Method and apparatus for generating billing data in a telecommunications system

Abstract

A billing center for a mobile communications system is described which allows groups of subscribers sharing a single account to be identified both during the call rating procedure, during which call detail records are related to add a charge to the call detail record, and/or to add a usage of a pre-paid usage allocation to be added to the call detail records, and during the production of billing details at the end of a billing period.

1 . A method of processing usage of telecommunications resources in relation to subscribers in a telecommunications system, wherein the telecommunications system stores data identifying a plurality of groups of subscribers, wherein each group has data identifying a subscription type and network resource usage criteria associated therewith, the method comprising: 
 allocating an amount of network usage to at least one group, wherein the allocated network usage is predetermined in accordance with the subscription type associated with the group and is dedicated for use in offsetting actual usage of network resources and is shared by subscribers in the group;    analysing data indicative of actual usage of network resources by identifying a group associated with the actual usage, wherein the analysis is based at least in part on network resource usage criteria associated with the allocated network usage; and    offsetting the actual usage against the amount of allocated network usage.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , including modifying the amount of allocated network usage in dependence on the actual usage.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , including reducing the amount of allocated network usage in dependence on the actual usage, so as to modify the amount of allocated network usage.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the actual usage is offset against the amount of allocated network usage as modified on the basis of one or more previous instances of actual usage of network resources.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein, in the event that the amount of allocated network usage is exhausted, the method includes applying one of a plurality of predetermined call charging tariffs in respect of the actual usage.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , including identifying a magnitude associated with the actual usage and subtracting the identified magnitude from the allocated network usage.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of network usage is allocated to a given group in dependence on the number of subscribers associated with the given group.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of network usage is allocated in dependence on the associated network service.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the network service is a data service.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the network service is one of a short message service, a facsimile service, and a voice service.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 1 , including identifying a subscriber identity number associated with the actual usage of network resources so as to identify the group.  
   
   
       12 . A method of processing usage of telecommunications resources in relation to subscribers in a telecommunications system, wherein the telecommunications system stores data identifying a plurality of groups of subscribers, and wherein each group has data identifying a subscription type and network resource usage criteria associated therewith, the method comprising: 
 allocating an amount of network usage to at least one group, wherein the allocated network usage is predetermined in accordance with the subscription type held for the group and is dedicated for use in offsetting actual usage of network resources up to and including the amount, and wherein the allocated network usage is shared by subscribers in the group;    analysing data indicative of actual usage of network resources by identifying a group associated with the actual usage, wherein the analysis is in accordance with network resource usage criteria associated with the allocated network usage; and    accounting for the actual usage based at least in part on an amount associated with the allocated network usage.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , including modifying the amount of allocated network usage in dependence on the actual usage.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the actual usage is accounted for in relation to the amount of allocated network usage as modified on the basis of previous instances of actual usage of network resources.  
   
   
       15 . A method of generating billing data for subscribers in a telecommunications system, wherein the telecommunications system stores data identifying a plurality of groups of subscribers, wherein each group has data identifying a subscription type and network resource usage criteria associated therewith, and an amount of network usage allocated thereto, wherein the allocated network usage is predetermined in accordance with the subscription type held for the group and is dedicated for use in offsetting actual usage of network resources up to and including the amount, and wherein the allocated network usage is shared by subscribers in the group, the method comprising: 
 analysing data indicative of actual usage of network resources by identifying a group associated with the actual usage, wherein the analysis is based at least in part on network resource usage criteria associated with the allocated network usage;    identifying a first charge for actual usage less than an available amount of the amount of allocated network usage, and a second charge for actual usage in excess of the available amount of allocated network usage; and    storing data indicative of the identified first or second charge for use in generating billing data.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the amount of allocated network usage is modified in accordance with the actual usage, and wherein the modified allocated network usage is available for offsetting against subsequent actual usage of network resources.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the second charge is selected from one of a plurality of predetermined call charging tariffs.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the first charge is zero.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the amount of network usage is allocated in dependence on the associated network service.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the network service is a data service.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the network service is one of a short message service, a facsimile service, and a voice service.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 20 , including identifying a subscriber identity number associated with the actual usage of network resources so as to identify the group.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus for processing usage of telecommunications resources in relation to subscribers in a telecommunications system, the apparatus comprising: 
 a storage system for storing data identifying a plurality of groups of subscribers, wherein each group has data identifying network resource usage criteria associated therewith;    an allocation system configured to allocate an amount of network usage to at least one group and store data indicative of the same, wherein the allocated network usage is dedicated for use in offsetting actual usage of network resources and is shared by subscribers in the group;    a processing system responsive to actual usage of network resources so as to identify a group associated with the actual usage and configured to offset the actual usage against the amount of allocated network usage based at least in part on the network resource criteria associated with the allocated network usage.    
   
   
       24 . An apparatus for generating billing data for subscribers in a mobile communications system, the apparatus comprising: 
 a data storage configured to store subscriber records and usage allocation records, wherein the usage allocation records are shared by respective groups of subscribers and correspond to a finite amount of network usage, and wherein each group comprises a plurality of subscribers; and    a processor configured to analyze call data and account for the usage allocation in a usage allocation record when the call data indicates that a subscriber in a group sharing the usage allocation record has made a call in the mobile communications system, such that the usage allocation record indicates the amount of usage allocation remaining after the call.    
   
   
       25 . An apparatus for generating billing data for groups of subscribers in a mobile communications system, wherein each group has data identifying individual subscribers and network resource usage criteria associated therewith and a finite amount of network usage allocation allocated thereto, wherein the apparatus includes a data processing system configured to identify a group associated with actual usage of network resources, and, based at least in part on an amount available of the finite amount of allocated network usage, to identify a first charge for actual usage less than the amount available, and a second charge for actual usage in excess of the available amount, wherein the billing system is configured to store data indicative of the identified first or second charge for use in generating billing data.