KR20040072117A - Method of Authorizing Wireless Internet Access for Supporting Collect Call Accesses - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for approving connection for supporting collect call charge in a wireless Internet is provided to pay a charge for wireless Internet connection through a collect call service while preventing a charge for personal use of employees from being shifted on a company. CONSTITUTION: A monitoring server continuously monitors whether a user requests to connect to a site(100). The monitoring server judges whether the user is currently connected with a free site(102). If not, the monitoring server judges whether a connection-requested site address is included in an address list of free sites(104). If not, the monitoring server passes the connection request so that the user receives a service from a paid site(106). If so, the monitoring server judges whether the connection address is an initial connection URL(Uniform Resource Locator)(108). If not, the monitoring server removes the connection request(110). The monitoring server increases a session error count by 1(118). If the connection address is the initial URL, the monitoring server judges whether a user telephone number is included in a list of site connection allowed users(112). If so, the monitoring server stores session information of the user as free session and initializes the session error count(114). If not, the monitoring server removes the connection request, and increases the session error count by 1(116,118). If the user is currently connected with the free site, it is judged whether the session error count is larger than a threshold(120). If not, it is judged whether the connection-requested address is a directory server address(122). If not, it is judged whether the connection-requested address is included in the connection addresses of a session information table(126).

Description

Method of Authorizing Wireless Internet Access for Supporting Collect Call Accesses}

The present invention relates to a method for providing a wireless internet service, and more particularly, to a method for supporting connection and charging in a wireless internet.

As the use of wireless terminals is becoming more common, wireless communication services are not limited to conventional voice communication, but are rapidly expanding in scope to data services. In particular, at the time of the present application, the wireless Internet service based on the wireless application protocol (WAP) is a mainstream data service in the wireless communication network.

However, the existing wireless Internet usage fee is thoroughly charged to the user, that is, the caller, and the user pays the fee based on time or packet usage regardless of the purpose for which the user accesses the wireless Internet. However, such a billing system may cause considerable inconvenience or problems when the operator of the wireless Internet site or service may be willing to pay a fee. It's working.

For example, if a company establishes and operates a business system over the wireless Internet, it can be expected that the company will be able to actively use its employees only if the company can bear the access fee for accessing this site. If the user has to pay a fee for accessing the wireless Internet site for such a corporate work system, the use of this work system can hardly be expected considering that most companies do not pay the employee's mobile phone purchase fee and its usage fee. The work system developed is likely to be useless.

It is also conceivable that a company that has established a business system through the wireless Internet pays the entire telephone bill for terminals that may be connected to the system. However, in such a case, the company is required to pay not only the telephone fee for accessing the work system but also for the general voice call and other wireless Internet site access, so the burden becomes very large. Therefore, even if there is a demand for wireless Internet from a company's point of view, it is difficult to adopt such a system. In particular, if you want to operate a free site for which the recipient pays a fee, but do not want to operate for corporate business system, but for unspecified people for sales, ordering, marketing, or advertising purposes, the site operator should call Paying the whole fee is not practical.

In this regard, such as toll-free services provided in wired and wireless telephone networks, such as the "080" service, the site operator is charged for access to a specific site and the caller is charged in the usual way for the remaining access or voice call. You may want to consider. However, since the wireless Internet has a higher degree of freedom as compared to the existing voice communication call, like the wired internet, the toll payment in voice communication and the toll payment in wireless internet are conceptually significantly different. Applying to the wireless Internet as it is causing a variety of problems. The reason and the specific problem are as follows.

First, calls in voice communication are so explicit that the caller knows who they are connecting to and in most cases there is only one destination. That is, in a telephone system, one cycle is completed as one call connection and termination. However, the wireless Internet can be moved to a number of paid or free sites by linking to another site, automatic movement by redirecting to another site, embedding of other site objects, etc. after one network connection. Therefore, in the wireless Internet, the user cannot know exactly where the site he is connected is, and depending on the setting of the site, it is possible to disguise it as a free site. Strict monitoring and fraud prevention mechanisms are required.

On the other hand, in the voice communication system, the cost is predictable since the number of lines determined by the subscriber is fixed. However, in the wireless Internet, a virtual line composed of a unit of packets is used instead of the concept of a line. Cases may occur.

