MXPA00002592A - Billing process and system in a telecommunication network - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process and system to determine use charges billed from the user of a telecommunication network, the use charge billed for a connection is determined before said connection is established from statistical properties of earlier connections established by the user. Use charges are preferably determined on the basis of a dynamic client profile stored in a first storage zone and derived from one or several random variables of earlier connections established by the user of the digital telecommunication network. When new connections are established by the user, the stored client profile is dynamically derived again. In a simple variant, the client profile contains a value proportional to the average price per connection or average connection time for the user. In a preferred embodiment, however, the client profile also contains multidimensional functions of random variables of earlier connections established by the user of the digital telecommunication network. The random variables used for deriving the client profile include, for example, connection time, day time, week day and/or geographical properties of earlier connections. Use charges are preferably also dependent on a statistically obtained system load. The advantage of the system is that use charges can be billed from a prepaid system even before the connection has been established.

Description

ACCOUNT PAYMENT SYSTEMS AND ACCOUNT PAYMENT PROCEDURE IN A TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The present invention relates to a system of credit to account and a method of credit to account, to pay to account calls in a telecommunication network. In the field of telecommunications, there is a difference between the provider of connections, the provider of technical assistance and the user. The provider of connections, in general a network operator, provides with infrastructure (fixed and / or mobile) the conditions for connection generation. The technical assistance provider may be the same network operator or a customer of this network operator, for example a service provider, for example a bank, which covers an operator's airtime and sells the user technical assistance with added value. The user is a customer of a technical assistance provider. It uses a telecommunication system and pays fees to the technical assistance provider for it or covers a service provision (value added service) with a service provider. The development of telecommunication can be divided fundamentally into two segments: signaling and connection. The present invention refers to the fixing in tariffs of both segments. Since today, however, signaling is hardly taken into account, ^^^^ ifc ^^^ g ^^^ j describes below only the tariff setting of the connection segment. The connection segment can be divided into the following parts: The bearer channels the connection between the networks. The operator manages the communication network, for example a network 5 GSM, UMTS or IN. It is a customer of the carrier. The technical assistance provider is a customer of the operator and covers the provision of communication from him. The user is the final consumer and is a client of a technical assistance provider. The tariff setting of the connection objects, for example calls between the bearer and the operator, takes place with the method known under the concept of interconnection. Between the operator and the technical assistance provider, the same procedure or a variant known by a classic billing system can be applied. Between the technical assistance provider and the user, a traditional billing system is traditionally employed, for example a system based on a so-called CDR (Cali Detail Records - detailed call records). Each call is detailed. These conventional billing systems are very dependent on infrastructure systems. Complex linkages of systems originate from them. The delivery of accounts takes place today mostly paper by mail. Since, on the other hand, the connection rates decrease in a massively tendential manner, HNtilk > &L £ iXXh. •? * &? Si &El8 £ í? » . , .cf &S-t ». a-v »juJSL» a_St -fa »- ^ r ... jjÍM-Bw-i? í-M-ttfe? S ...: fc.¿. ^, worsens the cost ratio of performance to expenditure by billing. Such conventional billing systems also generally do not allow any cost reduction dependent on usage. In addition, systems can only be combined unfavorably with Previously Paid Services are becoming more important. More and more often an account credit and call balance is required during the call, or immediately after it, for example in Prepaid Systems. These needs, however, require that the account credit system prepare all the data in real time, which determine the call price. For example, the account credit system must collect and prepare immediately after the call all the geographical temporary data of the call to be paid on account, for example the duration of the call, the time of day, the place of the person who call and the person to whom it is called, eventual discounts, etc., during the call or immediately after it. With this, the credit system is heavily loaded during peak hours and must be oversized. As, the payment is made to account, for example in a service center or on a SIM card in the terminal device, it is also sometimes from difficult to impossible to have at the end of the call all the necessary data. In mobile phone systems, for example, CDRs are available that are needed to credit a call up to approximately 15 minutes after the end of the call.

