using an information communication terminal, wherein the amount of data is classified and counted by a usage purpose of the data so that accounting is performed by the usage purpose.

In a second aspect the present invention provides a data accounting system for performing accounting according to the amount of data on an information network which a user transmits/receives using an information communication terminal, comprising: a network segment connected to the information networXc; data communication path control means for fixing a transmitting/receiving path of the data about the specific user so as to be routed through the network segment, first data collection means for Collecting first information including the amount of data about the data passing through the network segment: second data collection means for collecting second information which can specify a usage purpose by the individual user of the data passing through the network segment, and accounting information generating means for generating accounting information about the data by the usage purpose on the basis of the first and second information.

More specifically, by way of example, the network segment is prepared in the information network, and various functions are provided in the network segment. The functions provided in the network segment include a function of collecting packets passing through the network segment (hereinafter, denoted as packet collection function), an authentication function of specifying the user from the portable terminal or computer (hereinafter, denoted as authentication function), a menu function of navigating the user of the portable terminal or computer af ter authentication, a function of causing all the data communications after authentication to be forcibly routed through the network 6- Segment and specifying the usage Purpose (hereinafter, denoted as data Communication path fixing function), and a function of generating accounting information (hereinafter, denoted as accounting informatjion generating function).

As a usage procedure, the usage purpose of the authentica Lion function of the network segment is notified to the user in order that the data communication from the portable terminal and the computer is performed being routed through the network segment according to the present invention.

in other words, it is notified that the user who desires a service of public/private classification of the communication charge of the data communication certainly requires the authentication in the authentication function of the network segment.

The menu function displays a menu according to a use frequency of the user who succeeds the authentication to promote the user to use the same, but is not an essential function for the present invention.

Next, according to the data communication path fixing function, there is configured so that the data communication performed by the user is certainly routed through the network segment. This data communication path fixing function records the usage purpose used by the user (hereinafter, denoted as communication record). All the data passing through the network segment is always recorded by the packet collection function (hereinafter, denoted as packet record). The accounting information for realizing usage-based accounting by -7 usage purpose is generated from the communication record and the packet record by the accounting information generating function.

According to such a data accounting technique of the present invention, it is possible to specify the usage purpose from the Information communication terninai, perform sinning of the communication charge generated per service, and sum the charge added with the intonmation charge per service of the usage purpose. Further,, it is possible to freely set an accounting unit and a unit charge of the communication charge and the information Charge.

Further, the information acquired by the packet collection function and the data communication path fixing function enables to provide info rma tion about the user who accesses an information resource provided by an information provider to the information provider. For example, a PUSH type marketing for presenting specific information or service to a specific user is enabled from the side of the information provider. In addition, it is possible to provide information about usage state effective for marketing management such as how many times the usage purpose is conducted to the information provider.

It is possible to provide the degree of freedom of accounting with respect to the provider of network or application. For example, it is possible to provide various services such as discounting of the communication Charge or the information charge according to the number of times of 8utilization, changing of the menu at the usage purpose, and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIlON OP THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of thle entire configuration of a ata accounting system for performing data accounting method according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of a configuration of the data accounting system for performing data accounting method according to one embodiment of the present Invention; FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a flow chart s howing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing one example of the 9operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present Invention; FIG. 8 is en explanatory diagram showing one example of a menu screen used in the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention: FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 i. a block diagram showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to one embodiment of the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing one example of the configuration of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to another embodiment of the present invention: and FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present Invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of 10 the entire configuration of a data accounting system for performing data accounting method according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing one example of a configuration of the data accoun ting system for performing data accounting method according to the present embodiment.

FIGs. 3, 4. and 5 are conceptual diagrams showing one example of operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to the present embodiment, FIGs. 6 and 7 are flow charts showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to the present embodiment, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing one example of a menu sc reen used in the data accounting method and data accounting system according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing one example of the operations of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, description will be made by way of example of a data accounting processing in the case of accessing an information resource on WWW (World Wide Web)' (hereinafter, abbreviated as Web) constructed in HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) on the Internet using the TCP/IP communication protocol from an information communication terminal as one example of information network.

In other words, URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is used as pointer information for accessing a specific information resource in Web, but description will be made by way of 11 example of the case of identifying a usage purpose of each user by the URL.

1-1. Design and installation of network In the present embodiment, provided is a network segment which a user certainly utilizes for enabling an accounting processing as described later. This is realized as a network segment connectable or communicable with the Internet and various network providers. Further, data outside the target of the data accounting according to the present embodiment is designed not to pass through the present network.

The above condition is satisfied by providing only hardware realizing each function of the present embodiment and the minimum network appliances i-n the network segment.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, there is configured so that a network segment 201 configuring a data accounting system 200 for performing data accounting method according to the present embodiment is connected to an Internet 300 to which a user accesses via an information communication terminal 100 such as a portable terminal 101 or a personal computer 102 (hereinafter, simply denoted as computer 102), and an access is made to information resources such as an internal content server 202 in the network segment 201, an external content server 301 in the Internet 300, a content server 401 in an Intranet 400, and the like via this network segment 201.

