KR19990047348A - Internet billing processing method to accommodate multiple links in high speed / high capacity communication processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for processing Internet information fee billing that supports multiple links to be provided in a high speed / high capacity communication processing device currently under development. The processing for billing on multiple links of the present invention includes receiving multilink data frames when receiving multilink data from subscribers, extracting IP datagrams, routing IP datagrams, generating multilink charging information and IP data for the first link. It consists of gram transmission, and in case of transmitting multi-link data to subscriber, IP datagram is received, IP datagram routing, multi-link charging information update, multi-link frame generation and multi-link data frame transmission. Therefore, the present invention can reduce the cost required to recover the unpaid charges by the information provider mobilizes manpower because the information charge recovery agent can be performed in a large capacity communication processing system. In addition, since the information charge is added to the telephone number to be accessed, security is complete. Since billing-related information is managed by the local management device connected to the system's internal switch, it is possible to reduce the load on the sub-system providing the Internet access service, and implement it because it does not insert a new protocol for billing into the IP datagram. Is easy.

Description

Internet billing processing method to accommodate multiple links in high speed / high capacity communication processing device

The present invention relates to a method for processing Internet information usage fee that supports multiple links to be provided in a high speed / high capacity communication processing apparatus. In particular, the subscriber provides access to a high speed / high capacity communication processing apparatus using multiple links and then provides them to the Internet information providers. In the case of searching for information, the present invention relates to a method of charging a fee for the information provider.

Currently, the Internet charge collection method of the Internet, such as electronic money and card payment method, but for security reasons it is not received much response from users yet. In addition, most information providers charge their own fees and collect them using their own billing methods. In the billing method, the more users of information, the more the user pays the fee, and the more the users, the more the users, the higher the fee collection fee increases. In addition, since a special algorithm for charging information is required, it is a heavy burden on the information providing server, and it is expected that it will be expensive to recover unpaid fees. There is difficulty.

In addition, the current small capacity communication processing system provides a detailed information service charge service for information providers registered in the infoshop for the 01410 service network. However, this detailed fee processing method is for information providers connected to the packet network. Since the system is not directly connected to the Internet, it is difficult to accommodate the information providers on the Internet. The ported information usage billing protocol is structured so that it cannot be used in the systems of Internet information providers. In addition, billing on multiple links for high-speed subscriber service is unacceptable.

As an example of the prior patent, "Method and System for Accounting Communication Charges, US Patent No. 5,602,907, 1994. 8.1)" is a method for determining the billing rate of information between the terminal generating data in the ISDN network and the terminal receiving it; and Relates to a device. Both the prior patent and the present invention intend to perform a charging function between users of a data network such as ISDN, but the present invention is used when accessing the Internet, and any physical network can be used as long as the subscriber network can accommodate multiple links. Apply. In addition, unlike the prior patents, the present invention can handle charging for Internet services using existing IP datagrams without a special protocol for charging between transmitting and receiving objects.

Currently, most users who use the Internet at home are accessing the Internet by assigning user accounts by paying monthly fees to Internet service providers. However, users who want to use the occasional burden due to the high monthly fee is not a situation that anyone can easily use the Internet. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for an open Internet access service that allows an ordinary user, especially a beginner, to easily access the Internet and pay only for it. On the other hand, content providers (CP), which used to provide free Internet information around the world, are gradually becoming paid using electronic money or card payment methods. Therefore, for Internet service providers who want to provide an open access service and information providers that want to monetize, a method of recovering a fee for using or accessing information has emerged as an important issue. However, in order to provide such open Internet access service, it is very inefficient for the national level to establish and operate the billing function independently by each Internet service provider and information provider. This is a difficult service for small information providers with a small number of subscribers. Therefore, there is an increasing need for the development of a device that can systematically and collectively perform the chargeback agency function required for information providers who want to provide paid information. Therefore, when the billing processing method of the present invention is applied to a high speed / large capacity communication processing apparatus, it is possible to provide an information fee recovery agency service to information providers who want to provide Internet services at high speed using multiple links. You can reduce the cost of equipment that providers need to purchase to accommodate them. That is, the information provider can reduce the cost of collecting the unpaid fees by mobilizing manpower, eliminates the difficulty of managing the increasing number of users, and eliminates the burden on facility facilities to accommodate the increasing number of high-speed service subscribers. Can be.