The object of the invention is therefore to create the technical conditions for a new system of credit to account and new procedure of credit to account, to avoid these disadvantages. This object is achieved with a system and a method of credit to account, for certain amounts of use that originate from the use of a digital telecommunication network for a customer (operator, technical assistance provider or user), which comprises the characteristics of the independent claims. In particular, this objective is achieved by means of an installment-to-account procedure, in which the quantities of use are determined from a dynamic client profile stored in a first memory area. The customer profile is derived from one or more random variables from previous customer calls. After the new calls from the client, the stored client profile is derived dynamically again. With this, a forecast about the costs of the call can be established during the call, or even before it. These credit costs can be calculated and settled if necessary immediately. In a simple embodiment of the invention, the customer profile is simply an average price obtained from previous customer calls. Preferably, the customer profile contains more statistical information about the customer's behavior, for example information about the duration of the customer's calls. The customer profile may contain, for example, the number of calls in previously defined duration classes. and / or the average value and the dispersion of the duration of the customer's call. With this, for example, the amount for the next call can also be determined by the trends. The client profile can also have multi-dimensional functions of random variables from previous calls of the digital telecommunication network client. For example, the customer profile can contain data about the average duration of a customer's calls as a function of the time of day. If the down payment system detects then a certain customer often telephones more often at night than half a day or longer on Sunday than during the work week, the rates are then set accordingly according to the time of day and / or of the day of the week. The utilization quantities are also determined from a dynamic general client profile stored in a second memory area. The general customer profile is derived from one or more random variables of previous calls from at least one group of users of the digital telecommunication network and adapts dynamically. From the general customer profile, the statistical load of the system can be obtained, of which the utilization quantities are dependent. The random variables that are used for the derivation of the general client profile, preferably contain the time of the call, the time of day, the day of the week and / or geographic conditions of previous calls. In this way, you can determine the amounts of iBasi.

