Method for billing the use of telecommunication services, as well as switching system, service control and network management devices

The invention relates to a method for charging for the use of a telecommunications service of a service provider according to the preamble of claim 1, a switching system according to the preamble of claim 8, a service control device according to the preamble of claim 9 and a network management device according to the preamble of claim eleventh

The number of offered in a communication network telecommunication services is growing increasingly. The invention is now based on a group of such telecommunications services that are referred to as "stand-services".

One possible implementation and realization of these set of services according to the IN-concept (Intelligent Network), in the article "services in intelligent networks" of X. you Vachat et al, Electrical Communication, Volume 63, no. 4, 1989 described.

A communication network includes so-called service switching point (Service Switching Points), through which a service user receives access to the kiosk service. The kiosk service itself is implemented in a so-called service control point (Service Control Point) by means of a utility. The kiosk service is here not provided by the network operator, ie the public or private company that operates the network and provides the IN infrastructure for services, but from a service provider.

A Dienstanfordrung is now run by service users via the service switching point to the service control point, which furnishes kiosk service. Such a kiosk service is here, for example in an information service that provides weather forecasts, stock quotes or sports scores, and where the service user is charged a higher fee than the pure call charge. The charging of the higher fee is realized that a higher fee clock is used for the connection to the kiosk service in the communication network. The fees for the use of the kiosk service thus automatically debited with the pure call charges the telecommunications account of the service user and thus collected by the network operators.

A disadvantage of this way of charging a kiosk service is that the charging of the kiosk service is strongly coupled to the charging of pure call charges. Thus, the service provider will be severely restricted in the design of its billing concept.

The invention is thus based on the object of finding a Vergebührungsverfahren for telecommunications services, in which the charging of the telecommunications service is decoupled to a greater extent by the charging of pure compound fees.

This object is achieved by a method of charging for the use of a telecommunications service to the teaching of claim 1 and by a switching system, a service control device and a network management system according to the teaching of claim 8, 9 and 11 respectively.

The invention is based on the idea only has been authorized by the network operator to provide the service and only collect a certain fee from the service provider by the network operator.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

By the invention it is a service provider possible to use new forms of charging for the use of its service. For example, it is possible to estimate the use of the service a fixed amount which is independent of the life of the service.

To avoid erroneous authorization by the network operator, it is also advantageous that the service be provided unit transmits data on the use of the service fee to the agency responsible for the authorization unit before the authorization. Further, it is this advantageous that this authorization unit determines data on the service user and the information of the decision to authorize sets based.

In the following the invention with reference to three exemplary embodiments will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig.1</dt><dd>shows a block diagram of a communication device to a communication network and a service control device according to the invention.</dd><dt>Fig. 2A</dt><dd>shows a symbolic representation of the sequence of the method according to the invention for a first embodiment.</dd><dt>FIG. 2b</dt><dd>shows a symbolic representation of the sequence of the method according to the invention for a second embodiment. </dd><dt>Fig. 2c</dt><dd>shows a symbolic representation of the sequence of the method according to the invention for a third embodiment.</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>shows a flow chart for the inventive method according to Fig. 2a to 2c.</dd></dl>

In the first embodiment, the flow of the method for billing for the use of a telecommunications service is shown in a communication arrangement comprising an inventive switching system and a service control device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a service control device SC, a communication network CN, three terminals T1 to T3 and three participants A to C are assigned to the terminals T1, T2 and T3. The communication network CN is connected to the service control device SC and with the terminals T1 to T3.

The terminals T1 to T3 are terminals for a telecommunications network. The terminals T1 and T2 are normal telephone terminals. The terminal T3 is a public telephone terminal. It is with him, for example, a pay phone, a special telephone cards or to a club phone. The number of devices connected to the communication network KN terminal is chosen as an example. The terminals T1 to T3, it could also be other types of devices for telecommunication networks, for example, computer systems, Videophones or fax machines.

The communications network KN is designed as a conventional telephone network. It has three inter-meshed switching facilities EX1 to EX3 and a network management equipment NMC. The switching facility EX1 and the network management equipment NMC exchange data with each other and form a switching system SS. The switching facility EX1 exchanges data with the service control device SC. The switching equipment EX1 to EX3 is customary exchanges of a telephone network. The switching facility EX1 here is particularly designed. In controlling the switching facility EX1 service switching functions are also implemented, which form a service control unit SSF and directed via a data connection requests to the service control device SC when it detects a connection request with a particular service identifier and receive in response of these instructions, the further treatment of the connection request affect. Through this service switching functions, the switching facility EX1 fulfills the function of a service switching node to the IN-concept (Intelligent Network). The implementation of such a service switching node and thus the switching facility EX1 is for example in the article "products for smart grids" by J.-P. Heutzen, Electrical Communication, Volume 63, no. 4, 1989..