The object of the present invention is to provide a billing processing method that can provide the information fee recovery service to the Internet information providers, if the subscriber receives the Internet service at high speed using multiple links, reducing the cost, security Its purpose is to make provisioning and service implementation very easy.

That is, the present invention has developed an ISDN matching device that accommodates multiple link subscribers and an Internet matching device that can provide Internet access service to a high speed / capacity communication processing device. I could get the service. And it provides charging function for information retrieval using multiple links.

1 is a block diagram of a high speed / high capacity communication processing apparatus and a service network to which the present invention is applied;

2 is a block diagram of a charging information processing unit inside the apparatus to which the present invention is applied;

3 is a block diagram of an internet matching device and an internet network to which the present invention is applied;

4 is a functional block diagram of multi-link Internet charging to which the present invention is applied;

5 is a detailed structure of a data frame supporting multiple links to which the present invention is applied;

6 is an overall processing flow chart according to the present invention;

7 is a flow diagram of access and release of a multi-link subscriber using ISDN according to the present invention;

8 is a flowchart of a charging step on multiple links in accordance with the present invention.

In the high speed / capacity communication processing apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object, the Internet billing processing method for accommodating multiple links includes a high speed / capacity communication processing by a subscriber of a telephone network, an ISDN network, or another physical data network using multiple links. When accessing the Internet matching device through communication with each subscriber network matching device and the internal switch in the device, and then retrieving the information provided by the Internet information providers through the Internet network connected to the outside of the high-speed / mass communication processing device Claims [1] A method for charging a fee for an information search on behalf of an information provider by a high speed / large capacity communication processing apparatus including an operation network matching device connected to an internal switch connected to the internet matching device and a local management device. When a subscriber requests a call connection, the network matching device assigns the subscriber's calling number to the billing subject. After the process is connected to the Internet matching device, the subscriber performs a multi-link PPP connection, the first process of the system connection to receive the information of the information providers through the Internet network, and transmits to the local management device through the internal switch to the subscriber Second of multi-link Internet service and billing processing to generate and process billing information for Internet service of user by analyzing IP datagram having information necessary for billing in the received information in order to deliver billing information And a third process of releasing the connected call by using a termination packet when the subscriber releases the connection.

In order to obtain desired information by accessing the Internet using a telephone network or an ISDN network, a device for connecting a subscriber to the Internet is required. The high-speed / high-capacity communication processing system to which the present invention is applied is an apparatus for providing an Internet access service using a multi-link point-to-point protocol (PPP), and the existing method of using the Internet by paying a monthly amount and obtaining a user account. Will provide an open service that anyone can access the Internet service by accessing a single number of 014XY without a user account. The only charge for Internet access is the information fee calculated on the bill for the telephone number you access. Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing method in which a subscriber can charge information on behalf of an information provider when a subscriber accesses a high speed / large capacity communication processing apparatus using multiple links and then retrieves information provided by an Internet information provider. It is about. The billing processing method is performed in the subscriber network matching device, the internet matching device, and the local management device in the high speed / high capacity communication processing device, and the core technology is driven in the internet matching device. The content of the present invention will be described in detail as follows. A user who owns a device capable of using multiple links accesses the high speed / large capacity communication processing device at 014XY number and performs a multi link PPP connection. If a multi-link connection is normally established between the user and the network matching device, the user can use the Internet from this point on. If the user connects to the information provider's system for the information fee collection agency, the billing information for the amount of data transmitted through the multiple links is generated in the Internet matching device. When the user releases the connection, the Internet matching device sends the charging information about the use of the information provider system to the local management device connected by the internal high speed switch. The billing information collected by the regional management system is calculated and sent to the user's telephone bill as an information fee.

