JP2002064560A - Packet communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a packet communication system that can properly select a charging destination of a packet communication charge depending on acquired contents. SOLUTION: A packet gateway 5 holds charging on a packet received from a terminal 2 and transmits the packet to a gateway server device 6 connected to a mobile packet communication network 1. The gateway server device 6 analyzes contents of the received packet, determines a charging destination corresponding to address information in the packet by refering to a database where address information and a charging destination are cross-referenced with each other, and informs the packet gateway 5 about the result of determination. The packet gateway awaits a charge information notice from the gateway server device 6 and decides the charging destination according to the charging information notice.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a packet communication system, and more particularly to a packet communication system characterized by selecting a billing destination when applying a pay-per-use method for a communication data amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As demand for data communication has increased in recent years, information distribution services using packet communication have rapidly spread. These information distribution services include an information providing company (IP: Inform) as necessary.
There is a pull-type service that acquires content from a server device of a service provider, and a push-type service in which an information provider periodically distributes stock prices and news to users.

[0003] As for the communication fee required for distributing the information, a time-based charge for charging a connection time for accessing a server of the information provider,
Data-based billing, which charges for the amount of data transmitted and received to receive information, fixed billing, which charges a fixed amount regardless of connection time or data volume, or a combination of these is used. .

[0004] Communication charges in the conventional packet communication network are as follows:
Data-based charging and fixed charging are used, and when a packet is transmitted from a terminal, charging is performed at the timing when the packet is transmitted from the packet communication network to another server device. When a packet is transmitted to a terminal connected to a packet communication network, charging is performed at a timing when the terminal confirms that the packet has been received.

In an information distribution system using a packet communication network, it is necessary to connect the packet communication network to a server device of an information provider. When changing the connection destination for each content of the information provider and connecting to the target server, the communication fee depends on whether the communication fee is charged by the user or the information provider, depending on the connection destination. It is possible to set in advance in the packet gateway relay device and charge the set side (for details, refer to JP-A-2000-78129). That is, the packet gateway relay device transmits the NID (Network ID) of the server device connected thereto.
The NID list also includes information on whether the user is charged or the server device is charged. For a packet transmitted from the terminal to the packet gateway relay device, N
With reference to the ID list, it is determined whether the server connected to the terminal is to be charged by the user or to be charged by the server, and the charging process is executed. Also, for a packet transmitted from the server device to the terminal via the packet gateway relay device, the packet gateway relay device refers to the NID list, and sets the connection destination number of the server device and charging information in the header of the transfer packet. . The packet subscriber processing device executes a charging process based on this setting. As a specific example, in the case of user billing, the telephone number of the terminal 090-xxxx-xx
In contrast to charging for xx, in the case of server device-side charging, the connection destination number to connect to the server device (eg, 012)
0-33-3333). An example of the NID list is shown in Table 1 below. In order to refer to the NID list, first, it is determined whether the connected NID is to be charged by the user or the server device. The number is referred to, and for user billing, the telephone number of the terminal is referred to.

[0006]

[Table 1] Table 1

[0007]

However, when a plurality of information delivery services are provided via a gateway server connected to a packet network, the connection destination of a user who wants to receive these information delivery services is the same gateway. Since it is a server device, it is not possible to divide charging destinations depending on the connection destination.

