JP7393490B2 - Communication systems, communication terminals, relay devices, communication methods and programs - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system, a communication terminal, a relay device, a communication method, and a program.

In recent years, the use of MaaS (Mobility as a Service) and vehicle big data has progressed. It is expected that the beneficiaries of in-vehicle communications will be diversified, including not only automobile companies but also insurance companies and vehicle sales companies. In order to apply the beneficiary-pay principle in this situation, it is necessary to identify the content of communications and separate charges.
Conventionally, APN (Access Point Name) has been used as a method for identifying communication content and billing (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Korean Registered Patent No. 102249463

However, the above-mentioned APN has a problem in that it cannot cope with the anticipated increase in the number of billing separations in the future because there is a restriction on the number of simultaneous communications.

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication system, a communication terminal, a relay device, a communication method, and a program that can cope with an increase in the number of billing separations.

An embodiment of the present invention is a communication system including a communication terminal and a relay device that relays communication between the communication terminal and a server, wherein the communication terminal identifies a billing destination for packet communication charges. obtains a first table in which charging separation IDs to be used and source port numbers of the communication terminals are associated with each other, and storing a second table in which application IDs of each of a plurality of applications are associated with the charging separation IDs; , when transmitting a packet from any one of the plurality of applications, the source port number corresponding to the charging separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is determined based on the first table and the second table. and transmits a packet including port number information indicating the selected source port number, the relay device stores the first table, and transmits a packet based on the port number information included in the packet received from the communication terminal. specifying a source port number, specifying a billing separation ID associated with the specified source port number based on the first table, and creating a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets; It is a communication system that generates.

In the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first table associates the billing separation ID with a range of source port numbers of the communication terminal, and the communication terminal When transmitting a packet from an application, the range of source port numbers corresponding to the charging separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is determined based on the range of source port numbers indicated by the acquired first table. The source port number is selected by selecting the source port number to be used from among them.

In the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the billing management server transmits the updated first table to the communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal.

In the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the billing management server transmits the updated first table to the communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal.

In the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the billing management server obtains the billing record from the relay device.

In the communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the relay device includes the number of received packets of uplink communication from the communication terminal, the number of received packets of downlink communication corresponding to the charging separation ID of the uplink communication, and the A billing record associated with the separate ID is generated.

An embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires a first table that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a destination to which packet communication charges are billed with a source port number of the communication terminal; a storage unit that stores a second table that associates application IDs with the billing separation IDs; a selection unit that selects a source port number corresponding to a charging separation ID associated with an application ID of the application; and a transmission unit that transmits a packet containing port number information indicating the selected source port number. It is a communication terminal with

In the communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, the charging separation ID and the range of source port numbers of the communication terminal are associated in the first table, and the selection unit is configured to When transmitting a packet from any application, the range of source port numbers corresponding to the charging separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is determined based on the range of source port numbers indicated by the acquired first table. Select the source port number to use from .

An embodiment of the present invention is a relay device that relays communication between a communication terminal and a server, and the relay device includes a billing separation ID that identifies a destination to which packet communication charges are to be billed, and a source port number of the communication terminal. a storage unit that stores the associated first table, a source port number identified based on port number information included in a packet received from a communication terminal, and the identified source port number and the identified source port number based on the first table; The relay device includes a specifying unit that specifies associated billing separation IDs, and a generation unit that generates a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets.

In the relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first table associates the billing separation ID with a range of source port numbers of the communication terminal.

A relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transmitter that transmits a generated billing record to a billing management server that manages billing.

