WO2002015536A2

WO2002015536A2 - Communication service

Info

Publication number: WO2002015536A2
Application number: PCT/SE2001/001749
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: SE0002897L; WO2002015536B1; SE0002897D0; WO2002015536A3

Abstract

A product information service is shown which has a descriptive role and an operative role as value added to services which are utilized by acting parties in a digital communication network. The product information service can be ordered via a service from an administrative system or a traditional telecommunication system and has possibility to take the role as configuration creator and can there, for instance, reconfigure a wanted service before it is forwarded between an acting party who provides the service and the acting party who 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 product and/or service 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 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 an 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 restricts 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 reconfigure services/products and link new services in existing system support structures in networks. Traditional support systems are in separate IT-environments which today are lacking interfaces towards operative service systems in the communication networks. This implies technical impediments each time a new service component shall be introduced in a service provider's product offer and often limits his/her possibilities to packet new and old products to make it possible to offer the services to different acting parties.

The product can have one or more acting parties as interested parties, for instance customer, user, provider/supplier, competitor, operator. A problem associated with this is a limitation of the possibilities to handle/manage the product information of the services. Particularly the already known systems are associated with more or less static tools.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to solve large parts of this problem by offering a product 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 product information service cooperates with the service and at least provides data which characterize the service.

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

The architecture includes a number of layers which are defined by 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 is made between these different type objects with different functions and the objects exist 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 cooperates in its turn with its adjacent transaction 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 utilized in common by a plurality of acting parties in different roles. It provides an increased flexibility in 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 technical structures or administrative systems.

The product information service according to the present invention has both a descriptive role as value added 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 "productifier" and can there for example configure 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 product information service according to the present invention, the object, which are handled/managed according to object oriented approach. The product information service is responsible for reading, updating and deleting product information. Besides it is responsible for keeping a check on the instances towards different services and administrative objects which need to utilize the information. The product information service shall cooperate with software libraries which administer all linked service objects and other information objects which are included in the communication network in which the invention is realized.

The product information service is realized by/with a general interface which handles/manages, at least to some extent, standardized services such as security/"firewall", declaration of the object and how this can be called, addressing and linking to other components, providing utilization information/statistics, launching itself on the network etc.

Application cases for a product information service according to the present invention are for instance: 1. A service calls the product information service by for instance a product identification number and learns the different roles of the product.

2. An acting party wants to change service which is executed via a telecommunication network and calls the product information service (the service object). This handles/manages looking up/finding in the product data base and checks the authority for this action/measure. The service also can check which relations that exist and which acting parties that are influenced by such a change of the service.

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 network. This is stored and managed in the product object as a link to the acting party.

4. Another information object needs access to the stored information of the product information service, for instance to provide a list over all authorities connected to a product. 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 product information object/service. Besides the provider has to declare the basic data of his/her service components in the product information object/service.

An advantage of the invention is that, because the invention is realized as a completely independent object, the object can be used independent of/freely from a lot of services and for a number 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 the needs of both the IT-world and 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 inf astructure 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 into six layers S1-S6 for three different part architectures DA1-DA3 which include transaction architecture DAI, information architecture DA2 and technology/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 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 Sβ 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 example of logical addresses which is connected to these is 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 providers/ suppliers. 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. Examples of this are telephone calls 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 which 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 for 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 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 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 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 interface 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/by 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/ networks. 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 make it possible to manage a plurality of different 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 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/with 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

One case of application for a service according to the invention can be that a provider/supplier wants to connect a new service in a network as above, and then links his/her service by administratively declare his/her provider role in the acting party object which is linked to the product information object. Besides, the provider has to declare the basic data of his/her service components in the product information object. An operator at that can offer a "service hotel" to another service provider. A service provider also can cooperate with another service provider in the offer about services to an end customer. An end customer also can connect his/her private or company intranetwork services to other equivalent services in this layer. A service component in this transaction layer is a product information service according to the present invention which can be linked to different services and implies that each product can describe itself (the product information object), an acting party information service which keeps a check on which acting parties that are involved in the transaction agreement around the service, and the relation management service which handles/manages the information around the conditions of the transaction agreement and current interfaces connected to, for instance, authority. 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 product identification of the administrative world, for instance logical number, configuration data, and connects these to the provider's telecommunication network identification via the addressing service in the connectivity level as, for instance, telephone/directory number, e-mail address. The component/object also keeps a check on the role and authority of the product 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 product information domain via an IP-protocol and in this call is stated the logical number of the service object and the logical number of the product information domain.

2. The service object calls the connectivity level, which interprets the logical number and checks its addressing.

3. The product information domain checks security demands, links logical id to physical address of the IT- object, the product domain, checks which services that are on the product domain connected to this service and logs the logical connection to the service object. 4. Reading and updating from other administrative information domains and possibly updating of product information and check/control of ordered information.

5. Reads information/request from the service object related to the information services which are connected to current service object.

6. Reads, updates, arrange in packet/packets the object instance of the service which can call the connectivity level . 7. Processing of in packet arranged object instance towards established links.

8. Signaling to connectivity server to return the information to right service.

9. The service provides/links information from the product information object and gives a receipt.

10. The service executes its service functionality with/by the product information 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 also can be realized on other levels of this architecture.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

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

2. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 1, at which the product information service has a configuring role in relation to the utilized service, and the by the product information service provided data include configuration data.

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

4. Procedure as claimed in any of the patent claims 1 to 3, at which the product information service 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 product information service exchanges information with the first acting party via a user interface at the product information service.

6. Procedure as claimed in any of the patent claims 1 to 5, where the product information service 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.