The data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment comprises an authentication function 200a, a menu 12 function 200b, a data comcmunication path fixing function 200c, a packet collection function 200d, an Laccounting information generating function 200e, and the like.

1-2. Installation of hardware of each function The respective functions such as the authentication functlon 200a, 11w menu Zunction 200b, the data cormnunication path fixing function 200c, the packet collection function 200d, the accounting information generating function 200e, and the like configuring the data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment are configured by the computer system and computer software as well as by the network appliance, but the number thereof and the operating system of the computer are arbitrary.

FIG. 2 shows a more detailed configuration example of the networK segment 201 configuring the data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment.

In the network segment 201, the computer (not shown) realizing the respective functions such as the authentication function 200a to the accounting information generating function 200e is connected to an Ethernet hub 208 to configure LAN (Local Area Network), and this LAN is connected to the Internet 300 and the Intranet 400 via a router 207 and a router 209.

A user management database 203 is connected to the authentication function 200a and the menu function 200b. The user management database 203 is configured with information such as user information 203a, a user code 203b, a password 13 203c, a login ID 203d, a terminal ID 2038, a telephone number a company name 203g, menu information 203h, and the like.

A communication record database 204 is connected to the data communication path fixing function 200c, and communication records collected in the data communication path fixing function 200c are stored therein. In other words, the communication record database 204 is configured with information such as date and time 204a, a transmission source IP address 204b, a transmission source TCP port number 204c, a terminal ID 204d, a URL 204e, a public/private classification flag 204f, and the like.

The packet collection function 200d is configured with a packet counter 205 and a packet collection database 206.

The packet collection database 206 has a transmission destination IP address 206a, a transmission source IP address 206b, a transmission destination TCP port number 206c, a transmission source TCP port number 206d, a sequence number 206e, an identification number 206f, an offset flag,206g, date and time 206ha, a data size 2061, and the like stored therein.

1-3. Packet collection All the packets passing through and generated in the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment are collected and recorded by the packet collection function 200d.

All the information included in the packets (IP packets in the Ethernet frame) is recorded. The Important items are the transmission destination IP address 206a, the transmission source IP address 206b, the transmission destination TCP port 14 number 206c, the transmission source TCP port number 206d, the sequence number 206e, the identification number 206f, the offset flag 206g, the date and time 206h, the data size 206i, and the like, which are the information included in the standardized IP packets in the Ethernet frame, The packet records having all the information Inciuaea in the pactet recorded therein are generated and stored in the packet collection database 206.

The transmission source IP address 206b, the transmission source TCP port number 206d, the transmission destination IP address 206a, and the transmission destination TCP port number 206c among the stored information are used to be collated with the communication records stored in the communication record database 204 generated In the data communication path fixing function 2000 so as to specify the user. The sequence number 206e, the identification number 206f, the offset flag 206g, the date and time 206h, and the data size 2061 are used for specifying the packet generated when one usage purpose (URL) is utilized and for calculating a total data size thereof.

1-4. Authentication The user of the information communication terminal 100 such as the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 is specified by the authentication function 200a. In principle, the login ID 203d and the password 203c are previously issued and notifiled to the user. Further, the URJ of the authentication function 200a is notified to the user. The 15 user certainly performs authentication through the login ID and the password by the authentication function 203a when connecting to the network segment 201. The information on the login ID 203d and the password 203c is held in the user management database 203. Further, when it is possible to acquire the unique terminal ID 203e incorporatedi in the information communication terminal 100 such as the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102, the terminal ID 203e is utilized for authenticating at the same time. In that case, the information on the terminal ID 203e is also held in the user management database 203.

Success/fail of the authentication is notified to the menu function 200b,. When the authentication succeeds, a control proceeds to the menu function 200b. When the authentication fails, the user is promoted to perform authentication again within the limited number of times, and the utilization of the user is stopped when the limited number of times of fail is exceeded.

The ID information of the authenticated user is also utilized for public/private classification processing at issuing a comunication charge bill by the accounting information generating function 200e as necessary.

Actually, the input columns of the login ID and the password are displayed on the information communication terminal 100 such as the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 to cause the user to input the login ID and the password.

When the authentication succeeds, the control proceeds to the 16 menu function 200b. When the authentication fails, the fact and the reason therefor, and the input columns of the login ID and the password are displayed again. When the authentication fails more than the limited number of times, the login ID is locked (disabled) and the authentication itself of the user is disabled.

Navigation of user by menu When the authenticating succeeds, the menu 500 (for example, FIG. 8) according to the user Is displayed in order to restrict the operation of the information communication terminal 100 such as the computer 102 or the portable terminal 102. so as to have an available usage purpose limitted. Which menu is displayed according to the individual user is previously registered in the menu information 203h of the user management database 203. When the authenticating fails, communication is established with the authentication function 200a to confirm that the number of times of fails is within the limited number of times and to cause the user tq retry authentication. When the limited number of times is exceeded, the fact is notified to the user to stop the utilization.

