Title of Invention

"A TELECOMMUNICATION TERMINAL DEVICE"

Abstract

Billing method and billing system to determine usage fees which are charged to the user of a digital telecommunication network, whereby a usage fee charged for a connection is determined prior to establishing this connection from statistical characteristics of previous connections of the user. Preferably, the usage fees are determined from a dynamic client profile stored in a first memory area, which profile is derived from one or multiple random variables of previous connections of the user of the digital telecommunication network. After new connections of the user, the stored client profile is again dynamically derived. In a simple variant, the client profile contains a value proportional to the average price per connection or to the average duration of a connection of the user. In a preferred embodiment, the client profile also contains multi¬dimensional functions of random variables of previous connections of the user of the digital telecommunication network. The random variables used to derive the client profile include, for example, the connection duration, the time of day, the day of the week, and/or geographic characteristics of previous connections. Preferably, the usage fees are also dependent on a statistically derived system load. Advantage: for example, in a pre-paid system, the usage fees can be charged already prior to establishing the connection.

Full Text

Billing System and Billing Method in a Telecommunication Network The present invention relates to a billing system and a billing method for billing connection costs in a telecommunication network. In telecommunications one distinguishes between the communications provider, the service provider, and the service user. The communications provider, in general a network operator, establishes the provisions for communication by means of the infrastructure (fixed or mobile). The service provider may be the network operator or any provider of services who purchases airtime from the operator and sells it to a client, or a provider of services who operates in the service sector, for instance a bank, and who sells airtime as a value-added service. The service user is the daily client who uses a telecommunication system and, in return, pays fees to the service provider, or who receives a service from a service provider and receives the telecommunications service as a value-added service together with the service of the service provider. In principle, the course of communication can be divided into two segments: signalling and traffic. The present invention relates to the determination of fees for both segments. As the signalling is currently rarely being charged for, only the determination of fees for the traffic segment will be described in the following paragraphs. The traffic segment can be divided into the following components: The carrier provides for the interconnection between the networks. The operator runs the communication network, for instance a GSM-network. The service provider receives the communication service from the operator. The service user, or client, is the end user. Determination of fees for traffic objects, for instance connections between carrier and operator, is carried out by means of the method known as interconnection. In principle, the same process, or a known variant via a classic billing system, can be used between the operator and the service provider. Traditionally, a classic billing system, for instance a system based on so-called call detail records (CDR), is used between the service provider and the end user. These conventional billing systems are permanently interconnected with the infrastructure systems. Thereby, complex system interconnections are created. Currently, delivery of invoices largely takes place via paper mail. Because there is a trend for the traffic fees to significantly drop, the cost ratio of revenue to billing expense is deteriorating. Moreover, such conventional billing systems generally do not enable user-dependent discounting and cannot be combined well with pre-paid services which are increasing in significance. More and more frequently, for instance in pre-paid systems, there is a demand for determining and charging to an account the connection costs immediately after the connection. However, this requires that the billing system processes in real-time all data determining the price of a connection. For instance, during or shortly after the connection, the billing system has to collect and process all the timing information and geographic data about the connection to be billed for, for example the duration of the connection, the time of day, the location of the calling and the called party, possible discounts, etc. A heavy load is thereby put on the billing system during peak hours and the billing system must be dimensioned correspondingly. Furthermore, depending on where the determination of the costs is executed, for instance in an operations centre or in a SIM-card in a terminal device, it is sometimes difficult or even impossible to be provided with all the required information at the end of a connection. Therefore, in order to avoid these disadvantages, it is the object of this invention to establish the technical provisions for a new billing system and for a new billing method. This object is achieved through a billing system and a billing method for the determination of usage fees incurred when using a digital telecommunication network which system and method comprise the features of the independent claims. In particular, this object is achieved through a billing method in which the usage fees are determined from a dynamic client profile stored in a first memory area. The client profile is derived from one or multiple random variables from previous connections of the user of the digital telecommunication network. Subsequent to new connections of the user, the stored client profile is again dynamically derived. Connection costs can thereby be predicted, and if necessary charged to an account, during or even prior to a connection. In a simple embodiment of the invention, the client profile is simply an average price per call which is derived from the user's previous connections. However, the client profile preferably contains additional statistical information about the behaviour of the user, for instance information about the duration of the user's connections. For example, the client profile may contain the number of connections according to pre-defined classes of duration, and/or the mean value and variance of the duration of the user's connections. Thereby, the amount for a subsequent connection can also be determined from trends. The client profile can also contain multi-dimensional functions of random variables from previous connections of the user of the digital telecommunication network. For example, the client profile may contain information about the average duration of a user's connections as a function of the time of day. If the billing system recognises that a specific user makes telephone calls which last longer in the evening than in the afternoon, or longer on a Sunday than during the working week, the costs of subsequent connections are determined accordingly as a function of the time of day and/or the day of the week. The usage fees are also determined from a dynamic overall client profile stored in a