WO2006027337A1

WO2006027337A1 - Method for restricting access to a televoting service based on a subscriber's call number

Info

Publication number: WO2006027337A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/054330
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Maierhofer
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2004-09-06
Filing date: 2005-09-02
Publication date: 2006-03-16
Also published as: DE102004043028A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for a televoting service, in which each dialing, by a subscriber, of a number corresponding to the respective vote is rated with a subscriber's number (4a; 4b) in a telecommunication network (TKN). A rule that is directed (2; 5) to exchanges (VS) located at the subscriber end in the telecommunication network (TKN) is centrally defined (1) in the telecommunication network such that access to the televoting service is restricted based on the subscriber's call number by applying said rule (6) in the exchanges (VS) located at the subscriber end. The inventive method has the advantage of centrally defining (1) the access restriction rule such that said rule does not need to be input and administered several times. Moreover, advantageously, the subscriber's call number is analyzed and the access restriction rule (6) is applied in a decentralized manner, thus reducing the load on the telecommunication network (TKN) by the televoting service.

Description

description

A method of restricting access to a televoting service based on a subscriber's telephone number

The invention relates to a method for a televoting service, in which each dialing of a subscriber number corresponding to the respective vote is evaluated by subscribers with a subscriber number in a telecommunications network.

By definition, a telecommunication network is defined as a set of technical devices, e.g. technical transmission paths, switching equipment such as Vermittlungs¬ and other facilities that are necessary to ensure the proper operation of the telecommunications network, understood, which serves to provide telecommunication services.

On the basis of the transmission paths, telecommunications networks will be distinguished into so-called fixed telephone networks and mobile radio networks. In the fixed telephone network, the communication unit of the subscriber is firmly connected via a connecting line with a Zu¬ point to the telecommunications network. In the case of a mobile radio network, the communication unit is mobile and a radio interface represents the connection line to the access point to the telecommunications network.

In both types of telecommunications networks - Telefonfest¬ networks such as mobile networks - comes today usually a modular digital signaling system, the so-called signaling

System No.7, which is also referred to as SS # 7 for short. In addition, telecommunication services are also provided in these telecommunication networks, which is understood as the offer of telecommunication including the offer of the transmission paths. Such services may include, for example, the simple transmission of voice, image or data information, but also the provision of more complex services such as national access numbers for companies or televoting.

Under a televoting service, by definition, a

Service understood in a telecommunications network, in which at a central point in the telecommunications network incoming calls are only counted. In this way, voting of all kinds, such as voting within television or radio programs, can be carried out by the participants voting with a subscriber number in the telecommunications network to dial a subscriber number for a televoting. These calls are then counted. The televoting service is distinguished by the fact that a large number of calls with only a short connection duration, for example a few seconds within a short period of time, such as e.g. 15 minutes must be handled in the telecommunications network.

A frequently used method for implementing the televoting service relies on the method and architecture of the intelligent network, also called IN. By IN, an approach of service control and development in digital telecommunication networks is defined by the use of software and functionality implemented by it, whereby the IN is defined internationally by the ITU in the recommendations of the Q.1200 series. In Europe, there is the ETS 300 374-1 standard from ETSI, which defines the Intelligent Network Capability Set 1, CSl for short, and the Intelligent Network Application Protocol, or INAP for short.

The basic idea for the IN is the separation of switching function and service function, ie the mechanisms by which a connection is established no longer lie completely in individual exchanges but are centralized in one or more high-performance computers and in one place. where they can easily be changed. from From this location, corresponding data are forwarded to local switching centers, by means of which the connection establishment is controlled in the local switching centers. What is new about the concept of the IN is that it is only recognized by a local exchange by means of a so-called service switching function in the service switching point, or SSP for short, that a subscriber has selected a special service implemented by the IN.

The SSP represents the lowest point in the IN architecture. It can be integrated either in the exchange in the local network to which the subscriber is connected, or in a switching center of the transfer level which has a forwarding function for the signaling. If the SSP is located at the transfer level, the ISDN user part (ISUP for short) of the SS # 7 is used to communicate with the exchange in the local area network in order to transfer data for setting up and clearing down such as monitoring the connection. If a subscriber selects a special service implemented by the IN, such as the televoting service, then this connection is forwarded by the SSP to a special, central control computer, the so-called service control point or SCP in the network or by the SCP Instruk¬ tion expects what to do with the call. For the communication between SSP and SCP, a special protocol is used in SS # 7, the so-called IN Application Part or INAP.

The SCP handles the tasks of IN service recognition and control within an IN architecture. The IN service therefore runs itself on the SCP. As a rule, the SCP as a central control has an internal database or interfaces to external databases in order to provide the necessary data for the control of the IN services. For the management of the IN services, the so-called service management point or SMP is used, which is usually located on a separate computer and is connected to the SCP, for example via an X.25 network or an IP network. At the SMP, the IN and its services, such as customer data, are administered. Setting data and parameters for various IN services can therefore be set or changed at the SMP, which then have to be forwarded to the SCP for execution and control. However, there is also the possibility that the SMP functionalities are integrated into the computer of the SCP.