In other words, the user information is acquired from the authentication function 200a, and the menu 500 suitable for the organization to which the user belongs is displayed on the information communication termitnal 100 such as the portable terminal 101 or the compuiter 102. When the user operates according'to this menu'500, the menu information 203h' stored in the user management database 203 is referred, and It 17 is determined whether the URL designated by the selected menu item is physically inside or outside the network segment 201.

Even when the 'nformation resource specified by the designated URL is outside the network segment 201, the data communication is certainly routed through the network segment 201 by the data communication path fixing function 200c.

Further, the menu items by which the user can directly designate the URL are also prepared, and the data commuunication thereof is designed to be certainly routed through the network segment 201 even when the user designates the URL from the menu items.

Similarly, with the menu selection by the user, the menu item is classified into for business or for others by the public/private classification information previously set in the menu information 203h, which is recorded.

1-6. Control of user's data communication path The data communication path fixing function 200c is used to f ix the data communication path in order that all the user's communications are routed through the network segment 201.

When the Information resource specified by the URL is inside the network segment 201 as the access to the internal content server 202, even when the data communication path fixing function 200c is not used, the data communication is certainly routed through the network segment 201. Further, only i-n this case, the data communication path fixing function 200c generates the communication records recording therein 18 which URL the user has utilized. The commnication records of the URL designating the information resource outside the network segment 201 are generated by a remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-1 described later. The communication records have the user's terminal ID 204d, the date and time 204a, the URL 204e, the user's transmission source IF address 204b, the user's transmission source TOP port number 204c, the public/private classification flag 204f, and the like recorded therein. The collection of the communication records is performed in the protocol hierarchy such as HTTP on the TCP/IP.

The packet information at all the levels of Ethernet via the network segment 201 realized in this data communication path fixing function 200c is stored in the packet collection database 206 as the packet records by the above packet collection function 200d, and collated with the information in the communication record database 204 so that usage-based accounting of the communication charge per URL can be enabled.

Like a conventional technique, in the case where the data communication path fixing function 200c according to the present embodiment is not provided, the data communication for acquiring the URL (information resource) outside the network segment 201 from the information communication terminal 100 such as the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 is not routed through the network segment 201 since the server for distributing contents of the URL and the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 ar directly communicated. Therefore, all 19 the packet records cannot be stored and it is impossible to generate the accounting data.

1-7. Proxy acquiring of remote URL In order to designate and utilize the contents of the external content server 301 on the Internet 300 outside the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment or the information owned by the content server 401 in the Intranet 400 by URL, the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-J.

temporarily acquires the information resource specified by the URL outside the network segment 201, and transmits it to the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 at a request source.

This remote ORL proxy acquiring function 200c-1 configures part of the data communication path fixing function 200c.

The operation example of the remote URL proxy acquiring function 20Cc-i will be described below with reference to FIG.

9. By way of example, it is assumed that the Web contents outside the network segment 201 is utilized. The URL of the server of the data communication path fixing funotipn 200c is assumed to be "http://menu.xxc.co.jp/.n In the server, the menu 500 is displayed to the user who succeeds the authentication. When it is desired that the user refers to "http://www.yyy.com/izz.html", the link to the UH L is set as "http://menu.xx.co.jp/agent.cgi?www.yyy.com/zzz.html" by the menu 500 according to the present embodiment. The portion of "agent.cgi" in this URL is the portion used in the remote URL proxy acquiring function 20Cc-1. Actually, this character string of '"agent.cgi" is arbitrary. When the URL is 20 designated in such a form, the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-i acquires all the contents designated by the URL designated by the character string starting with a character following and transfers the contents to the user's portable terminal 101 or computer 102. However, when the links to other URLs (information resources) are incluaea in the contents, the constant fixing of the data communication path to the network segment 201 cannot be performed.

Therefore, before the contents are transmitted to the user's portable terminal 101 or computer 102, the contents are transferred to an address conversion function 200c-2 described later to acquire the address rewritten into such a form as "http://menu.xx.co. jp/agent.cgi.ww.yyy.com/zzz.html" and transfer it to the user's portable terminal 101 or computer 102.

This remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-1 also generates the communication records in the communication record database 204.

1-8. Address conversion in real time In order to constantly function the fact that the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-1 is used to fix the data communication path so as to pass through the network segment 201, as shown in FIG. 9, the address conversion function 200c-2 for converting the address of the contents such as the URL acquired by the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-1 into the above form in real time is provided as part of the data communication path fixing function 200c.

21 According to the above example, in the system, the preappend portion of "http://menu.xx.co.jp/agent.cgi?" is automatically inserted by the address conversion function 200c-2 into all the URLe outside the network segment 201 displayed by the data communication path fixing function 200c.

