JP2000078196A - IP network billing method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] In an IP communication network, by recording information of resource reservation, it is possible to perform charging for a flow (resource path between sender and receiver) in which resources are reserved. An IP communication network is composed of communication parties (10a, b), a communication network and a communication service provider (11). Is transmitted to the communication network. The resource securing control packet 15 includes accounting information 16 necessary for calculating the usage fee. Communication nodes 13a, b, c and communication partner 1
0b includes a resource securing determination function. These functions, upon receiving the resource securing control packet 15, refer to the billing information 16 to determine whether or not the billable person can be agreed upon. Continue the securing process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is to secure resources such as a communication band of a communication path and a buffer in a communication node in an IP (Internet Protocol) network.
The present invention relates to an IP network charging system for ensuring or improving communication quality.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an IP network, as an existing communication system for ensuring or improving communication quality by securing resources of a communication path, for example, RSVP (IEEE N
etwork, Sept. 1993), ST2 (IETF
There is a method for securing resources using a resource reservation protocol such as RFC1819). Here, RSVP (Resource
Reservation Protocol) is IP
A protocol for managing a transmission band of a specific communication channel between routers used in a network. The protocol is implemented in an application on a terminal and a router to secure the band. That is, when a terminal application requests the router to reserve a certain transmission band, the router secures a band for the application according to the network condition. In these resource reservation protocols, prior to or during the use of resources, the amount of resources required or the required communication characteristic value is notified to the network by a control packet, and the required amount of resources is secured. This is a method in which a communication party performs communication using resources.

[0003]

However, such a conventional resource reservation protocol has the following problems. First, the conventional method for securing resources using the resource reservation protocol includes a function of exchanging information regarding payment of fees for resources secured between a communication party and a communication service provider when using resources. Therefore, it has not been possible to realize a usage form in which the communication service provider requests a fee based on the amount of resources secured for the communication user. Second, as described above, since the communication function does not include a function for exchanging information on payment of resources related to resources secured between the communicator and the communication service provider, when the communicator secures resources, The sender, the receiver, the communication service provider, or the communication service provider and the communication service provider designated free of charge, etc., agreed on the conditions and could not secure resources.

[0004] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve these conventional problems, and to charge for flows for which resources have been secured in an IP communication network that guarantees or improves communication quality by securing resources of the communication network. In other words, it is an object of the present invention to provide an IP network charging system that realizes a usage mode of requesting a fee based on the amount of resources secured for a communication user. Further, another object of the present invention is to agree on conditions between a communication service provider and a transmission receiver or the like, and secure resources, that is, the communication party selects a chargeable person when securing resources, It is an object of the present invention to provide an IP network charging system in which a communication person and a communication service provider can judge whether to secure resources on the basis of the information.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, in the IP network charging system of the present invention, in an IP communication network in which the communication quality is guaranteed or improved by securing the resources of the communication network, the resources of the communication network are secured. The charging information is held in the control packet to be performed, and when resources are secured, charging is performed according to the charging information. Thereby, when the communication resource is provided to the communication party, the charge for the communication party can be calculated based on the charging information included in the resource securing control packet. Further, when the charge information of the control packet includes chargeable person information, and the communication service provider and the communication partner receive the information, resources are secured and charging is performed, and the communication service provider is charged. Alternatively, if the communication partner rejects the information, no resource is secured and no billing is performed. This allows the communicator to select the person to be charged when allocating resources, and the communicator and the communication service provider to judge whether to secure resources on the basis of the information, and as a result, the communication partner such as a collect call in the telephone service can be determined. It is possible to realize a service that bears a communication fee or a service that has a communication service provider such as a toll-free number that bears the communication fee, that is, a service that has various charging forms such as a free service.

[0006] Also, each element value of the flow for which the above resources have been secured, that is, the resource securing duration (t), the resource securing amount (v), the physical distance of the flow or the logical distance in the network (d1), the communication Considering the physical distance (d2) in the physical or network, the usage fee (C) is determined by a function C = (t, v, d1, d2) using each of the above elements. This allows the communication service provider to calculate the communication fee charged to the communication party. Further, in the case where the above-mentioned flow for securing resources is a multicast flow for transmitting information of one sender to a plurality of receivers, a history of participation of the receiver who executes participation / withdrawal at an arbitrary time is recorded. Then, the usage fee of each recipient is determined. This allows multiple communicators to join and leave at any time to accurately record the history of resources secured by the constantly changing multicast flow,
Can be charged. In the present invention, a communication path between a transmitter and a receiver for which resources have been secured in a communication method is referred to as a flow.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a basic explanatory diagram of an IP network charging system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an IP communication network that guarantees or improves communication quality by securing resources of the communication network includes communication parties 10a and 10b, a communication network and a communication service provider 11. Here, the communication network and the communication service provider 11 are constituted by communication links 12a, b, c, d and communication nodes 13a, b, c. In order to secure resources of the communication network in the flow 14 between the communicating parties 10a and 10b, the communicating party 10a transmits a resource securing control packet 15 requesting securing of the communication resources to the communication network. In the resource securing control packet 15, in return for allocating communication resources to the flow 14,
The accounting information 16 necessary for calculating the usage fee required by the communication service provider for the communication parties 10a and 10b is included. When the communication network receives the resource reservation control packet 15 and the required amount of resources exists in the communication network, the communication network 12 secures the requested resource in the communication link 12 and the communication node 13 on the path of the flow 14 and sends it to the communication party. provide.

