Abstract:
A method for billing a subscriber to a cellular telephone service for a VoIP call made by the subscriber, the method including determining when a subscriber to a cellular telephone service places a telephone call to a remote device using a local device associated with the subscription, where the telephone call has at least one VoIP call leg, capturing session information related to the telephone call, including information identifying the subscriber, and providing the information to a provider of the cellular telephone service, thereby enabling the cellular telephone service provider to bill the subscriber for the VoIP call.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/644,571, filed Jan. 19, 2005, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to telecommunications processing in general, and more particularly to the local access of a mobile telecommunication network. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mobile communications networks enable users to communicate while traveling. A typical mobile network includes one or more user cellular telephones, referred to as Mobile Stations (MS), communicating with a radio transceiver, or Base Transceiver Station (BTSC), that is connected to the core network via a Base Station Controller (BSC). The BTSC is usually connected to the BSC via a dedicated communication line, such as a T1 TDM telephone line or microwave link. The BSC in turn is connected to the cellular carrier network. 
     Unfortunately, the over-the-air bandwidth is limited and may eventually reach saturation. For example, when a large number of users are in the same vicinity their combined traffic may saturate the over-the-air bandwidth, since they all share a limited portion of the radio spectrum for transmission to the BTSC. One current methodology for alleviating the problem is to increase the efficacy of the radio base stations, such as by increasing the number of BTSCs or enhancing their capacities. However, radio spectrum remains an extremely valuable resource, and installation and setup of BTSCs are quite expensive. 
     Attempts to solve this problem by using radio frequencies not designated for use by cellular telephone networks, such as those employed by the Bluetooth™ or 802.11 standards, require that cellular telephone handsets be adapted to support using these frequencies. A system that utilizes existing cellular telephone handset technologies while increasing communications coverage for cellular network customers would therefore be advantageous. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention a method is provided for billing a subscriber to a cellular telephone service for a VoIP call made by the subscriber, the method including determining when a subscriber to a cellular telephone service places a telephone call to a remote device using a local device associated with the subscription, where the telephone call has at least one VoIP call leg, capturing session information related to the telephone call, including information identifying the subscriber, and providing the information to a provider of the cellular telephone service, thereby enabling the cellular telephone service provider to bill the subscriber for the VoIP call. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the determining step includes determining where a first leg of the call is carried by non-cellular telephone infrastructure. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the method further includes calculating a billing cost incurred by the local device for the call. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the method further includes debiting a billing record of the subscriber for the billing cost. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the method further includes crediting an owner of a local network through which call is placed for the billing cost. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the crediting step includes crediting the owner by crediting an account belonging to the owner at an ISP of the owner. 
     In another aspect of the present invention a method is provided for billing a subscriber to a cellular telephone service for a VoIP call made by the subscriber, the method including determining when a subscriber to a cellular telephone service places a telephone call to a remote device using a local device associated with the subscription, where the telephone call has at least one VoIP call leg, capturing session information related to the telephone call, including information identifying the subscriber, calculating a billing cost incurred by the local device for the call, and providing the information and the billing cost to a provider of the cellular telephone service, thereby enabling the cellular telephone service provider to bill the subscriber for the VoIP call. 
     In another aspect of the present invention a system is provided for billing a subscriber to a cellular telephone service for a VoIP call made by the subscriber, the system including a local device configured to place a call to a remote device, and a gateway configured to determine when a subscriber to a cellular telephone service places a telephone call to the remote device using the local device associated with the subscription, where the telephone call has at least one VoIP call leg, capture session information related to the telephone call, including information identifying the subscriber, and provide the information to a provider of the cellular telephone service for billing the subscriber for the VoIP call. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the local device is configured to place the call at least partially via the non-cellular telephone infrastructure. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the system further includes a billing logic module configured to calculate a billing cost incurred by the local device for the call. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the billing logic module is configured to debit a billing record of the subscriber for the billing cost. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the billing logic module is configured to credit an owner of a local network through which call is placed for the billing cost. 
     In another aspect of the present invention the billing logic module is configured to credit the owner by crediting an account belonging to the owner at an ISP of the owner. 
     In another aspect of the present invention a system is provided for billing a subscriber to a cellular telephone service for a VoIP call made by the subscriber, the system including a local device configured to place a call to a remote device, and a gateway configured to determine when a subscriber to a cellular telephone service places a telephone call to the remote device using the local device associated with the subscription, where the telephone call has at least one VoIP call leg, capture session information related to the telephone call, including information identifying the subscriber, calculate a billing cost incurred by the local device for the call, and provide the information and the billing cost to a provider of the cellular telephone service for billing the subscriber for the VoIP call. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a simplified pictorial illustration of a system for local access to a mobile network, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a simplified flowchart illustration of a method for mobile network communications, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1C  is a simplified flowchart illustration of a method for local access to a mobile network, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified flowchart illustration of an example method for billing mobile telephone users for communications via a local network, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1A , which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a system for local access to a mobile network, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and to  FIG. 1B , which is a simplified flowchart illustration of a method for mobile network communications, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In a traditional cellular telephone communications network, such as a GSM network, the location of a local device  100 , such as a cellular telephone of a cellular telephone service subscriber, is registered in a home location register (HLR)  140  of the subscriber&#39;s network. The registration of local device  100  in the GSM network typically traverses the following path: from the local device  100  over a mobile radio network  120  to a Base Transceiver Station (BTSC)  125 , from there to a Base Station Controller (BSC)  130 , and then to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)  135 . The MSC  135  registers local device  100  in HLR  140 . Should a user of a remote device  110 , such as a cellular telephone of a roaming cellular telephone service subscriber or a cellular telephone service subscriber of a different cellular telephone service, dial local device  100 &#39;s access number, such as local device  100 &#39;s telephone number, MSC  135  is able to determine local device  100 &#39;s location based on information available in HLR  140 . Thus, when remote device  110  attempts to initiate a communication channel with local device  100 , remote device  110  contacts MSC  135 , which queries HLR  140  for the location of local device  100  and establishes a communication channel that traverses BSC  130  and BTSC  125  over mobile radio network  120  to local device  100 . 
