WO2003058941A1

WO2003058941A1 - System and method for collecting call and communication transactions and offering reporting services and a computer program for collecting call and communication transactions

Info

Publication number: WO2003058941A1
Application number: PCT/FI2002/000983
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jarkko Nivakoski
Original assignee: Oy Radiolinja Ab
Priority date: 2001-12-20
Filing date: 2002-12-04
Publication date: 2003-07-17
Also published as: FI111497B; FI20012530A0; AU2002346771A1

Abstract

A reporting service and method arranged in a telecommunication network has been created for collecting transaction information and for providing a reporting service. According to the invention, to collect the transaction information, a reporting system, in which it is arranged a call database system (5), a parameter database system (6), and a message database- and a voice mail system (7), is arranged to have a data transmission connection with an IN-network system (1, 2), which directs the traffic to the customer's terminal equipment (9). The reporting system is arranged to collect the transaction information logs from the IN-network system and a data transmission connection is arranged in the reporting system by means of a network server (8) in order to display a transaction information report on a communication network terminal equipment (12).

Description

System and method for collecting call and communication transactions and offering reporting services and a computer program for collecting call and communication transactions

The present invention relates to collecting and reporting call and message transactions in a telecommunication network. More specifically, the object of the present invention is a reporting system according to the preamble of the claim 1, and a reporting method for collecting call and message transactions in a telecommunication network and providing a reporting service, according to the preamble of the claim 12. The object of the present invention is also a computer program for collecting call and message transactions in a telecommunication network, according to the preamble of the claim 16.

In this patent application, communication network and/or data transmission network refer to an entity of analogue and/or digital communication and/or data transmission, consisted of communication systems and subsystems, and of equipment needed for network services and transmitting messages, such as exchanges, registers and subsystems and the connections between them, where, for example, the exchanges, nodes, servers, registers and subsystems, such as billing systems and network controlling systems are networked as telecommunication network by means of different SS7/C7 UP-protocols (UP, User Part) and AP- protocols (AP, Application Part). Communication and/or data transmission network can be e.g.: a fixed telecommunication network i.e. PSTN- network (Public Switched Telephone Network), including, i.a. CSTN (Circuit Switched Telephone Network) and ISDN- network (Integrated Services Digital Network); a fixed data transmission network including, i.a. CSPDN- networks (CSPDN, Circuit Switched Public Data Network) networks and PSPDN- networks (PSPDN, Packet Switched Public Data Network) and IP- networks (IP, Internet Protocol). - a wireless telecommunication network, preferably a PLMN (Public Land

Mobile Network). The communication network can also be the above mentioned telecommunication network in closed use.

In the following, communication and data transmission networks are in general referred to by the term "telecommunication network" and more specifically by the terms

"fixed telecommunication network", when referring to a telecommunication network to where terminal equipment are connected by a wire interface, and a "PLMN", when referring to a telecommunication network, to where the terminal equipment are connected over the wireless interface.

For order's sake, it is noted that the term exchange refers to both the fixed telecommunication network exchange or the node, and the PLMN exchange, and the term customer register refers to the fixed network customer register or the PLMN HLR register (HLR, Home Location Register).

Since both the UP- and AP -protocols are, per se, well known by the person skilled in the art they are only listed here. The UP-protocols are, for example TUP (Telephone UP), ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network), ISUP (ISDN UP), and the AP- protocols are, for example TCAP (Transaction Capabilities AP) and INAP (Intelligent Network AP), MAP (Mobile AP), BSSAP (Base Station System AP), BSSMAP (Base Station System Mobile AP).

It is also previously known by the persons skilled in the art, that also different service provider's servers and local networks can be arranged to be in the data transmission connection with a telecommunication network, in order to enable data transmission between the telecommunication network and the service provider's servers and/or the local network(s), and that fixed terminal equipment are connected to a telecommunication network over a wire interface and mobile terminal equipment, such as mobile stations, are connected to a telecommunication network over a wireless air interface . In order to offer the telecommunication network "intelligence", especially the so- called IN-services (IN, Intelligent Network), and/or to control connection setup, i.e. the calls coming to the telecommunication network subscriber connections, the telecommunication networks can be provided with an IN-network system, one or more of which can be arranged into a telecommunication network. A typical IN-network system contains, at least, one lower level service switching i.e. SSP-point (SSP, Service Switching Point), which communicates with the telecommunication network exchange, and with, at least, one IP-peripheral device or -system (IP, Intelligent Peripheral), and a higher level service control point i.e. a SCP-point (SCP, Service Control Point) controlling the SSP or the SSP group, which can be a separate telecommunication network equipment or be integrated as a part of the telecommunication network exchange. In order to offer services and/or to control connection setup, i.e. the calls coming to the telecommunication network subscriber connections, "intelligence" of the telecommunication network can be raised with a data processing system, which can in itself be a very simple computer entity, such as a PC-device.

At present, most of the mobile stations support, as a terminal equipment feature, the listing of answered calls, unanswered calls and made calls. Nokia GSM mobile terminals can be mentioned as an example of mobile stations with such a terminal equipment feature.

