GB2254224A

GB2254224A - Accounting control system of intelligent network service call

Info

Publication number: GB2254224A
Application number: GB9206176A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Masami Iijima; Satoshi Takakura
Original assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
Current assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
Priority date: 1991-03-20
Filing date: 1992-03-20
Publication date: 1992-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-20
Also published as: JPH04292054A; JP2726572B2; GB2254224B; GB9206176D0

Abstract

In an accounting control system, operable in relation to calls made on an intelligent network service, the caller's telephone number (P) is converted into a specific dummy telephone number (U) if the called party number (S) converted by the service control point (SCP, 4) is indicative of an international call. The dummy telephone number (U) is sent to an international gateway exchange station (GE, 8), whereby after completion of the international call, an automatic message account (AMA) is output to the dummy telephone number from the international gateway exchange station (8). In an electronic data processing (EDP) centre (20), the collective AMA from the station (8) is disregarded if the accounting-received telephone number is a dummy number. Such an accounting control system can be implemented by modifying the service switching point (SSP) station within the telephone network and by simple processing at the EDP centre (20) without changing the ordinary signal transfer process or the international gateway exchange station program. Such an accounting control system can prevent double accounting when intelligent network service calls involve international calls. <IMAGE>

Description

ACCOUNTING CONTROL SYSTEM OF INTELLIGENT NETWORK SERVICE CALL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1) Field of the invention The present invention relates to an accounting control system of a service call in an intelligent network for preventing double accountings.

2) Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of communication businesses, various kinds of additional services are required. For an example, an intelligent network (IN) service is well known as a free dial. In the intelligent network service, the intelligent network service call is converted into a predetermined telephone number previously registered in a data base, and when the predetermined telephone number is an international call, an accounting for an intelligent network service user is often doubled with another accounting also for said caller, which is imposed as an international call by the international gate exchange station. Such issues of double accountings are desirably dealt with by a change in a part of the exchange stations within the telephone network.

In a communication system having an intelligent network service function, when the called party telephone number from the caller is an intelligent network service call, then a service switching point (SSP) having a function to access a data base of the intelligent network service sends the called party telephone number to a service control point (SCP). The service control point converts the called party telephone number into a predetermined telephone number previously registered in the data base at the service control point and returns the converted telephone number to the service switching point. Then a service switching point connects the telephone indicated by the converted telephone number. After completion of the call, it outputs an automatic message accounting (AMA) to the service user of the intelligent network service call.

In the intelligent network service call (a toll free call having the data base access), when the predetermined telephone number converted by the service control point resides in the local network of the service switching point, the service switching point outputs the automatic message accounting to the service user.

Other than such intelligent network service function, conventionally a communication system has been employed for international telephone service using an international direct dialling (IDD) call.

In the communication system capable of an international telephone call, when the telephone number of the called party from the caller is an international direct dialling call, the caller's telephone is connected to an international gate way exchange station (GE) through the local switch station and relay station.

thus forming the call connection with a telephone of the called party in a foreign country.

At the same time, if the ordinary international direct dialling (IDD) call is utilized, the automatic message accounting (AMA) is output for the caller of telephone number by the international gate way exchange station.

Due to the internationalization of service users, in recent years the predetermined telephone number obtained by converting the intelligent network service call at the service switching point is often an international call. As mentioned above, if the translated telephone number of the called party at the service switching point is an international call, then the connection is provided to the telephone of the called party in the foreign country through the international gate way exchange station.

In this case, the automatic message accounting output from the service switching point to the intelligent network service user is often doubled with the automatic message accounting as the international call output from the international gate way exchange station to the caller, resulting in double accountings.

To establish an accounting only for the intelligent network service call (as an international call, the international gate way exchange station is not allowed to output the automatic message accounting), additional information is required in signals between the international gate way exchange station and the service switching point. Changes are desirable for two programs; namely, the program of the service switching point, which sends out the additional information, and the other program of the international gate way exchange station, which receives the program and information of the service switching point to perform a non-accounting processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an accounting control system of the intelligent network service call with an intention to improve the additional service wherein the intelligent network service preventing double accountings is carried out only by changing a part of the stations residing in the same telephone network but without changing the ordinary signal processing and the international gate way exchange station program.