The introduction of the concept of free sites in the wireless Internet can be summarized as follows. First, a fee can be incurred by a user or another toll-based site operator by intentionally setting an object link, object embedding, redirection, etc. from a free site to another site, thereby allowing access to another site. This can be a serious problem, especially for free sites that operate on an unspecified number of people. On the other hand, if a competing company or the like maliciously uses a program to generate a huge amount of traffic on a free site, the free site operator must bear the burden. Even if it is a normal use, the cost incurred can not be predicted, so the site administrator may feel anxious and be reluctant to introduce a free system.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, but to allow the receiver to bear the charges generated when accessing the wireless Internet, by preventing the cheating, such as charge transfer, so that the user of the site operator can be used safely and conveniently The technical challenge is to provide a wireless Internet access approval method that can prevent excessive operating fees.

1 is a view showing an example of a wireless Internet connection environment suitable for implementing the present invention.

2 is a flowchart for explaining a monitoring operation of a monitoring server in detail.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for describing in more detail the step 84 of FIG. 2, that is, the selective passage of the connection request;

In the wireless Internet access approval method of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem, first, access information for a free site is registered in a predetermined storage means. If the wireless Internet connection request is received from the user's wireless Internet terminal, the terminal passes the connection request while updating the session information for the terminal according to the connection request address, and the terminal transmits the connection request to the wireless Internet site associated with the connection request address. The connection is selectively allowed by making the connection or by removing the connection request so as not to connect to the wireless Internet site related to the connection request address. In this case, when the access request address is a paid site while the terminal is accessing a free site, the access request address is a predetermined directory server address or the access request address is a site address accessed during the session. Pass the request.

In a preferred embodiment, if the free site allows access only to users belonging to a certain user group, in storing the access information for the free site, the telephone numbers of the users belonging to the user group are added. Save as. When the access request is received, only the free site access request from the users belonging to the user group is passed.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 shows an example of a wireless Internet access environment suitable for implementing the present invention. In the illustrated example, the wireless Internet is composed of various devices for connecting a wireless telephone network as an access network and a wired internet at a later stage.

The wireless switch 20 of the wireless telephone network is connected with a plurality of base stations 22 for relaying calls transmitted and received between the wireless Internet terminal 10 equipped with a wireless Internet browser and the switch 20. Typically, a wireless telephone network includes a number of wireless exchanges connected hierarchically, but only one exchange is shown for simplicity. In addition, the WAP gateway 26 is connected to the wireless switch 20 through an interworking function 24. The IWF 24 is a gateway that allows a wireless communication network and a wired communication network to be connected. Since the device is well known to operators in the wireless communication field, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The WAP gateway 26 performs the function of converting the HTTP protocol stack into the WAP protocol stack and conversely converting the WAP protocol stack into the HTTP protocol stack, thereby enabling the wired Internet to be connected through a wireless network. Meanwhile, the base station 22 may be connected to the WAP gateway 26 via a packet data service node (PDSN) (not shown). In this case, the WAP gateway 26 may provide a wireless Internet service even through an IP network. do. On the other hand, the WAP gateway 26 is connected to a charging system 28 for charging for a wireless Internet connection.

The content providing server that provides the content via the wireless Internet is directly connected to the WAP gateway 26 via the wired Internet, or via a separate wireless portal server (not shown) and / or a wireless interface gateway (WIG). (26). In particular, according to the present invention, the content providing server may be divided into a toll-based site 60a in which a server operator pays a fee based on a connection, rather than a user, and a paid site 60b in which a user pays a fee according to a general scheme. have. In particular, the operator of the toll-free site 60a may pay a fee for access from all the phone numbers, but some phone numbers are specified and registered in the database server 54, and only a fee is charged for access from the designated phone number. It may be borne by the receiver. The former is suitable for sites operated by unspecified persons for sales, ordering, marketing or advertising purposes, while the latter is suitable for sites operated for corporate business systems. In the figure, only one toll-free site 60a and one paid site 60b are shown briefly, but a large number of these sites are present.

In such a wireless Internet environment, a connection approval system for implementing the present invention includes a monitoring server 50, a site directory server 52, and a database server 54.