By providing such a billing processing method of the present invention, since the information charge recovery agent can be performed in a high speed / large capacity communication processing device, it is possible to reduce the cost required to recover the unpaid charges by the information provider mobilizing personnel. In addition, unlike the payment method of the Internet usage fee such as electronic money or card payment method, the information fee is added to the telephone number to be accessed, thereby providing security that does not leak user's personal information. In addition, since the billing method on the multi-link does not use a special protocol for modifying IP datagrams on the Internet, it is very easy to implement a service since the information provider does not need a special program for billing.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the high speed / large capacity communication processing apparatus and the service network to which the present invention is applied.

The high-speed / high-capacity communication processing apparatus 100 providing the information retrieval network service has a function of serving as a gateway between the information user PC 10 connected to the user network and the information provider 40 connected to the Internet. It is divided into functions to perform. If the information user 10 wants to access the high speed / capacity communication processing device through the ISDN network 30 in order to use the Internet service at high speed using multiple links, the ISDN network matching device is the caller for the service access call in the call connection process. Track the number and treat it as subject of billing. When the information user wants to use the Internet service is connected to the Internet matching device using the communication of the internal switch (HSSF: High Speed Switching Fabric) (130), it is connected to the information provider through the Internet network (50). Local operation and management system (LOMS) 150 for managing a part of the high-speed / large capacity communication processing unit 150 is an internal switch 130 through the operation network junction (ONAS: Operational Network Access Subsystem) (140) It is connected to and performs billing information management function and configuration management function.

2 shows a detailed configuration of the Internet matching device 160, the internal switch 130, the operating network matching device 140, the billing information processing unit 150 in the regional management device to which the present invention is applied.

Internet matching device 160 is composed of a service processing unit 161 responsible for the user call processing and billing information processing function, the charging transmission queue 162, the charging transmission queue processor 163 and the internal switch communication unit 164. The operation network matching device 140 connecting the internal switch 130 and the local management device 150 may include a protocol matching unit 142 for controlling and protocol matching between the internal switch communication unit 141 and the LAN communication unit 143. It is composed of The billing information processing unit 150 in the local management apparatus includes a LAN communication unit 151, a billing reception queue 152, a billing processing unit 153, an operator command queue 154, an operator command processor 155, a backup file 156, And a billing database 157 and a billing magnetic tape 158 to record and report billing information transmitted from the Internet matching device 160 to a database and a recording device.

3 shows a connection configuration between the Internet matching device 160 and the Internet network 50 to which the present invention is applied.

The internet matching device 160 that provides the user with Internet access and billing functions includes an internal switch 130 and a high speed network adapter (HSNA) 165 for connection, and an Ethernet interface for internet access. It is composed of a processor board (SPA: Service Processor Assembly) (166). The connection between the internet matching device 160 and the internal switch 130 uses a 100 Mbps TAXI interface, and the board interface in the internet matching device communicates through the VME bus. In practice, in order to physically connect to the Internet network, an Internet connection service provider's connection to the Internet line is required. Accordingly, the processor board 166 is connected to the physical Internet network (for example, KORNET) 80 and the T1-class interface 75 using the high-speed data modem 70, and the router 60 and the internet matching device 160. ) Is connected to a 10 Mbps Ethernet LAN interface 55. The router and high-speed data modem are connected via a V.35 interface 65.

4 shows a detailed configuration of the Internet charging function for supporting multiple links to which the present invention is applied. Description of each function is as follows.

First, the service management and multi-link billing processing unit 210 manages the services of the Internet matching device as a whole, and searches for data sent and received when a multi-link PPP user accesses the Internet service, and then generates corresponding billing information. It transmits to the local management device connected by internal switch.