Use, which originate for new calls, during the establishment of the call from the stored dynamic client profile and can be settled immediately. Preferably, these quantities are notified in advance to the user, with which the user has the possibility to interrupt the establishment of the call, if the price is too high for him. The usage quantities can be determined in this way in a telecommunication terminal device, for example in a fixed or mobile telephone. The terminal apparatus contains in this case a third memory area, which stores a previously paid amount of money, as well as means to settle and reload the amount of money. This possibility is already present in the GSM mobile phone under the concept of Advice-of-Charge (AOC). The terminal apparatus according to the invention also contains a processor for determining, from one or more random variables of previous customer calls a dynamic customer profile and store in a first memory area, and from the stored dynamic customer profile determine the amount for new calls and settle this amount during the establishment of a call directly from the third memory area. The quantities determined for new calls can then be displayed on the device screen. The utilization quantities are preferably also dependent on a statistical dynamic general client profile stored in a second memory area with which the general customer profile of one or more random variables of previous calls is derived from at least one group of users of the digital telecommunication network. The terminal apparatus may contain for example a microcircuit card, for example a SIM card, which contains storage means and processing means, for performing a procedure of some account according to the invention. However, the method according to the invention can be carried out precisely with the same efficiency in a credit system, which is intended for the determination of the amounts of use of the telecommunication network, with any programmable device. The programmable device is preferably controlled with a computer program stored in a data carrier. According to the invention, the amount of use of a call or of a signaling has been determined not by means of the random variables of this call, such as duration, time of day or distance, but by means of a customer profile, which it has been determined based on the random variables of (all) the client's previous calls. For example, the costs of the next call can be set based on the average value of the duration of all previous customer calls. The costs of the call can be determined in this way already during a call, and even before the call is established, without waiting for the call to end. Costs can be charged, for example, to a payment card prior to a bank account. The signaling connection can thus be simplified, since the signaling information must not be transmitted in real time, but can be notified later, in order to be able to carry out variations in the user's profile after that. The amount of use also depends preferably on a dynamic general customer profile determined with the help of random variables (all) the previous calls of all users, or at least of a group of users. The tariff setting can also be adapted dynamically to the system load. 10 This procedure can be used not only between a technical assistance provider and the user, but also a service provider and the user, or between a carrier and an operator, or between an operator and a technical assistance provider. In the latter case, the provider of technical assistance is considered as the client of the operator and the profile is derived client of one or more random variables of previous calls from the technical assistance provider. The amounts of use are determined, which are paid by the technical assistance provider, in this case periodically from this customer profile. Although in the following description it is described in detail only one example of mode in the special case of tariff setting in a GSM network, the method according to the invention can also be used for another mobile telephone network, for example for a UMTS or IN network or for a network fixed, inter-, intra-, extra network or for others satt ^ tf telecommunication systems. The invention is made more understandable with the aid of the description given as an example and is illustrated with the accompanying figures which show the following: Figure 1 shows a perspective representation of a terminal apparatus that can use the method according to the invention. invention; Figure 2 shows the statistical distribution of connections of the general client, which can be stored in a second memory area; 0 Figure 3 shows the statistical distribution of client connections that can be stored in a first memory area; Figure 4 shows the general system load and the load through the clients, both depending on the time of day; Figure 5 shows a flowchart of the procedure of 5 credit to account. Figure 2 shows the statistical distribution of general customer connections, which is derived from all calls from all customers. The curve shows the number of calls based on the duration of the calls. By this curve, the mean value of tgkp and the dispersion S can be determined, for example a mean value tgkp of 80 seconds and a dispersion S of 35 seconds. Within tgkp + 2S is 95% of all calls included in the temporal relationship. Other random variables can be used for calls of • customers, after each application, individually or generally, for example call times, times of day, day of the week, holidays, distances (national / national, national / international, international / inter- national) and / or place (of subscriber A and / or subscriber B). The general client profile, which can be stored for example in a memory area preferably involves one or several statistical quantities such as average value, dispersion, class, floating mean value, division into previously defined classes, etc. of the distribution of connections of the general client. The general customer profile is preferably determined again dynamically after each call or regularly, for example daily or weekly. The performance amounts can be defined from this general customer profile (average time per call and average performance of each call). These amounts of performance are decisive for the individual user of technical assistance. Each client has a customer profile of its own. The customer profile of a new customer is based on the general customer profile. It is forecasted the amount to be paid on account for a new call during this call, or even before it, by the customer profile and is paid to account eventually immediately. After each call, the corresponding customer profile is adapted to an appropriate algorithm, according to Figure 5. If it is, for example, a call that has just been concluded longer or shorter than the average value of tkp, it is corrected correspondingly the profile of statistical client. With this, the amounts for the following customer calls are corrected. The calls paid to the customer's account are little effected by the procedure according to the invention, at least after a satisfactory number of calls and when the interests are not considered. Therefore, the method and system according to the invention are independent of the carrier's pricing policy, from the network operator and the technical assistance provider. Figure 3 shows the distribution of client connections for a given customer, which originates from all calls between a technical maintenance provider and the specific user (or between an operator and a technical service provider as a customer). In this case, the curve shows the number of calls from the customer based on the duration of the calls. By this curve, the customer profile can be determined with the average value tkp and the dispersion Skp. The client profile that can also be stored in a memory area preferably contains one or several statistical quantities, such as average value, dispersion, class, floating mean value, division into previously defined classes, etc. of the distribution of client connections. In the simplest mode, the customer profile contains only the average price per call for this customer. In a preferred embodiment, the client profile also contains data about the duration of this client's calls, for example the average value and the dispersion of this duration. Preferably, the client profile contains, however, more information about this duration, for example also the division into previously defined classes, and about other random call variables, so that the costs for subsequent calls can be predicted reliably. Preferably, these data are recorded multidimensionally, so that for example the customer profile that contains data on the usual behavior of the client based on the time of day and / or the day of the week, so that it can be carried out for example Dynamic rate setting in the morning differently in the afternoon, which correspond to customer habits. If it is carried out as an account credit directly on a terminal device, for example a mobile telephone 1, the dynamic customer profile can be stored in a first memory area 101, preferably the SIM 10 microcircuit card. It can be stored the general customer profile for example in a second memory area 102. The microcircuit card processor 100 determines after each call the dynamic client profile depending on one or more random variables, and determines the stored dynamic client profile and eventually of the general customer profile the amount of use for new calls. If the card contains a third memory area, which stores a previously paid amount of money, this amount of use can be settled before or during the call, directly from this memory area. In a variant, the amount of use is charged to a bank account or, if the card has Trusted Third Party functions (trusted third party), the card is electronically marked and encoded and paid to a corresponding account. This is possible, for example, when the card is a GSM-SIM card, which has the functions of GSM 11.14 and the procedure described in patent document EP689368. With these functions, it is possible to read elements of the time of the card, which serve as the basis to settle the customer profile account. The preference client profile is corrected or adapted dynamically after each call or regularly. With this, the account balance system can first carry out the determination of the statistical customer profile, when less is loaded, for example outside peak hours, and it is not necessary to oversize the real time for the processing of call data. . This adaptation can be done, for example, on the basis of known call data in the GSM area and under the concept of CDR (Cali Detail Records) which are also used today for the billing of the different planes; the call data does not need to be transmitted however during the call to the account balance system. The balance on account can take place in a balance-to-account system, which is contained, for example, in a service exchange, in a terminal device or in a SIM card in the telecommunication network. The Bgkp medium system box that originates during the day can also be statistically determined in a system. Figure 4 shows the number of calls of all technical assistance users based on the time (load during the day of the system). You can derive a day discount for example from this system load and control the use of the system from the client side. For example, you can modulate the number of connections payable according to the system load. When it is determined, for example, from a customer profile, that the customer calls on average at time xkp, with a small dispersion S, it can benefit from a day discount, when xkp corresponds to an hour with small system load . Analogously to this procedure, the number of connections to be paid can also be determined for all the other random variables mentioned above. The profiles of individual clients can be summarized to profiles of groups of friends and families, companies, etc. Statistical discounts can also be applied (displacements of statistical elements on the time axis). The invention can be used, for example, by the technical assistance provider, which also sells technical assistance to telecommunications (for example, a financial services provider) and sells calls as a value-added service. With the present invention, the balance on account of credits and the costs of communication to the user of technical assistance is further simplified. The present invention therefore makes it possible to debit calls in advance (debit systems instead of the usual credit account balance systems). With this, the possibilities of fraud can be massively reduced. ^^^^^? ^^^^^ g ^^^^^^^^ Text the flow chart in Figure 5 20 General client profile storage as client profile tkp- = tgkp Skp- = Sg p 21 Establishment of the call 22 Balance on account of the amount of use of the customer profile 23 Amount of use greater > amount of money available? 24 Call not established 25 Call established; end of the call 26 Determination of the random variables of the call: duration t, etc. 27 Derivation of a new client profile, with random variables of the last call tkp: = f (tkp. T), ..

