Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/70—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
  • H04M15/765—Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
  • H04M15/7655—Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices shared by technologies
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/12—Payment architectures specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
  • G06Q20/127—Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
  • G06Q20/16—Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/0014—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/51—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP for resellers, retailers or service providers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/55—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP for hybrid networks
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/56—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP for VoIP communications
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/68—Payment of value-added services
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/70—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
  • H04M15/77—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges involving multiple accounts per user
  • H04M15/772—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges involving multiple accounts per user per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
  • H04M15/70—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
  • H04M15/77—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges involving multiple accounts per user
  • H04M15/773—Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges involving multiple accounts per user per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/01—Details of billing arrangements
  • H04M2215/0196—Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/20—Technology dependant metering
  • H04M2215/202—VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/22—Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/44—Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/54—Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/72—Account specifications
  • H04M2215/724—Linked accounts
  • H04M2215/725—Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/72—Account specifications
  • H04M2215/724—Linked accounts
  • H04M2215/7254—Multiple accounts per user
  • H04M2215/7263—Multiple accounts per user per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
  • H04M2215/72—Account specifications
  • H04M2215/724—Linked accounts
  • H04M2215/7254—Multiple accounts per user
  • H04M2215/7268—Multiple accounts per user per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for charging in a communications network. More particularly, though not necessarily, the invention relates to the provision of charging information to a telecommunications operator from a data network accessible to a subscriber of the telecommunications operator .
• the conventional way for a home user of a personal computer (PC) to access the Internet is to set up a telephone call, via his telephone operator which provides a modem pool, to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) .
• ISP Internet Service Provider
• the access point for the user to the ISP is termed a Network Access Server (NAS) .
• NAS Network Access Server
• the NAS allocates an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the user PC for the duration of the connection and also acts as a protocol converter, converting the circuit switched data transmissions of the telephone network into IP packet switched transmissions and vice versa .
• IP Internet Protocol
• a typical ISP may provide many NASs spread over the geographical area in which the ISP operates.
• the ISP may have a small number of so-called '"RADIUS servers" also spread over its coverage area.
• One RADIUS server may serve a few tens of NASs. Communication between the RADIUS servers and the NASs is carried out using the secure RADIUS protocol (RADIUS stands for Remote Authentication Dial- In User Service and is defined in IETF standards RFC 2138/2139)
• a user who is a subscriber of the ISP, may then be billed for accessing the Internet on the basis of the information collected by the RADIUS server (s) .
• the Internet access system described above requires that the user has an agreement with the ISP, such that the ISP has information required for charging such as the user's name, address, telephone number etc. This will obviously restrict the number of different ISPs which the user may use.
• a method of charging in a communication network in which a user terminal is connected to a data network through a telecommunications network and a Network Access Server, and in which a protocol converter exists between the telecommunications network and the Network Access Server, and the converter and the Network Access Server are coupled through a telecommunication link, the method comprising: sending user data between said converter and the Network Access Server, via said telecommunication link, using a circuit switched protocol; sending charging data from the data network to said converter using a packet switched protocol; and in response to receipt of said charging data at said converter, sending from the converter to a billing system of the telecommunications network charging messages on the basis of which the operator of the telecommunications network can bill the user.
• Embodiments of the present invention provide a relatively straightforward means by which ISP charging information may be "repatriated" to a user's home telecommunications network. Thus, it is no longer necessary for a user to subscribe directly to an individual ISP, only that the home telecommunications network has an appropriate re-charging agreement with the ISP. As it is possible to incorporate ISP charges into a bill generated by the telecommunications network, it is possible to levy relatively small charges for ISP services.
• said data network comprises the Internet
• said converter between the telecommunications network and the Network Access Server also comprises an Internet link in addition to said telecommunication link. This allows said charging data to be sent to the converter using Internet Protocol.
• said data network comprises a Web server arranged in use to store information which is accessible to the user via the telecommunication network and the data network.
• the data network also comprises one or more charging servers arranged to record user access to the Web servers. Communication between the Web servers and the charging servers may be done using a secure protocol, e.g. RADIUS. Either the web servers, or the charging servers, may be the source of said charging data sent to said converter.
• said converter converts Signaling System 7 (SS7) and T.l/E.l protocol transmissions in the telecommunication network to the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) for transmission to the network access server over said telecommunication link and vice versa .
• Said converter also converts said charging data received from the data network in IP into SS7 protocol charging messages (CRG messages) .
• the data network may be a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN) .
• LAN Local Area Network
• WAN Wide Area Network