The monitoring server 50 monitors all access requests sent by the wireless Internet user and approves access, thereby preventing any type of misconduct, that is, charge transfer, that may occur when the user uses a free site, i.e., a toll free site. . That is, the monitoring server 50 performs a monitoring function for passing transactions and a function for preventing abnormal transactions. As described above, in this embodiment the monitoring server 50 is connected to the WAP gateway 26 but may be connected to other proxy servers. For example, in the embodiment in which the content providing servers 60a and 60b are connected to the WAP gateway 26 via a separate wireless portal server and / or a wireless interface gateway (WIG) for providing a wireless Internet service, the monitoring server ( 50) may be connected to the wireless portal server. On the other hand, as described above, in the preferred embodiment, the monitoring server 50 monitors all the passing transactions. In the modified embodiment, the monitoring server 50 is connected to the free site 60a. Alternatively, only a connection request of a user for whom a connection session to the free site 60a is set may be monitored.

Site directory server 52 is a free site directory server, which is a kind of menu providing WAP site that provides a list of sites that can be accessed toll freely and provides services such as search and bookmarks. Specifically, site directory server 52 provides directory services while maintaining and updating session state information for wireless Internet sites. In addition, the site directory server 52 may act as a site to be passed between paid and free sites. The database server 54 has a site information table 56 and a session information table 58. The site information table 56 stores information on all free sites and phone number information for users who are allowed free access. The session information table 58 stores session information for each user for whom a connection session has been established at the free site.

Table 1 shows the key fields in the site information table 56.

Field name Explanation Initial URL -Free access address list -List of toll-free access IP (or host name) and port number -List of allowed phone numbers -Phone number information of users allowed for free access

The list of telephone numbers allowed to access may be provided in a separate table. On the other hand, Table 2 shows the main field configuration of the session information table 58.

Field name Explanation -Caller's phone number Caller IP -First access URL -Connection start time -Number of connection requests -Number of access requests of the calling terminal in the session -Number of responses The number of times the site directory server responded to a connection request.

Whenever a new connection request is received for a free site 60a and a new connection request is received from a user for whom a connection session for a free site 60a is established, the monitoring server 50 will be described later. By monitoring the access request, it prevents abnormal transactions and approves the access only for the normal access request, thereby preventing any form of misconduct that may occur when the user uses the free site, that is, charge transfer. The monitoring server 50 may be implemented as a plug-in or extension of the WAP gateway 26 or may be implemented in the form of a proxy behind the WAP gateway 26.

2 is a diagram for specifically describing a monitoring operation of the monitoring server 50.

First, the operator of the monitoring server 50 recruits the toll-free site 60a and registers it in the site information table 56 (step 80). Information registered at this time includes an initial access URL, a list of access addresses and ports, a list of access permission telephone numbers, and the like, which are used when a user accesses the site. Here, the access address and the port list are information for judging whether the server to which the user makes a new connection request is still included in the initially free site. In addition, the list of access allowed telephone numbers indicates the telephone numbers of users allowed to access when the free site 60a wants to allow access only to specific users. This item does not need to be registered.

In this state, the user may request access to a plurality of wireless Internet sites using the wireless Internet terminal 10 equipped with a wireless Internet browser (step 82). A request for access to a wireless Internet site may be made by using a URL included in a browser, a reply URL included as a reply number in a short message, using a bookmark, or by directly inputting a URL. On the other hand, the directory server 52 provides a bookmark, a search, a directory function, etc. for the wireless Internet terminal 10, and thus the user may select and access a desired site through the directory server 52. In addition, the traffic generated in connection with the use of the directory server 52 may be borne by the receiver, that is, the site administrator.

Whenever the user makes a connection request with the wireless Internet terminal 10 equipped with the wireless internet browser, the monitoring server 50 passes the connection request or removes the connection request while updating the session information according to the user's connection request address. Allow it selectively (step 84). In a preferred embodiment, a separate payment system 28, run by a wireless telephone operator, performs the charging process for the usage fee for each access session, billing the site owner for the toll-free site access fee and paying for the paid site. The user is charged for the access fee. However, in the embodiment in which this embodiment is modified, the monitoring server 50 may charge the wireless Internet service fee and periodically settle the settlement with the mobile communication company (step 86).

