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US 9,071,705 B2Granted
Synchronizing charging for telecommunication service with notification of applicable tariff
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorLennart Isaksson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A charging system (26) for a telecommunications service comprises an interface (48) and a tariff controller (50). The interface (48) is configured to receive tariff information (6-4) regarding a telecommunications service for a geographical area (64). The tariff controller (50) is configured to utilize the tariff information in conjunction with charging for use of the telecommunications service by a customer in the geographical area (64) only after confirmation has been received (6-11) that notification regarding the tariff information has been received by a node (60) of a radio access network (32) which serves the geographical area (64). As such, the tariff controller (50) provides notification-synchronized charging implementation.
Claims15
A charging system for a telecommunications service comprising:
- an interface configured to receive tariff information to take effect at a planned implementation time, the tariff information regarding a telecommunications service for a plurality of geographical areas;
- a tariff controller configured to receive, after the planned implementation time, confirmation that notification regarding the tariff information has been received by at least one of a plurality of nodes of a radio access network, each of the plurality of nodes serving an associated individual geographical area of the radio access network and, the tariff controller further configured to utilize the tariff information, on a geographical area-by-area basis, in conjunction with charging for use of the telecommunications service by a customer in an individual geographical area only after confirmation has been received that the notification regarding the tariff information has been received by the at least one node of the plurality of nodes serving the individual geographical area and has been broadcast to a plurality of wireless terminals served by the at least one node in the individual geographical area.
A method of operating a telecommunications service comprising:
- providing tariff information to take effect at a planned implementation time, the tariff information regarding a telecommunications service for a plurality of geographical areas to a tariff controller;
- providing notification regarding the tariff information to a plurality of nodes of a radio access network, each of the plurality of nodes serving an associated individual geographical area;
- the tariff controller receiving, after the planned implementation time, confirmation that the notification regarding the tariff information has been received by at least one of the plurality of nodes which serves an individual geographical area of the radio access network and utilizing the tariff information, on a geographical area-by-area basis, in conjunction with charging for use of the telecommunications service by a customer in the individual graphical area only after confirmation has been received that the notification regarding the tariff information has been received by the at least one node of the plurality of nodes serving the individual geographical area and has been broadcast to a plurality of wireless terminals served by the at least one node in the individual geographical area.
A communications server comprising a processor configured to:
- receive tariff information to take effect at a planned implementation time, the tariff information regarding a telecommunications service for a plurality of geographical areas;
- provide notification regarding the tariff information to at least one of a plurality of nodes of a radio access network, each of the plurality of nodes serving an associated individual geographical area;
- receive, after the planned implementation time, confirmation that the notification regarding the tariff information has been received by the at least one of the plurality of nodes serving an individual geographical area of the radio access network;
- and thereafter
- provide notification of the confirmation to a tariff controller which utilizes the tariff information, on a geographical area-by-area basis, in conjunction with charging for use of the telecommunications service by a customer in the individual geographical area only after the notification of the confirmation has been received that the notification regarding the tariff information has been received by the at least one node of the plurality of nodes serving the individual geographical area and has been broadcast to a plurality of wireless terminals served by the at least one node in the individual geographical area.
2 more elements
A method in a charging system for a telecommunications service comprising:
- receiving tariff information to take effect at a planned implementation time, the tariff information regarding a telecommunications service for a plurality of geographical areas;
- receiving, after the planned implementation time, confirmation that notification regarding the tariff information has been received by at least one of a plurality of nodes of a radio access network, each of the plurality of nodes serving an associated individual geographical area;
- and
- utilizing the tariff information, on a geographical area-by-area basis, in conjunction with charging for use of the telecommunications service by a customer in an individual geographical area only after confirmation has been received that the notification regarding the tariff information has been received by the at least one node of the plurality of nodes serving the individual geographical area and has been broadcast to a plurality of wireless terminals served by the at least one node in the individual geographical area.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.