Listing is, for example, in Nokia's recent mobile stations implemented so, that only the last ten calls of each call handling area can be displayed, that is, the ten last received calls, the ten last made calls, and the ten last unanswered calls. Since the listing ability of the terminal equipment is limited, the problem is, that altogether only ten of the last received, unanswered and made calls can be seen. When it is a question of a person who is very busy and cannot or will not answer to the last e.g. thirty calls, then all the thirty calls in question belong to the unanswered calls category, but due to the limited listing ability of the terminal equipment, only information of the ten recent attempted calls is given, and there is no report information of the previous two attempted calls. The terminal equipment's information on the calls does not, at length, tell extensively the information that would possibly be interesting. This information can be, for example, a more detailed course of the received calls in the accessibility chain and their itemization. This information can also be of e.g. that when an incoming call has reached the voice mail system that is last in the telecommunication network, the caller may have left a spoken- or fax-, text-, voice- or data message in the message- or voice mail system. The end customer may also be interested in the information of whether a message, such as a fax-, text-, voice-, and data message, has been left in the message- or voice mail system after the notification has been received, which can be indicated e.g. by the length of the message.

A person using the mobile stations can, when receiving a call, be in the shadow area or in a situation, where the mobile station has not been switched on or it cannot have been switched on, and afterwards the receiver wants to know which calling subscriber number has been trying to reach them during that time, and/or if the call has been answered e.g. from some other auxiliary answering point belonging to the called subscriber connection, such as e.g. from a subscriber connection belonging to the accessibility chain.

New services, which require the purchase of new service platforms, are continuously introduced for the mobile stations, but the user-specific parameter changes required by the services produced by the service platforms and the displaying of the user-specific service transactions together with other call transactions is difficult, or a laborious and hard process. As an example of such a laborious and hard process, is the implementing of the itemized bill to the end customer. It requires the integration of several service platforms and the use of a separate billing system.

In general, the reporting of the telecommunication network traffic transactions is based on that the service system reports the outgoing and incoming calls and messages and their transaction information. Such services include e.g. different UM-services

(UM, Unified Messaging). In a typical UM-service, the call- and message transactions that were conducted with the help of the UM-service system are reported. As an example of a known reporting service are UM-services, from where report information of the call- and message traffic to the target subscriber connection, on the downlink traffic, that is, is acquired, which the customer can retrieve him-/herself and which typically is according to the Table 1 in the Figure 1.

A weakness of the previously known reporting service systems is also that they cannot implement a service, where both the target subscriber connection call number and the call transfer number, that is the C-number, would be the same. Then the reporting service appears to the end user to be an individual service, and not a feature of the subscriber connection, and those traffic call transactions that do not occur in the service system cannot be displayed in the reporting. In other words, if the call does not reach the service system, it cannot be reported at all. These calls are, e.g. call attempts that have not yet been redirected to the voice mail system.

Additionally, it can be mentioned that in Finland, the teleoperators are obligated to implement the outgoing itemized call list. The itemized list depends always closely on the reception capacity of the terminal equipment or the service system. The terminal equipment or service system cannot itemize e.g. such calls that do not come to the terminal equipment or service system. When the terminal equipment is a mobile station, the calls that cannot be itemized are connection setups to a mobile station that has been turned off, or that has a flat battery, or that is in the network shadow area or in a place, which is outside the coverage of the network, or where the use of mobile stations is forbidden, such as e.g. airplane or hospital or service station etc. In the case of a service system, it is not possible to itemize the unanswered calls, or the calls that are e.g. behind the accessibility chain or call transfer before the service system in question.

One essential object of the present invention is to remove, or at least significantly reduce, the disadvantages, weaknesses and problems that are described above and that are related to known terminal equipment and service systems. Especially the objects are: to collect information from an IN-network system; receiving information to a collecting system; a user-specific reporting implemented by a reporting server and preferably also collecting of information from other service systems arranged in a telecommunication network, such as from text message- i.e. SMS-centers (Short Message Service), media message- i.e. MMS-centers (Multi Media Service).

The second essential object of the present invention is to create in a telecommunication network a new reporting system and method, and computer programs, with which it is possible to collect information on call and message transactions and connection setup attempts and to report this kind of transaction information to the end customer. Especially, the final object is to enable the reporting so that parameters defined by the customer him-/herself can be taken into account, such being the phone number and reporting a person name determined by oneself, and other similar information.

