WO2005050968A1

WO2005050968A1 - System, method and application for monitoring access to mobile services

Info

Publication number: WO2005050968A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/052661
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lionel Merrien
Original assignee: Gemplus
Priority date: 2003-10-28
Filing date: 2004-10-26
Publication date: 2005-06-02

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method where access to services on network, which are available through prepaid subscription or through a restricted access for example, is controlled by an application running on a mobile station such as a mobile equipment, a smart card for example, and where the rating and the billing of the service is managed by a billing system, which is exterior to the telecommunication network.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION System, method and application for monitoring access to mobile services

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention concerns mobile services on a network. More precisely, the present invention relates to a system, a method and an application wherein access to mobile services by a user is controlled by an application running on a mobile station, and where a rating of the services and an account of the user are managed by a billing and rating engine, which is external to the mobile station.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Different methods are used for billing mobile services in a network when these services are subject to a prepaid or a restricted subscription for example.

[0003] In a first method, the service, which may be a voice service, a short message service (SMS) in GSM standard (Global System for Mobile Communications), or a data service for example, is measured and controlled at the network level. Funds are maintained within the network by a billing engine, and are decremented by the network when the service is used. When there is insufficient funds, the network can interrupt the service. Such method however requires a huge integration, and is therefore very expensive.

[0004] In a second method, the service is measured and controlled within the mobile station, by either a mobile equipment such as a handset, or an identity module. The funds are primarily maintained locally by the mobile station. The mobile station comprises a billing engine, which can rate the service and decrement the funds accordingly. When there is insufficient funds, the mobile station has the ability to interrupt the service. Such a method however requires providing a rating engine in the mobile station, and maintaining this rating engine up-to-date with new rating plans.

[0005] In still another method, an Advice of Charge (AOC), which is a function defined in the GSM standard, defines in the smart card an e-purse comprising a first file representing a maximum value of a metered service, and a second file representing a current value of the metered service. For each call, a mobile phone receives E-parameters as part of the setup call message sent by the network, which define the rate of the call. During the call the wireless phone increases the value of the current value of the metered service. When it reaches the maximum value, the call is stopped.

[0006] Telemac's US patents nos 5577100, 6198915, 6480710 provide a type of prepaid wireless service where the mobile equipment includes an internal billing engine that calculates the amount charged for a call based on locally stored rate/tariff data and deducts that amount funds/amounts stored in the mobile equipment. The rate/tariff data and prepaid funds/amounts can be updated by messages from the billing service/service provider. These messages can be SMS messages. Such type of services does not require that a SIM card be used. The same service, but where the rate/tariff data includes multiple rating methods (e.g., charge per minutes, charge per bytes) and/or metering methods (e.g., duration of call, volume of data) and where the appropriate rating and metering methods for a specific call are selected based on detected events (e.g., call setup, call begin, call end) is described in Telemac's US patent applications nos. 20020022471,20020022472, and 20020177429.

[0007] Another type of services covered by Telemac's US patents

5,325,418, 5,625,669, 6,243,574, 6138004, 6,424,827 and US patent applications 20030008634 and 20030100290 relates to a service where a "telephone interlink receiver is used. In this service, each phone records the call information (i.e., time, date, and duration) for each call made by a user. The telephone interlink receiver serves as an interface for transferring the recorded call information to the billing service/service provider for processing. The user is then charged based on the call information.

[0008] Nokia's US patent 5,748,720 describes a service where prepaid funds are stored in a SIM card of a mobile phone. During a call, the billing service/service provider can send a "charge information" message to the phone. In response, a prepaid application in the SIM card calculates if there are still enough prepaid funds to continue the call. If the prepaid funds are exhausted, then the prepaid application does not allow the SIM card to send an acknowledgement to the service provider and the service provider does not let the call continue. If the prepaid finds are not exhausted, then the SIM card sends an acknowledgement and the service provider allows the call to continue. The "charge information" messages can be sent periodically at specified intervals.

