JP3217468B2 - Packet communication system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ATM used in a wideband ISDN which realizes data exchange of several hundred Mbps.
The present invention relates to a packet communication system that employs a switching system and performs charging.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ATM (Asynchronous Tx) is used after a communication path or a communication channel is determined based on call information from a terminal.
(ransfer Mode: Asynchronous transfer mode) In general, charging for a connection-type packet communication system that performs communication is calculated based on the number of cells that are fixed-length packets communicated between terminal users.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ATM communication system. In FIG. 3, the transmitting terminal 1
It is connected to the originating station 10 which is an ATM switch,
It is connected to the terminating terminal 2 via a relay station 20 as an M exchange and a terminating station 30 as an ATM exchange. Note that FIG.
In FIG. 1, only one relay station 20 is illustrated, but a plurality of relay stations are actually arranged to constitute a network. The originating station 10 is connected to the originating terminal 1 and the user / network interface 13.
, And connected to the relay station 20 via the inter-network interface 14. The user / network interface 13 and the network interface 14 are connected to the ATM switch 11, and the ATM switch is controlled by the call processing control unit 12. The receiving station 30 is the same as the transmitting station, and the receiving terminal 2 and the user / network interface 3
4 and connected to the relay station 20 via the inter-network interface 33. Although the intra-station configuration of the relay station 20 is not shown, the relay station 20
0 and the receiving station 30 via a network interface.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional cell format diagram. The cell format of FIG.
Alternatively, the format of a cell communicated on the paths L1 and L4 between the receiving terminal 2 and the user / network interface is shown. 931. FIG. 4B shows the transmission station 1
0, the format of a cell communicated on the routes L2 and L3 between the relay station 20 and the called station 30.
T / Q. It is based on the recommendations in Recommendation 763. The number in the parentheses of each piece of header information indicates the number of information bytes. FIG. 4 (c) shows a conventional example of the type of the PT (Paylaod Type) field in the header in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b).
00 ', it is identified as a user cell and the information is'
If it is 10 ', it has been recognized as an OAM (intra-network management information communication) cell. Here, the user cell is a charging target cell.

FIG. 5 shows a call setting sequence diagram for voice communication. First, according to the called terminal telephone number, that is, the subscriber number, in the call setup message (SETUP) transmitted from the calling user terminal, the calling station selects a relay station that is the optimal route, and the called user terminal of the ATM switch of the calling station. Sets the cell switch in the direction of the calling user terminal from, and sends a call setup processing message (CALL PROC) to the calling user terminal.
It also sends an address message (IAM) to the selected relay station. The relay station selects the next-stage relay station having the next optimum route (not shown), sets the bidirectional cell switch, and sets the address message (IA
M) to the next optimal relay station. Hereinafter, for simplicity, a description will be given assuming that one relay station is selected. The final relay station selects the destination station to which the destination user terminal is directly connected, and sends a call setup message (SETUP) to the destination user terminal. On the other hand, the called user terminal sends a call setup processing message (CALL PROC) to the called station. In addition, the called station sends an address completion message (ACM) to the relay station, and the relay station sends an address completion message (ACM) to the calling station. Thereafter, the called user terminal sends a calling message (ALERT) to the called station, the called station to the relay station, and the relay station to the calling station for a call progress message (CPG).
And the calling station sends a calling message (ALERT) to the calling user terminal. Then, ring back (RING BACK
TONE) is transmitted from the called station to the calling user terminal via the relay station and the calling station. Then, by the response of the receiving user terminal,
A response message (CONN) is sent to the terminating station, which sets up a two-way cell switch. After that, the called station sends a response acknowledgment message (CONN ACK) to the destination user terminal, and sends a response message (ANM) to the relay station. In addition, the relay station sends an answer message (ANM) to the originating station. Upon receipt of this response message (ANM), the originating station sets a bidirectional cell switch,
Send a response message (CONN) to the calling user terminal. Thereafter, the calling user terminal sends a response confirmation message (CO
NN ACK). As a result, a communication path between the calling user terminal and the called user terminal is set, and communication is performed.

Here, the billing in the ATM communication system is usually calculated based on the number of cells communicated between user terminals. Therefore, when the billing is calculated based on the number of cells,
In addition to the original user cell to be charged, there is a problem that a cell of a ring tone which is not originally to be charged is also charged as a user cell. Here, if the ringing tone continues for a long time without the receiving user terminal responding, the user will be charged according to the number of cells of the ringing tone used even if the user does not actually perform communication. .

[0007]

As described above, in the past, charging in a packet communication system is usually calculated based on the number of cells communicated between user terminals. However, there is a problem that a user cell which is a ring tone to a calling user terminal which is not a charging target is also charged.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a packet communication system capable of eliminating such a problem and charging only a user cell originally used by a user.

According to the present invention, prior to communication between terminals, a relay line route and a communication channel between a calling station, a relay station, and a called station from a calling terminal to a called terminal are determined by a call control procedure, and then the relay is performed. In a packet communication system that realizes communication between terminals by transmitting a fixed-length packet to a communication channel on a circuit path, a packet for transmitting user information and a packet for controlling a user among the packets transmitted between the terminals are separated. Identify based on the identification information in the packet header,
The number of the identified user information communication packets is counted, and charging is performed using the counted value as a charging index.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012]

According to the packet communication system of the present invention, a user information communication packet and a user control packet among packets transmitted between communicating terminals are identified based on identification information in a packet header. The number of user information communication packets is counted, and charging is performed using the counted value as a charging index.