[0008] When a server device of a plurality of information providers and a gateway server device connected to a packet network are connected to distribute information to a terminal, a user needs to obtain information from a terminal in order to acquire contents. Packets are transmitted and received between the servers. For a packet sent from an information provider's server device to a terminal to deliver a specific content, such as a notice from a business or direct mail, the packet communication destination of the packet is added as additional information. By notifying the network,
It is possible to charge the information provider. However, it is not possible to determine in the packet network which content the packet transmitted from the terminal to the gateway server device is intended for, so it is desirable to charge the information provider to the target content. However, the communication fee for the packet transmitted and received to obtain the information cannot be charged to the information provider.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to select an accounting destination of a packet communication fee in accordance with acquired content and to execute an appropriate accounting process in an information distribution system provided through the same gateway server device. It is in.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a server device connected to a packet communication network analyzes the contents of a received packet and associates address information with a billing destination. With reference to the attached database, a charging destination responding to the address information in the packet is determined, and the determination result is transmitted to a relay device in the packet communication network that relays packet communication between the server device and the terminal. It is characterized by notification.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a relay device in a packet communication network for relaying packet communication between a terminal and a server device connected to the packet communication network, charging for packets received from the terminal is suspended. It is characterized by waiting for a billing information notification from the server device, and executing a billing process for the packet in accordance with the billing information notification from the server device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the server device is the server device of the first aspect.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the relay device connected to the server device transmits a packet to the terminal before receiving a billing information notification from the server device. In this case, the charging processing of the packet is performed based on the charging destination information set in advance.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, when the relay device connected to the server device does not receive the billing information notification from the server device within a predetermined time, A billing destination is determined, and the suspended billing process is executed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the relay device connected to the server device waits for the billing information notification from the server device while the existing session is received from the terminal. When the disconnection request is notified, information indicating that the data transmission from the relay device in the existing session is to be terminated is notified to the server device, and the standby of the billing information notification from the server device is continued. It is characterized by.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a relay device in a packet communication network for relaying packet communication between a terminal and a server device connected to the packet communication network, wherein charging is performed from the server device connected to the packet communication network. When an incoming call notification including information is received, charging processing of the packet is executed according to the received charging information for a communication link corresponding to the incoming call notification.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the seventh aspect, the server device is the server device of the first aspect.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server device connected to a packet communication network, wherein a database in which address information is associated with a billing destination, analysis means for analyzing the content of the received packet, Determining means for determining a charging destination responding to the obtained address information in the packet with reference to the database; and a relay device in the packet communication network for relaying packet communication between the server device and a terminal Means for notifying the result of the judgment.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a relay device in a packet communication network for relaying packet communication between a terminal device and a server device connected to the packet communication network, and suspends charging for a packet received from the terminal. Holding means, standby means for waiting for a charge information notification from a server device connected to the packet communication network, and a packet whose charge has been held by the hold means in accordance with the charge information notification from the server device obtained by the standby means. And execution means for executing a billing process for.

The invention of claim 11 is characterized in that, in claim 10, the server device is the server device of claim 9.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the server device of the ninth aspect and the relay device of the eleventh aspect.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

This embodiment is configured as a system in which the present invention is applied to a mobile packet communication network. The relay device in the packet communication network that relays the packet communication between the server device connected to the packet communication network and the terminal is further described in this embodiment as a packet gateway relay device and a packet subscriber processing device. I do.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a mobile packet communication network 1
It comprises a terminal 2, a base station 3, a packet subscriber processing device 4, a packet gateway relay device 5, and a communication line connecting them. The terminal 2 is a device for receiving a packet communication service of the mobile packet communication network 1, and is composed of, for example, a mobile phone. The terminal 2 has a browser, and has a function of displaying a screen based on HTML format data transmitted and received from an information provider via a mobile packet communication network. Although FIG. 1 shows a case where the mobile phone alone receives the packet communication service, the terminal 2 may be connected to a DTE or the like to perform the packet communication.

The base stations 3 are installed at predetermined intervals,
It has a function of transmitting and receiving wireless packets to and from the terminal 2 located in the wireless zone formed by each. The packet subscriber processing device 4 accommodates a plurality of base stations 3 and has a function of performing packet exchange with the terminal 2. The packet gateway relay device 5 has a gateway function for connecting the mobile packet communication system and the gateway server device.

The terminal 2 implements a simple transport layer protocol suitable for mobile communication, and the packet gateway relay device 5 uses the simple transport layer protocol (T
L) and TCP /
It has a function of interconnecting with IP communication.

The gateway server device 6 is connected to the mobile packet communication network 1 and server devices of a plurality of information providers, the information provider server apparatus A is provided by a dedicated line, and the information provider server apparatus B is provided via the Internet. Is connected to Further, the gateway server device 6 stores, as data for determining a billing destination from the received packet,
It has a corresponding data list of information providers, their contents, and billing destinations.

