Method and system for dynamic tariffing and billing
AssigneeKoninklijke KPN N.V.
InventorWilhelm Werner Meincke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a system for dynamic tariffing and billing where tariffs of telecommunication services are adapted based on the usage of telecommunication services between members of a group account.
Claims18
A system for dynamically tariffing and billing a group of users for use of communications services, the system comprising a Service Handler part for controlling the dynamic tariffing and billing, a Data part for storing information, and a Rating part for making calculations, the Service Handler part being linked to the Data part via a first interface and to the Rating part via a second interface,
- wherein the Data part is configured to store:
- a list of subscribers that belong to the same group,
- an account value indicating which of one or more tariff rates is to be applied to a communications service used by a subscriber;
- identifiers identifying at least two types of telecommunication services, a first identifier identifying a first type of telecommunication services that decrease the account value when used by any one or more group members, and a second identifier identifying a second type of telecommunication services that increase the account value when used by any one or more group members;
- a rule-set for mapping each unit of a telecommunications service used by any one or more group members to a corresponding account value change unit for increasing or decreasing the account value based on the type of telecommunication service;
- the Service Handler part is configured to:
- detect a usage of a telecommunication service by any one or more of the group members;
- retrieve data from the Data part, the data including at least said account value, one or more of said identifiers, and at least a portion of said rule-set;
- send at least a portion of the data and the detected usage to the Rating part for calculating a new account value;
- receive the new account value from the Rating part;
- and
- send the new account value to the Data part to overwrite the account value with the new account value.
A method for dynamically tariffing and billing a group of users for use of communications services in a system comprising a Service Handler part for controlling the dynamic tariffing and billing, a Data part for storing information, and a Rating part for making calculations, the Service Handler part being linked to the Data part via a first interface and to the Rating part via a second interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing in the Data part:
- a list of subscribers that belong to the same group;
- an account value indicating which of one or more tariff rates is to be applied to a communications service used by a subscriber,
- identifiers identifying at least two types of telecommunication services, a first identifier identifying a first type of telecommunication services that decrease the account value when used by any one or more group members, and a second identifier identifying a second type of telecommunication services that increase the account value when used by any one or more group members,
- a rule-set for mapping each unit of a telecommunications service used by any one or more group members to a corresponding account value change unit for increasing or decreasing the account value based on the type of telecommunication service;
- detecting in the Service Handler part a usage of a telecommunication service by any one or more of the group members;
- retrieving in the Service Handler part data from the Data part, including at least said account value, one or more of said identifiers, and at least a portion of said rule-set, and sending at least a portion of the data and the detected usage to the Rating part;
- calculating in the Rating part a new account value;
- receiving in the Service Handler part the new account value from the Rating part;
- sending the new account value from the Service Handler part to the Data part;
- and
- overwriting the account value with the new account value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.