second memory area. The overall client profile is derived from one or multiple random variables from previous connections of at least one group of users of the digital telecommunication network and it is dynamically adapted. The statistical load on the system, on which load the usage fees are dependent, may be determined from the overall user profile. The random variables used for the derivation of the overall client profile preferably contain the connection time, the time of day, the day of the week, and/or geographic characteristics of previous connections. In this way, at the time of connection establishment, connection usage fees for new connections can be determined from the stored dynamic overall client profile and can be charged directly to an account. Preferably, these fees are first communicated to the user, the user having the possibility to interrupt the connection establishment if he considers the price to be too high. In this way, the usage fees can be determined in a telecommunication terminal device, for instance in a fixed or mobile telephone. In this case, the terminal device contains a third memory area, wherein a pre¬paid amount of money is stored, as well as means for debiting or crediting this amount of money. This possibility is already available in GSM-mobile devices and is known under the term advice of charge (AOC). Furthermore, the terminal device according to the invention contains means to determine a dynamic client profile from previous connections of the user and to store this profile in a first memory area, as well as means to determine from the stored dynamic user profile the fees for new connections and to debit from the third memory area directly when a connection is established. The fees determined for new anticipated connections can be shown in the display of the device. Preferably, the usage fees also depend on a dynamic statistical overall client profile stored in the second memory area, said overall client profile being derived from one or multiple random variables from previous connections by at least one group of users of the digital telecommunication network. For example, the terminal device may contain a chipcard, for instance a SIM-card, comprising storage means and processing means for realising the billing method according to the invention. The method according to the invention may be realised just as well in a billing system intended for the determination of telecommunication network usage fees or in any programmable device. Preferably, the programmable device is controlled by a computer program stored in a data carrier. According to the invention, the usage fee for a connection or for signalling is not determined from the connection's random variables, such as duration, time of day, or distance, but from a client profile established from random variables of (all) previous connections of the user. For instance, the costs of the next connection can be determined from the mean value of the duration of all previous connections of the user. In this way, the costs of the connection can be determined prior to establishing the connection, without having to wait for the termination of the connection. For example, the costs can be charged to a pre-paid card or to a bank account. Thus, the signalling traffic can be simplified because signalling information does not need to be transmitted in real-time but can be communicated later so that changes to the user's client profile can be carried out thereafter. Preferably, the usage fees further depends on a dynamic overall client profile determined by means of random variables from (all) previous connections of all users, or of at least one group of users. The determination of fees can also be adapted dynamically to the load of the system. This method can be used not only between a service provider and a service user, but also between an operator and a service provider. Although only one embodiment example for the special case of determining fees in a GSM-network is described in detail in the following description, the method according to the invention can be used also in fixed networks, in the Internet, in Intra- and Extranets, or in other telecommunication systems. The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the description, given by way of example and illustrated by means of the appended figures: Figure 1 shows a perspective representation of a terminal device which can execute the method according to the invention. Figure 2 shows the statistical distribution of the overall client traffic, which distribution can be stored in a second memory area. Figure 3 shows the statistical distribution of client traffic, which distribution can be stored in a first memory area. Figure 4 shows the overall load on the system and the load by the client, both as a function of the time of day. Figure 5 shows a flow chart of the billing method. Figure 2 shows the statistical distribution of the overall client traffic, which distribution is derived from all connections between a service provider and all service users. The graph shows the number of connections as a function of the duration of the connections. From this graph, the mean value tGkP and the variance S can be determined, for example a mean value tGkP of 80 seconds and a variance of 35 seconds. The timing characteristics of 95% of all connections is covered within tGkP+2S. Depending on the application, other random variables of connections of users can be used individually or in combination, for example the connection times, the times of the day, the times of the week, the holidays, the distances (national/national, national/international, international /international), and/or the location (of the calling user and/or of the called user). Preferably, the overall client profile, which can be stored, for instance, in a memory area, contains one or multiple statistical parameters of the distribution of the overall client traffic, such as mean value, variance, class, moving average, distribution in pre-defined classes, etc. Preferably, the overall client profile is determined dynamically on a periodic basis or after each connection. This overall user profile is used as the initial set up for a new service user. After each new connection, this client profile is adapted in correspondence with a suitable algorithm according to Figure 5. For instance, if a connection which was just closed is longer or shorter than the mean value tkp, the statistical client profile is corrected accordingly. Thereby, the fees for subsequent connections are corrected. One skilled in the art will understand that, in the vast majority of all cases, at least after a sufficient number of connections and if the interest is not considered, the fees charged to the user are virtually uninfluenced by the method according to the invention. Therefore, the method and system according to the invention are independent of the price politics of the service provider and the network operator. Figure 3 shows the distribution of client traffic for a specific client, which distribution is derived from all connections between a service provider and the specific service users. In this case, the graph shows the number of connections of the service user as a function of the duration of the connections. From this graph, the client profile with the mean value tkp and the variance SkP can be derived. Preferably, the client profile, which