The third essential object of the present invention is to create, in a telecommunication network, a new reporting system, method and computer program, with which it is possible to report also those calls that do not reach a terminal equipment or a service system. These calls include connection setups to a mobile station that has been turned off, or that has a flat battery, or that is in the network shadow area or otherwise in a place outside the coverage of the network, or where the use of mobile stations is forbidden, such as e.g. airplane, or hospital, or service station etc., and the calls that are e.g. behind the accessibility chain or call transfer before the service system. In other words, a specific object of the present invention is to provide communication network customers with reporting that can report all call and message transactions, preferably at least: the calls i.e. the phone calls and messages from the subscriber connection call number; the answered calls i.e. the phone calls and messages to the subscriber connection call number; the answered calls e.g. the phone calls and messages to the subscriber connection, based on the accessibility chain included in the subscriber connection call number; the unanswered calls that have reached the terminal equipment but are unanswered, i.e. phone calls and messages and phone calls and messages to the subscriber connection based on the accessibility chain included in the subscriber connection call number; and in addition to these outgone, answered and unanswered calls, that is, phone calls and messages, also the attempted calls, i.e. attempted telephone calls and messages to the subscriber connection, i.e. the calls that have not reached the subscriber connection, for some reason or other.

These objects have been reached by using the above mentioned reporting system, method, and computer program, whose special characteristics have been described in the appended claims.

Thus, the invention is based on the new and inventive basic idea, that a reporting system for collecting call and message transaction information and connection setup information, i.e. transaction information, is arranged as a peripheral system for an IN- network system, which directs uplink and/or downlink traffic to a subscriber connection or subscriber connections pre-selected by a customer, and that a call information database system, a parameter database system and a message database and voice mail system are arranged in the reporting system, that the reporting system is arranged to collect the transaction information or the transaction information logs from the IN-network system, and that in the reporting system, it is arranged a data transmission connection for receiving a transaction report, containing the transaction information, to a telecommunication network terminal equipment and optionally, for updating the reporting system by using a network server.

Thus, for generally achieving the objects of the invention the characteristics are described in the characterizing part of the independent claim 1 are characteristic for a reporting system according to the invention, and the characteristics described in the characterizing part of the independent claim 12 are characteristic for a reporting method according to the invention.

For achieving the objects of the invention, the characteristics described in the characterizing part of the independent claim 16 are generally characteristic for a computer program according to the invention. Since, according to the present invention, also the connection setup attempts i.e. call attempts can now be collected and reported, also the calling subscriber connection's subscriber connection numbers can be stored for later use, whereby contacting this kind of subscriber connections that have attempted to call can now be implemented.

When the whole system is built by using the IN-network system, both the B- subscriber number and the C-subscriber number can be kept the same, whereupon all the features from the end customer viewpoint are subscriber connection features, and not separate service platforms. A report service customer does not need separate call transfers to their own voice mail, but they can get their subscriber connection-specific report of all their call and message traffic e.g. by using a www-user interface. It is easy to add also other reporting to this reporting, such as the received and sent faxes, voice, text, and data messages, providing that the actual service systems have the capacity to do that.

An advantage of the invention is also that, with the invention, it is possible to report also the subscriber connection-specific unanswered calls with their A-subscriber id's and time stamps, as well as report the answered calls and their answering points, such as the answering point A, the answering point B, the voice mail etc. Additionally, in the reporting, it is possible to report the fax, voice, text, and or data messages that have reached the voice mail system and their lengths.

It is possible to implement the reporting in almost real time, whereby displaying this information will be possible, both as an itemized bill, and on the hypertext pages. The display created on the hypertext pages can be implemented directly even on the mobile station's own display.

The invention will be described in the following as an example, without however confining to it, with reference to the accompanying patent drawings, in which FIG.l. shows a prior art reporting service for reporting telecommunication network transactions, FIG.2 shows a transaction information report created by using the service according to Fig. 1,

FIG.3. shows a schematic view of a reporting system according to the invention arranged in a telecommunication network, and FIG.4 shows a transaction information report created by a reporting service of a reporting system according to the invention.

For a more clear understanding of the invention the fixed network and the PLMN network and connection setup step in them are described in general.

In the fixed network the exchange system is hierarchic. Individual subscriber connections are connected through their connection cable to a terminal exchange, of which is the lowest telecommunication network exchange level. The terminal exchanges are connected to higher-level local switching exchanges. Which, in their turn, are connected to higher-level exchanges. In such fixed network, the location of each subscriber connection is always fixed and previously known.

PLMN-network, such as for example GSM- or GPRS- or UMTS-network, is substantially different from the fixed network, because there is a wireless interface between the subscriber connections and the PLMN-network and because the subscriber connections can move freely in the whole PLMN-network service area, comprising of the coverage areas that are covered by the individual base stations of the base station systems that are connected to the PLMN-network exchanges. An integral part of the operation of the PLMN-network is an ongoing registration function, with which information on the PLMN-network exchange, on whose service area the subscriber connection at each time is located, is updated to the PLMN- network' s HLR-register.

Creating a communication connection from one subscriber connection to another, in the telecommunication network, is called a connection setup step and that communications or communication step. In the following, the term home exchange refers to a terminal exchange of a fixed network, to which subscriber connections are connected through their connection cable, or to that PLMN exchange, such as e.g. a GSM-exchange or a GPRS-support node, on whose service area an individual subscriber connection is at each time located. The analyzing of the target subscriber connection's call number, related to the connection setup, is performed in the home exchange of the calling subscriber connection, and the caller id i.e. A-Id, which e.g. in CCS-signaling is an IAM- message containing, among other things, the target subscriber connection's complete subscriber connection number, and the caller's CLI-id, that is, the calling line identity, is sent from the calling subscriber's home exchange to the target subscriber connection's home exchange.