The switching facility EX1 further includes an authorization unit AUT. The authorization unit AUT is formed in this case of software modules, which are implemented in the control of the switching facility EX1. On a request from the service control device SC decides the authorization unit AUT whether a collection of fees for the use of services to be provided by the service control device SC telecommunication service is made possible by a charging unit of the network operator. If this is the case, it sends a confirmation message to the service control device SC.

It is also possible that further switching equipment of the communication network KN as the Vermittungseinrichtung are EX1 designed, thus allowing access to the service control device SC.

The network management facility NMC serves the operation and management of the switching facility EX1. Here, it is possible that the network management equipment NMC these functions also performs for the switching equipment EX2 and EX3.

The network management facility NMC is based on a computer system that is connected to the switching center EX1 via a management interface, such as a Q3 interface. Besides the usual network management functions such as fault management, configuration management, implementation management and security management, the network management equipment NMC also performs functions of payroll management for participants of the communication network CN of the network operator. For this purpose, it has a charging unit BILL formed by respective running on the computer system of the network management equipment NMC software modules. The charging unit BILL detected fees counts for connections of subscribers of the communications network KN, processes the call data and performs the billing and collection of fees for these participants by. To this end, assigned by their example, participants telecommunications accounts are held, accounts are created for at certain intervals or there are fees charged by services by credit card companies. In addition to the fees for the use of the communication network CN of the network operator, the charging unit BILL performs also the fee collection for provided by the service control device SC telecommunication services by service providers.

The structure of the network management equipment NMC, for example, the article "Telecommunication Management Network (TMN): architecture, interfaces and applications" by R. Falkner et al, NTZ, Volume 43, Issue 6, are taken 1990 levels.

It is also possible that the network management device NMC is assigned to another of the switching equipment of the communication network CN. It would preferably be the local exchange of the subscriber, who put a service request to the service control device SC. The switching facility EX1 and the network management equipment NMC form a switching system SS. When switching system here, consider a system that performs the functions of the authorization unit and the charging unit AUT BILL. It is also possible that the functions of network management equipment NMC are integrated into the switching facility EX1 and thus the switching system SS is formed by the switching facility EX1.

The service control device SC is based on a computer system that is connected to the switching center EX1 for example via a no. 7 signaling network. This computer system provides a platform for software modules ready to perform the function of a service control node and a service management system according to the IN concept. It has so on a service control unit SCF and a service management unit SMF that perform the corresponding functions.

It is also possible that the service management unit SMF and the service control unit SCF of two different computer systems are formed which are interconnected, for example via an X.25 network. In this case, the service control device would be formed by the computer system with the service control unit SCF.

The basic structure of the service control device SC, for example, the already above-mentioned article "products for smart grids", Electrical Communication, Volume 63, no. 4, 1989 removed.

The service control unit SCF has two service processing units and SAPP1 SAPP2. The number of service processing units is selected by way of example. The service processing units and SAPP1 SAPP2 make each provides a telecommunications service of a network operator. To this end, they communicate via a data connection to the switching device EX1. Using this connection, they affect the further treatment of an appeal to it request by the switching facility EX1, for example, the transmission of that request to a given number of the communications network KN. Moreover, it is possible for the researchers to initiate the setup of a user connection to the requesting agent and sent to the subscriber via this useful connection example voice prompts. For providing such voice prompts, it is also possible in that the switching device is EX1 assigned a service support system (Intelligent Peripheral) that provides this voice prompts and communicates via the service switching center EX1 or directly to the service control device SC. The construction of such a service support system, for example, the article "Voice services on the intelligent network: intelligent peripherals and service nodes" of F. Bosco, CSELT Technical Reports, Volume XX, No. 4, 1992, be removed.

The service processing unit SAPP1 provides a telecommunications service of a service provider willing whose use is chargeable for the service user. In the service it is preferably an information service, but may be generally involve any service. The toll collection for the use of the service is at least partially not carried out via a charging unit of the service provider, but the network operator of the communications network KN.

The service providing unit SAPP1 furnishes telecommunications service upon receiving a service request only if it an acknowledgment message received from the authorization unit AUT that her indicating that the network operator is ready to take over the charging for the use of telecommunications service. After performing the service sends the service providing device SAPP1 a message with the fee for use of the service to the charging unit BILL. The implementation of the Vergebührungsverfahrens will now be explained with reference to Fig. 2a.