FIG. 2 shows an IP according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a network charging method. In the IP network charging system shown in FIG. 2, the communication nodes 13a, 13b and 13c and the communication partner 10 each include a resource securing judgment function. When the communication nodes 13a, 13b, 13c in the communication network receive the resource securing control packet 15, the resource securing judging function can agree on the billing party by referring to the billing party information in the resource securing packet 15. Is determined. If the judgment can be agreed and the required resource amount exists, the resource is secured and the resource securing process is continued. On the other hand, if no agreement is possible in the above determination, or if there is not a sufficient amount of resources, the resource securing requested by the resource securing control packet 15 is rejected. Similarly, when the communication partner 10a or 10b receives the resource securing control packet 15, the resource securing judging function refers to the billing person information in the resource securing control packet 15 and can agree on the billing person. It is determined whether or not there is. If the decision can be agreed and the required amount of resources exists, reserve resources. On the other hand, if it is not possible to agree on the determination, or if there is not a sufficient amount of resources, the resource reservation requested by the resource reservation control packet 15 is rejected.

In FIG. 2, a resource securing control packet 15
Includes billing target information 17 as billing information. The chargeable party information 17 includes the communicator 10a that has specifically started the resource securing control, the communicator 10b of the communication partner, and the communication service provider 11. Communication node 13
The resources a, b, c and the communication partner 10b include resource securing judgment functions 18a to 18d, respectively. The communication nodes 13a, 13b, 13c in the communication network
Is received, the resource securing determination function 18 refers to the billing party information 17 in the resource securing control packet 15 to determine whether or not the billing party can be agreed. If this determination can be agreed and the required resource amount exists, the resource is secured and the resource securing process is continued.
On the other hand, if no agreement is possible in this determination, or if there is not a sufficient amount of resources, the resource securing requested by the resource securing control packet 15 is rejected. Similarly, when the communication partner 10b receives the resource securing control packet 15, the resource securing judging function 18d refers to the billing party information 17 in the resource securing control packet 15 and agrees on the billing party. It is determined whether or not it is possible. If this judgment can be agreed and the required amount of resources exists, resources are reserved. On the other hand, if an agreement is not possible in this determination, or if there is not a sufficient amount of resources, the resource securing requested by the resource securing control packet 15 is rejected.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the resource securing control in the communication node and the communication partner of FIG. The communication nodes 12a, b, and c and the communication partner 10b communicate with each other when the communication node
Received (step 101), the resource securing judgment function 1
8 refers to the chargeable party information in the resource securing packet and determines whether or not agreement is possible (step 102), and if so, determines whether or not there is a sufficient amount of resources. (Step 103). If both of these judgments can be agreed upon and sufficient, the resource securing process is continued (step 104). If both of these decisions cannot be agreed upon and do not sufficiently exist, the requested resource reservation is rejected (step 105).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the communication node in FIG. The communication node 13 has the communication link 1
2, a resource management unit 21, a resource securing judgment unit 22,
The charging information recording unit 23 includes a communication node resource 24. The resource management unit 21 manages the communication link 12 to be managed by the communication node 13 and the communication resources in the communication node 13. It manages the total amount of communication resources secured for each flow and the total amount of resources in the communication link and communication node, and determines whether the resources requested by the new resource securing packet can be secured. Upon receiving the resource securing control packet 15, the resource securing determining unit 22 refers to the billing person information 17 in the resource securing control packet 15 and determines whether the billing person can be agreed upon. Judge. For example, if the person to be charged is a telecommunications party, they agree, and if the person to be charged is a communication service provider,
A determination is made as to whether the request has been granted and whether to agree or reject. The charging information recording unit 23 has a function of recording and holding information for charging when the communication node allocates a communication resource. Examples of the recording information include a charging target, a resource securing continuation time, a resource securing start time,
The resource securing end time, the secured resource amount, and the like.

