WO2002015537A2

WO2002015537A2 - Procedure for facilitating a service in a communication network

Info

Publication number: WO2002015537A2
Application number: PCT/SE2001/001750
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Hagbard; Margareta Erhult
Original assignee: Telia Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 2000-08-14
Filing date: 2001-08-14
Publication date: 2002-02-21
Also published as: WO2002015537A3; SE0002898D0; SE0002898L

Abstract

An information service for management of relations is shown which has a descriptive role and an operative, that is influencing/activating, role as value added to services which are utilized by acting parties in a digital communication network. The information service for management of relations can be ordered via a service from an administrative system or a telecommunication system and has possibility to take the role as relation creator and can there, for instance, make agreements about the service before it is forwarded between an acting party which provides the service the acting party which utilizes the service.

Description

COMMUNICATION SERVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to methods and devices in telecommunication and data communication networks, particularly handling/managing of relation information between different communicating units in digital communication systems .

BACKGROUND

In a rapidly changing world of telecommunications with fragmentation of a previously homogeneous market it is associated with a number of problems to know how to handle/manage transactions with belonging information and technology/technical support. There is a larger number of acting party roles involved around the services today than before .

Traditional support systems are managing information as internal affair of the company, whereas the solutions of today implies that a plurality of parties are involved for end-to-end communication. The technology/technical systems as well as the administrative information systems are built up according to the hierarchy which has prevailed on the previous monopoly telecommunication markets in most countries. Furthermore, administrative information is in separate IT-environments which today are lacking interfaces towards operative service systems in the telecommunication networks .

This implies transaction related risks/impediments each time a new transaction shall be made by an acting party on a telecommunication market and many times limits the acting party' s possibilities to launch new and old products and take new roles on this market.

It is for instance difficult to dynamically secure transaction control and customer administration of services and provide information about agreements and other relations which have been promised around services in existing system support structures. There is an increased number of acting party roles involved around the services today than before. Traditional support systems handle/ manage agreement information as a company internal affair, whereas the solutions of today imply that that a plurality of parties are involved for end-to-end communication. Besides, agreement and different relation related conditions are in separate IT-environments which today are lacking interfaces towards operative service systems in telecommunication networks. This implies transaction related risks/impediments each time a new service component shall be introduced in a service provider's product offer and often limits the service provider' s possibilities to launch new and old products to different acting parties.

The product on a market can have one or more acting parties as interested parties, for instance be utilized by customer, user, provider/supplier, competitor or operator etc . This problem implies for instance a limitation in possibilities of handling/managing the relation management information of the services which traditionally have been documented in customer, provider, service and production agreements etc. Today it is difficult for all parties to see the consequences in/of their own activity and action related to the conditions in the different agreements. There consequently is needed less static connection to the information administration of the conditions in the relation management information.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to solve a large part of this problem by offering a relation management information service as an independent component with an IP- based interface and possibility to call via traditional telecommunication interfaces and IT-interfaces as well as Web-based interfaces.

This aim is achieved by a procedure for facilitating of communication between acting parties in a communication network where at least a first acting party utilizes a service provided by a second acting party. One with the service associated service for managing of the relations of the acting parties cooperates with the service and at least provides data which characterize a relation between acting parties .

The invention is part of a system architecture which controls the roles of communicating units in telecommunication networks. The roles are connected to the transactions that users want to make and which in their turn require a corresponding structure for information and technology to make it possible to make the transaction.

A transaction in this context is in a wide sense an agreement between two parties, a buyer and a seller, where information which characterizes the transaction can include the identities of the parties, identities of exchanged product or service. The transaction consequently includes components or objects which can be represented as agreement objects, product objects, acting party objects, relation objects etc, which all describes parts of a transaction. Besides to solve the more operative transaction oriented part, the architecture also contributes to a module based structure for telecommunication networks which facilitates for a new and more flexible market of/for telecommunication components. The architecture includes a number of layers which are defined by/with transaction interfaces which describe different transactions and roles for communicating units in telecommunication networks. It further consists of three different part architectures which cooperate with each other within the different layers, and between the layers, according to the relations, agreements and protocols which are registered in the included relation component which can be a transaction component (that is, agreements between parties or conditions) , an information component and/or a technology component. Cooperation between these different type objects with different functions and the objects is made in all layers .

