JP2882510B2 - Station distribution type call information system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a call information system for processing call information generated by communication in a telecommunication network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a billing system which is one of systems using call information in a conventional telecommunication network. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 1 denotes a communication network used as a communication path by subscribers, and includes local exchanges A _{1 to} A _N for connecting lines between subscribers. 2
Is a common line network for transmitting information such as specification building outputted from the local switch A ₁ to A _N, with the signal transit exchange 2a for switching the communication path, 2a, ... a. Here, the detail building is a format in which certain information for billing generated in accordance with the use of the subscriber is formatted. 3
Reference numeral 4 denotes a network service control station, and 4 denotes a network service control station which controls the network service control station. These units monitor various parts in the communication network 1 and perform control for forming a communication path in the communication network 1 in response to a call from a subscriber, and also create and transmit a detailed building for calls other than general calls. I do. .., 5 are master detail centers for supervising each of these detail centers. 7 is a total charge business system,
Collect billing buildings from each billing center and perform billing operations such as issuing bills.

The operation of the above system will be described below. Assuming that the subscriber b under the local exchange A ₂ is a caller and makes a call with the subscriber a under the local exchange A ₁ as a receiver, the local exchange which is the originating exchange exchange a ₂ executes processing for billing shown in FIG. 11. In addition, various processes required for communication such as connection processes for outgoing / incoming calls are omitted here because they are well known. First, the local switch A _2, upon detecting termination of the call (step S
1) based on the distance between the caller and the called party,
Unit time (MBI: Message)
Billing Index) is determined, the call time is divided by the unit time, and the frequency is obtained (step S2). The local switch A ₂ is then called number, caller's subscriber number, date, MBI, subscriber class (priority, generally), call start time, frequency, the item building by compressing the data of the call time It is created and transmitted to the detail center 6 via the common line network 2 (step S3). As shown in FIG. 12, the detail building is composed of fixed-length data of, for example, 4 bytes (bytes) × 4 W (words). In FIG. 12, each data is configured in the order of “subscriber number”, “incoming number”, “MBI”, “communication start time”. Item building transmitted from the local switch A ₂ is via the signal transit exchange 2a in the common line network 2, Item center 6,6 is supplied ... to Item center 6 that corresponds to the local switch A2 of.
When the detail building is collected by the detail center 6, it is accumulated for each subscriber. And in each detail center 6,
Periodically (for example, once a month), for each subscriber, the detailed buildings accumulated up to that point are totaled and the usage frequency is calculated. The total count and the detail building corresponding to each subscriber are transferred from each detail center 6, 6,. The total charge service system 7 calculates, for each subscriber, the sum of a basic monthly charge, a call charge based on the above-mentioned total number, and a charge for using other additional services, and issues a bill, etc. based on the calculation result. Is performed.

[0004] On the other hand, when the subscriber a uses a service such as a toll receiving person payment service (toll free number), the network service control station 3 uses a logical number / destination physical number (corresponding to a called subscriber number). And the unit time is determined based on the distance between the caller and the callee, and the frequency calculation and the detailed building are performed. This detail building is transferred from the network service control station 3 to the network service supervising station 4, and then sent via the master detail center 5 to the detail center 6, which corresponds to the destination physical number, among the detail centers 6, 6,. . Then, the billing process is performed together with other detailed buildings.

[0005]

In the above-described conventional billing system based on call information, each exchange and each detail center correspond one-to-one, the correspondence is fixed, and The detail building output by the exchange was always sent to the corresponding detail center. For this reason, when charging is performed on the called side, complicated processing by the network service control station, the network service integration station, and the like is required as described above, and the charging processing cannot be performed quickly.

[0006] Third, neither the caller nor the callee,
There are demands for various charging methods such as third party charging for charging a call charge to a user. However, in order to meet such a demand, it is necessary to control the transmission path so that the detail building is always transmitted to the detail center corresponding to the subscriber to be charged, regardless of the billing method. If the conventional system is changed so as to perform an appropriate control, there is a problem that the system becomes extremely complicated. Further, in order to perform various charging processes, it is necessary to transmit a large amount of information required for the charging processes to the specification center via the common line network 2. However, since the transmission capacity of the common line network 2 is limited, such a request cannot be satisfied.

