公开(公告)号：US06338046B1

公开(公告)日：2002-01-08

申请号：US08944390

申请日：1997-10-06

申请人： Jarmo Ilkka Saari ,  Timo Ilmari Taskinen ,  Matti Kalevi Kilkki

发明人： Jarmo Ilkka Saari ,  Timo Ilmari Taskinen ,  Matti Kalevi Kilkki

IPC分类号： G06F1760

CPC分类号： H04M15/41 ,  G06Q30/0283 ,  G06Q30/04 ,  H04L12/14 ,  H04L12/1428 ,  H04L12/1439 ,  H04L12/1485 ,  H04M2215/0164

摘要： A system and method for determining charges for use of network service connections. The network includes nodes which facilitate the transfer of information between source and destination locations. When a connection is established with a node, a billing cell is transmitted to the node over the connection which contains billing and connection information. Data cells are transmitted over the same connection subsequent to the billing cell. A terminate billing cell or conventional means may be used to drop the connection when the connection is no longer needed. The node computes the cost of using the connection based on the billing and connection information copied from the billing cell, and may also consider the connection time and the amount of data transferred over the connection. Upon establishing a subsequent connection with another node, the previous node transmits the billing cell to the new node which copies the billing cell content and, after receiving the data cells over the new connection, performs similar connection usage computations. This process is repeated by each of the nodes involved in the transfer of information between the source and destination. The nodes transmit their respective charging information to a network billing system which generates a final bill that is forwarded to the user. The billing cell may be transmitted from the destination back to the source to verify proper operation of the billing procedure. Fixed rate and variable rate billing schemes may be implemented and augmented as needed by each network operator.

摘要翻译： 一种用于确定网络服务连接使用费用的系统和方法。 该网络包括便于在源和目的地位置之间传送信息的节点。 当与节点建立连接时，通过包含计费和连接信息的连接将结算单元发送到节点。 数据单元在结算单元之后的相同连接上传输。 当不再需要连接时，可以使用终止计费单元或常规装置来丢弃连接。 节点根据从计费单元复制的计费和连接信息计算使用连接的成本，并且还可以考虑通过连接传输的连接时间和数据量。 在建立与另一节点的后续连接之后，先前节点将计费单元发送到复制计费单元内容的新节点，并且在通过新连接接收到数据单元之后，执行类似的连接使用计算。 这个过程由源和目的地之间的信息传递所涉及的每个节点重复。 节点将它们各自的计费信息发送到生成转发给用户的最终账单的网络计费系统。 计费单元可以从目的地返回到源以验证计费过程的正确操作。 固定速率和可变速率计费方案可以根据每个网络运营商的需要来实现和扩充。