JPH09107420A - Detailed accounting processing method in communication processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the detailed charging processing method served in a communication processing system service network open and in operation at present. SOLUTION: When an information user 11 sends an information retrieval call through a telephone network 12 to retrieve an information service, a service connector 13 connecting the information retrieval call of the telephone network 12 to an information server 17 through a packet network 16 is operated to conduct smoothly a call connection function. A telephone network matching device being a component of the service connector 13 analyzes an R2 signal sent through a T1 trunk by an area exchange to seek a telephone number sending the information retrieval all and processes a charging content. An area management equipment 15 connected to the service connector 13 and the packet network 16 conducts a function of storing and managing the charging content received from the service connector 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a detailed billing processing method in a communication processing system.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a detailed billing processing method provided in a communication processing system service network which is currently in operation.

In particular, the present invention is a service connection device (ISAP: Information) of a partial device in a communication processing system.
Service Access Point) and regional management device (M-OAM:
Mediation, Operation, Administration and Managemen
t), providing a billing processing method not only for general search type services but also for services that use transmission protocols such as Z-modems, and detailed billing is possible by adding a database code as a separate information unit. In addition, the user is provided with a breakdown of the charges calculated after the service ends so that the information usage fee can be immediately known after the information is used.

The description in this specification is based on the priority of the present application, Korean Patent Application No. 1995-27334 (1).
Filed on Aug. 29, 995), and the content of the description of the Korean patent application constitutes a part of the present specification by referring to the number of the Korean patent application. I shall.

[0005]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, a service providing host (information provider) imposes a usage fee on a user using an original billing processing method and collects the fee himself.

Therefore, in such a conventional billing processing method, the inconvenience arises for the information users as the number of information providers increases so that the setting of the usage fee to be paid increases. On the other hand, for the information provider, as the number of information users increases, the usage fee collection cost increases, and the detailed information unit charge becomes difficult, and the detailed charge becomes difficult. Further, there is a drawback that the breakdown of the charge cannot be immediately known even after using the information. Furthermore, in the service field that provides the transmission protocol, since the length of the data actually transmitted to the user is unknown, there is a problem in that charging cannot be charged on a pay-per-use basis.

[0007]

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to enable the same billing process to be executed in the communication processing system without distinction of services according to information providers, and to assign it as a database code. The charging information is generated for each specified information unit, and the protocol flag structure is defined between the communication processing system and the information provider so that the detailed charging processing can be performed. An object of the present invention is to provide a detailed billing processing method capable of billing according to the amount of information for a service using.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a call connection function.
And a regional management means (M-) for receiving and storing the charging details from the service connecting means.
OAM: Mediation-Operation, Administration and Ma
In the detailed billing processing method applied to the communication processing system including the intenance, the information provider calls the call
nnection) to connect to the database code in the first step; second step to inquire charging attribute information of the connected database code; third step to request the information provider for database information about the database code; database information 4th step of starting the transmission protocol for transmitting the data; 5th step of ending the transmission protocol after transmitting the database information; 6th step of generating the result of using the database information; and detailed charging by the charging attribute information of the database code. Is generated and stored, and a seventh step is included.

That is, according to the first aspect of the invention, the service connection means (13) for performing the call connection function and the area management means (M-OAM: M-OAM: for receiving and storing the billing contents from the service connection means (13) for storage management. Mediation-Operation, Admini
In the detailed charging processing method applied to the communication processing system (18) having the stration and maintenance (15), the information user (11) requests the call connection and connects to the database code in the first step (step 51). Through 5
5); the second step (steps 61 to 65) of inquiring about the charging attribute information of the connected database code; the third step (steps 71 to 7) of requesting the database information about the database code from the information provider (17).
6); the fourth step of starting the transmission protocol for transmitting the database information (steps 81 to 84); the fifth step of ending the transmission protocol after transmitting the database information (steps 91 to 93); the result of using the database information The sixth step (steps 101 to 105); and the seventh step (steps 111 to 116) of generating and storing the detailed charge according to the charge attribute information of the database code.

The first step (steps 51 to 55) is to connect to the service connecting means (13) in response to a call connection request from the information user (11) (step 51); the service connecting means ( 13) outputting the connection screen and the menu screen for each information field to the information user (11) (step 52); in response to the information user (11) selecting the information field by looking at the output menu screen hand,
Outputting the database code list of the selected field (steps 53 and 54); and the information provider (1
1) can include a step (step 55) of selecting a database code to be connected by looking at the output database code.

