JP2012199970A - Call detailed record extended with information provided by user - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a better method for processing calls between multiple users via a line switching communication network.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a method for processing calls between multiple users via a line switching communication network. Each of multiple users is provided with a terminal connected to a network for establishing a call. When a call between multiple users is established, call detailed information on the call is registered on the network. After the call has been established, at least one of the multiple users provides user information for the network. The user information includes identification data for associating the user information with the call detailed information.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for handling a call between a plurality of users via a circuit switched communication network, each user comprising a terminal connected to the circuit switched communication network to establish a call, It relates to a method in which at least one user is established by providing terminal identification data of at least one other user's terminal and call detail information for this call is registered on a circuit switched communication network.

  The present invention further provides a communication terminal for use with the above-described method for processing a call between a plurality of users via a circuit-switched communication network in a communication system, and means for connecting to the circuit-switched communication network; It also relates to a communication terminal having means for establishing a call.

  In a conventional communication network, such as a conventional voice communication network, a call detail record (CDR) is generated when a call is detected. Call detail records track the use of services provided by the communication carrier and record various details about the call. Typically, call detail records include, for example, called number, calling number, date, time, call duration, and other information about the call.

  This information is used for various processes in the communication network. Among other things, this information is used for traffic analysis and forecasting, capacity management and other similar purposes, but its primary role is probably billing services to customers. The information in the call detail record allows to directly calculate the cost of each customer's service over a given period (in the form of network usage) and is used to validate the bill for the communication service provided .

  The problem with issuing bills in this way is that the call detail record contains only information that can be obtained from various network elements that exist within the circuit switched communication network, such as a switch. That is, the call detail record includes information such as calling and called parties, connection number, exchange involved in establishing the call, call duration, call type, and the like. The customer receives, for example, a telephone bill with the total number of calls and total time for each local call, long distance call and international call, possibly with a list of all calls over a period of time.

  It is becoming increasingly important for lawyers, consultants, employees, etc. to correctly document the use of the phone for accounting purposes and to generate individual invoices for the time spent on the phone. The above mentioned people who want to charge working hours (and minutes) to the right customer and the right project can add user information to the relevant call detail records, resulting in a detailed call bill. And use it to generate your own bill.

  It is difficult to prove this information from the bill received from the communication service provider. It may be possible to parse phone bills and compare to a list containing customer contact details to prove which customers received calls from which employees or lawyers and how long each call lasted. Absent. However, it takes time, and this information is still only partially satisfactory because the purpose of the call cannot be verified. Furthermore, registering all the phone numbers used for an individual customer requires almost unfeasible effort. In addition, the cost of calls to a customer but not to the customer itself, or the cost of calls to the same customer but for different projects cannot be addressed in this way.

  One object of the present invention is to provide a better method of handling calls between multiple users over a circuit-switched communication network, especially considering the problems associated with the prior art described above.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a billing for a communication service depending on a customer in consideration of a customer request at an individual level.

  These and other objects of the present invention are methods for handling calls between multiple users over a circuit switched communication network, each of the multiple users being connected to the network to establish a call. And a call between a plurality of users is established by at least one of the plurality of users providing terminal identification data of another at least one terminal of the plurality of users, and call detail information about the call is Accomplished by the method wherein at least one of the plurality of users provides user information for the network and the user information has additional identification data for associating the user information with the call detail information Is done.

  The method of the present invention described above provides a means for adding information to the call detail record by a customer or user of a communication system, and this information can vary from phone billing details as requested by the user. Can be used for various purposes. It should be particularly noted that this information may include information that a user of the communication system needs to track costs for each of his own customers. Thus, the user information according to embodiments of the present invention is a project so that the information on the telephone bill can be linked to a specific activity in the company and is available for billing by the user of the communication system itself. Note that it may include accounting numbers, hyperlinks to user documents, user databases, web pages, programs, etc.

  It should be particularly noted that the inclusion of identification data allows the association of user information with associated call detail records.

