EP2119216A1

EP2119216A1 - Method and arrangement for determining variable billing information for content as a communication service

Info

Publication number: EP2119216A1
Application number: EP07822355A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans-Georg Baumgarten; Hans Rohnert
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2007-02-01
Filing date: 2007-11-08
Publication date: 2009-11-18
Also published as: CN101601271A; DE102007005126A1; US20100138330A1; DE102007005126B4; WO2008092518A1; CN101601271B

Abstract

In a criterion module, variable billing information for content stored in a storage module in the communications network is formed in accordance with specified criteria. These criteria can be, for example, the age of the content, the distance of the subscriber terminal from the relevant location of location-related content, or the number of subscriber terminals to which the content is transmitted. This variable billing information is then transmitted via a communications module to a billing system. A substantial advantage of the method according to the invention and the arrangement according to the invention consists in the fact that the charges for content transmitted via communications networks to subscribers can be billed according to variable criteria in a flexible way.

Description

METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR DETERMINING VARIABLE FEE INFORMATION FOR CONTENT AS A COMMUNICATION SERVICE

Today, communication services are no longer handled solely through traditional communications networks, such as the circuit-switched telephone network. Rather, increasingly, other suitably equipped networks, such as e.g. Data networks or return channel cable TV networks or in general the Internet, used. In the following, the term communication network is therefore generally used for all networks over which

Communication services are offered and handled.

In a data network, the billing of communications services requires that the network operator determine the use of the network of all end users. The corresponding usage data is then processed to generate an invoice for the terminals of the end users. Such billing can be done both in communication networks, but also quite generally in data networks.

In a communication network, the billing and billing models of the respective communications network operator apply. The exchanges calculate the bill items for all calls and other communication services used in the communication network. These invoice items provided by the exchanges are then collected and processed. This further processing takes place centrally, so that an end user invoice can be created. The collection of invoice items is often done by a mediation system, the z. T. are also able to process bill positions of resellers of communications services. Once the invoice items all collected invoices have been created for the final participants and have been put into a common format.

So far, services that are transmitted via the communication network to the terminals, at a single, once set price to the end user billed or billed.

Publication WO2006012263A1 discloses a method and an arrangement for charging usage-dependent communication of a group of wireless terminals. A charging system detects the direct communication of the wireless terminals within the group and determines charge information based on predetermined criteria. Such criteria may be, for example, the number of terminals in the group involved in the communication or the duration of the talk time.

From patent EP1461900B1 is a system and method for charging based on the transmitted traffic load in a packet-oriented

Telecommunication network known. The system includes at least one media gateway control function that sends a message about the traffic load of the media gateway control function to an instant messaging server. Subscribers who subscribe to a traffic load-dependent service also register with the Instant Messaging Server. The instant messaging server sends a message about the traffic load to the participants whenever it is updated by the Media Gateway Control function. This message is then transmitted to a charging system when the subscriber has made a connection. The charging system first determines a connection charge based on the transmitted message about the traffic load of the Media Gateway Control function and finally a charge amount for the Connection based on the connection fee and the length of the connection.

The invention has for its object to improve the pricing in the billing of communication services. The object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and by an arrangement having the features of claim 14.

Method for determining a charge information in a communication network, characterized in that

Contents (con) are stored in a memory module (MEM) in the communication network (NET), a variable fee information (geb-var) for these contents (con) from a criteria module (CRIT)

MOD), and that this variable charging information (geb-var) is transmitted from a communication module (KOM) to a charging system (GEB-SYS).

Arrangement for determining a charge information in a communication network, with

- A content delivery system (CON-SERV), for the transmission of content (CON) via the communication network (NET) to a subscriber terminal

(TEG),

a memory module (MEM) of the content delivery system

(CON-SERV) for storing content (con),

a criteria module (KRIT-MOD) for determining variable fee information (geb-var), and

- A communication module (KOM) for transmitting the variable fee information (geb-var) to a fee system (GEB-SYS) and the content (con) via the communication network (NET) to a subscriber terminal (TEG). An essential advantage of the method according to the invention and the arrangement according to the invention is that contents that are transmitted via communication networks to subscriber terminals can be flexibly charged according to variable criteria. This is achieved by determining variable fee information in a criteria module according to specific criteria. These may be, for example, the age of the content to be transmitted, the distance of the subscriber terminal from the location of the relevance of a location-related content or the number of

Subscriber terminals to which the content is transmitted.