Second stage (steps 61 to 65)
When the information user (11) selects the database code of the information to be connected, the service connection means (13)
Generates a database code inquiry packet so that the charging information of the database code can be known and transmits it to the user information processing means (GDS: GuiDance System) (14) (steps 61 and 62); The received user information processing means (14) extracts the database code in the packet (step 63); searches the charging database (31) as the extracted database code and detects charging attribute information about the database code. (Step 64);
And a step of forming the detected charging attribute information in the confirmation packet and transmitting it to the service connecting means (13) (step 65).

The third step (steps 71 to 76)
When the inquiry about the charging attribute information of the database code selected by the information user (11) is successful, the step of outputting the charging information about the database code to the information user (11) (steps 71, 72); database code Requesting database information about the database code if the information user (11) has approved the use of the information (steps 73 and 74); the inquiry about the database code fails, or the information user (11) requests the database code. If there is no approval for use of the database, the step of rejecting the database information request (step 7)
5); and a protocol flag (Ox3) for requesting or rejecting the database information from the information provider (17).
7) is made in a packet and transmitted (step 7)
6) can be included.

The fourth step (steps 81 to 84)
In the case of information using the downloading / uploading function, the information provider (11) sets a protocol flag (Ox41) and transmits a transmission protocol start request packet to the service connection means (13). Step (step 81): The service connection means (13) which has received the transmission protocol start request receives a key value (keyva
After creating lue) and setting the flag (Ox43),
A step of packetizing both the flag and the key value and transmitting them to the information provider (17) (steps 82, 83);
And the information provider (17) may include the step of initiating the transmission protocol (step 84) after receiving the initiation acknowledge packet.

The fifth step (steps 91 to 93)
Terminates the transmission protocol after transmitting the database information (91); the information provider (17) transmits a transmission protocol end notification packet to the service connection means (13) using the flag (Ox42). (Step 92); and a step (step 93) of transmitting the key value received at the start of the transmission protocol to the service connecting means (13).

The sixth step (steps 101 to 10)
In step 5), the information provider (17) makes a database information end packet using the protocol flag (Ox34) when the transmission of the database information is completed and transmits it to the service connection means (13) (step 101). , 1
02); The service connection means (13) receiving the database information end packet generates a usage time and usage data amount for the database information (step 10).
3); and the service connection means (13) includes a step (steps 104, 105) of generating a packet of a result of using the database information by using the protocol flag (Ox35) and transmitting the packet to the information provider (17). You can

The seventh step (steps 111 to 11)
6) is a step in which the service connection means (13) confirms the charge imposing method by using the charge attribute information of the database code (step 111); if the charge imposing method is selected, the usage charge is calculated and the information is used. To the person (11) (steps 112 and 113); generating a billing ticket based on the sender number and transmitting the calculated billing contents to the area managing means (15) (step 114); and the area The management means (15) extracts the billing ticket, stores it in the backup file (30), records it in the billing database (31), and then outputs the billing ticket reception result to the operator terminal (steps 115, 116).
Can be included.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a service network configuration diagram of a communication system to which the present invention is applied. In this figure, 11 is an information user, 12 is a telephone network, 13 is a service connection device, and 14 is a service connection device.
Is a user information processing device, 15 is a regional management device, 16 is a packet network, 17 is an information provider, and 18 is a communication processing system.

The communication processing system 18 which provides the information retrieval network service is roughly classified into a function that acts as a barrier between the telephone network switch and the packet network switch and a function that smoothly executes this function. An information user 11 tries to search for an information service through an information retrieval call (dat) through the telephone network 12.
a retrieval call), a service connection device (ISAP: Information Servicing) that connects the information retrieval call of the telephone network 12 to the information provider 17 through the packet network 16.
The e Access Point 13 operates to perform a smooth call connection function. At this time, the telephone network matching device, which is a sub-device of the service connection device 13, analyzes the R2 signal transmitted through the T1 trunk in the local exchange to find the telephone number that originated the information retrieval call and generate a billing breakdown. Area management device (M-OAM: Mediation-Operation, Administrat) connected to the service connection device 13 and the packet network 16.
The ion and maintenance) 15 performs a function of storing and managing the billing details received from the service connection device 13.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the service connection device 13 and the area management device 15 to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, 21 is a service processing unit, 22 is a billing transmission queue, 23 is a billing transmission queue processor, 24 and 25 are communication protocol processing units, 26 is a billing reception queue, 27 is a billing processing unit, and 28 is an operator command. A word queue, 29 is an operator command word processor, 30 is a backup file, 31 is a charge database (DB), and 32 is a magnetic tape (MT).

