Management Apparatus for Multi-Carrier QoS Control and Fee Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of procedures for Quality of Service (QoS) usage and payment across multiple carriers in networks, where each carrier has different fee systems and charge mechanisms, leads to cumbersome processes for application providers managing QoS control across various networks.
Innovation Solution
A management apparatus that communicates with terminal devices connected to multiple networks, acquiring control requests and terminal information to execute QoS control and charges fees based on fee information from each network, simplifying the process by acting as an intermediary between application providers and carriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an application program requests QoS control from multiple carriers directly, then QoS control can be executed across multiple networks, but the procedures for QoS usage become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management apparatus as an intermediary between the terminal apparatus and multiple carriers. The management apparatus receives QoS control requests from the terminal, determines appropriate carriers based on terminal information, and executes the control requests on behalf of the terminal. This mediator approach allows QoS control across multiple networks while keeping the terminal's procedures simple and unified.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an application provider carries out QoS usage procedures for multiple carriers, then QoS control can be implemented across different networks, but the procedures become cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The management apparatus performs self-service by autonomously determining which carriers should receive QoS control requests based on terminal information, and automatically executing the control procedures with each carrier. This eliminates the need for the application provider to manually manage complex procedures with multiple carriers, as the system handles these operations autonomously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If each carrier has different fee systems for QoS control, then carriers can manage their own pricing, but the payment process becomes complex for application providers
Solution Approach 1:
The management apparatus serves as an intermediary that handles payment coordination between the terminal apparatus and multiple carriers with different fee systems. It receives fee information from each carrier, determines the appropriate fee based on terminal information, and manages the payment process centrally, simplifying the payment procedures for the application provider while maintaining carrier independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A management apparatus includes: a quality manager configured to: acquire (i) a control request for requesting control of quality of communication, the communication being executed when an application program installed in the terminal apparatus is executed, and (ii) terminal information related to the terminal apparatus; and based on the control request and the terminal information, execute a control process causing at least one of the one or more networks to execute the control of quality; and a charge manager configured to: acquire, from each of the plurality of networks, fee information showing a usage fee of the control of quality; and charge a fee based on the fee information to an application provider providing the application program to the terminal apparatus.