Further advantageous developments of the method according to the invention and an arrangement according to the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

The method according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to three exemplary embodiments and with reference to the attached FIGURE.

The figure shows a schematic representation of the components of an arrangement for implementing the method according to the invention.

The arrangement comprises a communication network NET, a communication services delivery system CON-SERV, a charging system GEB-SYS and subscriber terminals TEG. By way of example, a subscriber terminal TEG is shown.

The communication services delivery system CON-SERV comprises the following components: a memory module MEM, a criteria module KRIT-MOD and a communication module KOM. These components are interconnected via a data bus BUS using a corresponding communication protocol. Using a web-specific

Communication protocol, z. As the Internet-specific IP protocol, the communication services delivery system CON-SERV via the communication module KOM, the fee system GEB-SYS and the subscriber terminal TEG via the communication network NET are connected to each other.

The communications network NET can be, for example, a circuit-switched or packet-switched communications network, a mobile communications network or a cable television network equipped with a suitable return channel. In which

Communication services delivery system CON-SERV is advantageously a server-based data storage system with a corresponding memory MEM, a processor CPU, a controller component CONTR and a communication module KOM. This communication services delivery system CON-SERV is advantageously designed so that even data-intensive communication services - such as e.g. digitized video signals in high resolution - can be stored.

By using the example realized as a server system fee system GEB-SYS for each subscriber terminal TEG the use of the communication network NET - ie the guided connections and possibly additional services or additional services - determined by accounting software processed by appropriate software and the end users (not shown) in Invoice.

The charge system GEB-SYS has a processor GEBCPU, a communication component GEB-KOM, a controller component GEB-CONTR and a memory GEB-MEM. These components are interconnected with each other via the communication bus GEB-BUS using a corresponding communication protocol, such as the IP protocol. The first embodiment relates to the formation of a variable fee information geb-var for a content con depending on its age, in other words, the time period between the initial provision of the content con for transmission to subscriber terminals TEG and a specific, later time. However, the age of a content con may also be defined in relation to its first transmission to a subscriber terminal TEG or to an event to which the content con refers.

According to the invention - after an order information to the communication module KOM of the communication services delivery system CON-SERV was transmitted from a subscriber terminal TEG - the variable fee information geb-var to the

Fee system GEB-SYS in the course of service use, e.g. at the beginning or at the end, transfer.

In most cases, a content con is most attractive when it is new. For example, a movie on DVD is more expensive to rent if it is a new movie. However, there are also cases in which the content con is initially offered free of charge and will be charged later. For example, many newspapers or other press organs initially offer many of them

Article available for free. After a certain time, all or selected items will be charged.

In the exemplary embodiment, a set of discrete age levels can be defined in the criteria module KRIT-MOD. Examples of such ages that relate to the time between first-time publication of a content con and a specific, later date may be: one hour old, 6 hours old, 1 day old, 2 days old, 1 week old, 1 month old , older. Each of these

Age groups can then be assigned a specific value by the CRIT-MOD via the variable billing information geb-var become. Advantageously, it is possible that this value of the variable fee information geb-var not only increases with increasing age of the content con, but that this value may also fall according to the increasing age of the content con. Alternatively, any values can be assigned to the different age groups via the variable fee information geb-var.

An advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides the definition of a quasi-continuous function for forming the variable charge information. With each unit of time that the content con ages, a particular output or start value of the variable charge information geb-var is incremented or decremented by a particular unit, advantageously until a pre-defined end value is reached.

The thus determined variable charge information geb-var is then from the criteria module KRIT-MOD via the data bus BUS and the communication module KOM via the communication network NET the charging system GEB-SYS on the

Communication component GEB-KOM provided (shown in the figure by a dashed with geb-var designated arrow). The variable fee information geb-var is then stored in the charging system GEB-SYS in the memory GEB-MEM. If the billing-related processing of the connection data is later carried out, this variable billing information b-var is used and used for billing the subscriber.