In an IN-based televoting service, the SCP is typically used as the central point in the telecommunications network from which the incoming calls are counted. Due to the large number of calls within a relatively short period of time, which can provoke televoting services, not only is there a heavy burden on the telecommunications network, but also on the IN, in particular the SCP. Therefore, in IN-based televoting services, a procedure called "precounting" is often used to relieve the SCP, in which case the actual incoming calls are actually counted on the SSP, with only more intermediate results being transmitted to the SCP and from the SCP sums up.

Meanwhile, many votes within television and radio broadcasts are carried out via televoting services. There is even a television program of its own, such as game shows or singing events in which the

Winner can only be determined by means of televoting. The participants in the televoting can vote for your favorite by dialing a specific telephone voting number. It happens that some participants submit a large number of votes for a particular candidate by frequently repeated dialing of the televoting number and thus distort the voting result. Therefore, there are televoting Organizers the requirement to limit access to televoting services based on the number of a subscriber. For example, the access to the televoting service is to be restricted in such a way that only a certain number of votes are available to a subscriber with a specific subscriber number in the telecommunications network during a televoting.

Approaches which are known or obvious from the prior art assume that the subscriber number of the subscriber in the telecommunication network is known in a televoting service and an evaluation of this subscriber call number can be carried out at a central point in the telecommunication network in order to perform the Restrict access. However, this leads to a high load on the telecommunication network, because all calls to this central point must be routed.

In the case of an IN-based televoting service, the task of the subscriber number analysis is adopted, for example, by the SCP or a database connected to the SCP. In order to carry out the access restriction to the televoting service on the basis of the subscriber call number, all calls to the televoting service are processed by the SCP, for example, and the subscriber call number is analyzed. However, this has the consequence that methods for load reduction such as the erwähn¬ te Precounting method can no longer be used, since the precounting the calls to the televoting service are not forwarded to the SCP.

If the access restriction for the televoting service is now carried out by the SCP or another central point in the telecommunications network, this means, in addition to a heavy load on the telecommunications network, that the platform used is also subjected to massive loading during televoting , In some cases, the capacity of this platform may not be sufficient to to answer incoming calls to the televoting service within a short period of time.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a method that provides a restriction of access to the televoting service based on the subscriber number in Telekommunikati¬ onsnetz available, in which both a load on the telecommunications network is avoided and the Ver¬ drive for load reduction can still be used.

According to the invention, this is done with a method for a televoting service of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph, in which a rule for the access restriction is defined at a central point in the telecommunication network. This rule is then forwarded in the telecommunication network to a subscriber-side switching center, executed in the subscriber-side switching center and thus restricts access to the voting service on the basis of the subscriber call number.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that, on the one hand, the rule for the access restriction is defined centrally, which therefore need not be entered and managed several times. On the other hand, the analysis of the subscriber number and the execution of the rule for the access restriction are advantageously carried out locally in subscriber-side exchanges. Not every call to the televoting service is therefore forwarded to a central location, thereby avoiding a burden on the telecommunications network and the procedures for load reduction such as Precounting can be used unchanged. In addition, the method according to the invention can be used for a plurality of simultaneously running parting sessions.

It is also advantageous to design the rule for the access restriction to the televoting service in such a way that the number of calls originates from a specific subscriber telephone number is limited, so that the voting result of a televoting event can no longer be decisively influenced by individual subscribers by frequent repeated dialing of the televoting number.

Furthermore, it is also advantageous to design the rule for the restriction of access to the televoting service in such a way that the number of calls per unit of time is limited from a particular subscriber number. Also, not only the burden of the telecommunications network at a

Televoting event reduced, but also prevents the distortion of the voting result by individual participants verhin¬.

It is also favorable to define a parameter in the telecommunication network for the forwarding of the access restriction rule. This parameter can then be used in a simple manner by the technical transmission paths and the switching devices of the telecommunications network in order to guide the rule for the access restriction to the subscriber-side switching center.

It is also advantageous if this parameter is used by the ISDN User Part of the SS # 7, since in digital telecommunication networks it is used for the transmission of data for establishing, reducing and monitoring connections and thereby simplifying the rule for the access restriction Way can be forwarded to the exchange.

It is also an advantage if the televoting service is implemented using the method and on the basis of the architecture of the IN. Because with the IN, there is a central point with the SMP, which can be designed as an independent node or integrated into the SCP, at which service-specific parameters such as the rule for access restriction can be entered, changed and managed. It is also advantageous if the parameter for forwarding the rule for the access restriction Intelligent Network Application Part of the SS # 7 is used, since this is used at the IN for communication between SCP and SSP and thereby simplifies the rule for the access restriction ¬ che way can be forwarded to the exchange.