In other words, this address conversion function 200c-2 analyzes the URL of the contents acquired by the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-l in real time, performs rewriting into the above URL, and returns the contents to the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-l again. By way of example, when the links to other URLs such as "Up. html", "middle. html", "lower, html", and the like are present in the acquired contents, the contents are analyzed in real time, and these links are detected to be written into the URLs having the forms of "http://menu.xx.co. jp/agent.cgi?www.yyy.co.jp/UP.html", uhttp://menu.xx.co.jp/agent.cgiwww.yyy.co.jp/middle.html", and "http://menu.xx.oo.jp/agent,cgi?www.yYy.oo. jp/lwer.html." Accordingly, rewriting is performed in order that all the URLs in the contents acquired by the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-1 are routed through the network segment 201 so that the data communication path fixing function 200c can constantly function.

1-9. Content cache In order to provide the data communication path fixing function 200c, the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-i, and the address conversion function 200c-2 for more users and 22 reduce the loads while efficiently operating the functions, a cache function 200f for temporarily holding (Caching) the address -converted contents is provided. When the contents are reutilized by other or the same user, the contents temporarily held in the cache function 20Of are transferred to the user's portable ternxdi 101 or computer 102.

The cached contents are set to be utilized when the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-l acquires the contents. In other words, the remote UfL proxy acquiring function 200c-l Confirms presence/absence of the'target contents in the cache function 200f at first, The contents in the cache function 200f or the newly acquired contents are transferred to the user's portable terminal 101 or computer 102 when the contents are stored in the cache function 200f or when the contents are not stored, respectively. Accordingly, the record of utilization of the contents temporarily stored in the cache function 200f is also Stored In the communication record database 204 by the remote URL prox y acquiring function 200c-1.

It is required that the cached contents are periodically updated to be matched with the original contents.

The cached contents are erased after a lapse of constant time.

The cache function 200f comprises such various functions.

Farther, in the case of the dynamic contents (for example, contents whose display state is changed according to the user's Input contents into the content display screen), the cache function 200f analyzes whether or not it Is the dynamic 23 contents. When it is determined to be the dynamic contents, the contents acquired in the cache function 200f are transferred to the user, and then immediately erased.

According to the above respective functions, the data comimunication can be made with the user'of the information comrmunication tennInal 100 such as the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 with being certainly routed through the network segment 2021 after authentication, and the data communication status according to the usage purpose of the URL can be grasped.

1-10. Generation of accounting information The packet records stored in the packet collection database 206 and the comrmunication records stored in the communication record database 204 are collated to generate the accounting information by the accounting information generating function 200e illustrated in FIG. 10. Specifically, both records are combined to generate the accounting records with the transmission source IP-address 204b (206b),. the transmission source TCP port number 204o (206d) which are common portions between the record items of the packet records stored in the packet collection database 206 and the record items in the communication record database 204 as a key. One accounting record includes when (date and time.204a), who (terminal ID 204d) utilizes which DXL (URL 204e), the total packet data generated for viewing one UXL (URL 204e) (total data size 2061 relating to the URL 204e), public/private classification information (public/private classification flag 24 204f), and the like.

The public/private classification information presents the contract information such as a URL list displayed in the menu function 200b, flag information of the tJRL which has to be billed to the company and the URL which has to be billed to the individual user, designation as to whetner the data communication charge not being routed through the data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment is billed for public or for private, and the like to the manager of the data accounting system according to the present embodiment when the user or the company (company name 203g) to which the user belongs makes contract of the public/private classification billing Issuing service using the data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment.

Further, the URL information for separately accountiLng the amount of information is set in the user management database 203 as part of the user information 203a, for example.

The accounting Information generating function 200e generates the user's accounting information on the basis of the accounting records. Specifically, the accounting records are summed per user and the summing is temporarily performed both for public and for private. The communication charge not being routed through the data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment cannot be classified so that the classification of the public/private classification billing of the communication charge is performed on the basis of the determined items at the contract.

25 The commuuication charge not being routed through the data accounting System 2oo according to the embodiment means the difference between the pre-accounting information and the specification information (call detail record (CDR information 600)) of the data commuication charge form the portable phone andi PUS company.

The CDR information 600 is configured with the information such as a telephone number 601, a call type/specification type 602, year and month of call 603, a call specification classIfication/call. type 604, the quantity of bytes 605, the quantity of packets 606, a total call charge 607, and the like.

in other words, when it is assumed that the amount of data (the quantity of bytes) corresponding to the specific telephone number 602. (terminal ID 204d) described in the CDR information 600 is G, the total data size 2061 relating to the terminal ID 204d obtained by summing the above accounting records by one terminal ID 204 (corresponding to the telephone number 601) is C, the total data size 2061 for private relating to the terminal ID 204d is Op, and the total data size 2061 for public relating to the terminal ID 204d is Cj, C (=Cp Cj)<G is obtained so that A C is obtained.