These object components consist of a common network organization which together constitute the transaction interface. Each component is implemented by/with network connections to one or more service servers which call the component each time respective service is utilized within respective transaction layer. The components are also utilized by, and cooperate with, the technology components/ objects within the transaction layer. The network organization of objects within a transaction layer in its turn cooperates with its adjacent transaction layer/ layers .

The architecture provides a structure and possibility to handle/manage transactions, information components and technology components in a systematic and rational way where the different components can be reused and be utilized in common by a plurality of acting parties in different roles. It provides an increased flexibility at transactions. Previously each network has had its technology with its services and its administrative systems which has made development, administration and operation expensive and complicated. Transactions have been hampered or made impossible due to rigid technology structures or administrative systems. The information service for relation management according to the present invention has both a descriptive role as added value to wanted services and an operative role, that is influencing/activating. The service by that can be ordered via a service from an administrative system or a traditional telecommunication system, but it also has possibility to take the role as relation creator and can there for example make an agreement about the service before it is forwarded. It should be particularly emphasized that the service can be used both in traditional telecommunication systems and in administrative data communication systems .

There are a number of standardized services around the component, the object, which are handled/managed according to object oriented approach. The component is responsible for reading, updating and deleting relation information. Besides, the component is responsible for keeping a check on the instances towards different services and administrative objects which need to utilize the information.

The information service for relation management according to the invention shall cooperate with libraries which administer all linked service objects and other information objects which are included in the infrastructure .

The information service for relation management is realized by a general interface which handles/manages certain standardized services such as security/"firewall", declaration of the object and how this can be called, addressing and linking to other components, provide utilization information/statistics, launch itself on the network etc.

Application cases for the information service for relation management according to the present invention are, for instance:

1. A service calls the information service for management of relations by a relation identification and learns the role of the relation.

2. An acting party wants to change service which is executed via a telecommunication network and calls the relation object (the service object according to the invention) . This handles/manages looking up/finding in the relation data base and checks the authority for this action/measure .

3. A customer buys a new service at a service provider's customer service or via a web interface at which the customer automatically is allocated authority to modify the service at execution in the telecommunication network which is stored and managed in the relation object as a link to the acting party.

4. Another information object needs access to the stored information of the information service according to the invention, for instance to provide a list over all authorities connected to an acting party.

5. A provider wants to connect a new service on a network operator's service level and then links his/her service by administratively declaring his/her provider role in the acting party object which is linked to the relation information object. Besides, the provider has to declare the basic data of his/her service components in the product information object. An advantage of the present invention is that, because it is realized as a completely independent object, it can be used independent of/freely from a lot of services and for a plurality of different networks and be called via a standardized interface. Previously the functions have been implemented within respective service object which has implied differences in interface, information structure, a large number of variants and different ways to be called. By this solution one and the same object can be used both by traditional administrative world and an operative world in a telecommunication network. The component consequently combines both the needs of the IT-world and the needs of the telecommunication world and also solves a quality problem by the same information being stored and utilized by both. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows schematically a division of an infrastructure for communication into a number of logical layers .

Figure 2 shows schematically interfaces and components in logical layers of an infrastructure for communication.

Figure 3 shows schematically a signaling diagram according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to put the invention into its connected whole, a network architecture will, by way of introduction, be described with reference to the Figures 1 and 2. After that, an embodiment of a service according to the invention is shown with reference to Figure 3.

In Figure 1 is shown a division of an infrastructure for communication into a number of logical layers 1-6. The division in this example is made in six layers S1-S6 for three different part architectures DA1-DA3 which include transaction architecture DAI, information architecture DA2 and technical architecture DA3. Another division into layers and other types of groups/fields of course can be made .