In the relay device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the generation unit includes the number of received packets of uplink communication from the communication terminal, the number of received packets of downlink communication corresponding to the charging separation ID of the uplink communication, and the A billing record associated with the separate ID is generated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a communication terminal acquires a first table that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a destination to which packet communication charges are to be charged with a source port number of the communication terminal, and A second table is stored that associates the application ID with the billing separation ID, and when a packet is transmitted from any one of the plurality of applications, based on the first table and the second table, This communication method selects a source port number corresponding to a billing separation ID associated with an application ID of the application, and transmits a packet containing port number information indicating the selected source port number.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a relay device that relays communication between a communication terminal and a server associates a charging separation ID that identifies a destination to which packet communication charges are to be charged with a source port number of the communication terminal. A first table is stored, a source port number is specified based on port number information included in a packet received from a communication terminal, and charging is performed that is associated with the specified source port number based on the first table. This communication method specifies a separation ID and generates a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets.

One embodiment of the present invention is a program for a computer included in a communication terminal or a computer included in a relay device to execute the communication method according to claim 13 or the communication method according to claim 14.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a communication system that can cope with an increase in the number of billing separations.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to the present embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an example of composition of a communication terminal device concerning this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a port assignment table according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a billing separation ID table according to the present embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of a port number table of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for setting a port assignment table for a server and a relay device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for setting a port assignment table for a communication terminal device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for setting a source port number of a communication terminal device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for counting the number of packets by the relay device according to the present embodiment.

In order to apply the beneficiary-pay principle to in-vehicle communications for the use of MaaS and vehicle big data, it is necessary to identify communication content and separate charges.
For example, infotainment-related communications and in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) communications may be billed to the user of the vehicle.
In addition, company A will be billed for vehicle driving data and historical data, and company B will be billed for data related to rewriting vehicle data and in-vehicle software (e.g., Over The Air; OTA), and will be charged for advertising data and sales promotion data. It is conceivable that the data will be billed to company C.

Here, APN (Access Point Name) has traditionally been used as a method to identify communication content and billing, but since APN has a limit on the number of simultaneous communications, it is expected that the number of billing separations will increase in the future. There is a possibility that we will not be able to respond.
On the other hand, the safety of communication by in-vehicle communication systems is important, and communication encryption (TLS 1.3, etc.) is required to improve security. Regarding IP communication between in-vehicle applications and servers, there are ways to identify the purpose of communication by using the FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) that indicates the server destination, the destination IP address, and the destination port number, but it is not possible to encrypt the communication. If you use these, you cannot use them.
Therefore, the communication system 1 of this embodiment uses a "source port number" and links this with the charging separation ID as a method that is not constrained by the number of charging separations and is not affected by communication encryption. This enables separate billing.
The specific configuration of the communication system 1 of this embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to this embodiment. In the figure, a communication system 1 is configured by a communication terminal device 2, an accounting management server 3, and an application server 5 connected to a communication network NW. The communication network NW may be a wireless network, a wired network, or may be composed of both a wireless network and a wired network. For example, the communication network NW may include the Internet, a mobile phone network, a wireless LAN, and the like.
Note that a plurality of application servers 5 may be provided for each application. In this case, the application server 5 is used as a general term for a plurality of servers prepared for each application.

That is, the communication system 1 includes a communication terminal device 2 (in-vehicle communication terminal) and a relay device 4.

The communication terminal device 2 is connected to the communication network NW via a wired line or a wireless line. For example, the communication terminal device 2 is an in-vehicle communication terminal device installed in a vehicle such as a car, or a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer (tablet PC), and is connected to a mobile phone network or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). ) etc. to the communication network NW. In this embodiment, a case of an in-vehicle communication terminal will be explained as an example.

