Generating call detail records

Abstract

Request and response messages conforming to Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) between media gateways 12 and 16 and a media gateway controller (MGC) 22 are examined to enable them to be correlated. The correlated messages are assembled to produce a call detail record (CDR) describing a voice or data call established over an IP network via the media gateways under the control of the MGC.

1 . A method of generating a call detail record for a telecommunications call established via a media gateway under the control of a media gateway controller, comprising the steps of: 
 detecting messages exchanged between media gateways and at least one media gateway controller;    locating identification information within the messages;    associating command messages with corresponding response messages in accordance with a first kind of identification information;    associating command and response messages relating to a specific gateway in accordance with a second kind of identification information;    associating messages relating to different gateways in accordance with a third kind of identification information; and    combining the messages which have been associated with one another to produce a call detail record.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first kind of identification information comprises gateway transaction identification information.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first kind of identification information includes message addressing information.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the message addressing information comprises Internet Protocol addresses.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second kind of identification information comprises names of media end points within the gateways.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third kind of identification information comprises unique identifiers for identifying calls established via a media gateway.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein message addressing information is associated with names of media end points within the gateways.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temporary association is made between a call and a name of a media end point within a gateway, and the temporary association is terminated after a predetermined time has elapsed following termination of a connection set up between two gateways for that call.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media gateways and the media gateway controller communicate in accordance with the Media Gateway Control Protocol.