• apparatus for charging in a communication network in which a user terminal is connected to a data network through a telecommunications network and a Network Access Server, the apparatus comprising: a protocol converter for placing between the telecommunications network and the Network Access Server, where the converter and the Network Access
• Servers are coupled through a telecommunication link and are arranged to send user data, via said telecommunication link, using a circuit switched protocol ; and charging data generating means for connection to the data network and arranged to send charging data to said converter using a packet switched protocol, the protocol converter being further arranged, in response to receipt of said charging data at said converter, to send to a billing system of the telecommunications network charging messages on the basis of which the operator of the telecommunications network can bill the user.
• said protocol converter provides a
• T. l/E.l :SS7-to-PRI protocol converter between the telecommunications network and said telecommunication link
• IP-to-SS7 protocol converter between the telecommunications network and an IP link coupling the converter to the data network.
• the protocol converter is a physically discrete unit which is connected in use between an exchange of the telecommunications network and said telecommunication and IP links.
• FIG 1 shows schematically a communications system embodying the present invention
• Figure 2 shows a flow diagram illustrating the method of operation of the system of Figure 1.
• a PC 1 belonging to a user is connected via a modem of the PC 1 to a subscriber telephone line 2 belonging to a public telephone network.
• the line 2 connects to an exchange 3 of the network and carries signals according to the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) protocol.
• ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network
• This protocol provides the user with two traffic channels (B-channels) and one signalling channel (D- channel) .
• the exchange 3 is coupled to other telephone exchanges including those belonging to the same network and exchanges belonging to other networks .
• a call from the user PC 1 may be rouced via -several exchanges including the local exchange 3.
• Calls between the local exchange 3 are transmitted on 64Kbit/sec channels using E.l protocol (a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based protocol) .
• E.l protocol a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based protocol
• TDMA Time Division Multiple Access
• Each channel is sub-divided into frames consisting of 31 segments and a single call from the user PC 1 may be allocated 1 segment per frame.
• the American T.l protocol may be used.
• a call between the local exchange and some other exchange 4 is set-up using a signalling protocol known as the Signalling System 7 protocol (indicated by reference numeral 5 in Figure 1) .
• This protocol is defined by the ITU standards Q.761 to Q.764 and is carried by a channel made up of 1 segment per TDMA frame .
• a call in order for a subscriber to a public telephone network to access the Internet, a call must first be set-up between the subscriber's PC 1 and a Network Access Server of an Internet Service Provider.
• a Network Access Server is indicated by the reference numeral 6 and the Internet is indicated by numeral 7.
• Logging on to the Network Access Server 6 requires a call to be made from the user PC 1 to a telephone number (B-number) allocated by the telephone network to the Network Access Server 6.
• the call is routed through the local exchange 3 to the exchange 4 closest to the Network Access Server 6 using the SS7 signalling protocol as described above.
• the call is then routed through a converter unit 8 to a telephone line 9 connected to the Network Access Server 6 where access to the user PC 1 is granted on the basis of the subscriber number (A-number) transmitted as part of the call set-up procedure. Alternatively, access may be granted on the basis of a username and password entered by the subscriber.
• the telephone line 9 carries ISDN protocol signals according to the Primary Rate Interface (PRI) , providing 30 B traffic channels and 1 D signalling channel.
• PRI Primary Rate Interface
• the Converter unit 8 therefore acts as an E . l/SS7-to-PRI protocol converter and vice versa .
• FIG 1 shows two Web servers 10 on which are stored
• the ISP In addition to controlling the Network Access Server 6, and possibly a number of Web servers 10, the ISP also has control of a RADIUS server 11.
• the RADIUS server 11 is so-called because it communicates with the Web servers 10 using a secure communication protocol known as RADIUS (although any other suitable Authentication- Authorisation-Accounting (AAA) protocol may be used) ) .
• the RADIUS server 11 acts as a billing co-ordinator for the Network Access Server 6 and a group of Web servers 10. More particularly, the RADIUS Server 11 receives caller identity information from the Network Access Server 6 (more particularly the access port ID of the subscriber into the Network Access Server and possibly the subscriber's A-number) together with call start and stop times.
• the RADIUS Server 11 also receives from the Web Servers 10 charging information relating to specific services provided by the Web servers 10 to the user. These services may include accessing premium rate services such as Web pages giving up-to-the-minute sports and business information, or accessing Web servers 10 located in a foreign country.
• the RADIUS Server 11 sends charging data to the converter unit 8 via an Internet link 12.
• the Converter unit 8 is for this purpose allocated an IP address and the link 12 uses the well known IP protocol .
• the IP address is sent to the RADIUS server 11 by the Network Access Server 6 during the initial connection phase.
• the protocol stack in this link comprises RADIUS over UDP over IP.
• the converter unit 8 Upon receipt of the charging data from the RADIUS server 11, the converter unit 8 generates charging messages which are transmitted via the exchange 4 to the subscriber's local exchange 3 (or to some other billing coordinator of the public telephone network) .
• the charging messages are in fact CRG messages as defined in SS7 standard Q.762 (although for example conventional charging "pulses" may be used instead) .
• the converter unit 8 therefore also provides an IP-to-SS7 protocol converter.
• charging data may be sent directly from the Web servers 10 to the converter unit via the Internet link 12, rather than through the RADIUS server 11.
• An Internet Service may be sent directly from the Web servers 10 to the converter unit via the Internet link 12, rather than through the RADIUS server 11.
• Provider may also utilise a number of different RADIUS Servers, each serving a particular group of Network Access Servers and/or Web servers.
• connection may be made via some other data communication links, e.g. lines leased by the ISP from a telecommunications network or a LAN or WAN owned by the ISP.
• link between the RADIUS server 11 and the converter 8 may be made via a data link which does not form part of the open Internet network.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (16)

Citations (7)

• 1998
  • 1998-05-26 FI FI981165A patent/FI106343B/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1999
  • 1999-05-19 AU AU43630/99A patent/AU4363099A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-05-19 WO PCT/EP1999/003429 patent/WO1999062036A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (7)

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