The communication terminal device 2 and the application server 5 communicate using the IP protocol. IP packets sent and received between the communication terminal device 2 and the application server 5 are sent to and received from one or more relay devices 4 (4-1, 4-2, ..., 4-n) provided within the communication network NW. ) forwarded by
The billing management server 3 monitors communication between the communication terminal device 2 and the application server 5, and separately manages the billing destination of the communication. In the communication terminal device 2, a billing management client corresponding to the billing management server 3 operates. The billing management client and the billing management server 3 separate and manage communication billing destinations by collaborating information for billing separation.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of each device included in the communication system of this embodiment.
The billing management server 3 centrally manages the billing destinations for communications in the communication system 1 . The billing management server 3 generates the port assignment table 421 based on the operation of a network operator (not shown, hereinafter also simply referred to as an operator). An example of the port assignment table 421 is shown in FIG. In the following description, the port assignment table 421 is also referred to as a first table.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the port assignment table 421 of this embodiment. The port allocation table 421 (first table) is information that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a destination for charging packet communication fees with a source port number of the communication terminal device 2.
The billing management server 3 transmits the generated port assignment table 421 to the relay device 4.

The relay device 4 includes a control section 41 and a storage section 42. The control unit 41 controls communication between the communication terminal device 2 and the billing management server 3.
Furthermore, the control unit 41 causes the storage unit 42 to store the port assignment table 421 sent from the billing management server 3. Note that in the following description, the operation of storing the port assignment table 421 in the storage unit 42 is also referred to as setting the port assignment table 421 in the relay device 4.

That is, the billing management server 3 and the relay device 4 create a port allocation table 421( 1st table) respectively.
Relay device 4 transmits port assignment table 421 to communication terminal device 2 .

The communication terminal device 2 includes a communication section 21, a storage section 22, and a control section 23.
The communication unit 21 is connected to the communication network NW and communicates with the billing management server 3 via the communication network NW.
When the communication unit 21 receives the port assignment table 421 from the relay device 4, the control unit 23 causes the storage unit 22 to store the received port assignment table 421.

That is, the communication unit 21 creates a port allocation table 421 (first table) that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a destination for charging packet communication charges with a source port number of the communication terminal device 2 (in-vehicle communication terminal). Functions as an acquisition unit.

The storage unit 22 stores a billing separation ID table 221 (second table). An example of the billing separation ID table 221 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the billing separation ID table 221 of this embodiment. The billing separation ID table 221 is information that associates each application ID of a plurality of in-vehicle applications with a billing separation ID.

That is, the storage unit 22 stores a billing separation ID table 221 (second table) in which the application ID of each of the plurality of in-vehicle applications is associated with the billing separation ID.

The control unit 23 generates a port number table 222 based on the billing separation ID table 221 and the port assignment table 421.
More specifically, the control unit 23 obtains the billing separation ID table 221 and the port assignment table 421 stored in the storage unit 22. The control unit 23 compares the billing separation ID indicated by the billing separation ID table 221 with the billing separation ID indicated by the port assignment table 421. The control unit 23 extracts pairs of application IDs in the billing separation ID table 221 and port number allocation ranges in the port allocation table 421 whose billing separation IDs match each other. The control unit 23 generates a port number table 222 based on the extracted combination of application ID and port number allocation range.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the port number table 222 of this embodiment. For example, the charging separation ID "A" of the application ID "APP1" in the charging separation ID table 221 shown in FIG. 4 and the port number allocation range "D/C (Don't Care )” matches the billing separation ID “A”.
In this case, the control unit 23 generates the port number table 222 shown in FIG. 5 by combining the application ID "APP1" and the port number allocation range "D/C".
Furthermore, for example, the billing separation ID "B" of the application ID "APP2" in the billing separation ID table 221 shown in FIG. The separation ID "B" matches.
In this case, the control unit 23 creates the port number table 222 shown in FIG. 5 by setting the application ID "APP2" and the port number allocation range "10001-20000" as a set.
Similarly, the control unit 23 sets the application ID "APP3" and the port number allocation range "20001-30000" as a set, and sets the application ID "APP4" and the port number allocation range "30001-40000" as a set. , generates the port number table 222.

As described above, in the port allocation table 421, the billing separation ID and the range of source port numbers of the communication terminal device 2 are associated with each other.
The control unit 23 selects a source port number to be used for packet transmission from the port number allocation range associated with the application ID. The control unit 23 sets the selected source port number in the port number table 222.