According to an aspect of the present invention,when the called party telephone number from the caller is an intelligent network service call, the telephone number of the called party is converted into a predetermined telephone number previously registered by the service control point connected by the service switching point; thus a connection of the telephone of the predetermined telephone number is effected, and after completion of the call, the automatic message accounting is output to the service user of the intelligent network service call.

When the predetermined telephone number obtained by converting the called party telephone number is an international call, then at the service switching point, the telephone number of the caller is converted into a specified dummy telephone number, which is sent to the international gate way exchange station as a caller 5 telephone number.

When the international gate way exchange station receives a dummy telephone number as a caller 5 telephone number, the automatic message accounting is output to the dummy telephone number. In the electronic data processing center, upon collectively computing the automatic message accounting from the international gate way exchange station, the automatic message accounting for the dummy telephone number is disregarded or is not charged to the caller if the accountingreceived telephone number is a dummy.

The intelligent network service eliminating the double accountings can be performed by modifying the service switching point within the telephone network and simply processing at the electronic data processing center without changing the ordinary signal process and the international gate way exchange station program.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more clearly understood from the description as set forth below, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram explaining a conventional communication system having a general intelligent network service capability and an accounting system thereof; Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram explaining an operation when the called party telephon number from the caller is an intelligent network service call at the system in Fig 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram explaining an operation when the called party telephon number from the caller is the international call at the system in Fig 1;; Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram explaining a communication system having an intelligent network service capability and an accounting system thereof according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 5 is an explanatory chart showing the flow of the operation of the communication system in Fig. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Before describing the preferred embodiments, an explanation will be given of a conventional system, with reference to Fig. 1.

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram explaining a conventional communication system having a general intelligent network service function and an accounting system thereof. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes the telephone (a terminal) of a caller; 2 denotes a first local station (hereinafter referred to as an LS1) to which the telephone 1 belongs; 3 denotes a service switching point (hereinafter referred to as an SSP) station having the function to access the data base of the intelligent network service call; 4 denotes a service control point (hereinafter referred to as an SCP) as a data base connected to the SSP station 3; 5 denotes a second local station (hereinafter referred to as an LS2) accommodating telephones (a terminal) 6; 7 denotes a tandem station (hereinafter referred to as an MS); 8 denotes an international gate way exchange station (hereinafter referred to as an GE); 9 denotes a telephone of a called party in a foreign country; 10 denotes a local electronic data processing center (hereinafter referred to as an EDP0); 11 denotes a first electronic data processing center (hereinafter referred to as an EDP1), and 12 denotes a second electronic data processing center (hereinafter referred to as an EDP2).

First, a normal intelligent network service call will be explained with Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, only a communication system having intelligent network service functions and an accounting system thereof is shown.

In the drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same components as shown in Fig. 1, so that numeral 1 denotes a telephone (a terminal) of a caller (a subscriber P whose telephone number is, for example, 123-4567); 2 denotes a LS1 (first local station) to which the telephone 1 belongs; 3 denotes the SSP (a service switching point ) station having a function to access a data base of the intelligent network service call; 4 denotes the SCP (a service control point) as a data base connected to the SSP station 3; 5 denotes a LS2 (second local station) accommodating telephones (a terminal) 6 of a predetermined telephone number converted by the SCP 4, and 11 denotes a EDP1 (a first electronic data processing center).

When a telephone number of a called party (Q; for example, XXXX-xxxxxx, where XXXX is an intelligent network service dial) from the caller is an intelligent network service call, the SSP station 3 is connected to the telephone 1 of the caller through the first local station 2.

When the SSP station 3 accepts the called party telephone number XXXX-xxxxxx of the intelligent network service call, the SSP station 3 sends the same to the SCP 4. The SCP 4 converts the called party telephone number XXXX-xxxxxx to a previously registered predetermined telephone number R (for example, BBBbbbb) to output the same to the SSP station 3.

When the called party telephone number XXXX xxxxxx of the intelligent network service call is detected and converted into a predetermined telephone number BBB-bbbb (=R) at the SSP station 3, the SSP station 3 sends the same to the LS2 5 to connect the telephone 6 throughthe LS2 5.

In the communication system having an intelligent network service function formed as hereinbefore described, when the called party telephone number from the caller (telephone 1) is an intelligent network service call, then the SSP station 3 having the function to access the data base of the intelligent network service sends the called party telephone number to the SCP 4. The SCP 4 converts the called party telephone number into a predetermined telephone number previously registered in the data base connected by the SCP 4 and returns the converted telephone number to the SSP staiton 3. Then SSP station 3 connects the telephone 6 indicated by the converted telephone number.