Fig. 2a shows the terminal T1, the associated subscriber A, the Dienststeuereinrichtu ng SC, the service providing unit SAPP1, the switching facility EX1 with the service switching unit SSF and the authorization unit AUT, and the network management equipment NMC with the charging unit BILL.

The subscriber A sends the terminal T1 as a service request a connection request M1 with the service identifier of the provided by the service providing unit SAPP1 telecommunications service, which is passed through the communication network KN to the switching center EX1. Here, it is also possible that the subscriber A causes a service request in another way, for example, in which an off-hook directly interpreted as a request for service.

The service switching unit SSF recognizes the service request

for services provided by the service providing unit SAPP1 service and routes the service request to this further by sending a message M2 to this. On receiving the message M2, the service processing unit sends SAPP1 a message M3 to the authorization unit AUTH. The message M3 this includes data on the service request donating participants and on the anticipated amount of the use of the service fees. The message M3 is here interpreted by the authorization unit AUT as request for the acquisition of billing by the network operator.

It is also possible to dispense with the message M3. For example, a message with the corresponding data of the service switching unit SSF upon detecting a service request for the service processing unit SAPP1 could be sent directly to the authorization unit AUT. It is also possible that only a request message to the authorization unit AUT is sent from the service providing unit SAPP1 or from the service switching unit SSF, and the authorization unit AUT then automatically determines the required data for its decision.

The authorization unit AUT decides on the basis of data or other, determined by their data contained in the message M3, whether the charging of the services to be provided by the service providing unit SAPP1 service is carried out by the charging unit BILL of the network operator. If so, it sends an acknowledgment message M4 to the service processing unit SAPP1. The service processing unit performs SAPP1 then in recognizing the message M4 to the requested service for the subscriber A. For this exchanges the service providing unit SAPP1 message M5 with the service switching unit SSF from.

After completion of the service provision, the service providing unit calculates SAPP1 the fee for using the service. Here, it is also possible that a fixed amount is calculated as a fee. Then a message M6 is sent with data on the calculated fee to the charging unit BILL. The charging unit BILL the network operator then performs the fee collection for this fee.

The exchange of messages M2 and M5 is performed via the communication mechanisms for the IN concept. Such communication mechanisms may also be used for the exchange of messages M3 and M4. However, it is also possible that for this purpose a separate (logical) connection between the service-providing unit and the authorization unit SAPP1 AUT is established. This compound could also be based on another transport network, for example on an X.25 network. The exchange of the message M6 can be carried out firstly on the standard communication mechanisms between the switching facility EX1, the service control device SC and the network management equipment NMC. Secondly, it is also possible that a separate communication link between the service-providing unit SAPP1 and the network management equipment NMC is built, based for example on a no. 7 signaling network or an X.25 network.

The above-described manner, the charging of services is not limited to services that are provided by the IN-concept. For example it is possible that the service providing unit is SAPP1 integrated into the control of the switching facility EX1 and therefore the service is provided by the switching facility EX1. The course of the procedure and the communication relationships result analogously to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2a-2b.

In the following, the authorization unit is described in more detail with reference to the AUT dargestellen in FIG. 3 flowchart.

Fig. Figure 3 shows six states STATE1 to STATE6, six steps S1 to S6 and five branches D1 to D5.

Before the arrival of the message M3, the authorization unit AUT is in a wait state, the state STATE1. If the message is received M3 (step S1), as in step S2 parameters are determined, which are associated with the connection request donating participants.

Such parameters describe whether the participant is a participant who settles the connection request a private terminal or via a public terminal. As private terminals this terminal are those whose fee income is associated with a subscriber. Such devices are, for example, devices that are connected through the terminal by individuals or companies in the communications network KN. Public terminals, however, are usable by multiple people terminals whose fee income is charged to the respective subscriber-use for each individual compound. Such devices are, for example, coin or card telephones, which are set up in public or in private life (Club phones).

These parameters are determined using the number of the terminal, through which the subscriber the service request did. This number is determined by the switching facility EX1. However, it is also possible that the determination of these parameters is performed by means of the network management equipment NMC or other network management facilities.

Next parameters are determined, which describe agreements between the network operator and the charge of a terminal subscriber. Such parameters are for example the agreement of a credit limit or exclude the use of certain services.

It is also possible that more or only some selected of the upper parameters are determined. A waiver of the identification of such parameters is possible, the decision on sending the message M4 could be due to other data or generally take place. The following three cases are distinguished in the branch D1 based on the determined parameters:<ul><li>It is a subscriber to a normal, private terminal, for example, subscriber A. It is also possible that a participant with a credit card telephone in which the credit is secured by the credit card company as this case is handled.</li><li>It is a subscriber to a private terminal for a credit limit has been agreed, for example, to subscriber B.</li><li>It is a participant with a public terminal, for example, subscriber C.</li></ul>

Depending on these parameters, the authorization unit AUT enters the state STATE2, STATE3 or STATE4.