The resources 24 within the communication node are resources within the communication node necessary for realizing the required communication quality, and correspond to, for example, buffers and switch ports. Resource securing determining unit 22 and charging information recording unit 23
Need not necessarily be included in all communication nodes in the communication network, and can be intensively processed in one or more communication nodes on the flow path. For example, a communication partner and a connected communication node 13a (generally called an "edge node", a "gateway node", or a "subscriber termination node") control resource securing and store information. Thus, the communication party can select a charging target when securing resources, and the communication party and the communication service provider can judge whether to secure resources on the basis of the information. As a result, for example, a service in which the communication partner bears the communication fee, such as a collect call in a telephone service, or a communication service provider, such as toll-free, bears the communication fee,
In other words, services having various charging forms, such as providing free services, can be realized.

FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart for securing resources in the communication node shown in FIG. When the communication node 13 receives the resource securing control packet (step 20).
1) The resource securing determination function refers to the billing target information in the resource securing control packet and determines whether or not agreement is possible. That is, when the person to be charged is a communication party (step 202), it is determined whether or not a sufficient amount of resources exists (step 205). More specifically, the resource management unit 21 manages the total amount of communication resources and the total amount of communication links and resources in the communication nodes secured for each flow, and determines whether the requested resource can be secured in the resource securing control packet. Judge. If there is a sufficient amount of resources, the resource securing process is continued (step 206). On the other hand, if the person to be charged is not a communication person, it is determined whether or not the person to be charged is a communication service provider (step 203). If not, the reservation of the requested resource is rejected (step 203). 20
7). If the chargeable person is a communication service provider, it is determined whether or not the request is permitted (step 204). If the request is permitted, there is a sufficient amount of resources. As long as the resource securing process is continued (steps 205 and 206). If it is not permitted, the requested resource is refused (step 20).
7).

FIG. 4 shows an IP according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
It is a functional block diagram of a network accounting system. In FIG.
A billing function 30 exists in the communication network.
Is composed of a charging information recording unit 31, a charge calculating unit 32, and a charging information collecting unit 33. Billing information recording unit 31
Is, for each flow for which network resources have been secured, the chargeable person, resource securing duration (t), resource securing amount (v), flow physical or network Of the logical distance (d1), the physical distance between the communicating parties or the logical distance (d2) in the network, or a part thereof. The fee calculation unit 32 calculates the usage fee by a function C = F (t, v, d using the above-described elements.
1, d2). The charging information collection unit 33 collects the charging information from the communication node 13 via the charging information communication unit 34. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication network and the communication service provider 11 have a charge processing function 30 in common. The charging information recording unit 31 collects each element of the charging information from the communication nodes 13a, 13b, and 13c via the charging information collecting unit 33, and records the information. The charge calculation unit 32
The usage fee (C) is determined by a function using the above elements t, v, d1, and d2. The charging processing function 30 may be realized in a specific or all communication nodes 13,
In this case, it becomes the same as FIG. The charging information communication means 34 is required between communication nodes required for collecting charging information, and is not necessarily required between all communication nodes. By using the configuration as shown in FIG. 4, the communication service provider can calculate the communication fee to be charged to the communication party.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the IP network charging method for the flow in which resources are reserved in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the resource securing process shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 is continued (step 301), information required for charging is collected by the charging information recording unit via the charging information collecting unit (step 302). Then, the fee calculation unit determines the usage fee by a function using the elements of the recording information (Step 303). That is, as described above, the usage charge C
Is determined by C = F (t, v, d1, d2).

FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a network charging system. In the IP network charging method according to the present embodiment, the communication node has a charging information recording function, and the charging information recording function records the participation history of the receiver who performs reference / leaving at an arbitrary time. For example, when a communicator participates in a multicast flow (broadcast communication), charging information such as a joining time, a leaving time, a reserved resource amount, and the like are recorded in a charging information recording function of a communication node at a branch point, and the information is recorded. Is charged based on. As a result, the communication service provider can accurately record the history of the resources secured in the multicast flow that changes from moment to moment when a plurality of carriers join and leave at an arbitrary time, and can charge based on this information. Will be possible.