In the second exemplary embodiment, the variable charge information geb-var is determined by the criteria module KRIT-MOD as a function of the spatial location of the subscriber terminal TEG or the spatial reference point of the content con. Here, the value of the variable charge information can be geb-var from the criteria module KRIT-MOD Depending on how far, for example, the subscriber terminal TEG from a defined location of the content con is removed. For example, a traffic jam warning may be most interesting if the subscriber terminal TEG is neither too close to the traffic jam - since the participant can not react to the traffic jam anyway - it is still too far away - a traffic jam in southern Germany is for a participant in East Germany not interesting.

In addition, the model with discrete stages described in the first embodiment is also applicable here. Thus, in this embodiment, a value of the variable charge information geb-var can be assigned to each removal stage. Likewise, a quasi-continuous function can be defined as long as the value continuously increases or decreases with the distance.

In one embodiment, the location of the content con is spatially definable. For example, a movie may be played in one location, even though it was filmed elsewhere. For example, the movie "Munich" was filmed in Budapest, the location of this content con is Budapest, but the place of relevance of the content differs in this example: it is Munich, so Munich is the reference point for distance-related formation of the variable Fee information geb-var for the content con.

According to the invention, for example, the following criteria with regard to the spatial assignment of the content in the criteria module KRIT-MOD are provided: The location

1. the creation of a content con,

2. the first transmission of a content con, and

3. the spatial context to which a content con refers.

In a variant of this embodiment is about the transmission of regularly gained German Football championship on the Munich Marienplatz for residents of Munich more interesting than for residents of other German cities. Accordingly, the variable fee information geb-var in Munich can be assigned a higher value than outside of Bavaria.

In a further variant of this embodiment is a content con, which contains information about the current weather conditions, uninteresting for the place where the subscriber is currently located with his subscriber terminal TEG. In contrast, a subscriber will be more interested in content con with information about current weather conditions at another, more distant location. For the weather at its current location, a participant will only regularly be interested if it is not the current weather, but a weather forecast for the future. But also weather information for the current location may be of interest, such as if a participant does not have an outdoor thermometer and would like to know the current outside temperature in order to dress accordingly. All of these cases can be captured and treated by the corresponding definition of a function for forming the variable fee information.

In a third and last exemplary embodiment, the variable charge information geb-var is determined as a function of the number of subscriber terminals TEG to which the content has been transmitted so far. In this embodiment, the criteria module KRIT-MOD performs a counting function which determines how many times a particular content has already been transmitted to subscriber terminals. The value of the variable charge information geb-var can then be made dependent on the status of this counter. There are conceivable scenarios in which this value expires the more often a content has already been transferred. So it is sometimes particularly desirable to have a specific content con as one of first participant to receive. The attractiveness of the content con decreases continuously or discretely with the number of subscriber terminals TEG to which the content con has already been transmitted. Conversely, content can evolve from being an outsider to an insider's tip or even a particularly popular content con. Such contents con become more attractive with the number of subscriber terminals TEG - the increasing demand also increases the value of the variable fee information geb-var.

The charging criteria may be used to determine the variable charging information geb-var by the criticizing module KRIT-MOD on contents con that support an end user in an action (e.g., travel information, booking, navigation service, calendar management services)

Meetings), from the assessment of the relevance of the deducible from the contents con the end user still open options for action in case of possible disorders derived. An example of this is the traffic jam mentioned above, in which indirectly from the

Distance information "distance to congestion" is derived from a charging model, which is based on the relevance for the use of diversions.

In one embodiment, such trends are in the

User behavior predicted by the criteria module KRIT-MOD. In the first case (decaying value) this may still be foreseeable in a known scenario (announced and heavily promoted, major international film). Accordingly, the value model for the variable charge information has been previously defined.

In the second case (increasing demand) the forecast is less easy. For this reason, the criteria module KRIT-MOD should continuously keep track of and analyze the meter reading regarding the release statistics. If the demand increases analogously to a given curve, the value of the variable becomes Charging information geb-var tracked according to a function dependent thereon.

All of the above features of the three embodiments (age, location, number of consumers) may be combined to form variable fee information geb-var. In this case, a weight is advantageously assigned to each feature and the variable charge information geb-var is determined from the weighting.