Looking at the functionality of the Internet Protocol (IP) 220, IP is a protocol that defines the mechanism of delivery of connectionless data on the Internet, which defines the basic units and formats of data delivery, how packets are handled, and how errors are handled. Define if it should be. It also defines the connectionless, non-guaranteed delivery scheme and packet routing. IP like this has the following features.

1) Packet routing is performed using an IP address consisting of a 32-bit destination address and a source address.

2) It provides a life time check function where packets can exist on the network.

3) Provides data partitioning and combining functions to accommodate 1,518 octets, the maximum length of an Ethernet frame.

In order to connect to the Internet using Ethernet, a unique IP address is required. This address is defined at system initialization. When the IP address needs to be changed, the system is changed through re-initialization. It also allows you to specify a default router so that datagrams can be delivered even if the system has no routing information.

Bundle & Internet Protocol Address Manager (B / IPAM) 230 is a block for assigning and managing IP addresses for bundles and multi-link PPP access channels. IP addresses are assigned. The management of bundles creates, updates and maintains the state in table format using access channel and internal port information.

Internet Protocol Control Protocol (IPCP) 240 is one of the NCPs (network control protocols) available in PPP environments, and provides the ability to configure, operate, and stop IP protocol modules at both ends of a point-to-point link. do. In addition, IPCP uses the same packet switching scheme as LCP and is exchanged when PPP reaches the network layer protocol level. When the configuration of the selected network layer protocol is completed in this way, the IP packet is encapsulated in the information field of the PPP data link layer frame and sent on the link. In the case of multiple links, IPCP processing works only for the first channel of a new bundle that is first accessed.

MLCP (Multi Link LCP) 250 is a block for generating and processing an LCP option for using a multi-link PPP, and performs LCP negotiation with an opponent using an MRRU, a short sequence number format, and an end point discriminator.

The Link Control Protocol (LCP) 260 performs the function of automatically negotiating PPP sealed format options with the other party to provide flexibility to adapt to a changing communication environment. To establish communication on a point-to-point link, each end of the PPP link must exchange LCP packets to establish and test the data link. Once the exchange is complete, PPP arrives at the network protocol state, where NCP packets are exchanged to select and configure one or more network protocols.

The MLH (Multi Link Header) 270 is a block for processing a packet composed of a multi-link header. The MLH (270 Link Header) 270 assembles fragmented packets using a sequence number and a B / E bit in the header to form one complete packet. Pass data to the block. Or vice versa

The link layer driver (LLD) 280 provides a function of transmitting multilink PPP frames generated from IP, LCP, and IPCP and delivering multilink PPP frames received from HSNA to IP, LCP, MLCP, and IPCP. . In addition, it manages the state of the multi-link PPP ports, and controls the transmission of the multi-link PPP frame according to the transmission and reception setting and release commands of the ports. Inside the LLD, frame data similar to HDLC is configured as a multi-link PPP frame or vice versa.

5A and 5B are detailed structures of multi-link data frames to which the present invention is applied, and are divided into multi-link PPP frames (FIG. 5A) and IP datagrams (FIG. 5B).

First, the multi-link PPP frame is a data structure exchanged between the user 10 and the Internet matching device 160, and has a form similar to the HDLC format used in the existing data communication. This frame consists of a PPP header 311, a multi-link header 312, and a PPP FCS 313. The protocol identifiers representing MLPPP are 0x00 and 0x3d, which are followed by multiple link headers.

Each field for the multi-link header is as follows.

(B) The fragmenting bit is set to 1 only for the first fragment of one PPP packet and the other fragment is set to zero.

The (E) nding fragment bit is set to 1 only in the last fragment of one PPP packet, and the remaining fragments are set to 0.

The sequence number indicates the order of fragment packets and increases from 0.