At the bottom there is a terminal layer SI with the physical terminals, such as mobile telephones, exchanges/PABXes, service servers etc. After this there is a transmission layer S2 with equipment for transmission, such as optical fibers, radio links etc. The layer above the transmission layer S2 is the network layer S3 in which the different networks are, such as IP-networks, GSM- networks, PSTN-networks etc. Above this layer there is an interconnectivity layer S4 in which functions for interconnection of different networks exist. The interconnection can be made between networks which utilize the same technology and networks which utilize different technologies. After this layer there is a service layer S5 in which different types of services are realized, which utilize the below lying layer/layers. The services can be information services and communication services, such as web services and telephony, but also administrative services which, for instance, manage relations between acting parties in the transactions. At the top of this division there is a context layer S6 in which tailored services are, for instance customer specific applications and profiles.

This logical division into layers is then utilized at storing, management and exchange of information between different systems and services in and between layers by a number of acting parties and logical addresses which are connected to these being defined in the different logical layers. Examples of acting parties are customers/users, operators, service providers, information providers etc, and examples of logical addresses which are connected to these are an address to a customer of a provider of a telephone service. The acting parties then are linked to each other. For instance a user of a telephone service in the service layer S5 is linked to a provider of the telephone service. The addresses can be of different types, such as telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, IP-addresses etc.

Figure 2 shows interfaces and components in logical layers of an infrastructure for communication, where the letter designations A-G represent the different interfaces according to the description below.

A. The transaction interface implies a direct interface between a customer/user and the application environment of the below lying transaction layer/layers. The service components are integrated in the customer's IT- environment and are designed in a customer unique way via personal profiles and personal portals with mixed service objects from own and from environments of suppliers/ providers. The invention offers a "handle" via a transaction interface towards below lying transaction layer/layers so that each transaction can be managed by/with unique agreements and unique configurations .

A transaction can be a customer who wants to utilize a service which shall be configured in one for the customer personal way. Example of this is a telephone call which shall be forwarded to an optional destination where the customer can be at different points of time. The transaction then is the buying of a service and that whiclr' is registered is customer, provider/supplier, product (that is telephone service), the relation etc. The in the transaction included objects are influenced/activated and utilized. The configuration can, for instance, be made by means of a web-interface to a service portal.

The management of transactions is made each separately which has advantages in that each agreement is unique and consequently personal. The utilization provides the user/customer with a "standard handle" to below lying layer/layers in the network/architecture which facilitates the use and increases the efficiency in the utilization.

B. The service level (the added value service level) where traditional telecommunication services are combined with new IP- and administrative service objects and is/are allocated an interface which reflects the transaction agreement between above lying level and below lying level in the transaction architecture. Here "handles" are offered in both directions via a "service portal" which can be a web page with a presentation of the products/services.

C. The connectivity level offers "handles" to above lying and below lying level according to the same principle as above. This means that services such as number portability services, that is, service independent network access possibilities for traditional network operators at the same time as traditional service providers are offered the same time as traditional service providers are offered network independent access with integration to valid/current transaction agreements .

D. Base/network specific services offer transaction interfaces via "handles" towards different transport routes, for instance ISDN-networks, IP-networks etc.

E. The transmission level offers transaction interfaces which manage transaction agreements between base networks and physical transport route, for instance electric mains, broadband etc.

F. The terminal level has an established interface towards different network protocols already today. The transaction interface is completed with transaction agreements for the interface, for instance SIM-cards in mobile telephones, fixed connections to fixed telecommunication networks etc.

G. The terminals of the end user and providers/suppliers for connection to any type of transmission route, for instance satellite and GSM- telephone already today imply a functioning interface of the technology components, but the invention offers an integration with transaction components in the architecture.