In one embodiment, the above methods can all be automated to such an extent that a value model can be calculated and proposed on the basis of rudimentary specifications ("value decays continuously with age", "value increases with consumer number", etc.). Advantageously, however, this proposal is then presented to a decision maker with all parameters, so that an optionally less meaningful model can be corrected again by means of targeted interventions.

An essential aspect in the processing of such content con as communication services between a provider and an end user is the provision in the sense of communication of the variable fee information geb-var by the provider prior to the use of the end user.

Should fee changes occur comparatively infrequently as compared to the typical service usage time, then a method according to the invention is to interrupt the service and announce the changed variable charge information, giving the end user the opportunity to confirm the charge change, thereby continuing the service.

Another possibility is the dynamic, timely announcement of dynamically changing variables Fee information geb-var, if the service is transmitted in pieces (for example, in time, volume or content units) geb-var with each of the individual pieces currently associated variable fee information. Here, according to the invention, the user is given the opportunity to interrupt the piecewise service usage after the announcement of changed variable charge information.

Another possibility is that for the end user, who decides to use a service, the variability of the variable charge information geb-var is switched off or limited to fixed preset limits for the duration of the planned use of the service. In this case, the announcement of the variable fee information is limited to the conclusion of the purchase agreement.

According to the invention, the variable charge information is then stored or the charge limit is stored in a specific memory area in the memory GEB-MEM of the charge system GEB-SYS.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments nor to the use in communication networks, but can be used in all types of data networks, such as in the TV cable network or other broadcast networks. It is suitable for use in all data networks, where it is important to enable variable pricing of content.

Claims

claims

A method for determining a charge information in a communication network, characterized in that - content (con) are stored in a memory module (MEM) in the communication network (NET), a variable fee information (geb-var) for this content (con) of a Criterion module (KRIT-MOD) is formed, and that - this variable fee information (geb-var) from a communication module (KOM) to a fee system (GEB-SYS) is transmitted.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable fee information (geb-var) of the

Criterion module (KRIT-MOD) is determined on the basis of criteria relating to the content (con), and / or the identity of the end user, and / or - subscriber terminal (TEG) information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable fee information (geb-var) of the criteria module (KRIT-MOD) depending on the time of the beginning of the transmission of

Content (con), and / or the termination of the transmission of the content (con), and / or - the duration of the transmission of the content (con), and / or the length of time of the content (con), and / or the amount of data Content (con) is determined.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the variable charge information (geb-var) of the criteria module (CRIT-MOD) depending on a time or age information in steps or continuously decreases or increases.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable fee information (geb-var) from the criteria module (KRIT-MOD) in dependence of a first location information with respect to the content (con) and / or a second location information regarding the terminal (TEG) is determined.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the first location information regarding the content (con) from the content (con) results itself or is determined from a further information regarding the content (con).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the variable fee information (geb-var) of the criteria module (KRIT-MOD) depending on the number of subscriber terminals (TEG) to which the content (con) was transmitted , and / or the age of the content (con) is determined.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the data network (NET) is a - a communication network, and / or a packet or circuit-switched mobile radio communication network, and / or a fixed network communication network, and / or a cable TV network is.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is in the content (con) to

- Audio and / or video data acts, and / or

Traffic information, and / or image information, and / or

- Text information, and / or

- Location information, and / or

- Weather information, and / or

- other information is involved.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the variable charge information (geb-var) is determined by the criteria module (KRIT-MOD) by means of a quasi-function or a discrete gradation.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the Kritierienmodul (KRIT-MOD) based on user-specified criteria, a pricing model for determining variable billing information (geb-var) is calculated and proposed to the user, and that the user of this pricing model correct by means of inputs and activate or delete.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the criteria module (KRIT-MOD) the variable fee information (geb-var) by a combination of different criteria, in particular age information, location information, previous

Consumer information is determined.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the different criteria in the determination of the variable charge information (geb-var) are weighted differently.

14. Arrangement for determining a charge information in a communication network, with

(TEG),

a memory module (MEM) of the content delivery system

(CON-SERV) for storing content (con),

- A communication module (KOM) for transmitting the variable fee information (geb-var) to a fee system (GEB-SYS) and the content (con) via the communication network (NET) to a subscriber terminal (TEG).