The information user 11 uses the service connection device (IS
AP) 13, the service processing unit (SAP) 2
1 operates to generate information service connections and billing breakdowns. The service connection device 13 can accommodate 96 information users at the same time, which allows the service processing unit 21 to have a maximum of 96 users.
Individual information service connections and billing breakdowns can be generated. The billing details generated by the service processing unit 21 are stored in a billing send queue 22 in the form of a ticket,
After that, send queue handler
It is transmitted to the communication protocol processing unit 24 by 23. The communication protocol processing unit 24 of the service connection device 13 and the communication protocol processing unit 25 of the area management device 15 are X. 25
The billing ticket is transmitted and received in the form of a packet which is connected to the network. The received billing ticket is transferred to the billing reception queue 26. The billing processing unit (AM daemon) 27 extracts the billing ticket from the billing reception queue 26, stores it in the backup file 30, and records it in the billing database 31.
The billing details recorded in the billing database 31 are stored on the magnetic tape 32 together with the telephone charges for integrated notification. In addition, the billing processing unit 27 sends the received billing contents to the operator command word processor (MMI-se) through the operator command word queue 28.
rver).

[Table 1] shown below is a structural diagram of the protocol flags according to the present embodiment.

[0023]

[Table 1]

The service connection device 13 and the information provider 17 are the X. Since they are connected through the 25 network, packet communication is used to exchange data with each other. According to the protocol flag defined in the embodiment of the present invention, the first byte of the packet data area is Ox with the ASCII value Ox31.
Use one of the 43 values. Such a flag value defines a communication mode between the service connection device 13 and the information provider 17 so that the usage patterns of all currently connected services can be known. Therefore, detailed billing can be performed for the breakdown according to the usage pattern.

The flag Ox31 is a transmission mode indicating the information user input data. The flag Ox32 is used when transmitting the database information, and all the data transmitted based on the Ox32 flag is included in the billing details and the service processing unit 21 processes the billing. The flag Ox33 is used when transmitting the database code and contains a 10-digit database code. The flag Ox34 is used to notify the completion of the transmission of the database information, and the flag Ox35 is used to transmit the usage time and the usage information amount of the database information generated by the service processing unit 21 as a response to the completion of the transmission of the database code. To do. The flag Ox36 is a flag for notifying this when the service of the information provider 17 ends, and the flag Ox37 is a flag used when requesting the database information after the database code inquiry is completed. Flag Ox38
Is used when transmitting information that is not included in billing (for example, help word information, menu screens, public notices, etc.). The flag Ox39 is used when inquiring the user's name, and the flag used as a response to this inquiry is Ox40. The flag Ox41 is used when requesting the start of the transmission protocol,
The flag Ox42 is used when the transmission protocol ends. The last flag Ox43 is used when granting a request to start a transmission protocol or when transmitting a 5-byte key value used for security of the protocol.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the overall processing procedure in this embodiment.

First, the information provider 11 requests a call connection and connects to the database code (step 41), inquires about the charging attribute information of the connected database code (step 42), and sends the information provider 17 the database code. Requesting the database information (step 43), starting the transmission protocol to transmit the database information (step 44), ending the transmission protocol after transmitting the database information (step 45), and using the database information. Is generated (step 46), and detailed billing is generated and stored based on the billing attribute information of the database code (step 47).

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the details of the connection process by the database code in this embodiment. The processing method according to the present embodiment starts when the user requests a call connection of the communication processing system through the service network. When the information retrieval call is connected to the service connection device 13 of the communication processing system by the call connection request of the information user 11 (step 51), the service connection device 13
Is the information user 11
(Step 52). When the information user 11 looks at the output menu screen and selects an information field (step 53), a database code list of the selected field is output (step 54). The information user 11 looks at the output database code and selects the database code to be connected (step 55).

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing details of the process of inquiring about the charging attribute information of the database code according to the present embodiment.