At this time, the form of the sequence number uses 12 bits or 24 bits by the LCP option, and (B) and (E) bits can be set to 1 at the same time. The fragment data indicates the upper PDU divided into pieces, and the FCS is the same as the method for obtaining the FCS of the PPP. When a user performs a multi-link PPP connection and is assigned an IP address at the first link connection (230), and then configures a multi-link by performing a second link connection, the user receives information from information providers on the Internet. Can be. In this state, the first two bytes of the fragment data in the multi-link header 312 indicate that the retrieval information is an IP datagram. The Internet matching device to which the present invention is applied analyzes this IP datagram and generates charging information for the user's Internet service.

An IP datagram is an important data structure that contains information necessary for charging. The IP version 314, the length of the IP header 315, the service type 316, the total number of bytes of the datagram 317, and the identification information 318. ), Flag 319, fragment offset 320, lifetime time 321, protocol 322, header error check field 323, source address 324, destination address 325, option 326, and The filling field 327 is formed. The information needed for charging in an IP datagram is the total number of bytes of the datagram, the source address, and the destination address. If the user accesses the system 40 of the information provider, the information requested by the user from the Ethernet port connected to the Internet matching device is loaded on the IP datagram. The billing processing module of the Internet matching device to which the present invention is applied extracts information about the user from the IP datagram using the destination address, and grasps the information of the information provider using the source address. Using the information obtained in this way, the information retrieved from the corresponding information provider is charged. That is, the total number of bytes are extracted from the information provider and continuously added to generate final billing information. The charging information generated in this way is reconstructed in the form of a ticket and transmitted to the regional management apparatus 150 through the internal switch 130. The transmitted information is recorded and organized in the DB and displayed on the telephone bill at the end of the month as an information fee and sent to the user 10.

6 is an overall processing flow diagram in accordance with the present invention.

The present invention starts with requesting a call connection to a high speed / large capacity communication processing device and comprises a system connection 410, a multi-link internet service and billing process 420, and a system release 430, 440 by call release request. have. Each step described in FIG. 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7.

7 is a flowchart illustrating call connection and release of an ISDN subscriber using multiple links according to the present invention.

The processing method according to the present invention starts with a multi-link PPP user using ISDN inputting 014XY and requesting a call connection to 1B to ISDN network matching device 30 (see FIG. 1). The ISDN network matching device extracts the user's calling number during the call connection process and processes it as the subject of billing charge for the information fee collection agency. When the call connection is completed is connected to the Internet matching device 160 (511). Negotiation of communication between the user's multi-link PPP and the Internet access device using the connected channel is carried out (512), and the user can use the Internet using the multi-link packet 513 as shown in FIG. 5A. The IP address 514 is given with permission. Next, when the multi-link user attempts to call again using the 2B channel and normally connects to the Internet matching device (515), he attempts to negotiate the communication for the current channel (516), and is the same subscriber as the previously connected channel. Display. At this time, the user authentication is also used together, finally bundled into the same bundle, and then the user goes up to the network layer to exchange IP datagrams 517 using multiple link headers in two channels. At this time, the data transmitted and received to the information provider on the Internet uses the IP datagram 518 with the multi-link header deleted. When the connection is released, the termination negotiation (519) is performed by using a termination packet. When the negotiation is normally performed, the physical calls (calls 2B and 1B) are sequentially broken (520 and 522).

8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure for charging on multiple links according to the present invention.

8 (a) illustrates a case in which multi-link data is transmitted from a subscriber, first of all, it is determined whether a channel state and an access to an IP address of a user are allowed or not. If the user IP address has no problem, the IP datagram (see FIG. 5B) is extracted from the multi-link data frame (see FIG. 5A) received from the user (611) (612). Next, in order to send the extracted datagram to the destination, information about the transmission path 613 is obtained from the routing table. At this time, if the destination address 325 in the IP datagram is the address of the information provider 40 who wants to collect the information fee service, it is checked whether the currently connected link is first accessed from the bundle constituting the multi-link. If it is the first time, a ticket for billing is generated with the user call number extracted in the system access step 410 (615), otherwise it means that billing has already started, so the IP datagram is immediately sent to the Ethernet LAN (616). ).