     Local device  100  is preferably configured to communicate with a pico cell  170  in a local network  160  setting, such as in a local area network environment. Pico cell  170  preferably takes the place of BTSC  125  within local network  160  and is preferably configured to communicate with local device  100 , such as via WiFi™, Bluetooth™, or GSM radio signal. Pico cell  170  preferably communicates with a local gateway  180  that is connected to a data network  185 , such as the Internet. Local gateway  180  typically communicates utilizing voice over IP (VoIP) protocols, such as SIP and RTP, with a remote gateway  190 . For example, local gateway  180  may create a SIP session with remote gateway, notifying remote gateway  190  of local device  100 &#39;s current location. Remote gateway  190  may then register local device  100  in HLR  140 , such as by communicating over PARLAY or SS7 connections. Remote gateway  190  may further identify itself as a Visiting Location Register (VLR) to HLR  140  as described hereinbelow with reference to  FIG. 2 . At the termination of the SIP session, remote gateway  190  may de-register local device  100  from HLR  140 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1C , which is a simplified flowchart illustration of a method for local access to a mobile network, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the method of  FIG. 1C , should a user employ local device  100  to create a communication channel from within local network  160  to remote device  110 , such as a voice phone call, local gateway  180  preferably constructs a SIP session with remote gateway  190 , which may then redirect voice traffic through a VoIP gateway  195 . In this manner, the user may speak from within local network  160  to a user of remote device  110  that is part of a telephony network, such as a PSTN network, where the call has a VoIP component, or “leg,” and where the first leg of the call may be carried by non-cellular telephone infrastructure, such as a home or business WiFi™ local area network. The voice traffic takes the path from local device  100  over local network  160 , via pico cell  170 , local gateway  180 , over data network  185  through VoIP gateway  195 , and terminating at remote device  110 , with the optional help of remote gateway  190 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified flowchart illustration of a method for billing mobile telephone users for communications via a local network, operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the method of  FIG. 2 , a local network  160  may have an associated billing address, such as where Internet access from a home network may be billed to the resident of the home. Communication from local network  160  over data network  185  may incur charges that are then billed to the preferred billing address. For example, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) may charge the owner of local network  160  for each RTP packet transmitted over data network  185 , such as to provide an enhanced quality of service for RTP packets based on the charge per packet. In this scenario, when a visitor&#39;s local device  100 , that is not owned or operated by the owner of local network  160 , is connected to data network  185  via local network  160 , such as for placing a VoIP call as described above, the billing charges for the visitor&#39;s usage of data network  185  will be sent to the owner of local network  160 . To avoid this problem, the present invention includes a billing logic module, preferably located within remote gateway  190 , described hereinbelow. 
     When visiting local device  100  utilizes local network  160  to communicate over data network  185 , pico cell  170  preferably retrieves the visiting local device  100 &#39;s information, such as its SIM card ID identifying the subscriber, as well as the device ID, and provides the information in the data transmitted to local gateway  180 . Local gateway  180  preferably encodes this information into its outbound data streams. For example, local gateway  180  may embed the information into the SIP ‘from’ header field or in the RTP packets, within a fixed byte sized. VoIP gateway  195  preferably decodes the visiting local device  100 &#39;s information and preferably notifies remote gateway  190  of the packets communicated by the visiting local device  100  over data network  185  utilizing local network  160 . Alternatively or in conjunction with local gateway  180 , remote gateway  190  may monitor local device  100 &#39;s communications and capture related session information, such as that found in the SIP channel and embedded in the ‘from’ header field, and determine the visiting local device&#39;s utilization of data network  185  via local network  160 . Such session information may include information relating to the subscriber, the route a call took, the equipment traversed along the way, when the call was made, the duration of the call, the call&#39;s destination, the type of media carried by the call, the cell phone characteristics of the caller and/or the called party, and any other known types of call information. The billing logic module located within remote gateway  190  preferably calculates a billing cost incurred by the visiting local device  100  and debits the visiting local device  100 &#39;s billing record which may be maintained by remote gateway  190  or by the cellular telephone service provider to whom local device  100 &#39;s subscriber belongs. The billing logic module may also credit the owner of local network  160  with the same amount charged to visiting local device  100 . Alternatively, the billing logic module located within remote gateway  190  provides local device  100 &#39;s call session information to the cellular, telephone service provider to whom local device  100 &#39;s subscriber belongs, who then calculates related billing charges and bills the subscriber. 
     Remote gateway  190  may affect a cellular telephone service subscriber&#39;s billing record in the same manner as a traditional VLR affects a billing record in HLR  140 , charging network usage to the user of the visiting local device  100 . 
     In addition, remote gateway  190  may retain a connection with data network  185 &#39;s ISP, and credit the owner of local network  160  directly at the ISP. Alternatively, remote gateway  190  may keep its own billing records, and credit the owner of local network  160  directly. 
     It is appreciated that one or more of the steps of any of the methods described herein may be omitted or carried out in a different order than that shown, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
     While the methods and apparatus disclosed herein may or may not have been described with reference to specific computer hardware or software, it is appreciated that the methods and apparatus described herein may be readily implemented in computer hardware or software using conventional techniques. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more specific embodiments, the description is intended to be illustrative of the invention as a whole and is not to be construed as limiting the invention to the embodiments shown. It is appreciated that various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art that, while not specifically shown herein, are nevertheless within the true spirit and scope of the invention.