Therefore, when an accounting data sheet 700 is created, the total of Op. Cj which are the summing results classified into for public and for private by being routed through the data accounting system 200 according to the embodiment and the distribution by the contract item of A which is the summing 26 result obtained by not being routed therethrougn is generated Per user (terminal ID 204d), and described in the public specification column 701 and the private specification column 702, respectively. At this time, though not specifically illustrated, in each of the public specification column 701 and tho priLvate specificaLlon oolumzn 702, the specification information per individual UfL (usage purpose) may be added.

Further, when the basic charge is imposed per terminal ID 204d irrespective of the amount of data use, it may be added to either Cp or CJ which is the summing result classified into for public and for private, alternatively may be proportionally billed according to the proportion of Cp and Ci.

Further, when this accounting data sheet 700 is created, a function of setting an arbitrary unit charge with respect to a specific URL (usage purpose), a function of not-accounting a specific URL (usage purpose), a function of assuming a plurality of TJELs (usage purposes) as one accounting unit and treating the unit as a target of unit charge setting, a function of accounting the amount of information are used, respectively, to add the information of the communication charge and the amount of information of the OnL (usage purpose) to the pre-accounting information, Further, a reduction may be performed according to the total amount of Cp and Cj of the communication charges for public and for private.

With the above accounting information generating function 200e, the usage-based accounting by usage purpose can 27 be enabled in the data comunication using the information network such as the Internet 300 or the like. Further, the public/private classification of the communication charge and the amount of informtation can be realized at the same time.

In the above description of the accounting information generating function 200e, by way of example, there is assumed a case where the total number of packets of the portable terminal 101 such as a portable phone and a PHS is provided from the company in the form of data such as the CDR informiation. 600 or the like, but the accounting information such as the accounting data sheet 700 and the like may be generated only by calculating with the data accounting system 200 according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, one example of the entire operation of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

At first, in the network segment 201 of the data accounting system 200, the commuunication data passing through the network segment 201 is always monitored and reoorded in the packet collection function 200d composed of the packet counter 205 and the packet collection database 206 at the level of Ethernet.

In this state, at an arbitrary tl~me, when the user accesses the authentication function 200a of the data accounting system 200 via the Internet 300 by using the URL previously notified to the user of the information 28 comunication terminal 100 via e-mail or the like (step Step 11, step 15), the input screen of the login ID and the password is displayed (step 12). After the login ID and the password are input (step 13), the user authentication is performed for collating with the login ID and the password iLnput by referring Lu the entry of the login ID 203d and the password 2030 of the user management database 203. (step 14).

When the authentication fails, the Inputting of the login ID and the password is retried for the predetermined limited number of times (step 16, step 17). Then the retry is performed more than the allowed number of times, an error display indicating the fact is performed (step 18), the account of the login ID Is locked (step 24) to disconnect the line (step When the authentication succeeds, the screen of the menu 500 as illustrated in FIG. 8 is displayed to cause the user to select each item (step 19).

A determination is made as to whether or not the userselected item in the menu 500 is directed for accessing the information resource (internal content server 202) in the network segment 201 (step 20). In the case of an access to the network segment 201, in an access path Al and an access path A2 shown by dashed lines in FIG. 3, the contents of the internal content server 202 are viewed by the user of the information communication terminal 100, and the communication records are recorded in the communication record database 204 per utilization of the contents (URL) of the internal content 29 Server '202 (step 21). In this case, various prOcessings by the data Oomnmunication path fixing function 200c in FIG. 9 are not required and Performed.

On the other hand, when the user-selected item in the menu 500 is directed for accessing the information resource (external Content server 301 or content server 401 of the intranet 400) outside the network segment 201, various.

processings by the above data coimmunicat ion path fixing function 200c in FIG, 9 are performed. (In the case of an access to the external content server 301, in an access path A3, an access path A4, an access path AS, and an access path A6 shown by dashed lines in FIG. (in the case of an access to the content server 401 in the Intranet 400, in an access path A7, an access path A8, an access path A9, and an access path A10 shown by dashed lines in FIG. the path control is performed in order that the communication data is certainly routed through the network segment 201 (step 26), and the communication records are recorded in the communication record database 204 (step 27).

Here, in the processing of the data communication path fixing function 200c in step 26, as illustrated in FIG. 7, presence/absence of the target contents in the cache function 200f is examined at first (step 26a). when cache hit occurs, the contents in the cache function 200f are transmitted and viewed by the user (step 26b), and the communication records are recorded in the communication record database 204 (step 26c).