When the target subscriber connection is a subscriber connection of a fixed network, the target subscriber connection location and the home exchange are known exactly. After the caller's home exchange has received the target subscriber connection's call number, the caller's home exchange will analyze the target subscriber connection's call number, after which the caller's home exchange signals the caller's caller id to the target subscriber connection's home exchange. The target subscriber connection's home exchange replies to the connection setup signaling by sending a confirming message, after the target subscriber connection is able to receive the call, or an incoming call alerts in the target.

When the target subscriber connection is a PLMN-network's subscriber connection that can move freely in the PLMN-network service area, the connection setup will have substantially more steps. Consequently, before the caller's caller identity can be sent to the target subscriber connection's home exchange, the location of the target subscriber connection and its home exchange must be defined.

The principle of the connection setup is not dependent on the type of the PLMN- network or subscriber connection, since the equivalent network elements and operations can be found in all the PLMN-networks according to typical standards, consequently to make it simple, the connection setup in PLMN-networks, represented by GSM-network, is described.

If the calling subscriber connection is a subscriber connection of a fixed network, the target subscriber connection's call number is signaled to the PLMN-network gateway exchange. If the calling subscriber connection is a PLMN-network subscriber connection, the target subscriber connection's call number is signaled to the calling subscriber connection's home exchange. After the gateway exchange or the calling subscriber connection's home exchange has received the target subscriber connection's call number, the target subscriber's call number is analyzed. Since PLMN-network does not know beforehand, where the target subscriber connection is located at each time, that is, what is the target subscriber connection's home exchange (or through which intermediate PLMN-network the target subscriber connection can be reached), a routing enquiry is made by using the MAP-protocol (Mobile Application Protocol) of the PLMN-network 's HLR-register, to find out on which service area the target subscriber connection is located. In this connection, the HLR-register makes a routing number enquiry by using the MAP-protocol to the VLR-register (Visitor Location Register) of the PLMN-network of the service area in question, and sends the routing number to the gateway exchange or to the calling subscriber connection's home exchange. The routing number is used for choosing the route to the target subscriber connection's home exchange. When the connection setup signaling is in the target subscriber connection's home exchange, the target subscriber connection's home exchange will enquire from its VLR-register, on which service cell group area the target subscriber connection is at that time located. Finally, the base station system under the target subscriber connection's home exchange finds the target subscriber connection from the individual service cell. The target subscriber connection's home exchange replies to the connection setup message by sending a confirming message, after the target is able to receive a call or an incoming call alerts in the target.

Both in the fixed network and in the PLMN-network, an ISUP- protocol (ISUP, ISDN User Part) is preferably used for the connection setup signaling, and MAP-protocol is used for the routing enquiries. Referring to Fig. 2, showing a reporting system according to a first embodiment of the invention, which is located in a fixed network, and to the Fig. 3 showing a reporting system according to a second embodiment of the invention, which is located in a PLMN.

Refer to Fig. 2. It is characteristic for the invention, that connection setup and/or call routing in a fixed network 3 has been arranged to be controlled by an IN-network system 1. It should be noted, that the IN-network system could also be of a PC-device (PC, Personal Computer). In this function, the IN-network system or the PC is connected to a target subscriber connection's 9 home exchange 4, to which a customer register 11 has a data transmission connection, to which customer register information or a sign, of that the IN-network system 1 or PC-device directs the connection setup forward from the home exchange 4 to the target subscriber connection 9, is triggered. The IN-network system's 1 SCP-point 2 connects typically to the exchange 4 of the telecommunication network 3 or PLMN-network 3 by means of the IN-network system's SSP-point, which can be integrated in the telecommunication network exchange or connected to the telecommunication network 3 exchange 4.

A message and voice mail system 7 is arranged to receive, in addition to call and connection setup transaction information, voice messages and their identification information, that is, to provide the normal voice mail services and features. Thus, the message and voice mail system 7 can receive information on the message transactions from the telecommunication network exchange 4, over the IN-network system 1 and call database system 5. Naturally, the telecommunication network exchange 4 can be controlled by the IN-network system 1, whereby the message or voice mail system 7 can receive messages from such telecommunication network exchange 4 controlled by the IN-network system 1, 2, over the call database system 5. Since different voice, data, and fax messages are substantially related to the message transactions, the message and voice mail system 7, according to the invention, can be arranged to receive also these kinds of message types and their identification information. Refer to Fig. 3. It is essential for the invention, that connection setup and/or call routing in a PLMN 3 are arranged to be controlled by an IN-network system 1. It should be noted, that the IN-network system could also be a of PC-device (PC, Personal Computer). In this function, since in the HLR-register, information or a sign of that the IN-network system 1 or the PC-device directs the connection setup forward from the home exchange 4 to the target subscriber connection 9, the IN-network system 1 or the PC-device has a data transmission connection to the target subscriber connection's 9 home exchange 4 of that time, after the target subscriber connection's 9 location and the target subscriber connection have been defined during the connection setup stage. The IN-network system's 1 SCP-point 2 connects typically to the exchange 4 of the telecommunication network 3 or PLMN-network 3, by means of the IN-network system's SSP-point, which can be integrated in the telecommunication network exchange or connected to the telecommunication network 3 exchange 4.