That is, when transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of in-vehicle applications, the control unit 23 selects the application based on the port allocation table 421 (first table) and the billing separation ID table 221 (second table). function as a selection unit that selects the source port number corresponding to the billing separation ID associated with the application ID.

When transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of in-vehicle applications, the control unit 23 (selection unit) associates the packet with the application ID of the application based on the range of source port numbers indicated by the acquired first table. The source port number to be used is selected from the range of source port numbers corresponding to the billing separation ID.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 23 selects "15000" as the source port number to be used for packet transmission from the port number allocation range "10001-20000" associated with the application ID "APP2". do. The control unit 23 sets the selected source port number "15000" in the port number table 222 in association with the application ID "APP2".
Similarly, the control unit 23 selects "25000" as the source port number used for packet transmission from the port number allocation range "20001-30000" associated with the application ID "APP3", and From the port number allocation range "30001-40000" associated with "APP4", "35000" is selected as the source port number used for packet transmission.

Note that when "D/C" is set in the port number allocation range of the port allocation table 421, the control unit 23 selects an arbitrary source port number, assuming that the port number allocation range is arbitrary. .

When transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of in-vehicle applications, the control unit 23 selects a source port number corresponding to the billing separation ID associated with the application ID of the application based on the port number table 222. do.
For example, when there is a packet transmission request from an application with application ID "APP2", the control unit 23 selects the source port number "15000" associated with application ID "APP2".
The control unit 23 transmits a packet including the selected source port number “15000” to the relay device 4 via the communication unit 21.

That is, the communication unit 21 transmits a packet including port number information indicating the selected source port number.

As described above, the port number table 222 is generated based on the port assignment table 421 and the billing separation ID table 221.
In other words, when transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of in-vehicle applications, the control unit 23 determines the charge associated with the application ID of the application based on the port allocation table 421 and the charge separation ID table 221. A source port number corresponding to the separation ID is selected, and a packet containing port number information indicating the selected source port number is transmitted.

Note that although the description will be made assuming that the control unit 23 transmits a packet from an application using a source port number predefined in the port number table 222, the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 23 may be configured to select a source port number to be used for transmission from the range of source port numbers set in the port number table 222 when transmitting a packet from an application. That is, the port number table 222 shown in FIG. 5 may be configured such that a source port number column is not prepared and the source port number is determined when transmitting a packet.

In other words, when transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of in-vehicle applications, the control unit 23 associates it with the application ID of the application based on the range of source port numbers indicated by the acquired port assignment table 421. The source port number is selected by selecting the source port number to be used from the range of source port numbers corresponding to the assigned billing separation ID.

The control unit 41 of the relay device 4 identifies the source port number based on the port number information included in the packet received from the communication terminal device 2 (in-vehicle communication terminal).
Based on the port allocation table 421, the control unit 41 identifies the billing separation ID associated with the identified source port number.
The control unit 41 generates a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets.

That is, the storage unit 42 of the relay device 4 stores a first table that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a destination to which a packet communication fee is to be charged with a source port number of an in-vehicle communication terminal.
The control unit 41 of the relay device 4 identifies the source port number based on the port number information included in the packet received from the in-vehicle communication terminal, and matches the source port number with the identified source port number based on the first table. It also functions as a specifying unit that specifies the billing separation ID.
The control unit 41 of the relay device 4 also functions as a generation unit that generates a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets.