The gateway server device 6 can select a valid billing destination by having such data of the list of “information provider / content / billing destination”. For example, when a certain information provider provides a plurality of contents and the billing destination is different for each content, the information provider and the billing destination do not always correspond one-to-one, but ( Even in such a case, a proper billing destination can be selected by referring to the data. In the present embodiment, since the use of an absolute address on the network is assumed, a URL is used as a method of representing the content. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the relative address between the servers is not limited to this. Use is also possible. Also, for example, as an example of management, it is possible to have only data that is charged by the information provider as data, and if a URL is not included in this data list, it can be determined that user charging is required. Further, Table 2 shows an example of a database for accounting destination management in the gateway server device. The contents included in the accounting information notified by the gateway server device to the packet gateway relay device include, for example, There is a total ID (an ID assigned to an information provider as a billing destination). The meter ID is valid only when the billing destination is an information provider.

[0029]

[Table 2] Table 2

In this embodiment, a packet transmitted from the terminal 2 to the packet gateway relay device 5 is a packet gateway relay device 5, and a packet transmitted to the terminal 2 via the packet subscriber processing device 4 is a packet. A billing process is performed by the subscriber processing device 4.

Each of the base station 3, the packet subscriber processing device 4, the packet gateway relay device 5, and the gateway server device 6 has a computer system for controlling each function of the base station 3, the packet subscriber relay device 5, and the gateway server device 6. The functions (including the functions described later with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8) are controlled and realized by the computer systems executing the programs stored in the system memory in each computer system.

(1) Pull-Type Information Delivery FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a communication charge accounting process in the case of pull-type information delivery, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams of a packet gateway relay device in the case of pull-type information delivery. It is a flowchart of a process.

As shown in FIG. 2, when a session is started from the terminal 2 to the packet gateway relay device 5 for the purpose of receiving information distribution, the packet gateway relay device 5 performs a charging process for the packet. The packet is temporarily suspended, and the packet is transmitted to the gateway server device 6. Gateway server device 6 that has received the packet
The address information for analyzing the contents of the packet and obtaining the target content obtained as a result of the analysis is referred to the corresponding data list of the information provider and its contents and the charging destination, and the user charging target Or the information provider is to be charged, and a billing destination is determined.

When the billing destination can be determined, the gateway server device 6 notifies the packet gateway relay device 5 of the billing destination of the packet by a billing information notification signal. The packet gateway relay device 5 that has received the charging information notification signal performs the charging process on the packet for which charging has been suspended according to the notified charging type. At this time, the packet gateway relay device 5 and the gateway server respectively associate the session with the charging information notification signal by assigning and managing a call number for the session. When transmitting a packet to the terminal 2 before receiving the charging information notification from the gateway server device, the packet gateway relay device 5 sets a charging destination set in advance as a default and transmits the packet to the terminal 2.

Thereafter, in the packet transmission / reception in the same session, the charging process is performed according to the charging type notified from the gateway server device 6, and the waiting of the charging information notification is not performed every time a packet transmission / reception occurs.

FIG. 3 shows the processing in the packet gateway relay device 5 when receiving a packet from the terminal 2 in the case of the pull-type information distribution described above. When a packet from the terminal is received, step (S) 1 In S1, it is determined whether there is accounting information from the gateway server device 6,
If there is, in S2, a packet is transmitted from the terminal to the gateway server device 6, and in S3, a corresponding user management number of the terminal and a charging counter for the packet amount are added to the charging destination based on the charging information. On the other hand, if there is no billing information from the gateway server device 6 in S1,
At 4, the corresponding user management number of the terminal and the packet amount are stored in an internal memory, and the packet is transmitted to the gateway server device 6. At S5, the gateway server device 6
Then, in step S6, a billing counter based on the user management number and the packet amount held in the internal memory for the billing destination based on the billing information is counted.

