Patent ID: 6263058
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of providing charge information (CP) to a subscriber (A) of a telecommunications network (TKN) formed by subnetworks (SN1 to SN3) associated with different network operators (OP1 to OP3), characterized in that during the establishment of a call from said subscriber as a calling subscriber (A) to a called subscriber (B), a service control unit (SCP) is triggered, that the service control unit (SCP) selects from a plurality of network operators (OP1 to OP3), to whose tariff model data it has access, one (OP2) or more network operators who provide a service for the call, that the service control unit (SCP) calculates a tariff for the call based on the tariff model data of the selected network operator (OP2) or the selected network operators and on data about the calling subscriber (A) and the called subscriber (B), and that the service control unit (SCP) sends a signaling message (SM) including a tariff identification assigned to the tariff to the terminal exchange (SUBSW) of the calling subscriber (A), which sends to the calling subscriber (A) charge information (CP) in accordance with the tariff identification received from the service control unit (SCP),wherein a service management unit (SMP) determines, from transmitted tariff model data, a tariff model mapping matrix which maps network-operator-specific tariffs of the plurality of network operators (OP1 to OP3), to whose tariff model data the service control unit (SCP1 to SCP3) has access, to a respective tariff of a set of predefined tariffs agreed between the service control unit (SCP1 to SCP3) and the terminal exchange (SUBSW), and that the service management unit (SMP) communicates the determined tariff model mapping matrix as tariff model data to the service control unit (SCP1 to SCP3).