According to the embodiment in Fig. 3, the message- and voice mail system 7 has been arranged to receive, besides call and connection setup transaction information, also other information on the message transactions, such being preferably short message i.e. SMS-messages and their identification information.

At present and in the future, the mobile station networks, e.g. GPRS and UMTS- networks, support also media i.e. MMS-message data transmission. Thus, it is preferred, according to the invention, that the reporting system's message and voice mail system 7, according to the invention, can receive also MMS-messages from a MMSC-exchange 14.

For SMS-messages, there is in the telecommunication network, a short message i.e. SMSC-exchange 13, which is connected to the telecommunication network exchange 4. For MMS-messages, there is in the telecommunication network, a media- i.e. a MMSC-exchange 14, which is similarly to the SMSC-exchange, connected to the telecommunication network exchange 4. The message or voice mail system 7 is arranged to receive, besides the call and connection setup transaction information, also voice messages and their identification information, that is, to provide the normal voice mail services and features. Thus, the message and voice mail system 7 can receive information on the message transactions from the telecommunication network exchange 4, over the IN-network system 1 and the call database system 5. Naturally, the telecommunication network exchange 4 can be controlled by the IN-network system 1, whereupon the message or voice mail system 7 can receive messages from such telecommunication network exchange 4 controlled by the IN-network system 1, 2, over the call database system 5. Since different voice, data, and fax messages are substantially related to the message transactions, the message and voice mail system 7, according to the invention, can be arranged to receive also these kinds of message types and their identification information. t~

Refer to Figs. 2 and 3. The reporting system 5, 6, 7 arranged in the telecommunication network 3 of the basic idea of the invention is a peripheral system of the IN-network system 1. According to the invention, the IN-network system 1 service control i.e. the SCP-point 2 has a data transmission connection to the home subscriber connection's 9 home exchange 4 and directs all traffic to the subscriber connection 9 or subscriber connections pre-selected by the customer. There can also be an accessibility chain configured in the IN-network system 1, taking charge of the connection setups and call and message control, both of the traffic to the target subscriber connection 9 i.e. the downlink traffic and of the traffic coming form the calling subscriber connection 10 i.e. the uplink traffic.

According to the invention, a reporting system, containing a call database system 5 and a message database and voice mail system 7 collecting all the call and message transaction information and connection setup attempt information, i.e. all transaction information or transaction information logs from the IN-network system 1. Additionally, the reporting system contains a parameter database system 6, in which all the customer's personal parameters and information are stored. These parameters and information preferably consist of phone numbers and the corresponding personal names, i.e. the parameter database system is a correspondence register.

To receive the call and message transaction and connection setup attempt information i.e. a transaction report, that a data transmission connection can be made by means of a network server 8 between the reporting system 5, 6, 7 and to the telecommunication network 3 terminal equipment 12. Additionally, it is preferred according to the invention, that to update the reporting system 5, 6, 7 i.e. to receive the customized customer specific reports, a data transfer connection can be made over the network server 8 from the terminal equipment 12 also to the parameter database system 6.

When the network server 8 applies the TCP/IP or UDP/TP-protocol, and when the browser program is a WWW-browser program (WWW, World Wide Web), the transfer protocol applied by the network server for the data transmission between the customer terminal equipment 12 and the network server 8 is selected from a group consisting of HTTP, SMTP, FTP, and corresponding transfer protocols.

Thus, the reporting system 5, 6, 7 is, according to the invention, a peripheral system of the IN-network system 1, and arranged to have a data transmission connection with the SCP- point 2 so that behind the call database system 5, there is connected, on one hand, a message database and voice mail system 7, and on the other hand, a parameter database system 6, to which a data transmission connection from the customer terminal equipment 12 can be made by means of the network server 8.

To receive the transaction report, the call database system 5 of the reporting system 5, 6, 7 makes a data transmission connection to the SCP-point 2, and the message database system 7 makes a data transmission connection to the call database system 5. The message database system 7 can make a data transmission connection besides with the call database system 5, also with the network server 8.

Thus, the reporting system has, on one hand, a data transmission connection to the IN- network system 1 and, on the other hand, to the network server 8, and the transaction information report can be received to the telecommunication network terminal equipment 12 as a response to a transaction information report enquiry from the terminal equipment 12, over the network server 8, to the reporting system 5, 6, 7. It is also characteristic for the invention, that the reporting system 5, 6, 7 can be updated. In that case the parameter database system 6 belonging to the reporting system is arranged on the data transmission path between the call database system 5 and the network server 8. By updating the parameter database system from their terminal equipment 12, a customer receives the transaction information report to their terminal equipment in the form they required, preferably so that call correpondence information is retrieved from the transaction database to be attached to them, and the report is thus completed with the required correspondence information, such as the identifying name of the calling subscriber connection, or with other complementing information. Besides the customer, also the operator providing the reporting service can make service enquiries to the reporting system 5, 6, 7.