30 When the target contents are riot Present in the cache function 200f, the remote URL proxy acquiring function 200c-l is activated (step 26d). While a value of the URL error counter for managing the number of times of fail of URL prosy acquiring is equal to or lower than a Predetermined allowance value (stop 26e), the URL proxy acquiring described above in FIG. 9 is tried .(step 26f), and success/fail of the acquiring is determined (step 26g). When the prosy acquiring 'succeeds, after the address conversion function 200c-2 is activated to apply address conversion to the contents (Step 26h), the contents after conversion is written into the cache function (step 261), and the contents are Viewed by the user via the cache function 200f (step 26b). When the proxy acquiring fails in step 26g, the URL error counter is counted up (step 26m), end step 26d and succeeding steps are repeated. When the URIS error counter exceeds the allowance value in step 26e, the error message indicating that the Proxy acquiring of the contents specified by the URIS fails is displayed (step 26J) to disconnect the line (step 26k).

Returning to the flow chart of FIG. 6, when the access to the individual URS is ended, public/private classification of the access is determined on the basis of the public/private classification per URL (step 22), the public/private classification is set in the public/private classification flag 204f (step 23, Step 28), the control returns to the display processing of the menu 500 in step 19, and step 19 and succeeding steps are repeated until logout.

31 As described above, in the data accounting method and data accounting system according'to the present embodiment, there are advantages in which the efficiency f or acquiring the communication records can be improved, the number of processings of packet counting and the time for counting processing Can be recauced, and the accounting function can bold the high degree of freedom.

in other words, according to the data accounting method and data accounting system of the present embodiment, in the data communication of passed-packets-quantity-based accounting type using the information network such as, for example, the Internet 300, it is possible to realize the usage-based accounting by usage purpose of the information network or information resource utilized from the information communication terminal 100 such as the computer 102 or the portable terminal 101.

Further, in the data communication utilizing the information network such as the Internet 300 or the like by the information comnunication terminal 100, various and accurate accountings according to usage purposes can be enabled.

Further, it is possible to realize both improvement of convenience of the user and the enterprise by use of the information communication terminal 100 both for public and f or private, and appropriateness of charge contributions by clarifying the public/private classification of the usage charge of the information communication terminal 100 or the 32 data communication.

Further, it is possible to realize provision of various services by various unit charge settings and the like according to usage purpose or data type specified by the URL or the like on the Internet 300.

Furthennore, it is possible to grasp Information on usage state by usage purpose by the user of the information communication terminal 100 and to realize accurate marketing in the data communication service.

(Second embodiment) FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing one example of a configuration of the data accounting method and data accounting system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing one example of the operations thereof.

In this second embodiment, by way of example, there is shown the case of being applied to e-mail on the Internet 300.

In other words, in this embodiment, description will be made with a usage purpose as e-mail. Further, description of identical portions to those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

2-1. Design and installation of network The same as the first embodiment.

2-2. Installation of hardware of each function The same as the first embodiment.

2-3. Packet collection The same as the first embodiment.

33 2-4. Authentication The same as the first embodiment.

Navigation Of user by menu When the authentication succeeds, the menu is displayed in order to restrict transmitting/recelving of e-mails in the computer 102 or the portable termilnal 101. When the authentication fails, commnunication is established with the authentication-function 200a to confirm that the fail is within the limited number of times and to cause the user to retry the authentication. When the limited number of times is exceeded, the fact is notified to the user to stop the use.

Even when the e-mail address to be transmitted is outside the network segment 201, the data comunication is certainly routed through the network segment 201 according-to the present embodiment by the data communication path fixing function 2000ca Further, according to the public/private classification information such as a previously set e-mail address or the like, the e-mail address is classified into for business or for others, which is recorded.

2-6. Control of user's data communication path The data communication path is fixed in order that the e-mail communication by the user is all routed through the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment by using a remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3 and an address conversion function 200c-4 described later of the data communication path fixing function 200c.

34 When'the e-mail address is inside the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment, even when the data communication path fixing function 200c is not used, the data communication is certainly routed through the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment. Further, only in thiLs uaw, the data commnunication path fixing function 200c generates the communication records having both to which email address the user transmits e-mail and from which e-mail address the u ser receives e-mail recorded therein, and stores in the communication record database. The remote e-mail address proxy transfer function 200c-3 described later generates the communication records of the e-mail address outside the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment. The communication records have a user ID, date and time, transmitting/receiving destination e-mail addresses, a user's IP address, a user's TCP port number, and the like recorded therein.

All the packet information being routed through the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment realized in this function is stored in the packet collection database 206 as the packet records by the packet collection function 200d so that the usage-based accounting of communication charge per e-mail can be enabled.

Like the conventional technique, in the case where this function is not provided, the data communication for transmitting/receiving e-mails outside the network segment 201 to/from the portable terminal 101 and the computer 102 is not 35 routed through the network since the e-mail server and the portable terminal or the computer are directly communicated.

All the packet records are not stored, and it is impossible to generate the accounting data.

2-7. Transfer of remote e-mail address In order to utilize tne e-mail address outside the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment the remote e-mail address proxy transfer function 200c-3 temporarily acquires the e-mail address inside the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment, and causes the portable terminal 101 or the computer 102 to transmit or receive the same. This remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3 is mounted as part of the data communication path fixing function 200c.