It is also favorable if the parameter for the forwarding of the access restriction rule is transmitted together with the activation of a precounting. In this case, the load on the transmission paths between SSP and SCP can be reduced since the common transmission takes place before the televoting is started by means of only one INAP operation.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a figure. This example shows:

Fig. 1 Procedure of the method for restricting access to a televoting service in an exemplary telecommunications network with IN

FIG. 1 shows a telecommunication network TKN with a subscriber-side switching center VS and an IN, whereby the further exchanges SSP1, SSP2, SSP3 of the telecommunication network TKN have SSP functionality and if there is a special, central control computer SCP with integrated management resp SMP functionality exists. An administration interface AM is connected to this central control computer SCP, via which setting data and parameters for the televoting service are entered. With the subscriber-side switching center VS, a subscriber is connected to his terminal TN, to which a specific subscriber call number is assigned. Before the start of a televoting, which is controlled by the central control computer SCP, a rule for the access restriction is defined in a method step 1 and entered via the administration interface AM at the central control computer SCP. In the following method step 2, before or at the beginning of the televoting, the rule for the access restriction is transmitted with the aid of a new parameter to all exchanges with SSP functionality SSP1, SSP2, SSP3. For the transmission of the parameter in method step 2, the INAP of the SS # 7 is used, which is used at the IN for the communication between the central control computer SCP and the switching centers with SSP functionality SSP1, SSP2, SSP3. In addition, it is possible in method step 2, together with the transmission of the parameter for forwarding the access restriction rule, to activate the precounting method at all exchanges with SSP functionality SSP1, SSP2, SSP3, if precounting is provided for this televoting service is. In a method step 3, the rule for the access restriction is then stored in the exchanges with SSP functionality SSP1, SSP2, SSP3.

If a subscriber now wants to cast his vote in this televoting, then in a method step 4a he dials the subscriber number corresponding to the televoting on his terminal TN, to which a specific subscriber number is assigned, and the call is routed to the subscriber-side switching center VS. The call to the televoting service is forwarded by the subscriber-side switching center VS in a method step 4b to the next switching center with SSP functionality SSP.

In the special case that the SSP functionality is integrated in a subscriber-side switching center VS, in this method step 4b the call is only internally transferred to this functionality. The dialing of the televoting service is registered by the switching center SSPL and the counting is carried out by the central control computer SCP or by the use of precounting by the switching center SSP1. In a further method step 5, the rule for the restriction of access is then transmitted by means of a parameter via ISUP from the switching center SSP1 to the subscriber-side switching center VS and stored therein.

In the special case that the SSP functionality is integrated in a subscriber-side switching center VS, the rule is transmitted in method step 5 via an internal interface from the SSP functionality to the switching office functionality.

In a further attempt of a call setup for the subscriber number corresponding to the televoting service by the subscriber from his terminal TN to which a specific subscriber call number is assigned, in a method step 6 the subscriber-side switching center VS already checks whether an infringement has occurred the rule for Zu¬ gangsbeschränkung exists. If the rule was violated and a call setup for the televoting service is thus no longer permissible, the call setup is prevented by the subscriber-side switching center VS. If there is no rule violation, the call is handled in accordance with method step 4b.

After the validity of the access restriction rule expires, for example after termination of the

Televotings or after expiry of a previously defined Zeit¬ span is the case, the rule for the Zugangbeschrän¬ kung in a step 7 in the subscriber-side exchange VS deleted.

The method illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1 is equally applicable to subscribers who subscribe to the televoting service Select mobile network, usable and in principle the same procedure applies da¬. In this case, however, the rule for the access restriction is stored in method step 5 in the corresponding Mobile Switching Center and checked for violations in method step 6.

Claims

claims

1. A method for a televoting service, in which each selection of the respective vote corresponding subscriber number is evaluated by subscribers with a subscriber number (4a, 4b) in a telecommunications network (TKN), characterized in that in the telecommunications network (TKN) centrally a rule is defined (1) that this rule is routed in the telecommunication network (TKN) to subscriber-side switching centers (VS) (2; 5), and that by executing this rule (6) in the subscriber-side switching centers (VS) the access to the respective vote is limited on the basis of the subscriber number.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that limited by the rule for the access restriction, the number of calls from a subscriber number to the je¬ the respective vote corresponding subscriber number (6).

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2 characterized ge indicates that the number of calls per unit time is limited by the number of calls per unit time by a subscriber number to the respective vote corresponding subscriber number by the rule for access restriction (6).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized ge indicates that the rule for the Zugangsbeschrän¬ kung after its expiration in the subscriber-side exchange (VS) is deleted (7).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized ge indicates that for forwarding the rule for the access restriction (2; 5) to the subscriber-side switching office (VS) is defined as a parameter in the telecommunications network (TKN).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized ge indicates that the parameter for the forwarding of the rule for the access restriction (5) from the ISDN User Part of the Signaling System No.7 is used.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized ge indicates that the televoting service is realized with the method of Intelligent Network.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the parameter for the forwarding of the rule for the

Access Restriction (2) is used by the Intelligent Network Application Part of the Signaling System No.7.

9. Method according to one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the transmission of the parameter for the forwarding of the rule for the access restriction (2; 3) takes place together with the activation of a precounting.