In the communication network 1, a lot of information (call information) that can be used for purposes other than the billing process is generated with the use of a telephone call or a communication service, but they have not been sufficiently used. For example, when connection between subscribers is made by the communication network 1, the signal relay exchange 2a monitors the exchanges connecting the subscribers and the communication path, and the information indicating the communication path is transmitted to the transmitting side in the local area. Sent to exchange. If the communication path is busy, the exchange is out of order, or the other party is on the call, the fact is reported to the originating local exchange. If this information (call information) is used effectively,
It is possible to perform traffic management including investigation of connection failure between each subscriber. However, conventionally, such information has not been effectively used, and a great deal of labor has been required when investigating a connection failure or the like at the request of the user.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and makes effective use of information (call information) generated in a communication network to realize a sophisticated or various telecommunication service. The purpose is to provide an information system.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a call distributing system according to a first aspect of the present invention, which collects call information, which is use status data of each individual call generated in communication using a telecommunication network. Allocating means for selecting, from among the call information collected by the collecting means, call information to be processed by each application system that processes the call information and distributing the call information corresponding to the application system; The exchange is provided with means for transmitting to a corresponding application system. 3. The call information system according to claim 2, wherein the distribution unit includes: (a) a storage unit corresponding to each of the application systems; and (b) each of the call information collected by the collection unit. Distribution means for judging an application system to be used and writing the call information into a storage means corresponding to the application system; and (c) a call stored in the storage means corresponding to the application system in response to a request from each of the application systems. Distribution means for transmitting information to the application system. 4. The call information system according to claim 3, wherein the distribution unit has a distribution determination table that defines call information to be processed by each application system, and writes the call information in accordance with the distribution determination table. It is characterized in that the storage means is determined. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a station allocation type call information system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the call information is variable-length data.

[0010]

According to the above-described call information system, the call information generated by the telecommunications network is transmitted to the application system that needs it, and the service provided by the application system is efficiently and diversified. It becomes feasible.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a call information system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Operating system _{OP (OP 1, OP 2,} ...) are connected via a local exchange A ₁ to A _N and communication network 20 in communication network 1. Each operation system OP _i receives, via the information transmission network 20, call information generated when the local exchange becomes the originating exchange. The call information is a series of variable-length data representing the contents of each communication performed via the local exchange, such as the identification numbers of the caller and the callee, the call duration, the service used, and the like. The local exchange A _i, receives the call information, call information distribution apparatus which distributes in response to the operating system is provided. The operation systems OP _{1 to} OP _m perform various types of information processing using call information, such as various types of billing processing, traffic management, and the like.
It is connected to a call information distribution device of each local exchange via an information transmission network 20.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, each exchange A _i (i =
1 to N) will be described. In FIG.
Reference numeral 0 denotes an exchange processing device that performs processing as a normal exchange. Reference numeral 100 denotes a call information distribution device that receives and accumulates call information generated by communication from the exchange processing device 200, and further distributes the call information in accordance with an operation system. It is. 10
Reference numeral 1 denotes a system control unit that controls the operation of each unit in the call information distribution device 100, and 102 denotes a system storage unit that stores control information used by the system control unit 101. Reference numeral 103 denotes a call information receiving unit that receives call information generated from the switching processing device 200 due to communication. 106
Is a storage unit for sequentially writing the call information received by the call information receiving unit 103 for each call. The information extracting unit 107 sequentially extracts each piece of call information (a series of variable length data for each communication described above) stored in the storage unit 106 in accordance with a command from the system control unit 101.

The information distribution unit 108 includes a comparison unit 108a,
Determination condition table 108b, made of the distribution storage unit 108c and a file d ₁ to d _m. File d ₁ to d _m is a storage means provided corresponding to each operating system to store the call information to be processed in each operation system OP ₁ ~OP _m. Judgment condition table 1
08b stores the selection condition of the call information that can be processed in each operation system OP ₁ ~OP _m.

FIG. 4 illustrates the contents of the determination condition table 108b. 4, the condition of No. 1 is intended to define the call information to be written to the file d _1,
It specifies that the content of the disconnection reason item (data) in the call information should be "none". Call information that meets this condition can be used for applications such as billing processing or traffic analysis corresponding to a completed call.
Condition No. 2 is intended to define the call information to be written to the file d _2, the contents of the items of the disconnect reason in the call information (data) is defined to the effect should be a "Yes" . Call information meeting this condition can be used for traffic analysis such as analysis of the cause of an incomplete call. Also,
Conditions of No. 3 is intended to define the call information to be written to the file d _3, contents of the item (data) of the cutting reasons in the call information has become a "No", and the calling customer data It stipulates that the content should be A or C. The call information that meets this condition can be used for billing and the like for a customer that meets the specific condition.

The comparing unit 108a in FIG. 2 compares the contents of the call information extracted by the message extracting unit 107 with the above conditions stored in the determination condition table 108b.
An operation system that processes the call information is determined. An identifier corresponding to the operation system for which the call information is to be processed is added to the determined call information, and is provided to the distribution storage unit 108c. Distribution storage unit 1
08c determines the identifier added to the call information, and writes the call information to the file specified by the identifier of the file d ₁ to d _m.