Up to this point, the functional configurations of the communication terminal device 2, billing management server 3, and relay device 4 of the communication system 1 have been described. The flow of the operation of the communication system 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for setting the port assignment table 421 for the billing management server 3 and the relay device 4 in this embodiment.
(Step S10) The network operator sets separate billing information for the relay device 4. This separate billing information includes a port assignment table 421.
(Step S20) Port assignment table 421 is set in relay device 4. Note that if the port assignment table 421 has already been set in the relay device 4, it is updated to the new port assignment table 421 transmitted in step S10.
(Step S30) The relay device 4 notifies the network operator of the completion of updating the port assignment table 421.
(Step S40) The network operator sets separate billing information in the billing management server 3. This separate billing information includes a port assignment table 421.
(Step S50) Upon receiving the port assignment table 421, the billing management server 3 sets the received port assignment table 421. Note that if the port assignment table 421 has already been set in the billing management server 3, it is updated to the new port assignment table 421 transmitted in step S40.
The port allocation table 421 is set in the billing management server 3 and the relay device 4 through the above-described procedure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for setting the port assignment table 421 for the communication terminal device 2 according to the present embodiment.
A billing separation ID table 221 is stored in the communication terminal device 2 in advance.

(Step S110) The communication terminal device 2 requests the billing management server 3 to send separate billing information.
(Step S120) Upon receiving the request to send separate billing information from the communication terminal device 2, the billing management server 3 transmits the separate billing information to the communication terminal device 2. This separate billing information includes a port assignment table 421.
(Step S130) Upon receiving the port assignment table 421, the communication terminal device 2 stores the received port assignment table 421 in the storage unit 22. Note that if the port assignment table 421 has already been set in the communication terminal device 2, it is updated to the new port assignment table 421 transmitted in step S120.
The control unit 23 of the communication terminal device 2 compares the billing separation ID of both tables based on the billing separation ID table 221 stored in advance in the storage unit 22 and the port assignment table 421 acquired in step S120. By doing so, a port number table 222 is generated.

Note that when updating the correspondence between billing separation IDs and port number assignment ranges, the port assignment table 421 after updating the correspondence is sent from the billing management server 3 to the communication terminal device 2 via the relay device 4. Just send it. In this case, the communication terminal device 2 generates the port number table 222 based on the changed port assignment table 421.
According to the communication system 1 configured in this way, the application ID and port number assignment set in each communication terminal device 2 can be changed without updating the billing separation ID table 221 stored in advance in the communication terminal device 2. The correspondence relationship with the range can be updated from the billing management server 3.

(Step S140) The communication terminal device 2 notifies the billing management server 3 that the port allocation table 421 has been updated.
(Step S150) Upon receiving the update completion from the communication terminal device 2, the billing management server 3 determines that the update of the port allocation table 421 for the communication terminal device 2 has been completed.

That is, the billing management server 3 transmits the updated port allocation table 421 to the communication terminal device 2 (in-vehicle communication terminal) in response to a request from the communication terminal device 2 (in-vehicle communication terminal).
Through the above-described procedure, the port assignment table 421 set in the billing management server 3 is set in the communication terminal device 2. As a result, the contents of the port assignment tables 421 of the communication terminal device 2, billing management server 3, and relay device 4 are synchronized.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure for setting a source port number of the communication terminal device 2 of this embodiment. The procedure shown in FIG. 8 is a procedure between the request source function and the billing management client, which are realized by the operation of the control unit 23 in the communication terminal device 2.
(Step S210) The source port number requesting function requests the billing management client to issue a source port number. This source port number issuance request includes an application ID determined for each application.
(Step S220) Upon receiving the request to issue a source port number, the billing management client searches the port number table 222 stored in the storage unit 22 using the application ID included in the issue request as a search key. The billing management client allocates the source port number from the port number allocation range obtained as a result of the search to the requesting function.
(Step S230) The request source function sets the source port number issued by the billing management client.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for counting the number of packets by the relay device 4 of this embodiment. Here, the communication packet that the communication terminal device 2 transmits toward the application server 5 is also referred to as upstream, and the communication packet that the application server 5 transmits toward the communication terminal device 2 is also referred to as downstream.
Upstream is due to specific applications that are subject to separate billing. Downstream may include replies to this particular application's upstream. The relay device 4 counts the number of packets for billing for each billing separation ID, regardless of whether the communication packet is upstream or downstream. The communication system 1 performs separate charging for each application based on the result of counting the number of packets by the relay device 4, thereby performing separate charging according to the application ID for both upstream and downstream communication packets. I can do it.
A procedure for counting the number of upstream and downstream packets performed by this relay device 4 will be described.