Claims (30)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - Method of credit to account to determine amounts of use that arise from the use of a digital telecommunication system, characterized in that the amount of use paid for a call to a customer is determined from statistical conditions of previous calls from the customer.

2.- Account balance procedure according to claim 1, further characterized in that the amount of use is determined, which is settled on account by a call to a new customer of the telecommunication network, based on statistical conditions of previous calls from at least one group of customers, for example from all users of the digital telecommunication network.

3. Account balance procedure according to one of claims 1 or 2, further characterized in that the statistical conditions of the client's internal calls are a dynamic client profile stored in a first memory area, which is derived from a or more random variables of previous calls of this client and that can be derived again dynamically after new call of the client.

4. Account balance procedure according to claim 2, further characterized in that the statistical conditions of previous calls from at least one group of clients are a dynamic general client profile stored in a second memory area, which is derives from one or more random variables from previous calls from the customer group.

5. Account balance procedure according to claim 3, further characterized in that the customer profile contains a value proportional to the average price per call of the customer.

6. Account balance procedure according to claim 3, further characterized in that the customer profile contains a value proportional to the average call time of the customer.

7.- Account balance procedure according to claim 3, further characterized in that the customer profile contains the number of customer calls in previously defined duration classes.

8. Account balance procedure according to claim 3, further characterized in that the customer profile also contains multidimensional functions of random variables of previous calls from the customer of the digital telecommunication network.

9.- Account balance procedure according to claim 3, further characterized in that the random variables, which are used for the derivation of the customer profile, contain the time of the call, the time of day, the day of the week and / or the geographical conditions of previous calls.

10. Account balance procedure according to claim 3, characterized in that the usage amounts for new calls are dependent on the statistical system load obtained from the general customer profile.

11.- Account balance procedure in accordance with claim 3, further characterized in that the utilization amounts, which originate for new calls, are determined and settled directly, with the establishment of the call from the stored dynamic client profile .

12.- Account balance procedure according to claim 3, further characterized in that the quantities, which originate for new scheduled calls, are determined before the call is established and the client is notified, with which the customer has the possibility of interrupting the establishment of the call, if the price is too high.

