Patent ID: 6977999
Filing Date: 2005-12-20
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. In a telephone network wherein an IP telephone set connected to an IP network, and a public switching telephone set connected to an exchange can be interconnected through a media gateway which connects the IP network and the exchange; a reverse charging system comprising: a call agent which communicates information with an IP charging management apparatus for the IP telephone set, which communicates control signals with a public switching telephone network, and which performs a call control in connection with the IP network; and a reverse-charging service control apparatus which communicates information with a PSTN charging management apparatus for the public switching telephone set and with the IP charging management apparatus, and which communicates with said call agent and said exchange, thereby to perform a calling connection control of a reverse charging service; said call agent including: an IP-address storage unit in which an IP address of the media gateway for connecting with said exchange that accommodates the public switching telephone set of a called destination, or an IP address of the IP telephone set of a called destination is stored in correspondence with a called destination telephone number beforehand; a first time monitoring unit which monitors a talking time between the IP telephone set and the public switching telephone set; and a first fee calculation unit which calculates charging information on the basis of the talking time monitored by said first time monitoring unit, and an IP fee rate indicating a fee per predetermined time in the IP network, and/or a PSTN fee rate indicating a fee per predetermined time in the public switching telephone network, and which generates fee information that contains charged party information and the calculated charging information; said reverse-charging service control apparatus including: a reverse-charging-service-number storage unit in which the called destination telephone number and business company identification information of the called destination are stored in correspondence with reverse-charging service number for the reverse charging service beforehand; a second time monitoring unit which monitors a talking time between the IP telephone set and the public switching telephone set; and a second fee calculation unit which calculates charging information on the basis of the talking time monitored by said second time monitoring unit, and the IP fee rate and/or the PSTN fee rate, and which generates fee information that contains charged party information and the calculated charging information; wherein said call agent or said exchange detects corresponding call origination from the IP telephone set or the public switching telephone set respectively, receives the reverse-charging service number, and transmits the received reverse-charging service number to said reverse-charging service control apparatus; said reverse-charging service control apparatus receives the reverse-charging service number, and acquires the called destination telephone number and the business company identification information of the called destination as correspond to the received reverse-charging service number, with reference to said reverse-charging-service-number storage unit; said reverse-charging service control apparatus sends the acquired called-destination telephone number and/or the acquired business-company identification information of the called destination to said call agent or said exchange in reply; said call agent receives the called destination telephone number from said reverse-charging service control apparatus or said exchange, acquires the IP address corresponding to the received called-destination telephone number with reference to said IP-address storage unit, and connects the IP telephone set and the public switching telephone set on the basis of the acquired IP address; said reverse-charging service control apparatus causes said exchange that accommodates the public switching telephone set, to stop charging; said first fee calculation unit of said call agent and said second fee calculation unit of said reverse-charging service control apparatus calculate the charging information on the basis of the talking times monitored by the first and second time monitoring units, and the IP fee rate and/or the PSTN fee rate, respectively; and said first fee calculation unit of said call agent and said second fee calculation unit of said reverse-charging service control apparatus generate the fee information by setting the charged party information so that a sum of fees in the IP network and the public switching telephone network may be charged to the called destination telephone number, transmits the generated fee information to the IP charging management apparatus or the PSTN charging management apparatus on a called destination side, and, they generate the fee information by setting the charged party information so that a fee in the network on a call origination side may be charged to a business company of the business company identification information of the called destination, transmits the generated fee information to said IP charging management apparatus or said PSTN charging management apparatus on the call origination side.