After the completion of the call, then SSP station 3 outputs an AMA (automatic message accounting) to the service user of the intelligent network service call.

In the intelligent network service call (a toll free call having the data base access), when the predetermined telephone number converted by the SCP 4 resides in the local network of the SSP station 3, the SSP station 3 outputs the AMA to the service user via EDP1 11.

Second, an international telephone service using an IDD (an international direct dialling) call will be explained with Fig. 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the communication system having a general IDD service function and the accounting system thereof. In the drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same components as shown in Fig. 1, so that numeral 1 denotes a telephone (a terminal) of a caller (a subscriber whose telephone number P is, for example, 123-4567); 2 denotes the LS1 (first local station)2 to which the telephone 1 belongs; 7 denotes the MS (tandem station); 8 denotes the GE (an international gate way exchange station); 9 denotes a telephone of a called party in a foreign country; 11 denotes an EDP1 (a first electronic data .processing center), and 12 denotes an EDP2 (a second electronic data processing center) In the foregoing communication system, when the telephone number of the called party (S: for example, AAA-BBB-bbbb, where AAA is the IDD service dial) from the caller (telephone 1) is an IDD call, the caller's telephone 1, as shown in Fig. 3, is connected to the GE 8 through the LS1 2 and the MS 7, thus forming the call connection with a telephone number 9 of the called party in the foreign country.

At the same time, if the ordinary IDD call (international call) is utilized, the AMA is output for the caller of telephone number 123-4567 (=P) by the GE 8 to the EDP2 12 after completion of the call in Fig. 3.

By the way, because of the internationalization of service users, in recent years the predetermined telephone number obtained by converting the intelligent network service call at the SSP station 3 is often an international call. As mentioned above, the translated telephone number of the called party at the SSP station 3 in Fig. 1 is an international call, then the connection is provided to the telephone 9 of the called party in the foreign country through the GE 8.

In this case, as shown in Fig. 1, the AMA output from the SSP station 3 to the EDP1 11 for charging the intelligent network service user is often doubled with the AMA as the international call output from the GE 8 to the EDP2 12 for charging the caller, thereby resulting in double accountings.

To establish an accounting only for an intelligent network service call (as an international call, the GE 8 is not allowed to output the AMA), additional information is required in signals between the GE 8 and the SSP station 3. Changes are desirable for two programs; namely, the program of SSP station 3, which sends out additional information, and the other program of the GE 8, which receives the program and information of the SSP station 3 to perform nonaccounting processing.

Accordingly, to cope with the occurrence of double accountings in the prior art, a great deal of effort and cost is required when changing the two programs.

Figure 4 shows the construction of one embodiment of a communication system having an intelligent network service capability and an accounting system thereof according to the present invention for preventing double accountings.

In Fig. 4, the same reference numerals denote the same components as shown in Fig. 1, so that reference numeral 1 denotes a telephone (a terminal) of a caller (a subscriber P whose telephone number is, for example, 123-4567); 2 denotes an LS1 (a first local station) to which the telephone 1 belongs; 3 denotes an SSP (a service switching point) station having the function to access the data base of an intelligent network service call; 4 denotes an SCP (a service control point) as a data base connected to the SSP station 3; 5 denotes an LS2 (a second local station) accommodating telephones (a terminal) 6; 7 denotes an MS (a tandem station) including the SSP station 3; 8 denotes a GE (an international gate way exchange station); 9 denotes a telephone of a called party in a foreign country; 11 denotes a first electronic data processing center (EDP1); 12 denotes a second electronic data processing center (EDP2), and 13 denotes a dummy number generating portion installed in the SSP station 3.

In Fig. 4, the operation of a normal intelligent network service call is no different as explained in Fig 2, so an explanation of the above-described operation of a normal intelligent network service call will be omitted, and only the international call will be explained hereinafter with Fig. 4.

When a telephone number (T; for example, XXXXyyyyyy, where XXXX is an intelligent network service dial) of a called party called by telephone 1 of a caller (subscriber P; telephone number 123-4567) and is an intelligent network service call, then telephone 1 is connected to a SSP station 3 having the function to access the data base of the intelligent network service call through the LS1 2.

