"Least cost routing over separate networks"

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2007904144 filed on 2 August 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method and system of routing over a telecommunications network. More particularly the invention relates to a method and system of selecting a wireless network for a user of a wireless communications device based on at least one condition. The at least one condition may be the least cost routing or a predetermined set of rules.

Background of the Invention

In order to determine the least cost and most efficient connection for a call on behalf of a user of a telecommunications network, the telecommunication carriers generally advertise the cheapest time to call either, for example, over a mobile network or the internet. Alternatively, where a mobile device user is not aware of such an advertisement, when they make a call deliberately either over a mobile network or the internet, they are not aware of the rate at which the connection is charged and therefore unaware if it is the cheapest rate. Some networks advertise that calls between subscribers of the same network can be free, but often the subscriber initiating the call has to override a condition to establish that free call. It is not an automatic option over the particular carrier.

Furthermore, with regard to mobile device users, referred to as "pay as you go" users, in other words where they pre-pay a telecommunications carrier for a certain amount of connection time, the user is unaware of how much connection time is available from their initial pre-payment. The user is therefore disadvantaged in that the user is not deriving value for money from calls over mobile networks or connection to the internet through a wireless network.

The present invention seeks to overcome one or more of the above disadvantages by providing a method and system that provides a connection to the user based on at least one condition, such as the cheapest rate at the time of initiating the connection, automatically.

Summary of the Invention

The invention provides a method of selecting a wireless network for use by a user of a wireless telecommunications device based on at least one condition, the method comprising the steps of: forwarding a service route request from the wireless telecommunications device to a core network by executing a device software application stored in the wireless telecommunications device; accessing a database at the core network to ascertain a least cost route from a collection of charges of wireless network providers stored in the database; selecting the least cost route; forwarding information on the wireless network of the wireless network provider meeting the at least one condition to the device; whereupon the user accesses the wireless network upon receipt of the information. The invention also provides a system of selecting a wireless network for use by a user of a wireless telecommunications device based on at least one condition,, the system comprising: a network manager that executes as a device software application stored on the wireless telecommunications device for forwarding a service route request from the wireless telecommunications device to a core network; a database at the core network for enabling the determination of a least cost route from a collection of charge rates of wireless network providers stored in the database; means for selecting the least cost route; whereupon selection of the least cost route, information on the wireless network of the wireless network provider meeting the at least one condition is forwarded to the device; such that the user is able to access the wireless network upon receipt of the information. The at least one condition may be the wireless network with the least cost at the time the service route request is made or prior to completion of the connection establishment. The wireless network may be a mobile telecommunications network or a network that enables connection over the internet, such as a Wi-Fi network. The internet may be used for VoIP access. The service route request may be transmitted over a wireless network from the device to the core network.

The service route request may be forwarded by a network manager, being a software tool executed on the wireless telecommunications device, to a service manager, a further software tool installed and executed at the core network.

The service manager may access the database and determine the least cost charge based on the time the service route request was received. That is, the list of charges in the database can be searched on time of day, day of the week or any other time stipulation. Furthermore a least cost route may be selected based upon a particular set of pre-defined conditions provided by the user.

Once the least cost charge is determined by the service manager, the core network determines the corresponding wireless network provider and the wireless network of that provider and forwards information on these over a wireless network to the device. The search and delivery of the least cost route may occur prior to the user of the device completing the dialling operation on the device. Thus, once a few digits of the destination number are entered on the device by the user, a signal is sent by the network manager to the service manager after the input of each digit. The sequence of digits is compared with a sequence of digits stored in the database to determine the location of the user. By locating the user, the search for wireless network providers in that location is made easier and quickly so that a least cost route can be determined and forwarded to the user prior to completion of the dialling operation to automatically connect the user over the selected wireless network.