  The present invention described herein can be implemented by various means. It should be noted that according to an embodiment of the present invention, user information for a circuit switched communication network is provided via a terminal of at least one user. During or after a call, the user adds the desired user information by providing the desired user information as an input on his terminal (eg, using the keypad or other input means of the terminal), and this information Is specifically intended to be associated with a call. This latter part, i.e. the association between user information and a call, is for example associating user information with the last call made using that terminal or ongoing user information from (or to) that terminal. The terminal may automatically execute it by associating it with the call. This provides a straightforward and simple implementation of the present invention and provides a comfortable use by at least one user.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, user information for a circuit switched communication network is provided using another communication network. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a user can add necessary user information to a message transmitted through another communication network such as a packet switching network (for example, the Internet) via the same terminal or an additional terminal. Note that it will be.

  However, it should be noted that the present invention can also be implemented by providing user information directly or indirectly to a circuit switched communication network. Available protocols for this implementation are Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), User / User Information Transfer (UUS), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Short Message Service (SMS), and Multi (when including photos) Includes Media Message Service (MMS) or other suitable protocol.

  When another network is used, during a call, the user can obtain user information including, for example, the current date and time and an identification number on the circuit-switched communication network of the terminal used for the call on his personal computer connected to the Internet. Note that you can enter it. This user information may be included in a message or any other data format that is optionally associated with the application running on the personal computer, and then from that personal computer via the Internet to a network node or It may be forwarded to a database, or it may be forwarded to any other network element associated with a circuit switched communication network. User information is then linked to the associated call detail record.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, a terminal from which a user initiates (or receives) a call may be connected to both the associated circuit switched communication network and other communication networks. In this case, the information may be input to the user on the terminal used for the call, but the user information for the circuit-switched communication network is transmitted via another communication network. In this embodiment, a dual transfer mode communication device that can connect a communication device to both a circuit switched communication network and a packet switched communication network can be used.

  The terminal of the at least one user may be at least one of a group including a private switching device, a telephone, a computer system, a terminal on a local area network or other terminals. If the terminal includes a private switching device, the private switching device will be connected to at least one of a group including a telephone, a computer or a local area network.

  According to an embodiment using the present invention, the call is established by at least one user via a first communication channel between the user's terminal and the circuit-switched communication network, for the circuit-switched communication network. User information is provided using a second communication channel between the at least one user and the circuit switched communication network.

  Note that communication over the connection between the terminal and the circuit switched communication network can occur at different levels. That is, the information provided by the user to be associated with the call detail record according to the present invention causes interference between the voice signal of the call and the user information transmitted over the same connection to the circuit switched communication network. So that it will be sent to the circuit switched communication network over the same connection.

  Specifically, this can be implemented using a signaling channel on the connection between the terminal (such as the D channel of an integrated services digital network line (ISDN line)) and the circuit switched communication network. Those skilled in the art may use the B0 or B1 channel on the other side of the ISDN line instead of using the ISDN D channel when a voice call is made on one of the available ISDN channels. You will understand that.

  However, the present invention relates to an integrated service digital network (ISDN), a GSM (global system for mobile communications) network, a UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, and a code division multiple access (CDMA) network. It is applicable to at least one type of circuit-switched communication network of a group including

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, a call is established via at least one network node that registers call detail information and user information for that network node. Here, the user information may not be sent directly to the network node, but may include the use of another communication network or other intermediate network nodes to reach the network node that registers the call detail information as desired. I remember that I needed it. Further, the call detail information does not have to be registered in the network node itself involved in the call establishment. However, these will be understood by those skilled in the communication arts.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, call detail information is captured in a call detail database. Such a database is queried, for example, periodically by a communications provider for billing purposes.

  According to another embodiment, the user information is stored in a user information database. Apart from the call detail database described above, additional user information provided by the user associated with the call detail information or call detail record may be stored in a separate database, which is automatically included with the call detail database. To be contacted.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, the call detail information includes a call detail record, and the user information is associated with the call detail information and then appended to the call detail record. In this embodiment, user information and call detail information are combined in a call detail record. Then, it may be stored in the call detail database.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the identification data includes a group including data for identifying one of a plurality of users, an international mobile telephone subscriber identification (IMSI) number and an associated counter for identifying the call. At least one of the following. With this information, the user information can be efficiently associated with the call detail information of the related call.