(Step S310) The relay device 4 receives the communication packet transmitted by the communication terminal device 2 or the communication packet transmitted by the application server 5.
(Step S320) The relay device 4 determines the communication direction of the received communication packet, that is, whether the received communication packet is upstream or downstream.
(Step S330) The relay device 4 compares the port number of the received communication packet with the port allocation table 421 and obtains the billing separation ID of the received communication packet.

Here, if the received communication packet is upstream, the source port number indicates the application to be billed. Furthermore, if the received communication packet is downstream, the destination port number indicates the application to be billed.
When the received communication packet is upstream, the relay device 4 compares the transmission source port number of the communication packet with the port allocation table 421 and obtains the billing separation ID of the received communication packet.
Further, when the received communication packet is downstream, the relay device 4 compares the destination port number of the communication packet with the port allocation table 421 and obtains the billing separation ID of the received communication packet.

(Step S340) The relay device 4 counts the number of packets for each billing separation ID acquired in step S330, and generates a billing record. The relay device 4 transmits the generated billing record to the billing management server 3.

That is, the relay device 4 calculates the number of received packets of uplink communication from the communication terminal device 2 (in-vehicle communication terminal) to the charging management server 3, the number of received packets of downlink communication corresponding to the charging separation ID of the uplink communication, and the charging A billing record associated with the separate ID is generated.
Relay device 4 notifies billing management server 3 (or billing server, not shown) of the generated billing record.

(Step S350) The relay device 4 transfers the received communication packet to the billing management server 3 if it is upstream, and to the communication terminal device 2 if it is downstream.
(Step S360) The billing management server 3 periodically checks whether a billing record has been transmitted from the relay device 4. When the billing record is transmitted in step S340, the billing management server 3 acquires the transmitted billing record.
(Step S370) The billing management server 3 calculates the bill to the customer (for example, the user of the communication terminal device 2) based on the billing record acquired in step S360, and generates bill information.

That is, the control unit 41 of the relay device 4 functions as a transmitter that transmits the generated billing record to the billing management server 3 that manages billing.

According to the communication system 1 described above, it is possible to identify the application to be charged by referring to the port number included in the communication packet. According to the communication system 1, by using the port number, restrictions on the number of simultaneous communications such as APN are relaxed, so that it is possible to cope with an expected increase in the number of billing separations in the future.

Although the embodiments of the present invention and their modifications have been described above, these embodiments and their modifications are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and at the same time are included within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

Each function of the communication terminal device 2, the relay device 4, and the billing management server 3 is performed by a computer in which each device is equipped with computer hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and the CPU is stored in the memory. This is achieved by running a program. For example, the communication terminal device 2 may be an in-vehicle communication terminal device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, or may be a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer (tablet PC). For example, the communication terminal device 2 may be a stationary terminal device such as a personal computer.

Note that each of the above-mentioned devices has a computer inside. The processes of each of the above-mentioned apparatuses are stored in a computer-readable recording medium in the form of a program, and the above-mentioned processes are performed by reading and executing this program by the computer. Here, the computer-readable recording medium refers to a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, and the like. Alternatively, this computer program may be distributed to a computer via a communication line, and the computer receiving the distribution may execute the program.