With reference to FIG. 11, an operation example of the actual remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3 will be shown below. By way of example, there will be assumed a case where e-mail is transmitted to an outside e-mail address. It is assumed that an address of the server of the data communication path fixing function 200c is "aaa.bbb.co.jp" and an address of the user is "ccc@aaa.bbb.co.jp". When the user wants to transmit e-mail to "zzz@xxx.yyy.co.Jp", he/she rewrites the e-mail address into .zzz#xxx.yyy.co.Jp?ccq@aaa.bbb.co.jp". The portion of 0 in this e-mail address is the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3. Actually, the character string of and is arbitrary. When the e-mail address is designated in 36 such a manner, the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 3 transfers the e-mail to the e-mail address designated by the character string before is a substitute forUU This remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3 also generates the communication records in the communication record database.

2-8. Address conversion in real time Though the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3 can be used to fix the data communication path, in order to constantly function the function 200c-3, the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 20Dc-3 requires the address conversion function 200c-4 for converting to the e-mail address which the account-having user always uses-in real time.

According to the above example, in the system of the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3, the post-append portion of "?ccc(§aaa.bbb.co.jp" is automatically inserted and at the transfer destination is rewritten into In other words, this address conversion function 200c-4 analyzes the arrived e-mail in real time to convert into the e-mail address which the user always uses, end then transfers the email. By way of example, when the user's usual e-mail address is "ccc@11l. 222. co. jp*. the e-mail address is analyzed in real time, and Is changed from "ccc@aaa.bbb.co.jp" into "iccc@111.222.co.jp" so that the e-mail is transferred.

Accordingly, all the a-mails acquired in the remote email proxy transfer function 200c-3 are routed through the network segment 201 according to the present embodiment. This 37 address conversion function 200c-4 is part of the remote email proxy t-ransfer-function 200c-3.

2-9. Cache of e-mail In order to provide the data comnunication path fixing function 200c, the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 3, and Lhw ddri ess conversion function 2000-4 for more users and to reduce the loads while. efficiently operating the functions, the e-mail data is cached, and the cached e-mail data is utilized at the same time with transmitting/receiving multiple e-maiis. This is realized by the cache management function 20Cc-5. The cached e-mail is transferred, and then is immediately erased.

2-10. Generation of accounting information The same as the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart exemplifying the entire operation of the e-mail transfer processing according to the second embodiment.

In other words, when the data communication path fixing function 200c is activated along with e-mail transferring (step 30), the remote e-mail proxy transfer function 200c-3 performs e-mail transfer processing while managing a predetermined transfer error (step 31, step 32, step 33, step 34, step 40, step 39). When the transfer succeeds, after address conversion is performed by the address conversion function 200c-4 (step 35), presence/absence of LAN broadcast transmission is determined (step 36). When the LAN broadcast transmission is performed, the cache management function 2000- 38 is utilized (step 37). In the case other than the LAN broadcast transmission, e-mail distribution is directly performed, access recording per e-mail utilization is' performed in the data collection in the protocol hierarchy such as an e-mail protocol higher than the TCP/IP hierarchy to be stored in tine communication record database (step 38). It is identical to the first embodiment that the data collected in the communication record database is collated with the collection result in the packet collection function 200d for performing data collection at the level of Ethernet so that accounting processing per e-mail address, that is instead use is performed.

According to the second embodiment, the same effects as the first embodiment can be obtained, and it is possible to realize accounting processing capable of public/private classification including e-mail service.

Specific description Is given to the present invention made by the present Inventor on the basis of the embodiments, but It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the data accounting technique according to the present invention may be applied to not only the data communication but also a speech coding data communication system (Voice over IP system, Voice over Frame Relay system, or the like) using the similar method. Thus, the present invention can be applied to a communication system for 39 simultaneously transmitting/receiving speech and data.

Therefore, the public/private classification can be performed f or the speech call in the speech coding data communication sys tern.

INDUTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the data accounting method of the present invention, in the data commuunication of passed-packetsqluantity-based accounting type, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to realize usage-based accounting by usage purpose of information network or information resource utilized from an information communication terminal such as a computer or a portable terminal.

According to the data accounting method of the present invention, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to realize various and accurate accountings according to usage purposes in the data communication utilizing the information network by the information cormunication terminal.

According to the data accounting method of the present invention, an effect can be obtained In which it is possible to realize both improvement of convenience of the user and the enterprise by use of the information communication terminal both for public and for private, and appropriateness of charge contributions by clarifying the public/private classification of the usage charge of the information communication terminal or the data com mun ication.

According to the data accounting method of the present 4o invention,, an effect can be Obtained in which it is possible to realize Provision of various services by various unit charge settings and the like according to usage purpose or data type.

According to the data accounting method of the present invetntion, an etfeoL can be obtainsa in wnicn It Is possible to grasp information on usage sta 'te by usage purpose by the user of the information commnication terminal and to realize accurate marketing in the data communication service.