Further, reference numeral 104 denotes a takeout control unit, 105 denotes a protocol conversion unit, 109 denotes a transmission unit, and 110 denotes a polling reception unit. Polling receiving section 110 receives the polling signals from operation systems OP _{1 to} OP _m , and in response to the polling signals, instructs extraction control section 104 to extract and transfer call information. Extraction control unit 104 is responsive to the call information extraction instruction, read from one of the appropriate one of the call information file d ₁ to d _m that operating system that has transmitted the polling signal needs, use their call information Protocol conversion unit 105 as status data
Is transmitted to the operation system via the transmission unit 109. The protocol conversion unit 105 performs conversion into a signal format corresponding to a predetermined protocol.

Here, examples of call information will be listed and described. First, when the communication is completed normally, call information of a general call as illustrated in FIG. This call information is a series of information (data) listed below.
It consists of. (1) Calling exchange ID: An identification number of a local exchange that has accepted a call from a subscriber. (2) Calling ID: The identification number of the subscriber who made the call. (3) Destination ID: identification number of the called party. (4) Calling customer data: Data indicating that a particular service is applied to a customer. (5) Usage data: Data indicating a service used by the caller. (6) Communication start time (7) Communication end time (8) Billing method: normal caller billing, called party billing, third
This is data for specifying a charging method to be used, such as user charging. (9) Network data: data representing the route on which the call was made. If the line connection is not performed normally,
The call information of the incomplete call as shown in FIG. The call information is configured by adding the following information (data) in addition to the contents of the call information of the general call. (10) Reason for disconnection (11) Disconnection location Also, various call information including information (data) of various contents is generated depending on the service used by the subscriber. As described above, the contents of the call information have different information (data) amounts depending on, for example, whether the above-mentioned communication has been completed normally or abnormally, and thereby has a variable-length data structure. When a subscriber uses a special service, call information including information corresponding to the service is output. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a start code ST and an end code EN are added before and after the extracted series of call information, and a delimiter P is inserted between the pieces of call information to organize.

Next, the configuration of the operation system OP _k (k = 1 to m) will be described with reference to FIG. Operating system OP _k as shown in Figure 3, a communication control unit 400 that controls communication between the local switch A _i, from the system processor 500. for processing the information received via the communication control unit 400 Become. The communication control unit 400 includes a control unit 401, a polling transmission unit 402, and a call information reception unit 403. The control unit 401 includes the system processing unit 5
According to the instruction from 00, the polling reception operation by the polling transmission unit 402 and the call information reception unit 403 is controlled. Under the control of the control unit 401, the polling transmission unit 402 sequentially transmits a polling signal requesting the transfer of call information to the local exchanges A ₁ , A ₂ ,. Call information receiving unit 403
Is the call information that is transferred in response from the local switch A _i to the polling signal sequentially received, the system processor 5
Send to 00. Note that the call information received by the call information receiving unit 403 is temporarily stored in the storage unit 404, and then the system processing unit 5
00 may be sent. As for the call information transmitted from the local switch A _i, the same editing as FIG performed.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. When a subscriber of the communication network 1 to communicate with other subscribers, exchange processing unit of the local switch A _i having jurisdiction over the subscriber who is the calling party 20
By 0, call information is output. The call information is stored in is received storage unit 106 by the local exchange A _i of the call information reception unit 103.

In the local exchanges A _{1 to} A _N , a call information distribution routine whose flow is shown in FIG. 8 is periodically executed, and the call information collected and stored as described above is distributed. First, the message extracting unit 107 causes the accumulating unit 106
One call information is taken out from (step S20)
1). By then comparing unit 108a, the condition of the call information that can be a processing target operating system OP ₁ is read out from the determination condition table 108b, step S20
It is determined whether the call information extracted in step 1 meets this condition (step S211a). The identifier for specifying the file d ₁ as the write destination when the determination result is "Yes" is added to the call information. Hereinafter, the same processing is performed by the operation system OP ₂
ＯＰOP _m , and if there is an operation system for which the call information is to be processed, an identifier corresponding thereto is added to the call information (steps S212a and S2).
12b to S21ma, S21mb).

For example, in the call information shown in FIG.
Since the items (data) is not applicable to the item number 1 of the decision table in FIG. 5, the distribution destination becomes d _1. Further, if the “customer data” is “A” or “Hei”, item number 3 in the determination table
Therefore, d ₃ is also specified as the distribution destination.
On the other hand, in the call information of FIG. 6, since the item (data) of “reason for disconnection” exists, it corresponds to the item number 2 in the determination table of FIG. 4, and d ₂ is designated as the distribution destination.