As mentioned above, the payment system 28 may be operated by the same operator as the monitoring server 50, of course. In particular, although only one wireless telephone network is shown in FIG. 1, for example, in the case where the toll-free site 60a is operated as an enterprise business system, all the users can access the business system without changing the terminal. It is desirable to be able to apply to a telecommunications carrier network. In such an embodiment, the operator of the monitoring server 50 needs to make an effort according to contract and other billing separately with each telecommunications operator. It is desirable to act for you. Such a settlement operator, that is, the operator of the monitoring server 50, recruits a company that wants to use the wireless Internet through sales activities, and concludes a contract related to the toll charge for the work system with each mobile carrier on behalf of the recruited company. The information is provided to the mobile carriers, and the agency charges bills for each company's usage fee and performs settlement with each mobile carrier.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for describing in more detail the step 84 of FIG. 2, that is, the selective passage of the connection request.

First, the monitoring server 50 continuously monitors whether a site access request is received from a user (step 100). When the site access request is received from the user, the monitoring server 50 determines whether the user is currently connected to the free site in the session information table 58 of the database server 54 (step 102).

If it is determined in step 102 that the user is not currently connected to the free site, the monitoring server 50 accesses the free access address (IP to host access address and port) list of the current site in the site information table 56. By searching whether the request address is included, it is determined whether the access request address is included in the free access address list (step 104). If the access request address is not included in the free access address list of the free site in step 104, that is, when the user requests access to the paid site without being connected to the free site, the monitoring server 50 accesses the access site. By passing the request, the user can receive the service from the paid site (step 106).

On the other hand, if the access request address is included in the free access address list in step 104, that is, when the user requests access to the free site without being connected to the free site, the monitoring server 50 is included in the access request. It is determined whether the accessed access address is the first access URL (step 108). If the access address included in the access request is not the initial access URL, that is, when a request for access to the free site is made while accessing the paid site, it is determined that an inappropriate access attempt is performed (step 110). In this case, in the case of a WML page request, an error guide and confirmation request page may be provided. Subsequently, the monitoring server 50 increases the session error count by one indicating the possibility of cheating on the access session of the user (step 118).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 108 that the access address included in the access request is the initial access URL and it is determined to be a normal access attempt, the monitoring server 50 has a user telephone number corresponding to the site access allowed user list in the site information table 54. It is determined whether it is included in (step 112). If the user is allowed to access the site, the monitoring server 50 stores the user's session information as a free session in the session information table 58, initializes the session error count (step 114), and passes the access request. The user can receive the service from the free site (step 106). On the other hand, if the user's telephone number is not included in the site access allowable user list of the site information table 54 in step 112, the monitoring server 50 removes the access request and increments the user's session error count by one. (Step 116, Step 118).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 102 that the user is currently connected to the free site, the monitoring server 50 determines whether the session error count indicating the possibility of misconduct is greater than a predetermined threshold (step 120). ). If the session error count is greater than the threshold, it is determined that the cheating attempt is more than the threshold, and after removing the access request, the session error count is increased (steps 116 and 118).

If the session error count is less than the threshold in step 120, it is determined whether the access request address is a directory server 52 address (step 122). If the access request address is a directory server 52 address, since the user wants to leave the free site normally through the directory server 52, after deleting the session information (step 124), the user passes the access request to the directory server. In step 52, the service can be received from the paid site (step 106).

If the access request address is not the address of the directory server 52 in step 122, it is determined whether the access request address is included in the access address in the session information table 58 (step 126). If the access request address is included in the access address in the session information table 58, the access request address corresponds to a normal access attempt so that the user can receive the service from the free site (step 106). However, if the access request address is not included in the access address in the session information table 58 in step 126, the access request is determined to be inappropriate and the access request is removed (step 110). In this case, in the case of a WML page request, an error guide and confirmation request page may be provided. Subsequently, the monitoring server 50 increases the session error count by one indicating the possibility of cheating on the access session of the user (step 118).

Hereinafter, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a process of the monitoring server 50 according to some connection scenarios is illustrated.

(1) When the user attempts to access the paid site 60b without being connected to the free site 60a or the paid site 60b: After the steps 100, 102 and 104, In step 106, the access request passes and the terminal 10 is connected to the pay site 60b.

(2) If the user attempts to access the free site 60a without being connected to the free site 60a or the paid site 60b: If the user is an accessor of the free site 60a. After going through step 102, step 104, step 108, step 112 and step 114, the access request passes in step 106, and the terminal 10 is connected to the free site 60a. On the other hand, if the user is not an accessor of the free site 60a, after the steps 100, 102, 104, 108 and 112, the access request is removed in step 116 and an error is issued. Only the count is incremented.