According to the data accounting system of the present invention, in the data communication of passed-packetsquantity-based accounting type, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to realize usage-based accounting by usage purpose of information network or information resource utilized from an information communication terminal such as a computer or a portable terminal.

According to the data accounting system of the present invention, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to realize various and accurate accountings according to usage purposes in the data communication utilizing the information network by the information communication terminal.

According to the data accounting system of the present invention, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to realize both improvement of convenience of the user and the enterprise by use of the information communication terminal both for public and for private, and appropriateness of charge contributions by clarifying the public/private classification 41 of the usage charge of the information communication terminal or the data communication.

According to the data accounting system of the present invention, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to realize provision of various services by various unit charge settings and the Ilik aocording to usage purpose or data type.

According to the data accounting system of the present invention, an effect can be obtained in which it is possible to grasp information on usage state by usage purpose by the user of the information communication terminal and to realize accurate marketing in the data communication service.

Claims (10)

1. A data accounting method for performing accounting according to the amount of data on an informat ion CA network which a user transmits/receives using an information 5 communication terminal, wherein first address information IND which specifies an information resource on the information IN network and is generated when the user transmits/receives the o data is dynamically updated so as to contain second address o information specifying a network segment set in the information network to transmit/receive the data for the user by being routed through the network segment, and the amount of data is classified and counted by a usage purpose of the data in the network segment so that the accounting is performed by the usage purpose.

2. A data accounting method according to claim 1, wherein the data about an information resource on the information network requested by the user is temporarily acquired in the network segment, and then transferred to the information communication terminal of the user at a request source so that the amount of data by the individual usage purpose is counted.

3. A data accounting method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a different protocol hierarchy in a communication protocol of the data in the information network, address information on the information network along with the data is -43 0 collected and collated so that the amount of data is classified and counted by the usage purpose of the data. Ci 4. A data accounting method according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein at least one of an accounting unit cost and a IND billing deslination of the data is set by the usage purpose so en that accounting ±5 performed. o 5. A data accounting method according to claim 2, 3, or 4, wherein the information network is the Internet for transmitting/receiving the data in a TCP/IP com mun ication, the information commiunication terminal is a mobile communication terminal or personal computer, and the data is a packet of the TCP/IP commnfication.

6. A data accounting system for performing accounting according to the amount of data on an information network which a user transmits/receives using an information communication terminal, comprisiLng a a network segment connected to the information network: data communication path control means including an address conversion function of dynamically updating first address information which specifies an information resource on the information network and -is generated when the user transmits/receives the data so as to contain second address information specifying the network segment in the information network, for fixing a transmitting/receiviLng path of the data -44 about the specific user so as to pass through the network segment; -first data collection means for collecting first (N information including the amount of data about the data passing through the network segment; IND second data collection means for collecting second IC IN information which can specify a usage purpose by the o individual user of the data passing through the network o segment; and accounting information generating means for generating accounting information about the data by the usage purpose on the basis of the first and second information.

7. A data accounting system according to claim 6. comprising. user authentication means for specifying the user of the information communication terminal; and menu presenting means for guiding an access to the intonmation network routed through the network segment by the user.

8. A data accounting system according to claim 6, wherein the first and second data collection means perform collecting of the first and second information in a different protocol hierarchy in a communication protocol of the data in the information network. 45 O9. A data accounting system according to $:L4 claim 6, wherein the data communication path control means (1) COincludes an information resource proxy acquiring function of Cl temporarily acquiring the data about an information resource on the information network requested by the user in the IND C network segment, anmd Lien transferring it to tne information IND IND communication terminal of the user at a request source. o

10. A data accounting system according to claim 6, wherein the Information network is the Internet for transmaitting/receiving the data in a TCP/IP communication, the information communication terminal is a mobile ormunication terminal or personal computer, and the data is a packet of the TCP/IP coimmunication.

11. *A data accounting system according to claim 69 wherein the accounting information generating means sets at least one of an accounting unit cost and a billing destination of the data for the usage purpose so that accounting is performed.

12. A data accounting method according to claim 1, wherein, with respect to the first address information specifying the information resource, public/private classifiation information for classifying the usage purpose into a private use of the user or a business use in a company to which the user belongs is set, the amount of data is 004709908 in- 46- 0 0 c separately summed and accounting is separately performed for the user and for the company on the basis of the public/private classification information. 1 13. A data accounting system according to claim 6, wherein second information is public/private classification information for classifying the usage INO CO 5 purpose into a private use of the user or a business use in a company to which the \0 O user belongs, the amount of data is separately counted and accounting is separately C performed for the user and for the company on the basis of the public/private Sclassification information. O

14. A data accounting method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to accompanying figures 6 to 12. A data accounting system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to accompanying figures 1 to Dated 13 September 2005 Freehills Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Patent Trade Mark Attorneys for the Applicant/s: Japan Communications Inc