[0009] Swisscom's US patents nos. 6,332,579 and 6,543,686 teach a prepaid wireless service where the SIM card in a mobile phone has a clock that is used to determine the duration of a call for billing purposes. The billing service/service provider can send a message to the phone with the proper time. The prepaid application then sets the clock with the proper time. [0010] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system, a method and an application allowing to control access to mobile services at the mobile equipment level, while neither rating nor billing the service at this level, but externally to the mobile station.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved system, method and application for monitoring access to mobile services.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a system for monitoring access to a mobile service by an end- user, comprising a mobile station; an application local to the mobile station; and a rating and billing engine communicating with the application and external to said mobile station; wherein the application controls access to the mobile service in the mobile station, and the rating and billing engine holds funds and rates the service.

[0013] The present invention further provides a method for monitoring access to a mobile service by a mobile station to a user wherein when the user tries to access the service, a service control application on the mobile station sends a billing engine information associated with the requested service so that the billing engine calculates a rate and a maximum service value, which is then sent back to the service control application, which grants access to the service, the billing engine being external to the mobile station. [0014] The present invention further provides a method for monitoring access to mobile services by a mobile station to a user, comprising the steps of: providing a service control application local to the mobile station; providing an engine communicating with the service control application; controlling access to the services by the service control application; and rating and billing the services by the engine; wherein the engine is external to the mobile station.

[0015] The present invention also provides an application residing a smart card, which is part of a mobile station, the application controlling incoming and outgoing calls, and communicating, for each call, with a system external to the mobile station to submit information regarding the call and get in return information regarding a maximum duration of the call, and further communicating with the system external to the mobile station to send information regarding a terminated call, and getting in return administrative information.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an application residing on a smart card, which is part of a mobile station, theapplication controlling SMS, by controlling access by a user to new incoming SMS and by controlling an ability of the user to send SMS; communicating with an system external to the mobile station to submit information regarding the SMS to be sent; and further getting back a characterized authorization.

[0017] Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non- restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In the appended drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention provides a system, a method and an application for monitoring access to mobile services at the mobile equipment level, while allowing external billing and rating through a secure communication channel, wherein an application local to the mobile station grants a user access to a mobile service, and may interrupt the service if necessary, without neither holding funds nor rating the service.

[0021] The service may be voice, short message, GPRS (general packet radio service), or any service provided by a wireless network through the mobile station.

[0022] A system according to a first aspect of the present invention generally comprises a mobile station, an external billing and rating engine, and a service control application.

[0023] The mobile station grants the user access to a service, and may interrupt the service if necessary, on the network. The mobile station is a mobile part in a mobile service, typically carried by the end-user. It may include typically a mobile equipment such as a handset fitted with a number of plug-ins such as a card, a memory expansion MMS or any components attached to the handset for example.

[0024] The external billing and rating engine rates the service, bills the service and in charge of a maintenance of accounts. It is to be noted that three distinct external engines may perform these three operations, providing they share a same communication channel with the service control application described hereinbelow. Alternatively, more that three engines may be used, depending on a type of service provided, including for example an engine for rating SMS, an engine for rating voice messages, another engine for rating GPRS for example.

[0025] The engine is external to the mobile station, i.e. it is external to a smart card of the mobile station and external to a handset for example, and external to any component of the mobile station.

[0026] Such an external billing and rating engine may be embodied for example by a retailer of the service, who applies given prices when providing services he pays at a wholesale rate.

[0027] The service control application is in charge of controlling access to the mobile service in the mobile station. It is local to said mobile station. It may reside in the mobile equipment, in the smart card or in another component such as an extension module or a memory card for example, provided communication with the telecommunication network so as to control the service. People in the art will appreciate that the application is not linked to a particular wireless technology, and may be deployed on GSM, TDMA, iDEN, UMTS, CDMA for example. [0028] The billing engine is able to send and to receive data to and from the service control application, for example using SMS, GPRS, USSD, etc., either by using an external SMS service provider for example, or the Internet in the case of GPRS.

[0029] Therefore, the billing engine, although external to the mobile station, may communicate with the mobile equipment (handset) and /or with the smart card. It may be part of a generic network such as the Internet. The wireless network provides a 2-ways data communication channel between the service control application and the external billing and rating engine. As mentioned, such a channel may be SMS, GPRS, USSD, or any data channel provided by the network and accessible by both the service control application and the external billing and rating engine.