FIG. 4 shows the processing in the packet gateway relay device 5 when transmitting a packet to the terminal 2 in the case of the above-mentioned pull-type information distribution. The gateway server device 6 relating to the packet to be transmitted in S11 is shown in FIG. It is determined whether there is charging information from the gateway server. If there is, the charging destination is set in accordance with the charging information in step S12, and the packet is transmitted to the terminal. In step S11, the charging from the gateway server device 6 for the packet to be transmitted is performed. If there is no information, a charging destination is set according to the default charging information in S13, and the packet is transmitted to the terminal.

Referring to FIG. 5, a description will be given of a billing process when the billing information is not notified from gateway server device 6 before the timeout of the billing information notification waiting timer. The packet gateway relay device 5 starts the timer when transmitting the packet to the gateway server device 6, and performs the charging process as described in FIG. 2 when the charging information notification signal is received within the timer time. However, if the charging information notification signal cannot be received within the timer time for some reason, the charging for the packet for which the charging is suspended is not charged, but if the charging information notification is received after the timeout, the subsequent processing is performed. The accounting destination of the transmitted / received packet generated in the session performs the accounting process according to the notification content from the gateway server device 6.

Next, a process in the case where the session is disconnected while the charging process is suspended in the packet gateway relay device 5 will be described with reference to FIG. When the packet gateway relay device 5 receives the session disconnection request from the terminal 2 in the state where the packet for which the charging process is suspended exists, the data transmission from the packet gateway relay device 5 in the existing session using the TCP half-close function. Is notified to the gateway server device 6 and the notification of the billing information from the gateway server device 6 can be received. Upon receiving this, the gateway server device 6 transmits the charging information notification and immediately disconnects the TCP session. When the number of sessions between the terminal 2 and the mobile packet communication network is limited to one, the packet gateway relay device 5 does not establish a new session until a billing destination for the existing session is determined.

(2) Push-Type Information Distribution FIG. 7 shows a sequence showing a charging process of a communication fee in the case of push-type information distribution, and FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a process of the packet gateway relay apparatus in the case of push-type information distribution. Show. When information distribution is performed from the information provider to the user, the gateway server device 6 transmits an incoming call notification to the packet gateway relay device 5. At this time, the gateway server device 6 refers to the correspondence data list of the information provider, its contents, and the billing destination, determines a valid billing destination, and sets the billing destination in the incoming call notification. The packet gateway relay device 5 that has received the incoming notification notifies the communication start if the packet communication link with the terminal 2 is not established, and after the packet communication link is established, the packet gateway relay device 5 is notified of the incoming notification packet from the gateway server device 6. The charging destination is set and transmitted to the terminal 2. Packet subscriber processing device 4
Performs charging processing of the packet according to the charging destination set by the packet gateway relay device 5. Upon receiving the incoming notification packet, the terminal 2 transmits an incoming notification response packet to the packet gateway relay device 5, and upon receiving this, the packet gateway relay device 5 performs a charging process on the packet based on the charging information held.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the packet gateway relay device 5 receives the packet (incoming notification) in which the billing information is set from the gateway server device 6, it determines in S21 whether the packet communication with the corresponding terminal is in progress. If communication is not being performed, a packet communication link with the terminal is established in S22 and the process proceeds to S23. If packet communication is being performed with the terminal in S21, charging information from the gateway server device 6 is stored in the internal memory in S23. A packet that sets the billing destination obtained from the billing information is transmitted and stored in the incoming call notification packet, a packet reception response from the terminal is received in S24, and the corresponding user number and packet are transmitted in S25 for the terminal related to the reception. Include a billing counter for the quantity.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a plurality of information distribution systems provided via the same gateway server device, a billing destination of a packet communication fee can be appropriately selected according to acquired content.
Further, according to the present invention, in the case of push-type information distribution in which information is independently distributed from a server device of an information provider, or in the case of pull-type information distribution in which information is distributed in response to a request of an individual user terminal However, if it is desirable to charge the information provider, it can be realized, and the user can provide the information without paying the packet communication fee. Further, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to change the connection destination each time even when acquiring contents having different charging destinations, so that the operation of the user can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a packet communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a communication fee charging process in the case of pull-type information distribution in the packet communication system shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in a packet gateway relay device in the case of pull-type information distribution in the packet communication system illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing in the packet gateway relay apparatus in the case of the pull type information distribution in the packet communication system shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing a billing process when billing information is not notified from the gateway server device in the case of pull-type information distribution in the packet communication system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating a charging process when a session is disconnected while the charging process is suspended in the packet gateway relay device in the case of the pull-type information distribution in the packet communication system illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a communication fee charging process in the case of push-type information distribution in the packet communication system shown in FIG. 1;