When the information user 11 selects the database code of the information he / she wants to connect, the service connection device 13 creates a database code inquiry packet so that the charging information of the database code can be known (step 6).
1) User information processing device (GDS: GuiDance System) 1
4 (step 62). The user information processing device 14 receiving the database code inquiry packet extracts the database code in the packet (step 63).
The database is searched as the extracted database code, and charging attribute information about the database code is detected (step 64). The detected charging attribute information is put in a confirmation packet and transmitted to the service connection device 13 (step 65).

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing details of the database information requesting process according to this embodiment.

In the prior art, since the database information can be selected after connecting to the information host, the information user 11
There was no function to connect to the desired information at one time,
In the present embodiment, the service connection device 13 is provided with a function of selecting database information so that the database information can be immediately connected. When the inquiry about the charging attribute information of the database code selected by the information user 11 is completed (step 71), the database request field is determined by the result of the inquiry. If the inquiry fails, the information request field is set to "N" and the information request is rejected (step 75). If the inquiry succeeds, the billing information about the database code is output to the information user 11 to confirm whether the use is permitted (step 72), and if the information user 11 about the database code approves the use (step 73). Set the information request field to'A 'to request database information about the database code A (step 74). If the information user does not approve the use of the database code, the information request field is set to'N 'and the information request is rejected (step 7).
5). Thereafter, in order to request or reject the database information to the information provider 17, the protocol flag Ox37 is added to the information request field to form a packet and the packet is transmitted (step 76).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing in detail the starting process of the transmission protocol according to this embodiment.

The information provider 17 having received the database information transmission request determines whether to use the transmission protocol according to the type of the database information. In the case of information that uses functions such as downloading / uploading, it operates as follows. First, set the protocol flag to Ox
It is set to 41 and the transmission protocol start request packet is transmitted to the service connection device 13 (step 81). The service connection device 13 receiving the transmission protocol start request generates an arbitrary 5-byte key value and sets the flag to Ox.
Set to 43 (step 82). Next, the flag and the key value are packetized together and transmitted to the information provider 17 (step 83). The information provider 17 receives the start approval packet, and then the
ermit) to give a control right to a transmission protocol program to start transmission (step 84).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing in detail the termination process of the transmission protocol according to this embodiment.

A program such as a Zmodem or Kamitt completes the transmission for the file and sends program control to the service program (step 91). The service program (information provider) having received the program control right transmits the transmission protocol end notification packet to the service connection device 13 using the flag Ox42 (step 92). After that, the packet transmits the key value received at the start of the transmission protocol to the service connection device 13 (step 93).

The reason why the key value is sent again after the transmission end notification packet is sent is that the type of information such as the transmission protocol end notification packet exists in the data transmitted through the transmission protocol. Because there is a nature. If there is information of the same form in the data, the service connection device 13 cannot distinguish the data and the flag, so that it becomes difficult to confirm the transmission mode. Therefore, a key value is used in order to reduce the probability that the data and the flag have the same probability and to make the transmission mode accurate.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing details of the database information ending process according to the present embodiment.

When the information provider 17 completes the transmission of the database information, it first creates a database information end packet using the protocol flag Ox34 (step 101) and then transmits it to the service connection device 13 (step 102). . The service connection device 13 receiving the database information end packet generates a usage time and usage data amount for the database information (step 103),
A packet of the database information use result is generated using the protocol flag Ox35 (step 104). Then, the packet of the database information use result is transmitted to the information provider 17 (step 105).

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of the detailed billing generation and storage process according to the present embodiment.
When the database information transmission is completed, the service connection device 13 confirms the charge imposition method using the charge attribute information of the database code (step 111). When the charging method is selected, the usage fee is calculated (step 11
2) The information user 11 is guided (step 113).
A billing ticket is generated by the number of the sender according to the calculated billing content, and is transmitted to the area management device 15 through the communication protocol processing units 24 and 25 (step 114).
The billing processing unit 27 extracts the billing ticket from the billing reception queue 26, stores it in the backup file 30, and records it in the billing database 31 (step 115). And
The result is reported to the operator command word processor 29 through the operator command word queue 28 (step 116).

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, a data base code is attached to an information service connected to a public packet communication network by defining an information unit for each field.
A single billing processing method can be provided through the communication processing system.