Moreover, the above-mentioned program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions.
Furthermore, it may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above-described functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Communication system, 2... Communication terminal device, 3... Billing management server, 4... Relay device, 221... Billing separation ID table, 222... Port number table, 421... Port assignment table

Claims (15)

A communication system comprising a communication terminal and a relay device that relays communication between the communication terminal and a server,
The communication terminal is
obtaining a first table that associates a billing separation ID that identifies a billing destination for packet communication charges with a source port number of the communication terminal;
storing a second table in which application IDs of each of the plurality of applications are associated with the billing separation ID;
When transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of applications, a source port number corresponding to a billing separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is selected based on the first table and the second table. death,
send a packet containing port number information indicating the selected source port number;
The relay device is
storing the first table;
identifying a source port number based on the port number information included in the packet received from the communication terminal;
identifying a billing separation ID associated with the identified source port number based on the first table;
generating a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets;
Communications system. The first table associates the billing separation ID with a range of source port numbers of the communication terminal,
The communication terminal is
When transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of applications, the transmission source corresponding to the charging separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is determined based on the range of source port numbers indicated by the acquired first table. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the source port number is selected by selecting a source port number to be used from a range of port numbers. The communication system includes a billing management server that manages billing,
The billing management server stores the first table,
the communication terminal obtains the first table from the billing management server;
The communication system according to claim 1 or claim 2. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the billing management server transmits the updated first table to the communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal. The billing management server obtains the billing record from the relay device.
The communication system according to claim 3 or claim 4. The relay device is
A billing record is generated that associates the number of packets received in upstream communication from the communication terminal, the number of packets received in downlink communication corresponding to the billing separation ID of the upstream communication, and the billing separation ID. The communication system according to any one of Item 5. A communication terminal,
an acquisition unit that acquires a first table that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a charging destination for packet communication fees with a source port number of the communication terminal;
a storage unit that stores a second table in which application IDs of each of the plurality of applications are associated with the billing separation ID;
When transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of applications, a source port number corresponding to a billing separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is selected based on the first table and the second table. a selection section to
a transmitting unit that transmits a packet including port number information indicating the selected source port number;
A communication terminal with The first table associates the billing separation ID with a range of source port numbers of the communication terminal,
When transmitting a packet from any one of the plurality of applications, the selection unit selects the charging separation associated with the application ID of the application based on the range of source port numbers indicated by the acquired first table. Select the source port number to be used from the range of source port numbers corresponding to the ID.
The communication terminal according to claim 7. A relay device that relays communication between a communication terminal and a server,
a storage unit that stores a first table that associates a charging separation ID that identifies a charging destination of a packet communication fee with a transmission source port number of a communication terminal;
an identifying unit that identifies a source port number based on port number information included in a packet received from a communication terminal, and identifies a billing separation ID associated with the identified source port number based on the first table; ,
a generation unit that generates a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets;
A relay device with The first table associates the billing separation ID with a range of source port numbers of the communication terminal.
The relay device according to claim 9. 11. The relay device according to claim 9, further comprising a transmitter that transmits the generated billing record to a billing management server that manages billing. The generation unit generates a billing record that associates the number of received packets of uplink communication from the communication terminal, the number of received packets of downlink communication corresponding to the billing separation ID of the upstream communication, and the billing separation ID. The relay device according to any one of claims 9 to 11. The communication terminal is
obtaining a first table that associates a billing separation ID that identifies a billing destination for packet communication charges with a source port number of the communication terminal;
storing a second table in which application IDs of each of the plurality of applications are associated with the billing separation ID;
When transmitting a packet from one of the plurality of applications, a source port number corresponding to a billing separation ID associated with the application ID of the application is selected based on the first table and the second table. death,
sending a packet containing port number information indicating the selected source port number;
Communication method. A relay device that relays communication between a communication terminal and a server is
storing a first table in which a charging separation ID for identifying a charging destination for packet communication charges is associated with a transmission source port number of a communication terminal;
Identify the source port number based on the port number information included in the packet received from the communication terminal,
identifying a billing separation ID associated with the identified source port number based on the first table;
generating a billing record that associates the specified billing separation ID with the number of received packets;
Communication method. The computer included in the communication terminal or the computer included in the relay device,
A program for executing the communication method according to claim 13 or the communication method according to claim 14.

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