8 is a flowchart of a process in the packet gateway relay device in the case of push-type information distribution in the packet communication system shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 mobile packet communication network 2 terminal 3 base station 4 packet subscriber processing device 5 packet gateway relay device 6 gateway server device A, B IP server device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 15/00 H04L 11/02 F (72) Inventor Kenichi Yakura 2-1-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term in NTT DOCOMO, Inc. (reference) KX30 5K033 AA03 AA09 BA08 CC01 DA01 DA19 DB18 EA07 5K101 KK16 KK20 LL12 MM07 NN48 PP03 SS07

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A server device connected to a packet communication network analyzes the contents of a received packet, refers to a database in which address information is associated with a billing destination, and responds to the address information in the packet. A charging method in a packet communication system, comprising: determining a destination; and notifying a relay device in the packet communication network that relays packet communication between the server device and the terminal of the determination result. 2. A relay device in a packet communication network for relaying packet communication between a server device connected to a packet communication network and a terminal, suspends charging for packets received from the terminal, and charges from the server device. An accounting method in a packet communication system, characterized by waiting for information notification and executing accounting processing of the packet according to accounting information notification from the server device. 3. The accounting method in a packet communication system according to claim 2, wherein the server device is the server device according to claim 1. 4. The relay device according to claim 2, wherein the relay device connected to the server device transmits a packet to the terminal before receiving a charging information notification from the server device. A charging method in a packet communication system, wherein charging processing of the packet is performed based on certain charging destination information. 5. The billing device according to claim 2, wherein the relay device connected to the server device does not receive a billing information notification from the server device within a predetermined time, and determines a uniform billing destination. And performing the reserved charging process in the packet communication system. 6. The relay device according to claim 2, wherein the relay device connected to the server device notifies the terminal of a disconnection request of an existing session in a state of waiting for a charge information notification from the server device. A packet that notifies the server apparatus of information indicating that data transmission from the relay apparatus in the existing session is completed, and continues to wait for a charge information notification from the server apparatus. Billing method in communication systems. 7. A relay device in a packet communication network for relaying packet communication between a terminal and a server device connected to the packet communication network, wherein a notification of incoming call including billing information from the server device connected to the packet communication network is provided. A charging method for the packet communication system, wherein the charging process is performed for the packet according to the received charging information for the communication link corresponding to the incoming call notification. 8. The accounting method in a packet communication system according to claim 7, wherein the server device is the server device according to claim 1. 9. A server device connected to a packet communication network, comprising: a database in which address information is associated with a billing destination; analysis means for analyzing the contents of a received packet; and the packet obtained by the analysis. Determining means for determining a billing destination responding to the address information in the database by referring to the database; and relaying the determination result to a relay device in the packet communication network that relays packet communication between the server device and the terminal. A server device comprising means for notifying. 10. A relay device in a packet communication network for relaying packet communication between a server device connected to the packet communication network and a terminal, wherein the holding means holds charging for a packet received from the terminal. A standby unit that waits for a charging information notification from a server device connected to the packet communication network; and executes a charging process for a packet whose charging has been suspended by the holding unit in accordance with the charging information notification from the server device obtained by the waiting unit. A relay device comprising: 11. The relay device according to claim 10, wherein the server device is the server device according to claim 9. 12. The server device according to claim 9, wherein:
A packet communication system comprising: a relay device.