When the SSP station 3 receives the called party telephone number or an intelligent network service call, the SSP station 3 sends it to the SCP 4. The SCP 4 converts the called party telephone number into a predetermined telephone number previously registered (for example, AAA-BBB-bbbb, where AAA is an IDD service dial) to output the same to the SSP station 3.

The SSP station 3 of the embodiment, when the called party telephone number from the caller is an intelligent network service call, converts the called party telephone number into a predetermined telephone number previously registered by the SCP 4. For example.

XXXX-xxxxxx is converted into BBB-bbbb and XXXX-yyyyyy is converted into AAA-BBB-bbbb, and a connection is made for telephone 6 or 9 in accordance with the converted telephone number through the LS2 5 or the GE 8 by the SSP station 3.

At this connection, when the converted telephone number of the called party is an international call (in the present embodiment, in the case of the telephone number attached with the IDD service dial AAA), the caller's telephone number 123-4567 is also converted into a specified dummy telephone number DDD-dddd by the dummy number generating function 13. And the SSP station 3 sends the dummy number to the GE 8 instead of the real caller's telephone number.

After completion of the call, the AMA (an automatic message accounting) for the international call is output from the GE 8 to EDP2 12 for charging to the service user of the intelligent network service call having a dummy number of DDD-dddd, and the AMA for the intelligent network call is output from the MS 7 to EDP1 11 for charging to the service user of the intelligent network service call having a telephone number 123-4567.

The dummy telephone number DDD-dddd is assumed to be constant irrespective of the caller's telephone number.

The EDP1 11 is collectively computing the AMA from the SSP station 3 and the EDP2 12, and the EDP2 12 is collectively computing the AMA from the GE 8. The EDP2 12 charges the AMA from the GE 8 to the service user of the intelligent network service call having a telephone number of DDD-dddd, namely, charges the AMA to the EDP1 11. The EDP1 11 charges the AMA combined from the SSP station 3 and the EDP2 12 to the service user of the intelligent network service call having a telephone number of 123-4567.

In the above-described embodiment, the EDP1 11 and EDP2 12 are separated, but if only one electronic data processing center (EDP) 20 as shown in the phantom line in Fig. 4, is provided in the communication system having an intelligent network service function, the electronic data processing center 20, upon collectively computing the AMA from the GE 8, disregards the AMA for the dummy telephone number DDD-dddd if the accountingreceived telephone number is the dummy telephone number DDD-dddd.

Note that, the embodiment will be described wherein the MS 7 provides the SSP function, i.e., the SSP station 3 and SCP 4, the SSP function can be attached to the local station or the international gate way exchange station (GE).

An operation of the communication system thus constructed will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

In the local station 2, the telephone number XXXXyyyyyy of the called party from the caller (telephone 1) is translated at step 21. This translation includes the check of the caller to determine whether or not the caller is a habitual delinquent. Then at step 22, it is determined whether or not the call is an intelligent network service call, and if the translated telephone number is the intelligent network service call, the connection is made with the SSP station 3. But if the translated telephone number is not the intelligent network service call, non-accounting is executed at step 23.

In the SSP station 3, the telephone number XXXXyyyyyy of the called party is converted into the predetermined telephone number AAA-BBB-bbbb previously registered by the SCP 4 at step 31, and it is determined whether or not the predetermined telephone number AAA BBB-bbbb is the international call (IDD call) at step 32. The decision in the embodiment is carried out based on whether or not the IDD service dial AAA is included in the converted telephone number.

If the IDD service dial AAA is included in the converted telephone number, namely, if the international call arrives, the caller's telephone number 123-4567 is converted into the specified dummy telephone number DDD-dddd at step 33. But if the IDD service dial AAA is not included in the converted telephone number, the control proceeds to step 34 in which the collection of accounting data of the subscriber is carried out.

The converted dummy telephone number is sent to the GE (the international gate way exchange station) 8 as a caller's telephone number after step 33.

After completing the call and the termination signal is input to the SSP station 3, the collection of accounting data of the service user is carried out at step 34, and after step 34, the AMA is output to the service user of the intelligent network service call, the accounting data thereof are collected to be sent to the EDP center 20.

In the GE 8, a call connection is carried out for the telephone 9 of the converted predetermined telephone number AAA-BBB-bbbb at step 81, and when a termination signal is input after completing the call, the call is released at step 82. Thereafter, if the dummy telephone number DDD-dddd has received as a caller's telephone number, the AMA for the dummy telephone number DDD-dddd is generated at the GE 8, the accounting data thereof are collected at step 83 to be sent to the EDP center 20.

