MXPA00011313A - Intelligent network and packet data network interoperability - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for creating an interface (23) between a packet-switched network (16) and an IN, which is based on an interface between an associated circuit-switched network and an IN/CAMEL service (120). Meanwhile, the CAMEL application can also provide IN services to mobile subscribers (12) while they are roaming in other networks (e.g., international roaming).

Description

INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN INTELLIGENT NETWORK AND DATA NETWORK IN PACKAGES • CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims the priority benefit of the co-pending US provisional patent application Serial No. 60 / 086,280, filed on May 21, 1998, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. . BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION • 10 TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention refers, in general terms, to the field of telephony and, more specifically, to a method and system for achieving interoperability between an intelligent network (IN) and a network of data in packages (PDN). 15 DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNIQUE Packet switched communication standards have been specified for cellular telecommunication systems • digital in both Europe and Japan. For example, standards for the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) have been specified for the Pan-European Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the Personal Digital Packet System (PPDC) by the Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Company ( NTTC) in Japan, and standards switched packets are being specified for the International Mobile Telecommunications System - 2000 (IMT-2000). These packet switched communication systems in the development process are considered more efficient than conventional circuit switched communication systems for transferring information such as audio, video and data in a mobile radio system environment. While it is true that the efficiency is probably higher for switched voice in circuit, the efficiency is higher for packets in the same coding used for data switched in circuits. However, it is considered that in the initial years of operation, packet switched communication systems will be used primarily to access and transfer data on the Intranet (for example, local company networks) and the Internet (for example, World Wide Web or well WWW), while conventional circuit-switched systems will continue to provide traditional bearer services (eg, voice calls). For some time, mobile communication network operators (network operator IMT-2000, PDC and GSM) have received certain value-added services such as, for example, the new service of IN / Adapted Applications for Mobile Network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) CAMEL is a feature in the GSM Standard that integrates support for specific IN services for operators in the GSM architecture.

Essentially, CAMEL services are placed on traffic switched by GSM circuit (for example, voice calls). However, a problem that exists is that there is currently no capacity to place these value-added services on packet switched traffic. The main reason for this problem is that its capacity is expected to be provided by the Intranet operator or by the Internet service provider (ISP), and not as part of the value-added service (for example, IN / CAMEL) same. Currently, it is not being promulgated in international standards for an interface between IN and a packet switched network, and as mentioned above, there is no known solution to the problem of how to provide value-added services. (for example, CAMEL) for packet switched communication. As such, there is an immediate problem for mobile communication network operators that are currently providing IN services such as the popular prepaid services offered for mobile subscriber circuit switched calls (e.g., voice call and G3 fax calls) . Such prepaid IIN services monitor the past time of the circuit switched call for a mobile subscriber, and translates this time into charges that are billed to the subscriber in relation to the time of communication used. However, there is currently no method or system available that allows a prepaid IN service application to monitor the communication time spent for a subscriber that uses packet switched communication. • Therefore, there is an urgent need for a PDN / IN interface and an interoperability that allows services such as IN / CAMEL to be placed in packet switched traffic as a complement to the conventional value added services of Intranet type and Internet. As described in detail below, this The invention successfully meets this need and solves these problems as well as other related problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method and system for creating a interface between a packet switched network and an IN, which is based on an interface between a circuit switched network and an IN / CAMEL service. Meanwhile, the CAMEL application • can also provide IN services to mobile subscribers when they are moving between other networks (for example, international displacement). An important technical advantage of the present invention is that mobile network operators offering IN / CAMEL services to offer a prepaid subscription to mobile users cover traditional voice calls and also use of Intranet and Internet through a packet switched communication standard. Another important technical advantage of the present invention is that a mobile circuit switched and packet switched communication user can subscribe to a network operator to provide a prepaid service and pay in advance only once for the subscription. The network will subtract payments from the user's account for both circuit switched traffic and packet switched traffic. Another important technical advantage of the present invention is that a viable interface and interoperability between a packet data node and an IN / CAMEL node is provided, which can be used to place the CAMEL services in packet communication as a service complement to the Value-added services Intranet and Internet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more thorough understanding of the method and apparatus of the present invention can be obtained with reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a a system that can be used to connect an IN / CAMEL service with a mobile packet data communication session, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2A and 2B are related block diagrams showing additional parts of the system illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the illustrated system • in Figures 1 and 2 in an exemplary scenario where the end user is communicating through parallel connections, such as a circuit-switched connection and a packet-switched connection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The preferred embodiment of the present invention and its advantages are better understood with reference to Figures 1-3. • 10 of the drawings, wherein numerous similar ones are used for similar and corresponding parts of the various drawings. Essentially, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method and system for creating an interface between a switching network of packets and an intelligent network, which is based on an interface between an associated circuit-switched network and an associated IN / CAMEL service. Meanwhile, the application • CAMEL can also offer intelligent network services to mobile subscribers while they are moving in other networks (for example, international travel). Specifically, Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system 1 that can be used for the connection of an IN / CAMEL service with a mobile packet data communication session, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, a mobile telephone 12 can register or initially connect to a packet network through a radio network control (RNC) 14.