FIG. 8 (b) shows a process of converting an IP datagram transmitted from an information provider to multi-link data and transmitting it to a subscriber. When receiving an IP datagram (617) from an Ethernet port, the destination address is extracted and the current IP is obtained. It is determined whether the datagram is a routable user link (618). If there is no abnormality, if the source address 324 in the IP datagram is the address of the information provider who wants the information collection agency service, the data length 317 of the IP datagram is recorded in the already generated billing ticket (619). Since normal IP datagrams cannot be transmitted to the user as it is, the data data field of the multi-link frame is filled with the IP datagram received from the information provider's system, and all the fields of the related multi-link header are filled (620). The generated multi-link frame is transmitted to the ISDN network matching device alternately in the link in the bundle consisting of the multi-link to reach the user.

By applying the above-described billing processing method for accommodating multiple links to the high speed / large capacity communication processing apparatus, it is possible to easily provide an information fee recovery agency service to information providers who want to provide high-speed Internet service. That is, the information provider can reduce the cost of using the manpower to recover the unpaid fees, and reduce the difficulty of managing the increased user. In addition, since the high-speed / high-capacity communication processing apparatus accommodates multiple link services, the information provider can reduce the purchase of equipment when the high-speed Internet service is to be provided. In addition, the method of the present invention calculates the billing information using the IP datagram, so that the information provider does not need to purchase special equipment or software for collecting the information fee. Therefore, both the information provider who wants to collect the information fee for the high-speed Internet service and the user who wants to use the Internet at a low price without signing up will benefit. In addition, anyone can easily access and use the Internet, which can greatly contribute to domestic Internet activation.

Claims (3)

A telephone network, an ISDN network, or another physical data network subscriber accesses the Internet matching device through communication with each of the subscriber network matching devices and the internal switch in the high speed / capacity communication processing device by using multiple links. When retrieving information provided by Internet information providers through an internet network connected outside the mass communication processor, a high speed / capacity communication process including an operation network matching device and a local management device connected to an internal switch connected to the internet matching device In the method for charging the fee for the information retrieval on behalf of the information provider by the device, When the network subscriber requests the call connection, the network matching device processes the calling party's calling number as the subject of billing, and is connected to the Internet matching device. Then, the subscriber performs a multi-link PPP connection to the information provider through the Internet network. A first step of connecting a system to receive information; In order to transfer the billing information to the subscriber through the internal switch, the billing information for the user's Internet service is generated by analyzing the IP datagram having the information necessary for billing in the received information in the Internet matching device. And a second process of processing multilink internet service and billing processing; And And a third process of releasing the connected call by using an end packet when the subscriber releases the connection. 3. The method of claim 1, In the second process, the charging process when receiving the multi-link data from the subscriber, Extracting an IP datagram from a multi-link PPP frame received from a user if the subscriber's IP address is an allowed address; A second step of obtaining information on a transmission path from a routing table to send the extracted IP datagram to a destination; A third step of checking if the destination address in the IP datagram is the address of an information provider that wants to collect information service, and whether the currently connected link is first accessed from a bundle constituting multiple links; And And a fourth step of generating a ticket for billing with the subscriber's calling number extracted when the system is connected for the first time, and immediately transmitting an IP datagram through the Ethernet local area network. Internet billing method for accommodating multiple links in a large capacity communication processing device. The method of claim 1, The billing process in the case of converting the IP datagram transmitted from the information provider in the second process into multilink data and transmitting the same to the subscriber, Receiving an IP datagram from the Ethernet port, extracting a destination address and determining whether the IP datagram is a routable user link; A second step of recording the data length of the IP datagram in the already generated billing ticket if the source address in the IP datagram is the address of the information provider who wants the information fee collection service in the case of the routable user link; Filling in the fragment fields of the multi-link data frame with the IP datagram received from the information provider's system, and filling all the fields of the associated multi-link header; And And a fourth step of alternately transmitting the generated multi-link data frame to the network matching device and transmitting the generated multi-link data frame to the subscriber.