can also be stored in a memory area, contains one or multiple statistical parameters of the distribution of the client profile, such as mean value, variance, class, moving average, distribution in pre-defined classes, etc. In the most simple embodiment, the client profile contains only the average price per connection for this user. In a preferred embodiment, the client profile additionally contains information about the duration of connections of this user, for instance the mean value and the variance of this duration. Preferably, however, the client profile contains more information about this duration, for instance also the distribution in pre-defined classes, and about other random variables of connections, so that the costs for the subsequent connections can be predicted reliably. Preferably, this information is registered multi-dimensionally so that, for example, the client profile contains information about the usual behaviour of the user as a function of the time of day and/or the day of the week, for instance in order to execute the dynamic determination of the fees differently in the morning than in the afternoon, according to the habits of the user. The dynamic user profile can be stored in a first memory area 101, preferably in a chipcard 10, if the billing system is realised directly in a terminal device, for instance in a mobile telephone 1. The overall client profile can be stored in a second memory area 102, for instance. After each new connection, the processor of the chipcard determines the dynamic client profile depending on one or multiple random variables, and determines the usage fee for new connections from the stored dynamic client profile and possibly from the overall client profile. In the case where the card contains a third memory area storing a pre-paid amount of money, the usage fee can be directly charged to this memory area prior to or after the connection. In a variant, the usage fee is charged to a bank account, or, if the card is provided with Trusted Third Party functions, the usage fee can be signed electronically in the card and charged to a corresponding account. This is possible, for example, if the card is a GSM-card which is provided with GSM 11.14 functions and with functions of the method described in the patent document EP89368. By means of these functions, it is possible to read time parameters from the card, which parameters serve as the basis for calculating the client profile. Preferably, the client profile is corrected or adapted dynamically on a regular basis or after each connection. However, it is not necessary that these client profiles are adapted in real-time. Thus, it is possible for the billing system to determine the statistical client profile when it is carrying a smaller load, for instance outside the peak times. Consequently, the billing system does not need to be dimensioned for processing connection information in real-time. For instance, this adaptation can be done on the basis of connection information known in the GSM-domain as call detail records (CDR), which are currently also being used for billing in the different layers. However, the connection information does not need to be transmitted to the billing system during the time of the connection. Billing may take place in a billing system contained in an operating centre, in the terminal device, or in a SIM-card in the telecommunication network. It is also possible to statistically determine in a system the average system load Bgkp developing in the course of a day. Figure 4 shows the number of connections of all service users as a function of time (daily load of the system). For example, a day-time discount can be derived from this system load, which discount can control the system usage on the client side. For instance, the traffic fee to be paid can be modulated according to the system's capacity utilisation. For instance, if it is determined from the client profile that, with a small variance of S, the user typically telephones at the time xkp, he may benefit from a daytime discount, if xkp corresponds to a time with a small system load. Analogous to this process, the traffic fee to be paid can be determined also for all other random variables mentioned above. Client profiles of individual clients can be combined in group profiles of friends and families, companies, etc. Statistical discounts (moving of statistical parameters on the time axis) can also be used. For example, the invention can be used by a service provider who sells services outside telecommunications (e.g. a financial service provider) and who sells connections as value-added services. With the present invention, billing of subscriptions and traffic costs to service users becomes a lot simpler. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to debit the costs of connections in advance (debit systems instead of conventional credit billing systems). Thereby, possibilities of fraud may be reduced significantly. Text for flow chart in Figure 5: 20 storing of the overall client profile as client profile, tkp -= tgkp, Skp != Sgkp. 21 establishing a connection 22 determination of the usage fee from the client profile 23 usage fee > available money amount? 24 connection not established 25 connection established; end of connection 26 determination of random variables: duration t, etc. 27 derivation of a new client profile with characteristics of the last connection, tkp = f(tkP, t), ... We Claim; 1. A telecommunication terminal device (1) comprising: a third memory area (103), storing a pre-paid amount of money, means (100) to debit or credit the amount of money, characterised in that: means (100) to determine a dynamic client profile from one or multiple random variables of previous connections of the user and to store said client profile in a first memory area (101), means to determine the fee for new connections from the stored dynamic client profile and to directly charge it to the third memory area (103) when the connection is being established, optionally comprises means (11) to display fees for new anticipated connections, which fees are determined from the stored client profile, wherein the fee for new connections is determined from a statistical dynamic overall client profile stored in a second memory area (102), said overall client profile being derived from one or multiple random variables of previous connections of at least one group of users of the digital telecommunication network, and said overall client profile being adapted dynamically. 2. A telecommunication terminal device substantially as herein described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

2642-del-1998-abstract.pdf

2642-del-1998-assignment.pdf

2642-del-1998-claims.pdf

2642-del-1998-correspondence-others.pdf

2642-del-1998-correspondence-po.pdf

2642-del-1998-description (complete).pdf

2642-del-1998-drawings.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-1.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-13.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-19.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-2.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-3.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-4.pdf

2642-del-1998-form-6.pdf

2642-del-1998-gpa.pdf

2642-del-1998-pct-210.pdf

2642-del-1998-petition-137.pdf

2642-del-1998-petition-138.pdf

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