• The receiver packet data communication node (for example, known as the service GPRS Support Node or 5 well SGSN) in the service network interrogates the End User Location Address (HRL) 18 for a certain subscription and security information expected to be returned by the HLR. In response, the HLR 18 offers this information (for example, authentication keys, etc.) to the • 10 SGSN 16. For this modality, this HLR information may also include a Service Key with the address of an IN / CAMEL service application in an intelligent network service control (SCF) function involved (described with greater details below), which allows the CAMEL service enters the packet communication session. In accordance with the GSM Technical Specification for CAMEL stage 2: GSM TS 03.78 (version 6.1.1, 1997), the Service Key can identify the IN SCF of the CAMEL service logic to be applied. It is useful to note that in the future an ISP may assume some or all of the functions of an HLR. However, the replacement of an ISP for the HLR in the future should not have any noticeable effect on the scope of the present invention. As such, the interface 22 between the SGSN 16 and the HLR 18 can be, for For example, an interface of Signaling System 7 (SS7) or an interface based on an Internet Protocol (IP). For example, the information can be transported in the interface SS7 in a message using a protocol of Part of Mobile Application '(MAP) or an INAP protocol. With reference to the block diagram illustrated in Figure 2A, the exemplary system 10 also includes the IN / CAMEL network SCF 20 that can be employed to implement the present invention. For example, in accordance with the CAMEL specification, a GSM SCF (IN / CAMEL) is a functional entity which contains the CAMEL service logic used to implement an Operator Specific Service (OSS). Likewise, in accordance with the CAMEL specification, the SCF (IN / CAMEL) can be connected with an HLR (18), a GSM service switching function (SSF), and a function of Specialized Resource (SRF) of GSM using a MAP or CAMEL AP protocol (CAP). When a mobile telephone (12) activates a packet data communication session (e.g., immediately or sometimes after registration or connection), the SGSN 16 sends a signal related to CAMEL the SCF 20 of IN / CAMEL. As such, the SGSN 16 has previously determined the identity of the IN / CAMEL network during the initial registration or connection phase described above. The signal related to CAMEL received in SCF 20 informs the IN / CAMEL network that a The packet data session is about to be established before proceeding with the packet data connection phase. The main reason for this notice is to preserve the ability to connect, for example, in the case in which the prepaid subscriber service does not allow additional communications of 5 packet data. With reference to the block diagram shown in Figure 2A, the signal related to CAMEL sent from SGSN 16 to SCF 20 can be implemented as part of an existing message (for example, "provide data • 10 initials "or an Initial Detection Point message (DP) in accordance with the CAMEL protocol or as a new message. In accordance with the CAMEL specification (paragraph 9. 1.5.2), an Initial DP message contains certain information elements (IEs) including a Service Code. As described above, the Service Code can be used to focus on the correct CAMEL service application (s) within the SCF (20). • In response, the IN / CAMEL 23 SCF can return information to SGSN 16 in a "apply charges" message. From In accordance with the CAMEL specification (paragraph 9.2.2), a Apply Charges message is an information flow (IF) that is used to interact from GSM SCF with GSM SCF charging mechanisms in order to control the duration of a call. As such, the SCF 20 can employ an Application Fee IF to instruct the SGSN 16 as to how it should work in relation to the end user and / or SCF 20. For this modality, the SCF 20 sends an IF to apply charges to the SGSN 16, which provides information regarding the number of bytes of packet data that the end user can transmit. For example, SCF 20 can send an IF Apply Charges to SGSN 16 with an IE that includes the value "1024,000,000". This information can be interpreted by SGSN 16 as meaning that the SGSN should clear the packet connection when 1024 Mbits have been transmitted to the end user / from the end user from the packet data network / to the packet network. package data. For this mode, the interface 23 between the SGSN 16 and the SCF 20 can be, for example, an interface based on IP or SS7 (MAP or CAP). With reference to the block diagram illustrated in Figure 2B, in the case in which the end user clears the packet data session (by implicit or explicit deactivation) before exceeding the maximum bit limit (for example, 1024 Mbit) , the SGSN 16 may send an IN / CAMEL message (eg, "Cargo Application Report" IF) to the SCF 20 in combination with a packet communication session debugging procedure. In accordance with the CAMEL specification (paragraph 9.1.2), an Application Fee Reporting IF may be used by the GSM SSF to report to the GSM SCF information requested in an Application Charge IF. For this modality, the IF of Application of Charges Report can be used by the SGSN 16 for • that the SCF 20 knows how many bits were transmitted during the packet communications session. For example, an IE in the Application Fee Reporting IF may include the value "7,000,000" to represent the number of bits that were transmitted to the end user / end user during the previous packet data session. The SCF 20 can then subtract the number of "used" bits in the previous session from the maximum number of bits available for use, in order to determine a new value that represents the maximum number of bits that can be used for the next packet session (for example 7,000,000 bits subtracted of the previous maximum of 1024,000,000 = 324,000,000 bits). Alternatively, said Application Fee Reporting IF may be employed by the SGSN 16 to allow the SCF 20 to know a new maximum number of bits available for transmission. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the system 10 in an exemplary scenario where the end user is communicating through parallel connections such as a circuit-switched connection (eg, voice call) and a connection switching packages (for example, simultaneous use of email).