Next, it is determined which is added by the distribution storage unit 108 to the call information identifier, the call information to the file specified by the identifier of the file d ₁ to d _m is written (step S220). Here, for the call information,
When a plurality of identifiers are added, the call information having the same contents is written in files corresponding to all of them. Next, it is determined whether or not all the call information has been extracted from the storage unit 106 (step S221). And
Step S201 until the result of this determination becomes "Yes"
Steps S220 to S220 are repeated.

In each of the operation systems OP _{1 to} OP _m , a command to collect call information is given from the system processing unit 500 to the control unit 401 periodically or in response to a request from the user. As a result, polling signals are transmitted from the polling transmission unit 402 each local exchange A1, A _2, to ....

On the other hand, the local exchanges A ₁ , A ₂ ,... Execute a routine whose flow is shown in FIG. The polling receiving unit 110 constantly determines whether or not a polling signal arrives (step S301). If the polling signal is received, the result of the determination in step S301 is "Ye".
s ", and proceeds to step S302. Then, it is determined from which operating system the received polling signal is transmitted (step S30).
2). The polling based on the determination result, file d ₁ when receiving the polling signal from the operating system OP _1, the file d ₂ when it receives a polling signal from the operating system OP _2, ... so on The call information in the file corresponding to the operating system that is the sender of the signal is read out by the extraction control unit 104, and further subjected to a predetermined protocol conversion by the protocol conversion unit.
It is transmitted to the operation system. In the operating system that has sent the polling signal, the call information transmitted from each of the local exchanges A ₁ , A ₂ ,... Is thus received by the call information receiving section 403, and the call information is transmitted by the system processing section 500. Various applications using are executed.

According to this embodiment, various services as described below can be realized by effectively using the call information. (1) Various billing processes This is a system that extracts call information using variable length data from each local exchange and distributes it to the operation system.
The information required for the charging process can be sent to the operation system that performs the charging process without being limited by the transmission capacity of the common line network 2. Therefore, complicated billing processing in consideration of a large number of parameters becomes possible. For example, a discount-based new service that discounts when the usage fee reaches a certain amount or more, sums up the usage fees corresponding to different logical numbers △△△△ -XXXXXXXX, and discounts when the total amount exceeds a certain amount. Billing processing for the service. Further, in the present embodiment, the billing process can be performed by, for example, a nationwide integrated operation system instead of the fixed detailed center corresponding to the conventional calling side exchange, so that the calling side exchange and the charging destination Regardless of the relationship with the party, special billing processes such as incoming billing and third party billing can be easily performed. (2) Traffic management Obtain subscriber terminals and line sections that frequently become incomplete calls because they are busy, and use them as materials for efficient planning of additional lines. Further, it is possible to improve fault management and fault handling of a line section and the like.

[0026] (3) According to the efficient operation this embodiment of the service, by the operation of only rewriting the content of the determination condition table 108b of each local exchange A _i, the new operating system at the request or the like from a user Expansion or deletion of unnecessary operation systems can be easily performed.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, call information generated in a telecommunications network can be efficiently and appropriately distributed to application systems that require them, so that call information can be effectively used. There is an effect that various services used can be efficiently performed. In addition, since the function of distributing call information is provided on the local exchange side, there is an effect that various services can be easily realized simply by adding to existing equipment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a station distribution type call information system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a local exchange in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying the contents of a determination condition table in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating call information according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating call information according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a transmission format of call information in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a conventional billing system.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a detail building transmitted in the system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ...... communication network, A ₁ ~A _N ...... local exchange, OP ₁ ~OP _m
...... Operation system.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Natsuo 1-6-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Hironobu Yamamoto 1-1-6 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Makoto Iio 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Masato Ihara 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Masahiko Tsujimoto 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Ryoji Takaichi 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation In-company (72) Inventor Masaki Takahashi 1-6-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ^6, DB name) H04Q 3/54 - 3/545 H04M 15/00 - 15/38 H04M 3/00 - 3/40

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A collecting means for collecting call information, which is usage data of each individual call generated along with communication using a telecommunication network, and the call information among the call information collected by the collecting means. The switching center is provided with distribution means for selecting call information to be processed by each application system to be processed and distributing the selected call information corresponding to the application system, and means for transmitting the distributed call information to the corresponding application system. Characteristic station distribution type call information system. 2. The distribution means judges: (a) a storage means corresponding to each of the application systems; and (b) an application system to be processed for each of the call information collected by the collection means. Distribution means for writing the call information to the storage means corresponding to the application system; and (c) transmitting the call information stored in the storage means corresponding to the application system to the application system in response to a request from each application system. 2. The call information system according to claim 1, further comprising a distribution unit. 3. The distribution means has a distribution determination table that defines call information to be processed by each of the application systems, and determines a storage unit to which the call information is written according to the distribution determination table. 3. The call information system according to claim 2, wherein 4. The call information system according to claim 1, wherein said call information is variable-length data.