If the EDP center 20 is constructed by EDP1 11 and EDP2 12 as shown in Fig. 4, the accounting data output to the service user is executed at the EDP1 11 at step 91 and the accounting data output to the dummy telephone number is executed at the EDP2 12 at step 92.

If the EDP center 20 is not separated, the AMA from the GE 8 is collectively computed, and the AMA for the dummy telephone number DDD-dddd is disregarded if the accounting-received telephone number is the dummy telephone number DDD-dddd.

According to the present embodiment, when the telephone number obtained by the conversion process of the SSP station 3 is an international call, the caller's telephone number is converted into the dummy telephone number at the SSP station 3. And this dummy telephone number is sent to the GE 8 as a real caller's telephone number. Accordingly, the GE 8 outputs the AMA for the dummy telephone number as in the case of a general call without recognizing the call as the intelligent network service call If the EDP center 20 is made of EDP1 11 and EDP2 12 as shown in Fig. 4, the EDP1 11 collectively computes the AMA from the SSP station 3 and the EDP2 12, and the EDP2 12 collectively computes the AMA from the GE 8.

The EDP2 12 charges the AMA from the GE 8 to the service user of the intelligent network service call having a telephone number of DDD-dddd, namely, charges the AMA to the EDP1 11. The EDP1 11 charges the AMA combined from the SSP station 3 and the EDP2 12 to the service user of the intelligent network service call having a telephone number of 123-4567.

If the EDP center 20 is one unit, the EDP center 20 collectively computes the AMA, and carries out two computations for the one intelligent network service; namely, one for the AMA corresponding to the service user output at the SSP station 3, the other for the AMA corresponding to the dummy telephone number output at the GE 8. However, by disregarding the AMA corresponding to the dummy telephone number, the accounting for the intelligent network service call is only the AMA output at the SSP station 3, the intelligent network service call is executed without the double accountings.

A modification of the programs is performed only at a very small number of stations such as the SSP station 3 and the EDP center 20.

As hereinbefore fully described, according to the accounting control system of the intelligent network service call in accordance with the present invention, the intelligent network service call preventing the double accountings can be executed with an improvement of the additional service because the accounting is not performed for the caller but performed only for the service user based on the extremely simple arrangement that, when the predetermined telephone number obtained by converting the telephone number of the called party is an international call, the caller's telephone number is converted into a specified dummy telephone number at the SSP station, and the dummy telephone number is sent to the international gate way exchange station as a caller's telephone number.

Further, according to the present invention, the double accountings for the international intelligent network service call are prevented by only a little change of the program in the SSP station.

Claims

1. An accounting control system of an intelligent network service call wherein when a telephone number of a called party from a caller (1) who is a service user of the intelligent network service call, is an intelligent network service call at a service switching point (3) having a function to access a data base of the intelligent network service call; the telephone number of the called party is converted into a predetermined telephone number previously registered in the data base and a connection is made for a terminal (9) of the predetermined telephone number, and after completion of the call an automatic message accounting is output for the caller (1); an accounting control system of an intelligent network service call is characterized in that the system comprising: a dummy telephone number storing means provided at the service switching point (3) for storing at least one dummy telephone number; an international call judging means for judging whether or not the predetermined telephone number obtained by converting the telephone number of the called party is an international call; a caller's telephone number converting means for converting the caller's telephone number into a specified dummy telephone number stored in the dummy telephone number storing means when the converted telephone number of the called party is an international call; a dummy telephone number transmitting means for transmitting the dummy telephone number to an international gate way exchange station (8) as a caller's telephone number.

2. An accounting control system of an intelligent network service call as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that: the international gate way exchange station (8) outputs an automatic message accounting for the dummy telephone number when the dummy telephone number is received therein as a caller's telephone number.

3. An accounting control system of an intelligent network service call as set forth in claim 2, having an accounting center (20) collectively computing an automatic message accounting from the service switching point (3) and the international gate way exchange station (8) characterized in that: the accounting center (20) disregards the automatic message accounting for the dummy telephone number if an accounting-received telephone number is the dummy telephone number when the accounting center (20) collectively computes an automatic message accounting from the international gate way exchange station (8).