In this case, the IN / CAMEL part of the network must instruct the SGSN 16 to report back to the IN / CAMEL part of the network when it has passed a specified number of • bits through both connections (for example, 100,000,000 5 bits). This instruction is provided in such a way that the IN / CAMEL part of the network can offer, for example, the circuit switching connection with less voice time during a period when more bits are being transmitted in the packet switching connection. Therefore, This means that the upper limit of bits allowed for use in the packet session will decrease as the circuit switching session is connected for a longer period of time. As such, during the packet data session, the IN / CAMEL part of the network must to allow the SGSN 16 to know the new value that represents the maximum number of bits that can be allowed for transmission. For example, if 50,000 bits have passed in the two connections since the last 100,000,000 bit report, the SGSN 16 preferably subtracts these 50,000 bits of a new upper limit received. In addition, if required, the SCF 20 can order (for example, in an Application Fee IF) the SGSN 16 to report (for example, in an Application Fee Reporting FI) each time they have passed, for example, 100,000 bits. In summary, as described Above, the present invention advantageously offers a viable interface and interoperability between a packet data node (e.g., SGSN) and an IN / CAMEL node (e.g., SCF), which can be used to cover services • CAMEL or packet communications, as a service complement to the value-added services of Intranet and Internet. Even though a preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and even though said preferred embodiment has been described in FIG.