[0030] According to the present invention, the service control application is triggered by an attempt by the user to access the service. For example, the service control application is notified when the mobile station receives an inbound call, or when the user dials an outbound call. It may be in a 2-ways communication with the billing engine through a wireless channel (data, SMS, USSD, etc.).

[0031] When the user tries to access the service, for example by dialing a phone number, receiving a call or sending an SMS, the service control application sends the billing engine information associated with the requested service, including for example a current location, roaming status, destination number and current number thereof. Based on this information, the billing engine calculates a rate, and based on available funds for a given user, calculates a maximum service value, corresponding for example to a maximum duration of a call, or a maximum length of a message. The maximum service value is then sent back to the service control application, which ensures that the user does not consume more than what has been allocated. At the end of the service, the service control application sends the billing engine a status of the consumption, so that the billing engine may update the funds accordingly.

[0032] However, when requesting a service, such as making a call, the user expects to have a very short waiting time. Depending on a communication channel used, the service control application does not have time to receive the maximum service value before the user accesses the service. The service control application needs to make a decision before receiving the maximum service value information, based on local information, whether or not to authorize this service. Therefore, the present system may further comprise a pre-authorization mechanism in order to be able to determine, based on offline information, whether the user may access the service or not. Upon receiving the maximum service value from the billing engine, the service control application may then reassess this authorization.

[0033] In an example of a simple pre-authorization mechanism, a service control application may comprise an internal service flag, which is updated at the closure of every service updated in function of an outcome of a previous service provided for example, either by the billing engine or by the application itself. When the user attempts to access a service, the application may authorize access based on the status of a flag first. If the service is authorized, the application sends the service information to the billing engine in order to get the maximum service value in return. Finally, it starts a time-out duration for the reception of the maximum service value. If this value is not received from the billing engine before the expiration of the time-out, the service control application may interrupt the service. [0034] People in the art will be aware that a pre-authorization mechanism may be much more complex, with different rules depending of the type of service, depending on the location, and depending of the means to communicate with the billing engine. A number of parameters may be taken into account in more evolved pre-authorization, such as for example, an history of previous accesses and an end-user profile, which may be used to draw a confidence level associated to a given end -user.

[0035] Obviously, the service control application uses a secure protocol to exchange with the billing system. Such a protocol ensures that the service information is sent from a genuine card; the service information has not been compromised; the maximum service value is coming from the true billing engine; the maximum service value has not been compromised; and the maximum service value concerns a requested service.

[0036] The security characteristics include confidentiality, non-replay

/ uniqueness, and authenticity. A simple protocol, based on shared secret keys, which includes full encryption, message authentication code (MAC) and a random transaction number, may provide such characteristics.

[0037] From the foregoing, it should now be apparent that the present invention provides an application for monitoring access to mobile services.

[0038] The application according to the present invention resides in a smart card, which is part of a mobile station, and controls calls, by (a) detecting a dialing attempt by the user or an outgoing call, and a call connection request from the network or incoming calls, (b) detecting the end of an outgoing or of an incoming call, from the user or from the network, (c) measuring the duration of a call, and (d) being able to force disconnection of the call at a certain time.

[0039] Optionally, the application may refuse connection of a call, when connection is requested but before it has been established.

[0040] Obviously, in countries where incoming calls are not charged, such as in Europe for example, the application is not required to control incoming calls.

[0041] Moreover, the application of the present invention may control SMS, since it is able to control access by the user to new incoming SMS and to control the ability of the user to send SMS.

[0042] Additionally, the application of the present invention may communicate, for each call (either incoming or outgoing), at the beginning of the call or before the call is established, with a system external to the mobile station to submit information regarding the call and get in return information regarding the maximum duration of the call. At the end of each call, the application may communicate with the system external to the mobile station to send information regarding the end of the call (such as duration and status for example), and get in return administrative information internal to the application.