  According to another embodiment, user information associated with the call detail record is used to identify a telephone bill. This provides the advantage that the user of the circuit-switched communication network can directly link each call with a specific purpose and can charge itself based on this information.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the user information includes at least one of a project accounting number, a hyperlink to a user document, a user database, a web page or a group including a program.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication terminal device for use with a method according to any of the above claims to process a call between a plurality of users over a circuit switched communication network, Means for connecting to a circuit switched communication network, means for establishing a call by providing terminal identification data of at least one other terminal to the network, and further comprising user information for the circuit switched communication network And means for providing user information including identification data for associating the user information with call detail information of a call registered in the circuit-switched communication network.

  The communication terminal device described above may be a dual transfer mode (DTM) terminal device.

1 schematically shows a circuit switched communication network adapted to carry out the method of the invention. FIG. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates method steps of the present invention.

  The invention is further illustrated by the description and drawings that refer to preferred embodiments of the invention. The disclosed embodiments are for illustrative purposes only. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but only by the appended claims.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a network architecture assumed in the present invention, in which a circuit switched (CS) network 3, another communication network 2 (for example, a packet switched (PS) network), and terminals 1, 4 and 5 has a plurality of users connected to the circuit switched network. The CS network 3 includes at least one or more network nodes 6, and at least one network node registers and stores call detail information in the call detail database 9. The user information database 10 is configured to store information provided by the user after the call is established. The correlator 11 associates the call detail information included in the call detail record with the data given by the user. This may be the addition of user information to the call detail record, or it may be combined when the information is kept separately and later provided with a telephone bill.

  The present invention provides an improved method of handling calls between multiple users via terminals 1, 4, 5 in communication network 3. The communication network 3 may be a circuit switched communication network, for example.

  The communication network comprises at least one or more network nodes 6. When a call is set up between at least two communication devices 1, 4, 5, at least one network node 6 registers and stores call related information in the database 9. After the call is established, the information presented by the user using his / her communication device (where communication device 1 is used for adding user information) is registered in user information database 10, for example. It is transferred to at least one network node 6 to be saved. The presented user information can be transmitted on the circuit switched network 3 or on an additional packet switched network 2 having at least one interconnection 7 with the circuit switched network 3.

  The present invention is intended to allow a subscriber to enter desired data into a call detail record associated with (or to be associated with) a call after the call is established. This information may be provided by the user during a call or after the call ends (eg, when a terminal with a recently established call memory is used). The call may be an incoming call or an outgoing call of a subscriber of the communication network 3. The information can be entered at the communication terminal 1 being used by the subscriber, for example a DTM terminal running an application that supports transmitting user information over the CS network 3 or the PS network 2. The user information may be an accounting number that identifies the project, or a link to a document or web page.

  The communication terminal 1 may be connected to the CS part of the communication network. After the call is established, further user information entered on the communication terminal is transferred to at least one network node 6 that registers and stores the user information. The call detail information related to the established call is associated with the input user information based on identification data for associating the user information with the call detail information.

  The communication terminal 1 may be connected to the CS 3 and the PS communication network 2. After a call is established in the CS communication network 3, further user information entered on the communication terminal 1 is transferred on the PS communication network 2 to at least one network node 6 that registers and stores the user information. Call detail information associated with the established call is associated with the entered user information based on identification data for associating user information with the call detail information.

  The communication terminal may also include a private switching apparatus 1 that connects the telephone 12 to the CS network 3 and the personal computer 13 to the PS network 2, for example. The personal computer 13 may be executing an application that supports transmitting user information to the PS network.

  FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a sequence of events that can occur in the method of the present invention, where user information is added to the call detail record or associated with the call detail record after the call is established. The

  Here, the first column shows the first user terminal 20, and the fourth column shows the second user terminal 22, respectively. The second and third columns of FIG. 2 respectively show the steps of the method performed by the network node (eg node 6 of FIG. 1) and the CDR database (eg database 9 of FIG. 1). . During CS call setup (step 100), the CS network node generates a CDR output for the party (A-party and / or B-party) with service 'add-user-info-to-CDR' (step 101). ). This is done so that a CDR output is generated for the user even if this party does not pay for the call. This CDR output includes information normally available for CS calls, such as A number (A-nr), B number (B-nr), start time / date, end time / date, tariff.