[0013]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, charging in the first ATM communication system will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cell format and a charging classification based on a cell header in an ATM communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the ATM communication system described in the conventional example of FIG. 3, the communication between the calling user terminal (calling terminal) 1 and the calling station 10 and the communication between the called user terminal (calling terminal) 2 and the called station 30 are as shown in FIG. The communication is performed in the cell format, and the communication between the transmitting station 10 and the relay station 20 and the communication between the receiving station 30 and the relay station 20 are performed in the cell format of FIG. Here, conventionally, “00” is identified as a user cell by a 2-byte information of a PT (Paylaod Type) field in each cell header and is set as a charging target, and “10” is set to OAM (network management). (Information communication) It was identified as a cell and was excluded from charging. On the other hand, in the present invention, information that can identify the category of a cell that is a user cell but is not a charging target is added. That is, the information of the category is added as “01”. Then, this cell can be identified as a cell not to be charged. As an example of a cell that is not a charging target and is a user cell, when the terminal is a voice terminal, a ring tone cell transmitted from the ATM exchange connected to the destination user voice terminal to the calling user voice terminal is used. If so, the ringing cell is not charged. As a result, the user is not charged based on the number of ringing tone cells.

Next, charging in the second ATM communication system will be described. FIG. 2 is a call setup sequence diagram of voice communication for explaining charging of the ATM communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention. First, according to the called terminal telephone number, that is, the subscriber number, in the call setup message (SETUP) transmitted from the calling user terminal, the calling station selects a relay station that is the optimal route, and the called user terminal of the ATM switch of the calling station. Sets the cell switch in the direction of the calling user terminal from, and sends a call setup processing message (CALL PROC) to the calling user terminal. Address messages (IA
M) Send to the selected relay station. The relay station selects a next-stage relay station having the next optimal route (not shown), sets bi-directional cell switching, and transmits an address message (IAM) to the next optimal relay station, similarly to the source station. Send to the station. Hereinafter, for simplicity, a description will be given assuming that one relay station is selected. The final relay station selects the destination station to which the destination user terminal is directly connected, and sends a call setup message (SETUP) to the destination user terminal. On the other hand, the called user terminal sends a call setup processing message (CALL PROC) to the called station. In addition, the called station sends an address completion message (ACM) to the relay station, and the relay station sends an address completion message (ACM) to the calling station. Also,
Thereafter, the called user terminal issues a calling message (ALERT).
To the called station, the called station sends a call progress message (CPG) to the relay station, and the calling station sends a call progress message (ALERT) to the calling user terminal. Thereafter, a ringing tone (RING BACK TONE) is transmitted from the called station to the calling user terminal via the relay station and the calling station. Then, in response to the response of the called user terminal, a response message (CONN) is transmitted to the called station, and the called station sets a bidirectional cell switch. After that, the receiving station sends a response confirmation message (CONN ACK)
Is sent to the receiving user terminal and a response message (ANM) is sent to the relay station. In addition, the relay station sends an answer message (ANM) to the originating station. Upon receiving the response message (ANM), the calling station sets a bidirectional cell switch and transmits a response message (CONN) to the calling user terminal. Thereafter, the calling user terminal transmits a response confirmation message (CONN ACK) to the calling station. As a result, a communication path between the calling user terminal and the called user terminal is set, and communication is performed.

Here, it is the ATM exchange such as the transmitting station that calculates the charge. Therefore, the AT in the ATM exchange
The charging operation is started based on the opening and closing of the M switch. That is, the response message (CONN) from the called user terminal is received by the called station, and the bidirectional ATM switch of the called station is set, that is, when the bidirectional is closed (S20). The ATM exchange, which is the receiving station, starts the charging operation in the direction. Further, the transmitting station receives the response message (ANM) from the relay station, and the bidirectional ATM switch of the transmitting station is set, that is, the bidirectional ATM switch is closed (S2).
From 1), the ATM exchange, which is the originating station, starts charging from the originating user terminal to the destination user terminal.

[0017] For this reason, in voice communication, in particular, actual voice communication between users is performed, and there is no charge, and the ringing tone until the ATM switches of the calling station and the called station are bidirectionally closed. (RING BACK TONE) cells are not charged.

[0018]

As described above, according to the packet communication system of the present invention, the user information communication packet and the user control packet among the packets transmitted between communicating terminals are identified by the identification information in the packet header. , The number of the identified user information communication packets is counted, and charging is performed using the counted value as a charging index, so that only user packets originally used by the user are charged. As a result, an accurate billing predicted by the user can be performed, and an accurate billing target packet can be determined only by adding information in the conventional packet header.

[0019]

[0020]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cell format and a charging classification based on a cell header in an ATM communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a call communication sequence diagram for explaining a charging method for an ATM communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration block diagram of an ATM communication system.

FIG. 4 is a conventional cell format diagram.

FIG. 5 is a call setting sequence diagram of voice communication.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 terminal 10 originating station 11, 31 ATM switch 12, 32 call processing control unit 13, 34 user / network interface 14, 33 inter-network interface 20 relay station 30 terminating station L1 to L4 communication path S20, S21 ATM switch setting

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04L 12/56 H04L 12/28

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. Prior to communication between terminals, a relay line route and a communication channel between a calling station, a relay station, and a called station from a calling terminal to a called terminal are determined by a call control procedure, and then the relay line route is determined. In a packet communication system for realizing communication between terminals by transmitting a fixed-length packet to the above communication channel, a packet for user information communication and a packet for user control among the packets transmitted between the terminals are packet headers. A packet communication system that performs identification based on the identification information in the above, counts the identified number of the user information communication packets, and performs charging using the counted value as a charging index.