13. Telecommunication emitting apparatus (1), which contains: a third storage area (103), which stores a previously paid amount of money; a processor (100), which can settle or subsequently charge the amount of money; further characterized in that the processor can also determine a dynamic client profile from one or more random variables of previous customer calls and store in a first memory area (101); and because the processor can determine the amount for new calls from the stored dynamic client profile and can settle directly from a third memory area (103) with the establishment of a call. YE.,. ,.

14. - Communication emitting device in accordance with the preceding claim, further characterized in that it can also display the quantities determined from the stored customer profile for the expected calls.

15. The telecommunication transmitting apparatus according to claim 14, further characterized in that the amount for new calls is determined from a statistically dynamic client profile stored in a second memory area (102), which is stored in a second memory area (102). it derives from one or more random variables of previous calls by at least one group of customers of the digital telecommunication network, with which the stored general customer profile dynamically adapts.

16. Telecommunication transmitter apparatus according to claim 14, further characterized in that the random variables, which are used for the derivation of the customer profile, contain the time of the 15 call, the time of day, the day of the week and / or the geographical conditions of previous calls.

17. Telecommunication transmitting apparatus according to claim 14, further characterized in that the amounts for new calls are dependent on the statistics system load obtained from the general customer profile.

18. microcircuit card (10) that can be used in a telecommunication apparatus, which contains: a first memory area (101), which stores a dynamic customer profile, which is derived from one or ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Several random variables of previous calls from the cardholder of microcircuit; a processor (100), to re-determine the dynamic client profile after a new call to determine from the stored dynamic client profile the usage amount for new calls.

19. Microcircuit card according to the preceding claim, further characterized by the following additional features: a third memory area (103) that stores a previously paid amount of money; means (100) to settle or subsequently charge the amount of money; means (100) to settle the amount determined from the stored dynamic client profile for new calls directly from the third memory area.

20. Microcircuit card according to claim 18, further characterized in that the amount for new calls is determined from a dynamic statistical general client profile stored in a second memory area (102), which is derived from a or several random variables of previous calls from at least one group of clients, which dynamically adapts the stored general customer profile.

21. Microcircuit card according to claim 18, further characterized in that the random variables, which are used to derive the customer profile, contain the time of the call, the time of day, the day of the week and / or the geographical conditions of previous calls.

22. - Card microcircs ^ tt: in accordance with claim 18, further characterized in that the amounts for new calls are dependent on the statistical system load obtained from the general customer profile. 5

23. Account balance system that is intended for the determination of usage amounts of a telecommunication network, which contains: a first memory area (101) that stores at least one customer of the telecommunication network a dynamic client profile, which is derived from one or more random variables from previous calls of the 10 client; means for determining with each new call one or more random variables; means (100) to recalculate the dynamic client profile depending on the variable or the random variables determined; means (100) for determining from the stored dynamic customer profile the amount of use and credited to the customer's account. 15

24. Balance to account system according to claim 23, further characterized in that the amount of use is determined from a dynamic statistical general client profile stored in a second memory area (102), which is derived of one or more random variables of previous calls from at least one group 20 of clients, which dynamically adapts the general customer profile stored.

25.- Balance on account system in accordance with claim 23, characterized in that the random variables, the ^ m ^ i ís tí ^ m? which are used for the client's derivation, contains the time of the call, the time of day, the day of the week and / or the geographical conditions of previous calls.

26.- Account balance system in accordance with claim 5, further characterized in that the amount of use is dependent on the statistical system load obtained from the general customer profile.

27.- Data carrier which is programmed by a computer program that can be used to control a programmable device, which contains: means for storing in a first memory area at least for a customer of a telecommunication network a dynamic profile, which is derived from one or several random variables of previous calls from the customer of the digital telecommunication network; means for determining in each new call one or more statistical conditions; 5 means to determine the profile of the dynamic client depending on the variable or the random variables determined; means for determining a usage amount from a stored dynamic client profile.

28.- Data carrier according to the preceding claim, further characterized in that the amount of use is determined from a dynamic statistical general client profile stored in a second memory area (102), which is derived from a or several random variables of previous calls from at least one group of customers, which dynamically adapts the general customer profile j * aaa, j stored.

29. Data carrier according to claim 27, further characterized in that the random variables, which are used to calculate the client profile, contain the time of the call, the time of day, the day of the week and / or the geographical conditions of previous calls.

30. Data carrier according to claim 27, further characterized in that the amounts for new calls are dependent on the statistical system load obtained from the general customer profile.