[0043] For example, before sending one or more SMS, the application may communicate with the external system to submit information regarding the SMS(s) to be sent, and get back a characterized authorization regarding how many SMS, and what type of SMS can be sent to the network. [0044] Before giving the user access to one or more incoming SMS, the application thus communicates with the external system to submit information regarding the incoming SMS(s), and gets back a characterized authorization regarding how many incoming SMS(s) and what type of incoming SMS can be read by the user.

[0045] For each communication with the external system mentioned above, the application ensures the integrity and the authenticity of the data transmitted back and forth.

[0046] The application may also authorize temporary outgoing call based on information stored locally (in the smart card or in another element of the mobile station), without storing the value of the available funds locally, i.e. in the smart card or in another element of the mobile station.

[0047] For example, the application may temporarily authorize the sending of outgoing SMSs or the reading of incoming SMSs, based on information stored locally (in the smart card or in another element of the mobile station), without storing the value of the available funds locally (in the smart card or in another element of the mobile station).

[0048] Turning now to Figure 1 of the appended drawings, a method according to a further aspect of the present invention will be described.

[0049] In a first step (step 110), the service control application is notified that the user is attempting to access a service, such as making a phone call, for example. [0050] The method may comprise a pre-authorization step 112, based on a service flag comprised in the application as described hereinabove, so that as soon as the service control application detects an attempt by the user to access a service, access is granted following this pre-authorization step.

[0051] The service control application also starts measuring the service. In the case of a voice call, a timer may be started for example, to measure the duration of the call (step 114).

[0052] Then the service control application retrieves the service information necessary for authorizing and rating and sends them to the billing engine (step 120). In the case of a phone call for example, this information may comprise a current location and an other party's phone number. In the case of a data transmission, they may comprise a volume of data to be transmitted for example.

[0053] In response to the service information sent by the service control application, the billing engine determines a maximum service value (step 130). The unit of this value depends on the type of service. For example, in the case of voice services, the unit may be the second or the minute, or any appropriate time unit. The maximum service value thus defines a limitation of the service available to the user.

[0054] This maximum service value is sent to the service control application (step 140), so that when the user reaches the maximum service value, the service control application may interrupt access to the service. Also, when this maximum service value is available, the service control application may reassess this authorization when receiving the maximum service value from the billing engine (step 145).

[0055] Finally the service control application submits to the billing engine the amount of service used by the user (step 150). Either the user ends the call (step155) and then the service control application stops the timer (156) so that the billing engine may update the user's account (157), or the service control application disconnects the call (160) because the maximum service value has been reached, and the billing engine update the user's account (161 ).

[0056] As people in the art will appreciate, the service control application of the present invention may easily be implemented in a smart card that supports a card application toolkit, independently of a mobile technology used.

[0057] In comparison to complete network-edge solution, such as full-card solutions in the case of smart card for example, wherein funds are typically directly managed within the mobile station such as the card or the mobile equipment, and wherein usually the card application must also include complex rating tables, the present method does not need a remote management of the rating tables and rules, since these are handled by the billing system. Moreover, the present method allows an easier reloading process since the funds, which are managed by the billing system in the network, are always online, and an increased security since the real funds are centrally managed and a central authorization is required for every access to the service. Therefore, risk of fraud is lower than in a full-card solution. Furthermore, the present invention is simpler in term of implementation, considering that a design and implementation of an efficient rating engine in a smart card is very complex and expensive. The present invention further allows a smaller implementation, since the proposed solution does not need a rating engine, and therefore its implementation on a smart card solution is smaller than the full-card one.

[0058] In comparison to full-network solutions, wherein access to the service is directly controlled from the network according of the value of the funds, which requires high integration between the network component and the billing system in order for example to be able to cut a call when there is no more funds, the present method is much more cost effective. Indeed, in full- network solutions, when platforms such as CAMEL platform or switching services are used, such systems being very expensive in comparison to the proposed solution.

[0059] In comparison to the advice of charge described hereinabove, wherein the rating is provided directly by the network through e- parameters, the present method allows the rating to be provided by an external billing and rating engine, without relying on a specific mechanism of the network. Also the advice of charge is limited to the control of the voice service only, whereas the present method may be applied to any wireless services.