The invention further provides computer program means for selecting a wireless network for use by a user of a wireless telecommunications device based on at least one condition, the computer program means instructing a processor means to: forward a service route request from the wireless telecommunications device to a core network; access a database at the core network to ascertain a least cost route from a collection of charges of wireless network providers stored in the database; upon determining the least cost route and selecting the wireless network, the processor means: forwards information on the wireless network of the wireless network provider meeting the at least one condition to the device; and establishes a connection for the user over the selected wireless network.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings wherein: Figure IA is a block diagram of a system used to connect a user over a wireless network in accordance with the embodiment of the invention;

Figure IB is a block signalling diagram of the system of Figure IA showing signals transmitted in order connect a user over a wireless network in accordance with the embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a flow diagram showing the process in establishing the connection for the user.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

With reference to Figures IA and IB, there is shown a system 10 that enables a user of a mobile telecommunications device 12 to access or establish a connection over a wireless network with a particular telecommunications carrier based on at least one condition. Such a condition may be the cheapest possible rate immediately prior to the call or connection set up. The system 10 includes a wireless network 14 which enables connection of the device 12 over a mobile telecommunications network 16 or enables connection over the internet 18 through a Wi-Fi network for example. A core network 20 is connected wirelessly or by landline to the network 14, which may be owned or operated by the core network owner or operator. The core network 20 includes a service manager 22, implemented in software and termed a core network software application, that is able to select the network having the least cost connection time at the time of calling by the user on the device 12. Thus, when a user wishes to initiate a call or an event 24 (shown at step 1 in

Figure IB), a network manager 26 executes as a software application, termed the device software application, residing on mobile device 12. This is shown at step 2. The network manager 26 instructs a processor on the device 12 to send a signal to the core network 20 over the wireless network 14, either through network 16 or the internet 18, requesting a network route of least cost or a network route based on any particular rules or conditions stipulated within the request by the user. Thus, the event message 28 at step 3 containing this information is delivered to the core network 20 and, in particular, to the service manager 22, residing at the core network 20, which is executed by the initial request at step 4. A database 30 in the core network 20 stores connection charge rates for multiple telecommunication providers for both internet and mobile telephone networks at various times of the day and week. The particular rates at the various times of the day and on particular days is provided by telecommunication carriers around the world or otherwise derived by the core network operator. The charges relating to the core network operator in providing the least cost routing is added to the selected network operator that has the least charges.

The service manager 22 is programmed to run every 30 seconds or at any other suitable rate, so that it can select the least cost connection rates (and routes) through the database 30 even during the dialling process by the user of the device 12. As it would typically take 10 to 15 seconds to connect to a mobile network, and after 4 or 5 digits of the number being depressed by the user, the core network 20 is able to ascertain where in the world the user is located and therefore target particular usage rates of network carriers in the area of the user.

The service manager 22 instructs a processor in the core network 20 to access the database 30 and process information contained in the database 30 to determine potential networks that meet the criteria associated with providing the least cost route for the request, and thus provide an array of available network route options compatible to the requested service delivery. Such an example is where a search of the database 30 has provided three potential networks 1 , 2 and 3 at 25 that could meet the criteria. The rates and routing information is sent to a least cost routing engine 23 at step 5, and in this case networks 1 and 3 are selected to be sent to the engine 23. The least cost routing engine 23 then selects network 1 as the network fulfilling the requirements of the service route request. Thus the device 12 has requested and received information on the network to use that most suits the particular ruleset or conditions to be met.

Once the cheapest rate for a particular time has been determined through polling of the database 30 by the service manager 22 and/or the least cost routing engine 23 in the core network 20, such as that provided by network 1 at 27, information about the wireless network having that charge rate and its network operator are then forwarded to the network manager 26 in a service route request event 29 for storage in the device 12. This is sent over network 14, either through the mobile network 16 or the internet 18. On receipt of that information in the service route request event 31 by the network manager 26, the device 12 is programmed to initiate the connection over the specifically selected wireless network of the that network provider, thus either through network 16 or internet 18, using that provider. An event service delivery 33 is sent to the operator of the selected network 1 at step 6. Thus the system 10 can make least cost routing decisions without the need to integrate with other retail or wholesale networks, as shown at 35.

A software application running on device 12 is able to monitor the connection or call and record a real time connection charge and display it to the user on the device 12. Thus, based on the rates for that connection, which are downloaded by the core network 20 to the mobile device 12 for storage in memory on the device 12, the software application (which can be the network manager 26), calculates the cost of the

connection or call based on these rates and the duration of the connection or call. This is further described in co-pending PCT Application No PCT/AU2008/000886, to the present Applicant, and is incorporated herein.