According to the present invention as described above, a service mode can be confirmed through a protocol flag and a function for directly connecting desired database information can be provided, so that connection and retrieval for unnecessary screen information can be performed. To reduce the number of charges and expand the target of charging by enabling a pay-as-you-go charging of transmission protocols that cannot be processed by existing information providers, and to reduce the charging and collection burden of information providers to improve the quality of information services. Contribute to
In addition, since it does not require a special hardware configuration, it can be applied to almost all computer systems.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a service network of a communication processing system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a service connection device and an area management device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an entire control procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of a connection process using a database code according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of a charge speed information inquiry process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of a database information requesting process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of a transmission protocol starting process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of a transmission protocol termination process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing details of a database information ending process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of a detailed charge generation and storage process according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 information user 12 telephone network 13 service connection device 14 user information processing device 15 area management device 16 packet network 17 information provider 18 communication processing system 21 service processing unit 22 billing transmission queue 23 billing transmission queue processor 24, 25 communications Protocol processing unit 26 Charging reception queue 27 Charging processing unit 28 Operator command word queue 29 Operator command word processor 30 Backup file 31 Charging database 32 Magnetic tape

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Sichang Dung South Korea Dajeong Swok Gajeongdong 161 Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (72) Inventor Yun Sung Je South Korea Dajeong Suwok Gajondon 161 Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (72) Inventor Hyo Jed, Republic of Korea Daejeon Swok Gajeongdong 161 Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A detailed billing processing method applied to a communication processing system, comprising: a service connecting means for performing a call connecting function; and an area managing means for receiving and storing charge details from the service connecting means. A person requests a call connection to connect to the database code, a first step; a second step to inquire charging attribute information of the connected database code; a third step to request an information provider for database information about the database code; A fourth step of starting a transmission protocol for transmitting the database information; a fifth step of ending the transmission protocol after transmitting the database information; a sixth step of generating a database information use result; and a charging attribute information of the database code. A detailed description including a seventh step of generating and storing a detailed charge. Billing processing method. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first step is a step of connecting to the service connecting means in response to a call connection request from an information user; the service connecting means displays a connection screen and a menu screen for each information field. Outputting the database code list of the selected field in response to the information user selecting the information field by looking at the output menu screen; and the information provider outputs the output database code A detailed billing processing method comprising a step of selecting a database code to be connected according to the above. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, when the information user selects a database code of information to be connected, the service connecting means inquires the database code so that the charging information of the database code can be known. Creating a packet and transmitting it to the user information processing means; receiving the database code inquiry packet, the user information processing means extracting the database code in the packet; searching the accounting database as the extracted database code and database code Detailed charging processing method, which comprises the steps of: detecting the charging attribute information of the above; and forming the detected charging attribute information in a confirmation packet and transmitting it to the service connecting means. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the third step, when the inquiry about the charging attribute information of the database code selected by the information user succeeds, the charging information about the database code is output to the information user. The step of requesting the database information about the database code if the information user approves the database code; if the inquiry about the database code fails or the information user does not approve the database code, the database information A detailed billing method, comprising the steps of rejecting the request; and creating and transmitting a protocol flag in the packet for requesting or rejecting the database information to the information provider. 5. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein the information provider uses a downloading / uploading function to set a protocol flag to send a transmission protocol start request packet to the service. Transmitting to the connection means; the service connection means receiving the transmission protocol start request generates a key value, sets a flag, and then packetizes the flag and the key value together and transmits them to the information provider; The detailed charging method, wherein the provider includes a step of starting a transmission protocol after receiving the start approval packet. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fifth step is a step of terminating the transmission protocol after transmitting the database information; the information provider transmits a transmission protocol end notification packet to the service connecting means using a flag. And a step of transmitting the key value received at the start of the transmission protocol to the service connecting means. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the sixth step, the information provider makes a database information end packet using a protocol flag when the transmission of the database information is completed, and transmits the packet to the service connecting means. Receiving the database information end packet, the service connecting means generates a use time and use data amount for the database information; and the service connecting means uses a protocol flag to generate a packet of the result of using the database information and the information. A detailed billing method, comprising the step of transmitting to a provider. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the seventh step is a step in which the service connection means confirms a charge imposition method by using the charge attribute information of the database code; Calculating and guiding the information user to the information user; generating a charging ticket with the sender number and transmitting the calculated charging content to the area managing means; and the area managing means extracting the charging ticket and backing up the file. A detailed billing processing method comprising the step of storing the billing ticket in a billing database, recording the billing database in the billing database, and outputting the billing ticket reception result to the operator terminal.