[0060] Therefore, the present invention provides a system, an application and a method allowing access to services on a network (voice, SMS for short message service, data...), which are available through prepaid subscription or through a restricted access for example, to be controlled by an application running on a mobile station such as a mobile equipment, a smart card for example, and where the rating of the service is managed by a billing system, which is external to the mobile station. [0061] Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of embodiments thereof, it may be modified, without departing from the nature and teachings thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A system for monitoring access to a mobile service by an end-user, comprising: a mobile station; an application local to said mobile station; and a rating and billing engine communicating with said application and external to said mobile station; wherein said application controls access to the mobile service in said mobile station, and said rating and billing engine holds funds and rates the service.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said application is able to pre-authorize, based on offline information, the end-user to access the mobile service.

3. The system according to anyone of claims 1 to 2, wherein said rating and billing engine is in a 2-ways communication with said application through a wireless channel.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said channel is selected in the group comprising SMS, GPRS and USSD.

5. The system according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein said application is triggered by an attempt of the user to access the service.

6. The system according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein said mobile station is selected in the group comprising a mobile equipment, a smart card and components attached to a mobile equipment.

7. The system according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein said mobile station is carried by the end -user.

8. The system according claim 6, wherein said mobile station belongs to a technology selected in the group comprising GSM, CDMA, TDMA, iDEN and MTS.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein said application is able to pre-authorize the end-user to access the mobile service, based on offline information selected in the group comprising rules related to a type of service, location, means used to communicate with said biling and rating engine, history of accesses and end-user profile.

10. A method for monitoring access to a mobile service by a mobile station to a user wherein when the user tries to access the service, a service control application on the mobile station sends a billing engine information associated with the requested service so that the billing engine calculates a rate and a maximum service value, which is then sent back to the service control application, which grants access to the service, the billing engine being external to the mobile station.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the service control application is able to pre-authorize, based on offline information, the user to access the service.

12. The method according to any of claims 10 and 11 , wherein the service control application sends the billing engine a status of consumption by the user when the service ends, so that the billing engine update funds accordingly.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the service control application, upon receiving the maximum service value from the billing engine, reassesses the pre-authorization.

14. A method for monitoring access to mobile services by a mobile station to a user, comprising the steps of: providing a service control application local to the mobile station; providing an engine communicating with the service control application; controlling access to the services by the service control application; and rating and billing the services by the engine; wherein the engine is external to the mobile station.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of controlling access to the services by the service control application comprises pre-authorizing access to the services.

16. The method according to anyone of claims 14 and 15, wherein said step of rating and billing the services by the engine comprises calculating by the billing engine a rate and a maximum service value.

17. The method according to anyone of claims 14 to 16, wherein said step of controlling access to a service by the service control application comprises: receiving a request for access from the user, by the service control application; communicating service information by the application service information to the billing engine; receiving from the billing engine the rate and the maximum service value; and providing the service.

18. The method according to anyone of claim 16 , wherein said step of calculating by the billing engine a rate and a maximum service value comprises: receiving from the service control application service information; calculating, based on the service information, a rate and a maximum service value; and sending the maximum service value to the service control application.

19. An application residing a smart card, which is part of a mobile station, said application controlling incoming and outgoing calls, and communicating, for each call, with a system external to the mobile station to submit information regarding the call and get in return information regarding a maximum duration of the call, and further communicating with the system external to the mobile station to send information regarding a terminated call, and getting in return administrative information.

20. The application according to claim 19, further authorizing temporarily a connection of the call based on information stored locally, without storing a value of available funds locally.

21. An application residing on a smart card, which is part of a mobile station, said application controlling SMS, by controlling access by a user to new incoming SMS and by controlling an ability of the user to send SMS; communicating with an system external to the mobile station to submit information regarding the SMS to be sent; and further getting back a characterized authorization.

22. The application according to claim 21, further temporarily authorizing a sending of an outgoing SMS and a reading of an incoming SMS, based on information stored locally, without storing a value of available funds locally.

23. The application according to anyone of claims 19 to 22, further ensuring an integrity and an authenticity of data transmitted back and forth.