  If the call is established (step 103) and the A party (and / or B party) wants to add user information to the CDR, the party sends a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite message (SIP-INVITE) to the service 'add- It transmits to user-info-to-CDR '(step 106). The INVITE message contains sufficient information (related to A and / or B party) to associate this INVITE (PS) message with the ongoing CS call. The INVITE message includes user information ('user-information') to be added to the CDR. This 'user-information' is transmitted via the CS network or PS network to the network node where the information is stored (step 108). This information storage may be a user information database (such as database 10 of FIG. 1). It will not be difficult to imagine that many calls will be established and terminated on the communication network. Therefore, it is necessary to associate the input user information with the related call. This association can be based on, for example, an International Mobile Telephone Subscriber Identification (IMSI) number and an associated counter that identifies the call.

  If call detail information and user information are interrelated, they are stored in a separate call detail record. A call detail record including user information and call detail information is periodically output to a so-called telephone bill. When the phone bill is sent to the subscriber, 'user information' is added to the call details.

  In an embodiment (not shown), this information is arranged as a hyperlink on the online telephone bill. If the recipient (or someone else) clicks the hyperlink with a mouse button, for example, the user's web page associated with the user information may open. It is also conceivable to place a photograph as user information on the phone bill.

  If no association is found, or if no user information is entered after the call is established, only a call detail record is generated that includes call detail information that is output on a so-called telephone bill.

Claims (21)

  A method of handling a call between a plurality of users via a circuit switched communication network, each of the plurality of users comprising a terminal connected to the network to establish the call, the plurality of users The call between is established by at least one of the plurality of users providing terminal identification data of at least one other terminal of the plurality of users, and call detail information about the call is placed on the network Registered, at least one of the plurality of users provides user information for the network, and the user information comprises additional identification data for associating the user information with the call detail information Method.   The method of claim 1, wherein the user information for the network is provided via the terminal of the at least one user.   The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user information is provided to the circuit switched communication network.   The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the user information for the circuit-switched communication network is provided using another communication network.   Method according to claim 4, characterized in that said further communication network is a packet switched communication network (3).   6. A method according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that the terminal of the at least one user is also connected to the further communication network.   The method of claim 6, wherein the terminal is a dual transfer mode (DTM) communication device.   The terminal of the at least one user is one of a group including a private switching device, a telephone, a computer system, and a communication device connected to a local area network. The method of any one of these.   9. The method of claim 8, wherein the terminal is a private switching device, and the private switching device is further connected to at least one of a group including a telephone, a computer system, and a local area network.   The call is established with the at least one user via a first communication channel between the terminal of the at least one user and the circuit switched communication network, and the user for the circuit switched communication network 10. Information according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that information is provided using a second communication channel between the at least one user and the circuit switched communication network. Method.   The method of claim 10, wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel are provided on the same connection between the terminal and the circuit switched communication network.   The user includes an integrated services digital network (ISDN), a GSM (global system for mobile communications) network, a UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, and a code division multiple access (CDMA) network. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is connected to the circuit switched communication network via at least one of the containing groups.   13. The call as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call is established via at least one network node that registers the call detail information and the user information is provided to the network node. The method described in 1.   The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the call detail information is stored in a call detail database.   The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the user information is stored in a user information database.   The call detail information is included in the call detail record, and the user information is added to the call detail record after being associated with the call detail information. The method according to item.   The identification data includes at least one of a group including data for identifying at least one of the plurality of users, an international mobile telephone subscriber identification (IMSI) number, and an associated counter for identifying the call; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that:   18. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the user information associated with the call detail record is used to identify a telephone bill.   19. The user information includes at least one of a group including a project accounting number, a hyperlink to a user document, a user database, a web page, a program, and a photograph. 2. The method according to item 1.   20. A communication terminal device for use with a method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 in a communication system to process a call between a plurality of users over a circuit switched communication network, Means for connecting to a switched communication network; means for providing terminal identification data of at least one other terminal to the network to establish the call; and user information for the circuit switched communication network, the user information Means for providing user information including identification information for associating the call details with the call detail information registered on the circuit-switched communication network.   21. The communication terminal apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the communication terminal apparatus is a dual transfer mode (DTM) communication apparatus.

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