In FIG. 5, the flow for securing resources is performed by transmitting information of one sender 10a to a plurality of receivers 10a.
Consider the case of a multicast flow 41 that broadcasts to b, c, d. The communication nodes 13a, 13b, 13c have charging information recording functions 40a. b. c, a charging information recording function 40
a. b. c records the participation history of the recipient who executes participation / withdrawal at an arbitrary time. For example, in FIG. 5, when the correspondent 10b finally participates in the multicast flow, the billing information, for example, the joining time, the leaving time, the reserved resource amount, and the like are recorded in the billing information recording function 40b in the connected communication node 13b of the correspondent 10b. And billing based on the information. As a result, it becomes possible to accurately record the history of the resources secured in the multicast flow that changes from moment to moment when a plurality of communicators join and leave at an arbitrary time, and perform charging. Billing information recording function 40
a. b. c need not necessarily be present in all communication nodes. For example, a configuration in which the above information is recorded only by the charging information recording function 40a of the connected communication node 13a of the communication party 10a, and when the communication party joins or leaves, the charging information is notified to the communication node 13a using a predetermined communication means. Is also possible.

FIG. 9 is an operation flowchart of the IP network charging system for the multicast flow in FIG. First, it is determined whether or not the flow is a multicast flow (step 401). If so, participation / withdrawal of the multicast flow corresponding to FIGS. 6 and 7 is recorded (step 402). On the other hand, if it is not a multicast flow, the ordinary unicast (single communication) IP network charging method shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7, or FIG. 8 is used (step 404). In addition, when recording the joining / leaving of the multicast flow, it is determined whether or not the connected communication node has a charging information recording function (step 403), and if it has the function, it is recorded in the charging information recording function (step 406). ).
If there is no function, the resource history (information necessary for charging) is notified to the other communication node (step 405), and is recorded in the charging information recording function in the other communication node (step 406). .

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an IP communication network that guarantees or improves the communication quality by securing resources of the communication network, it is possible to charge the flow for which the resources have been secured by recording the resource securing information, so that accurate accounting can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram of an IP network charging system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of an IP network charging system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an internal configuration diagram of a communication node in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of an IP network charging system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a functional configuration diagram of an IP network charging system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a resource securing control flowchart for a communication node and a communication partner of FIG. 2;

7 is an operation flowchart of securing resources in a communication node in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an IP network charging method for the flow in which resources are reserved in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 9 shows the I for the multicast flow in FIG.
It is a flowchart of a P network charging system.

[Explanation of symbols]

10a, b, c, d: communication person, 11: communication network and communication service provider, 12a, b, c, d: communication link, 1
3a, b, c: communication nodes, 14: flow (communication path between sender and receiver), 15: resource securing control packet, 16: billing information, 17: billing target information, 18a, b, c, d: resource securing Judgment function, 21: Resource management unit, 22: Resource securing judgment unit, 23: Charging information recording unit, 24: Resource in communication node, 31: Charging information recording unit, 32: Charge calculation unit, 33 ...
Billing information collecting unit, 34 ... billing information communication means, 40a,
b, c: charging information recording function, 12e, f: communication link of multicast flow.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Akihiro Tsutsui 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Takashi Yamashita 3- 19-2, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. Within Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Tanaka 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Atsushi Shionozaki 6-35, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Fumio Teraoka 6-7-35 Kita Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Jun Atsushi 6-35, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Soniー Inside (72) Inventor Kenji Fujisawa 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation

Claims (4)

[Claims] In an IP communication network for guaranteeing or improving communication quality by securing resources of a communication network, a communication party sends out a request for securing communication resources to the communication network, and calculates a usage fee. When receiving the resource securing control packet including the charging information necessary for receiving the resource securing control packet, it refers to the billing information in the resource securing control packet and determines whether or not the billing target can be agreed upon. , The decision can be agreed,
And a communication node and a resource securing judging means provided in the communication partner of the communicator, which secures the resource and continues the resource securing process when the required resource amount exists. IP network charging method. 2. The communication node, comprising: a resource management unit that manages a communication link to be managed by the communication node and a communication resource in the communication node; A resource securing determining unit that refers to the billing information in the packet and determines whether or not a consensus can be reached on the billing target; and billing information that records and retains billing information when the communication node allocates communication resources. 2. The IP network charging system according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit. 3. A charging information collecting unit for collecting information required for charging for each communication path for which network resources are secured, common to the communication nodes or for each communication node, and collected by the charging information collecting unit. A charging information recording unit for recording information required for charging, a resource securing duration (t), a resource securing amount (v), a physical or communication network of a communication path collected by the charging information collecting unit. Is determined by a function C = F (t, v, d1, d2) using each element of a logical distance (d1) in the above and a logical distance (d2) in a physical or communication network between communication parties. The IP network charging system according to claim 1, further comprising a charge calculating unit that performs the charging. 4. In a case where the communication path that secures resources is a multicast connection that transmits information of one sender to a plurality of receivers, the charging information recording unit performs a reception or a participation that executes joining or leaving at an arbitrary time. The user's participation history in the communication path is recorded, and the fee calculation unit determines a usage fee of each receiver based on the record of the participation history. 3. The IP network charging method according to any one of 3.