The service manager 22 can access the database 30 to search for rates based on a particular rule set as stipulated by the user. Examples of a particular rule set may be a call or connection to be made at a particular time or day, the duration of the connection and possibly the type of network provider.

Prior to providing to the user device 12 the network having the least cost charge, when a mobile device is switched on it is continually polled by the network 20 in order to authenticate that the device 12 is connected to the core network 20 and therefore is a subscriber. The authentication process also takes place at call set up when the user is dialling on the device 12.

With "pay as you go" mobile devices 12, a user pays a fixed sum prior to making any calls. During that time they are not aware of how much connection time they have left. With the present invention the service manager 22, which is running every 30 seconds can recalculate the rates during a call and display to the user, on the device 12, how much call time or funds they have left to use in their pre-paid account.

The present invention also applies to where a number of subscribers are on the same account, for example, members of the same family may be able to use the internet on one account. Thus, if initially one person on the account has established a connection, then with the service manager 22 polling the database 30 every 30 seconds, a subsequent subscriber on the same account may be able to obtain an even cheaper rate at establishment of the connection for the subsequent subscriber, which is independent of that established for the first subscriber. When a user starts to dial a number for a connection over wireless network 14 or a URL or VoIP address for connection over the internet 18, the network manager 26 installed as a software application in the handset 12, detects up to 4 or 5 numbers entered by the user in order to make that connection. With the numbers provided in sequence, the network manager 26 is able to forward this data as a signal, even after entry of each digit, to the core network 20, and specifically the service manager 22, which can determine the location of the user device 12. The service manager 22 compares the sequence of received digits with a sequence of stored numbers in database 30 to determine the user's location. Thus upon determination of the location of the user, the engine 23 can determine a least cost route and charges from wireless networks operating at the location of the user. Thus it enables a specifically targeted search of the database 30 for network providers in that area. During this set up the

authentication is undertaken and once the cheapest rate is located this is returned to the network manager 26 on the device 12 which can then initiate a connection establishment over a network 16, 18 provided by the network provider giving the cheapest rate, prior to the user completing the dialling operation. A seamless automatic connection is then established.

The selection of which network 16 or 18 to use in establishing the call is decided by the core network 20. The selection is based on a list of available access points (e.g. WiFi, SIP, GSM, etc.) that the handset 12 stores and is subsequently sent to the core network 20. The list is then sent to the Service Manager 22 within the core network 20. The Service Manager 22 runs through a series of network delivery options such as availability, current quality readings and then preferably hands off an "approved" list to a Least Cost Routing Engine (LCR) 23. The LCR determines the route of least cost, if possible, for the subscriber using handset 12 or the most suitable route possible at that time. This information is then transmitted to the handset 12 that is now able to enable the service delivery (e.g. "phone call") through that route. The user 12 has no knowledge of which network 16 or 18 is being used. The network that will be used for the service delivery (e.g. "phone call") will be the cheaper option for the user of the device 12 as calculated by the core network 20.

Shown in Figure 2 is a flowchart of system logic applied by the network manager 26 stored on the user device 12.

Initially at step 32 the network manager 26 checks registration ability of the handset 12 to connect to a mobile network, such as GSM/GPRS, CDMA, SIP, ETC, or an IP network or a Wi-Fi network. At this stage authentication is also conducted between device 12 and the core network 20. At step 34 if more than one network is available then the process continues to step 38 where a route request is initiated, otherwise connection is initiated on the only available network at step 36. At step 40 a network route request or service route request is submitted to the service manager 22 in the core network 20, the service manager 22 then accesses database 30 and together with the a least cost routing engine 23 finds the least cost network route available. At step 42 the device 12, through its network manager 26 awaits a response. At step 44 once a response is received with the network route, then at step 46 if the network route is available, service delivery or connection is initiated. At step 48 service delivery is monitored by the network manager 26 and alternate network availability is also sought and monitored.

The network manager 26 is preferably implemented in C++. "Web Services" or XML is preferably used for transmission of data across network 14 between the network manager 26 and the core network 20.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described.

The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.