Method for implementing an Open Charging (OC) middleware platform and gateway system
View Patent ↗The art of present discloses a method and system for enabling mobile network operators to collect charging information from various other network elements; and indeed, is intended to exploit the resiliency of open network architecture and lessen the requisite dependency on proprietary network elements services and billing systems. The Open Charging (OC) middleware platform and gateway system interacts with proprietary network elements and effectually creates a unifying, enabling layer in mobile networks. Indeed, the art is directed at permitting mobile subscriber access to, among others, third party content and services with the simplicity and convenience of such charges appearing on either mobile phone bill, or decremented from said mobile subscriber's pre-paid account.
1. A gateway system comprising:
a plurality of application interfaces for connecting to a respective plurality of external applications via at least one network; each said external application distinct from a plurality of subscribers accounts and configured to provide at least one external application function call relating to at least one of said plurality of subscribers accounts to its respective application interface;
a plurality of intelligent network (IN) platform adapters for connecting to a respective plurality of IN platforms; each of said IN platforms configured to respond to at least one of said external application function calls; and
a module interconnecting said application interfaces and said platform adapter interfaces;
said module configured to maintain a routing indication associating each of said application interfaces with at least one of said IN platform adapters;
said module further configured to route said at least one external application function call to one of said platform adapters based on said routing indication.
2. The gateway system of claim 1 wherein said IN platforms comprise at least one of prepaid, postpaid and/or hybrid systems.
3. The gateway system of claim 1 further comprising a provisioning interface connected to said module; said provisioning interface for receiving said routing indication and forwarding said routing indication to said module.
4. The gateway system of claim 3 wherein said routing indication is explicit, indicating unequivocally which platform a request for a particular function call for a given subscriber is to be routed to; or wherein said routing indication is implicit comprising criteria for determining which of said platforms to route a request to for a particular function call for a given subscriber.
5. The gateway system of claim 1 wherein said application function calls are standardly-defined.
6. The gateway system of claim 5 , wherein said application function calls comprise at least one of a balance query, a balance deduction, and a balance increment for a particular subscriber according to parameters of the external application.
7. The gateway system of claim 1 further comprising a security engine connected to said module; said security engine configured to receive said external function call; said security engine further configured to verify whether or not said external application is in fact permitted to make such said external function call.
8. The gateway system of claim 7 , wherein said security engine is configured to verify whether or not said external application is in fact permitted to make such said external function call based on one or more of: i) whether said external application is permitted to request said function; ii) whether said external application is permitted to access the Intelligent Network (IN) platform where a subscriber is hosted; iii) whether said external application is permitted to access and/or to modify the subscriber data as per MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) compliance requirements.
9. The gateway system of claim 7 whereupon if said security engine verifies that said external application is permitted to make such said external function call; then routing said external function call to one of said platform interfaces via said module based on said routing indication.
10. The gateway system of claim 9 , wherein external function calls at said module are translated into a specific protocol respective to a IN platform interface designated by said routing indication.
11. The gateway system of claim 1 , wherein said module is configured to employ standard queuing methodology and implementations as per the priority set by the external application which is making said external function call.
12. The gateway system of claim 1 further comprising a subscriber information caching mechanism for writing subscriber account information to a cache for subsequent forwarding to an IN platform interface designated by said routing indication.
13. The gateway system of claim 12 , wherein said subscriber account information written to said cache represents a sum total of all balance increments and balance deductions associated with a plurality of said external function calls.