(3) When the user attempts to access the paid site 60b using a link or an embedded object while the user is connected to the free site 60a: steps 100, 102, 120, and 122 After the processing, the processing of the connection request is changed according to the determination in step 126. If the access request is included in the access address of the session information, that is, if the user has previously accessed the site related to the access request in the session, the process proceeds to step 106 and the access request is passed to access the pay site 60b. However, if the session has not previously accessed the site about the access request, the access request is removed in step 116 and only the error count is increased, thereby preventing attempts to use the paid site for free.

(4) When the user attempts to access another paid site while being connected to the paid site 60b: After the steps 100, 102 and 104, the access request is passed in step 106. Since the terminal 10 is connected to the pay site 60b, surfing of different pay sites is possible without any problem.

(5) When the user attempts to access another free site while connected to the free site 60a: In the preferred embodiment, the directory is normally moved when the user wants to leave the state connected to the free site 60a. The error is handled unless it exits through the server 52. Therefore, in the above case, after the steps 100, 102, 120, 122, and 126, the access request is removed in step 110, and only the error count is increased in step 118. Trying to surf other free sites in a row is blocked. Therefore, when the user wants to access another free site while being connected to the free site 60a, the user must pass through the directory server 52. In this case, in step 124, the session information is deleted in the process of leaving the previously accessed site, and in step 106, after the access request passes, new session information is set.

(6) When the user attempts to access the free site while being connected to the paid site 60b: When the user is an accessor of the free site 60a, steps 100, 102, 104, After the steps 108, 112, and 114, the access request passes in step 106, and the terminal 10 is connected to the free site 60a. On the other hand, if the user is not an accessor of the free site 60a, after the steps 100, 102, 104, 108 and 112, the access request is removed in step 116 and an error is issued. Only the count is incremented.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be understood as illustrative in all respects and not as restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

As described above, according to the present invention, when a company wants to use a specific work system based on the wireless Internet and utilizes it to employees, the company can pay the costs incurred in using the work system. . Here, the employees themselves bear the remaining expenses except for the costs incurred by each employee accessing the company's work system, and the company pays only the costs incurred by the employee in accessing the work system. Employees can be duly requested to use work systems. In particular, the company may pay only the charges incurred by the employee designated by the company even in the case of paying the work system connection cost.

In addition, the present invention enables toll-free access even when operating a wireless Internet site for an unspecified person for sales, ordering, marketing, advertising, and the like, and can solve many problems that may occur in this process. have.

On the other hand, wireless telephone operators can expect sales to increase as the demand for corporate wireless internet increases.

Claims (4)

A method for approving access to a free internet site in a wireless internet access system having a billing system or linked to a billing system, (a) registering access information for the free site in a predetermined storage means; (b) accepting a wireless internet access request from a user's wireless internet terminal; And (c) according to a connection request address, passing the connection request while updating session information for the terminal so that the terminal is connected to a wireless Internet site related to the connection request address, or removing the connection request to remove the connection request. Selectively allowing access by preventing access to a wireless Internet site associated with the address; Including, And removing the access request when the access request address received in the step (b) is not a predetermined directory server address or a free access address of the free site while the terminal is accessing the free site. The method of claim 1, When the free site allows access only for users belonging to a predetermined user group, in step (a), additionally stores telephone numbers of users belonging to the user group. In step (c), the access approval method that passes only the free site access request from users belonging to the user group. According to claim 1 or 2, wherein the access information for the free site includes the initial access address and the free access address list of the free site, Access authorization to remove the access request when the access request address received in step (b) is not a predetermined directory server address or is not included in the free access address list while the terminal is accessing the free site. Way. A method for approving access to a free internet site in a wireless internet access system having a billing system or linked to a billing system, (a) registering access information for the free site in a predetermined storage means; (b) accepting a wireless internet access request from a user's wireless internet terminal; And (c) according to a connection request address, passing the connection request while updating session information for the terminal so that the terminal is connected to a wireless Internet site related to the connection request address, or removing the connection request to remove the connection request. Selectively allowing access by preventing access to a wireless Internet site associated with the address; Including, And removing the access request if the access request address received in step (b) is not a free access address of the free site while the terminal is accessing the free site.