In the above-mentioned Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed modality, but may present numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims. fifteen • twenty

Claims (24)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for establishing an interface between an intelligent network (18, 20) and a packet data network (16, 14, • 12), comprising the steps of: 5 registering in said packet data network; a receiving node (16) in said packet data network requests registration information from a database (18, 20) associated with said packet data network; and • said database returns to said receiving node said registration information and service information associated with said intelligent network, said service information includes an address of a CAMEL application in a service control function of said network. 15 smart. The method according to claim 1, wherein said registration step is initiated by a mobile telephone (12). The method according to claim 1 or 20 according to claim 2, wherein said database comprises a home location register. The method according to claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein said receiving node comprises a service GPRS support node. 5. The method according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said service information comprises an IN / CAMEL service key. 6. A method for establishing an interface between an intelligent network (18) and a packet data network (16, 14, 12), comprising the steps of: activating a communication session in said packet data network; a node (16) in said packet data network that sends a warning signal to a node (18, 20) in said intelligent network, said warning signal identifies said communication session with said intelligent network, said warning signal comprises the sending of initial data to a service and where said initial data includes a service key; and said node in said intelligent network sends a control signal to said node in said packet data network, said control signal includes information to limit the duration of said communication session in said packet data network. The method according to claim 6, wherein said node in said packet data network comprises a service pack node (16). The method according to claim 6, wherein said node in said intelligent network comprises a service control function (20). 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said control signal comprises a request for a service to apply pre-paid charge limits to a call. • The method according to claim 6, wherein said control signal includes a maximum value of packet data for transmission. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of: in the case in which said duration of said session of • 10. communication is limited to a value less than said maximum value of packet data for transmission, said node in said packet data network sends a second signal to said node in said intelligent network, said second signal includes information associated with said duration; and said node in said intelligent network uses said duration information to determine a new value • maximum packet data for transmission. The method according to claim 6, wherein said packet data network sends bit-range information to said intelligent network when a specific amount of data has been transmitted, said bit-range information is used by said network. Smart to determine a new maximum value of packet 25 data for transmission. 13. A system for establishing an interface between an intelligent network (18, 20) and a packet data network (12, 14, 16), comprising: a device for registering a mobile telephone (12) in said packet data network (14, 16); a receiving node (16) in said packet data network, said receiving node includes a means for requesting registration information from said smart network; and a database (20) in said packet data network, said database includes a device for sending to said receiver node said registration information and service information associated with said smart network, said service information includes an address of a CAMEL application in a service control function of said intelligent network. The system according to claim 13, wherein said database comprises a home location register. 15. The system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said receiving node comprises a service pack node. 16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said service information comprises an IN / CAMEL service key. 17. A system for establishing an interface between an intelligent network (18) and a packet data network (12, 14, 16), comprising: • a device for activating a communication session 5 in said packet data network; a node in said intelligent network (18); and a node in said packet data network (16), said node in said packet data network includes a device for sending a warning signal to said node • 10 in said intelligent network, said warning signal identifies said communication session to said intelligent network, and said node in said intelligent network includes a device for sending a control signal to said node in said packet data network, said The control signal includes information to limit the duration of said communication session in said packet data network and a maximum value of packet data for transmission. 18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said node in said packet data network comprises a service pack node. 19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said node in said intelligent network comprises a service control function. 20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said warning signal comprises sending initial data to a service. 21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said initial data includes a service key. 22. The system according to claim 17, wherein said control signal comprises a request from a service to apply pre-paid charge limits to a call. The system according to claim 17, further comprising: said node in said packet data network including a device for sending a clear session signal to said node in said smart network if said duration of said communication session is limited to a value less than said maximum value of packet data for transmission, said clear session signal includes information associated with said duration, and a device for employing said duration information to determine a new maximum value of packet data for transmission . The system according to claim 17, wherein said packet data network includes a device for sending bit interval information to said smart network when a specific amount of data has been transmitted, and said smart network includes a device for determining a new maximum value of packet data for transmission using said bit interval information.