Mobile Call Setup Billing Separation via Service Authorization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile phone users with multiple SIM cards face challenges in being reachable under a single number across different communication terminals and in distinguishing between business and private calls for billing purposes, as existing solutions either require impractical SIM card swapping or exceed standard network limitations.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows a customer to use a special character to preselect a billing account for outgoing calls, leveraging the CAMEL protocol and service authorization to separate business and private calls, even if the actual subscriber profile does not have the necessary service authorization, by routing calls through a master SIM card with authorized service profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a customer uses multiple SIM cards with different subscriber identification numbers, then the customer can be reached on multiple communication terminals, but it becomes difficult to distinguish between business and private calls for separate billing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the billing process by introducing a special character (e.g., '*') that users can prepend to dialing numbers. This segmentation allows the same communication infrastructure to handle both unified reachability and separated billing by dividing the dialing sequence into a service indicator (special character) and the actual destination number. The network then processes these segmented calls differently for billing purposes while maintaining seamless connectivity.
2Measurement precision
If the network provides separate billing for business and private calls using multiple SIM cards, then billing accuracy improves, but the operation becomes impractical requiring SIM card swapping
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the billing classification function from the physical SIM card selection process. Instead of requiring users to swap SIM cards or manually select profiles, the special character prefix (*) extracts and isolates the billing intent from the dialing action itself. This allows a single SIM card to serve multiple billing purposes by embedding the classification indicator directly in the call setup sequence, eliminating the need for physical card manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary action by having users indicate their billing preference (business or private) at the moment of dialing through the special character prefix. This preliminary indication is captured before the call is established, allowing the network to pre-process the billing classification and route the call appropriately. The billing decision is made in advance during call setup rather than requiring post-call analysis or manual intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the network allows dialing special characters like '*' for service selection, then separate billing functionality is enabled, but this exceeds GSM standard limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an intermediary layer in the form of a service authorization mechanism that mediates between the user's dialing input and the network's billing processing. The special character (*) serves as an intermediary signal that triggers a service authorization check. The network verifies whether the subscriber profile associated with the SIM card has been authorized to use this supplementary service before allowing the special character dialing. This intermediary authorization layer enables extended functionality while maintaining standard compliance by operating within the existing GSM framework's service authorization mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The method involves requesting for the set-up of a mobile radio connection from a mobile communication terminal (MS1,MS2,MS3) using a subscriber identification number. A hotline is assigned to each subscriber identification number. A subscriber profile of the subscriber identification number, assigned on the call number, is not available on a service authorization. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) an arrangement for the handling of outgoing connections in a mobile network; (2) a method for billing of outgoing connections in a mobile network; and (3) an arrangement for billing of outgoing connections in a mobile network.