The central layer is the Interconnectivity layer. This functions as a broker between services and network. It also can be compared to the relation entity which is put between two entities which has a multi-to-multi-relation. This makes it possible to separate services from network and in that way makes it possible to manage a plurality of different transaction transactions with a plurality of involved acting parties.

The part architectures in the transaction architecture makes possible a simple and efficient frame for the development of the service components according to the following: The TRANSACTION (M&F) - part architecture implies that all transaction agreements have a standardized interface for cooperation with the components of the other part architectures and a standardized way to communicate between the transaction agreements of adjacent transaction interface/interfaces .

The INFO/IT - part architecture implies that all information objects are accessible to the components of the other part architectures and that a standardized way of utilization of information can be made between the network objects of the transaction layers.

The TECHNOLOGY - part architecture implies that the technology components are connected to their information objects and transaction agreements via standardized "handles" and that they can communicate with service objects on other transaction level via interface agreements .

The components of the architecture are realized by a general interface which handles/manages standardized services such as : security/firewall declaration of the object and how this can be called addressing and linking to other components - provide utilization information/statistics launch itself on the network In Figure 3 is schematically shown communicating components and information transmission between these. The component according to the invention consists of a database with network connections to one or more service servers which call the component each time respective service is utilized.

The component handles/manages the relation identification of the administrative world, for instance agreement number, agreement data, and connects these to the provider's telecommunication network identification via the addressing service on the connectivity level as, for instance, telephone/directory number, e-mail address, and connects this to agreed service level in the network, SLA. The component/object also keeps a check on the role and authority of the agreement in different relations, for instance the service x is connected to network x and y and the acting party org. number z, where z is provider to y but not to x.

The numerals in Figure 3 indicate events with information exchange according to the following:

1. A service initiates a call to the relation management domain via an IP-protocol and in this call is stated the logical number of the service object and the logical number of the information domain. 2. The service object calls the connectivity level, which interprets the logical number and checks its addressing.

3. The information domain checks security demands, links logical id to physical address of the IT-object. The relation management domain checks which information about relations that are on the information domain connected to this service and logs the logical connection to the service object .

4. Reading and possibly updating from other administrative information domains and possibly updating of relation information and check/control of ordered information .

Authorities connected/associated to the service object are checked/controlled, that is, the authority of the different acting parties to utilize the service object according to the relation/the agreement which is described in the relation information.

5. Reads information/request from the service object related to the information services which are connected to current service object. 7. Processing of in packet/packets arranged object instance towards established links.

8. Signaling to connectivity server to deliver the information back to/of right service. 9. The service provides/links information from the information object and gives a receipt.

10. The service executes its service functionality with the information about the relations about the service accessible . Even if the invention has been described as an application on the service level in the architecture, according to the Figures 1 and 2, the invention of course can be realized on other levels in this architecture.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Procedure for facilitating of communication between acting parties in a communication network, at which at least one first acting party utilizes a service provided by a/one second acting party, at which one with the service associated information service for management of the relations of the acting parties cooperates with the service and at least provides data which characterize a relation between acting parties.

2. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 1, at which the information service for management of relations has a relation creating role in relation to the utilized service, and the by the information service for management of relations provided data include relation creating related data .

3. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 1 or 2, at which the information service for management of relations has an authority related role at the first acting party's utilization of the service, and the by the information service for management of relations provided data include authority data.

4. Procedure as claimed in any of the patent claims 1 to 3, at which the information service for management of relations exchanges information with the utilized service without interference from the first acting party.

5. Procedure as claimed in any of the patent claims 1 to 4, at which the information service for management of relations exchanges information with the first acting party via a user interface at the information service for management of relations .

6. Procedure as claimed in any of the patent claims 1 to 5, where the information service for management of relations is realized on a service level in a network architecture which includes a context level, a service level, a connectivity level, a network level, a transmission level and a terminal level .

7. Device for facilitating of communication between acting parties in a communication network, including devices to realize a procedure according to any of the patent claims 1-6.

8. Computer program, including program steps which performs/executes a procedure according to any of the patent claims 1-6.