It is preferred, according to the invention that the parameter database system 6 is on the information path also between the message database system 7 and network server 8. Then all the transaction reports from the terminal equipment 12 to the reporting system and vice versa always go through the parameter database system 6.

Thereby according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the reporting system, the call database system 5 and the message database- and voice mail system 7 are connected to a data transmission connection in series to a data transmission connection with the SCP-point 2. According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, in the reporting system, the parameter database system 6 is connected to a data transmission connection in series to a data transmission connection with the message database- and voice mail system 7. According to a third preferred embodiment of the invention, in the reporting system, the call database system 5 and the message database system 7 are connected to a data transmission connection in parallel, optionally with either the SCP-point 2 or with the parameter database system 6. Additionally, it is preferred that in the embodiments there is a data transmission connection between the call database system 5 and the message database system 7 for directing the transaction information collecting from the call information system 5 to the message database system 7.

To receive the transaction information reports, it is preferred, according to the invention, to implement a client application of a browser program used in the network server 8 to the terminal equipment 12 of the customer requesting for a report, from which a data transmission to the network server 8 can be made, thereby enabling both updating customer's personal settings and parameters, through the network server 8, to the parameter database system 6, and transmitting the transaction information report requests to the network server 8, in order to receive the transaction report from the reporting system 5, 6, 7 according to the invention. Additionally, each message stored in the system can be retrieved from the message system through the network server 8 by means of a hyperlink displayable in the terminal equipment arranged to have a data transmission connection to the network server.

A reporting system according to the invention for collecting, storing and displaying the transaction information operates in such way, that the IN-network system 1 , 2 is activated, preferably through the customer register or the HLR register 11 connected to the telecommunication network 3 exchange 4, to monitor all uplink and downlink call and message transaction traffic, and connection setup attempt transactions from the calling subscriber connection 10 to the target subscriber connection 9, and that the IN-network system 1, 2 actively reports all these transactions in the telecommunication network to the call database system 5, whereupon the call database system 5 receives from the IN-network system 1, 2 all the call information and their identification information and stores it. To receive a transaction information report, a connection through the network server 8 to the reporting system is made, and a transaction report request is made, and as a reply the transaction information report is received. Additionally, it is possible to listen and/or display the voice, short message, media messages faxes etc. stored in the reporting system.

To register the traffic in downlink direction to the target subscriber connection 9, the target subscriber connection's home exchange 4 receives the connection setup signaling. The subscriber connection information is check, depending on the target subscriber connection 9 telecommunication network type, from the subscriber connection database or HLR-register 11, where the processing of the calls coming to the target subscriber connection 9 in question processed in the IN-network system's 1 SCP-point 2 have been parametered to. Information on the receiving of the call through the number selected in the operator's network is transmitted from the IN- network system 1 to the call database system 5, in the case of a call identifiable by the connection setup signal, or - to the message and voice mail system 7, in the case of a voice, short message, media messages, fax or the like identifiable by the connection setup signal.

In the following example, the target subscriber connection has been registered of having four answering points, but the number of answering points can be from one to several answering points. The first answering point is typically the subscriber connection that has been called, in other words the target subscriber connection's subscriber number i.e. the B-number is the same as the transferred subscriber number i.e. the C-number. When a change occurs in the call that should be reported, the IN- network system's 1 SCP-point 2 informs the call database system 5. If the call is transferred from the call database system 5 to the message and voice mail system 7, the left message is reported by retrieving the correspondence information from the parameter database system 6. If the correspondence information, such as name information for a phone number, is found in the parameter database system 6, this will be reported.

Referring to Fig. 4, an example of the reporting system according to the invention is explained in the following.

The customer's (person X) subscriber connection is connected to the reporting service and they have the answering points: subscriber connection number, which is 0505066886, home number, which is 09653663 and the voice mail. When a call comes to the operator's network to the person X's subscriber connection number, the telecommunication network 4 exchange 5 checks from the HLR-register 11 the parameters of the person X. The exchange 5 returns the information that 'TN- triggering of all the calls coming to the person X" has been parametered to the subscriber connection, whereupon directing the calls is given to the IN-network system's 1 SCP-point 2. When the SCP-point 2 receives the call directing and monitoring, the call connection setup to the selected number is continued, so that the selected person X would get the intended call. The SCP-point 2 transmits the information on this call directing to the call database system 5, which receives the caller's, i.e. A-subscriber's, identifier. If the call is not, however, received in the subscriber connection number of person X, the SCP-point 2 will redirect the call to another number of the person X, for example to the home number. When the connection setup has been directed to the home number, the SCP-point 2 reports about this call redirection again to the call database system 5, and the call database system receives again the caller's, i.e. the A-subscriber's, identifier. If the call is not received in this home number, the SCP-point 2 directs the call to the message and voice mail system 7 of the person X, whereupon the message and voice mail system 7 receives the caller's, i.e. A-subscriber's, identifier and a message of, for example, 30 seconds. The SCP-point 2 transmits information about the call directing to the reporting system's 7 call database system 5.