In the first case, the acknowledgment message M4 is sent without further checking. From the state STATE2 is immediately changed to the state STATE5 to which the sending of the message M4 at step S5 follows.

In the second case, starting from the checked state STATE3 in Verzeigung D2 whether the credit limit of the subscriber has already been exceeded. For checking the credit limit messages to the charging unit BILL be replaced, which manages the data on the amount of the credit limit and the telecommunications account. This review must go on a data on the expected amount of the fee for using the service, which are transmitted with the message M3 or which are determined by means of a database access. If the credit limit is not violated, then there is a transition from the branch D2 in the state STATE5. If this is not the case, then there is a transition to step S3, in which the subscriber is notified, for example, by a voice message to the violation of the credit limit and he is given the opportunity to increase, for example by entering a PIN number be charge limit. These functions can also be performed by calling a service of the switching facility EX1, the charging unit BILL or the service control device SC. Causes of the participants do not increase the credit limit, so there is a transition in the branch D3 in the state STATE6. Otherwise, follows a re-examination in the branch D2.

In the third case is determined on the basis of the state STATE4 in the branch D4 whether enough money in the cash memory of the terminal or enough money available on the card. This check for the branch D4 is carried out here by the exchange of messages with a corresponding service of the network management equipment NMC, the switching facility EX1 or provided by the service control devices SC Service. Is there enough money available, so there is a transition from the branch D4 in the state STATE5. If this is not the case, then there is a transition to step S4, in which the subscriber is prompted, for example, by a voice announcement to replenish the cash memory of the terminal with more money or to use a new card. the participants of this call does not comply, then the branch D5 transitioned to the state STATE6, otherwise re-examination in the branch D4.

Starting from the state STATE5 the acknowledgment message M4 is sent to the service processing unit SAPP1 and then transferred to the state in STATE1 to step 5. Starting from the state STATE6, the means to reject an authorization, then in step S6, the dissolution of the connection from the subscriber to the service control device SC is caused. It is also possible in addition to send a voice message to the participants, warning them about the rejection of his request for service. On the dissolution of the compound could also be dispensed.

In the following, a second embodiment of the invention is explained based on Fig. 2b:

Fig. 2b shows the terminal T1 to the associated subscriber A, a service control device SC 'with the service provision means SAPP1 and the authorization device AUT, a switching facility EX1' and the network management equipment NMC with the charging unit BILL. This communication device corresponds to the communication arrangement of FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2a, with the difference, that the authorization unit AUT is not located in the switching center EX1, but in the service control device SC '. Such an arrangement of the authorization means AUT is possible because usually only the service processing units and SAPP1 SAPP2 the influence area of ​​the service provider is subject and the underlying hardware and software platform is provided by the network operator.

This thus results in the following sequence of the method:

A service request from the subscriber A is routed through the messages M1 and M2 by means of the service switching unit SSF to the service processing unit SAPP1. The service processing unit SAPP1 calls with the message M3 to an authorization by the Autorsierungseinheit AUT, on receipt of the acknowledgment message M4 to providing service. This communication takes place within the service control device SC ', for example in the form of inter-process communication between two software modules. For the authorization decision, it is necessary in this case that the authorization unit AUT communicates with the switching unit EX1 'or the network management equipment NMC.

After Erbingen of service the message M6 is sent to the charging unit BILL.

The advantages of this embodiment are that the communication between the service processing unit SAPP1 and the authorization unit AUT is simplified and that the authorization unit AUT can use to easily provided by the service control device SC services.

. In the following, a third embodiment of the invention based on Figure 2c will be explained:

Fig. 2c shows the terminal T1, the associated subscriber A, the service control device SC with the service processing unit SAPP1, the switching facility EX1 'with the service switching unit SSF and a network management device NMC' with the charging unit BILL and the authorization unit AUT. This communication device corresponding to the communication device of Fig. 1, 2 and 3 with the difference that the authorization unit is not implemented in the switching facility EX1 but in the network management equipment NMC '. The same applies to the communication process, in which there is only the difference that the messages are M3 and M4 exchanged between the service control device SC and network management equipment NMC '.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the authorization unit AUT can take services of the network management equipment NMC, particularly the charging unit BILL in claim easily. This results in a simplification results in the operation of the authorization unit AUT. Another advantage is that the authorization unit AUT as the authorization can centrally perform a variety of services from different service control facilities.