All the subscriber connection specific calls are directed under control of the SCP-point 2 so that information is transmitted to the system according to the invention, whereupon, beside the calls, the report also consists of: the voice messages left for the subscriber connection voice mail and their length; faxes and their size or number of pages; text i.e. SMS-messages and their length or size; multimedia i.e. MMS- messages and their length or size; data messages and their size; numbers and names of the accessibility chain etc.

Thereby the call database system 5 has in addition to the information on the callers also information on the call attempts and their time: incoming calls to the number of the person X, on the re-directing of the calls to the other number of the person X and the redirecting of the call to the message i.e. voice mail system 7 as well as information on the messages, length of messages and the messages themselves.

Additionally, if a correspondence to the A-number is found in the parameter database, there will be name information corresponding to the A-number in the call database.

It should be pointed out that all types of message types can be used in the examples, that is fax, voice, data message, SMS, MMS message, whereupon the information in the message and voice mail system 7 is correspondingly the number of fax pages and the actual fax message the length of the voice message and the actual voice message, the size of the data message and the actual data message, - the length of the SMS-message and the actual SMS-message the size of the MMS-message and the actual MMS-message.

Thus, according to the invention, a definite report is created, where it is reported: downlink traffic, consisting of: the received calls and messages with their answering points and voice mail information; the unanswered calls, and the call i.e. connection setup attempts; and uplink traffic i.e. the calls and call attempts made from the subscriber connection.

According to the invention, the service user's personal information is added to the report by connecting the parameter database system 6, which the user can independently update, to a data transmission connection with the call database system 5 and the message database and voice mail system 7. This information, which the user can update and parameter into the search database of the call database system 5 and the message database and voice mail system, are preferably the names that clarify the individualization of the subscriber connection number, such as home, own name - Jarkko Lagerbobm, and the names of the persons who call most often. In the call, fax, text, voice, and data message reporting according to the invention, there also exists the special feature, that each message that has been stored in the system can be retrieved from the message system through the network server 8 by means of a hyper link displayed in the terminal equipment arranged to have a data transmission connection with the network server.

The invention has been described above only as an example by means of its one preferred embodiment. As it is known in the art, this has, in no means, been intended to limit the invention to the embodiment according to the example. Thus, the invention can be changed and modified in the scope of the inventive idea and the scope of protection defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A reporting system in a telecommunication network, including at least one mobile communication network, and/or at least one fixed communication network, and/or at least one fixed data transmission network, for collecting the call and message transactions in the telecommunication network with an IN-network system (1, 2) to the reporting system, with the IN-network system being connected to the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), and for providing a transaction information reporting service for the customer's terminal equipment (12) by means of a network server (8), characterized in that, the reporting system is arranged to collect call, message transaction, and connection setup transaction information i.e. transaction information to a data transmission connection with the IN-network system (1, 2), which directs uplink and/or downlink traffic to at least one terminal equipment (9) pre-selected by the customer, in that a call database system (5), a parameter database system (6) and a message database and a voice mail system (7) are arranged in the reporting system, in that the reporting system is arranged to collect transaction and connection setup attempt logs from the IN-network system, and in that a data transmission connection is arranged in the reporting system by means of the network server (8) to display a transaction information report on the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12) and optionally to update the reporting system.

2. A reporting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the reporting system (5, 6, 7) is in a data transmission connection to the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), through the IN-network system's (1) SCP-point (2),

IN-network system (1, 2), which monitors the connection setup and the traffic from the telecommunication network (3) to at least one subscriber connection

(9) pre-selected by the customer, controls the reporting system, - at least the call database system (5) is in a data transmission connection to the

SCP-point (2) to receive the call and connection setup transactions into the reporting system, the network server (8) is in a data transmission connection to, both the call database system (5) and the message database and voice mail system (7) to receive the transaction report into the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12) as a response to a service request from said terminal equipment, and the parameter database system (6) is in a data transmission connection to the network server (8) to update the parameter database system (6).

3. Reporting system according to claims 1 and/or 2, characterized in that to collect also text- and/or media messages and to report the text- and/or media messages, the reporting system (5, 6, 7) is, through the IN-network system's (1) SCP-point (2), in a data transmission connection to the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), the IN-network system connected to the SCP-point monitors the uplink and downlink connection setup and traffic from the telecommunication network (3) to, at least, one subscriber connection (9) pre-selected by the customer.

4. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that call database system (5) is in a data transmission connection to the IN-network system (1) for receiving and storing the transaction information sent by the IN- network system, in that the message and voice mail database system (7) receives and stores faxes and voice, e-mail, text, and media messages sent from the calling subscriber connection (10) through the call database system (5) and operates as a voice mail, when the target subscriber connection, which is the subscriber connection (9) pre-selected by the customer, does not answer, has been turned off or cannot otherwise be reached, in that customer's personal parameters and information, which correspond to subscriber connection numbers and names, have been stored in the parameter database system (6), and in that the network server (8) serves the customer's service enquiries from the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12) having the data transmission connection to the network server, to display the transaction information, collected and stored in the call database system (5) and/or the message and voice mail database system (7), on the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12).

5. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the client-application of the network server (8) browser program is implemented in the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12).

6. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the IN-network system's (1) SCP-point (2) has been activated to monitor actively all connection setup and call and message transactions by means of a customer register or subscriber connection database (11) associated with the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), to which customer register or subscriber connection database, the handling of the calls coming in to the exchange (4) processed in the IN-network system's SCP-point are parametered.

7. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that call database system (5) and message database and voice mail system (7) are connected in series in a data transmission connection with the SCP-point (2).

8. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the parameter database system (6) is connected in series in a data transmission connection with the message database and voice mail system (7).

9. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the call database system (5) and the message database system (7) are connected in a data transmission connection in parallel optionally with the SCP-point (2) or the parameter database system (6).

10. A reporting system according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that there is a data transmission connection between the call database system (5) and the message database system (7), to direct the transaction information collecting from the call database system (5) to the message database system.

11. A reporting system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that each of the messages stored in the system can be retrieved from the message system through the network server (8) by means of a hyper link displayable in the terminal equipment arranged to be in a data transmission connection with the network server (8).

12. A reporting method in a telecommunication network, including at least one mobile communication network, and/or at least one fixed communication network, and/or at least one fixed data transmission network, for collecting the call- and message transactions in the telecommunication network with an IN-network system (1, 2) into a reporting system, with the IN-network system being connected to the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), and for providing a transaction information reporting service for the customer's terminal equipment (12) by means of a network server (8), characterized in that to collect call, message transaction, and connection setup transaction information i.e. transaction information to a data transmission connection with the IN-network system (1, 2), which directs uplink and/or downlink traffic to, at least one, terminal equipment (9) pre-selected by the customer, a reporting system is arranged, to which a call database system (5), a parameter database system (6) and a message database- and voice mail system (7) are arranged, in that the reporting system is arranged to collect transaction information logs from the IN-network system, and in that a data transmission connection is arranged in the reporting system by means of the network server (8) to display the transaction information report on the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12) and optionally to update the reporting system.

13. A reporting method according to claim 12, characterized in that for collecting the transaction information, the data transmission connection is retained to the reporting system (5, 6, 7) from the communication network (3) exchange (4) through the IN-network system's (1) SCP-point (2), whereupon at least the call database system (5) is retained in data transmission connection to the SCP-point (2), in that to receive the transaction information report to the reporting system through the network server (8) as a response to a service request from the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12), a data transmission connection is made from said terminal equipment to the call database system and/or to the message database- and voice mail system (7) through the network server, and to update the parameter database system (6), a data transmission connection is made from said terminal equipment to the parameter database system through the network server.

14. A reporting method according to claim 13, characterized in that the connection setup and call information coming from the calling subscriber connection (10) are received and stored to the call database system (5), in that faxes and voice, e-mail, text, and media messages coming from the calling subscriber connection (10) are received and stored to the message database- and voice mail system (7), in that the customer's personal parameters and information, which preferably correspond the subscriber connection numbers and names, from the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12), which is in data transmission connection to the network server (8), are stored to the parameter database system, and in that the customer's service enquiries are served in the network server (8) to display the transaction information collected from the telecommunication network terminal equipment to the call database system and/or message database- and voice mail system in the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12).

15. A reporting method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the messages included in the transaction information stored in the reporting system and that are preferably SMS- and/or MMS- messages, are retrieved from the message database system (7) through the network server (8) by means of a hyper link displayable in the telecommunication network terminal equipment (12).

16. A computer program to be implemented in a IN-network system (1, 2) of a telecommunication network comprising at least one mobile communication network, an/or at least one fixed communication network, and/or at least one fixed data transmission network, in order to collect call- and message transactions by means of the IN-network system connected to the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), characterized in that to collect call and message transactions and connection setup attempts i.e. the transaction information to the system, which includes a call database system (5) and a message database and voice mail system (7) and a parameter database system (6), the computer program is to be implemented in the IN-network system's (1) SCP-point (2) being in a data transmission connection with the telecommunication network (3) exchange (4), and which is to be activated to monitor all connection setups from the telecommunication network (3) to at least one subscriber connection (9) pre- selected by the customer, whereupon to control the system the computer program includes: a first routine for maintaining the data transmission connection between the SCP-point (2) and at least the call database system (5) of the reporting system in order to collect the call- and message transactions and connection setup attempts i.e. the transaction information; and a second routine for retrieving correspondence information from the parameter database system (6) of the reporting system, and for connecting them to the collected transaction information in the system's call database system (5) and/or message database- and voice mail system (7).

17. A computer program according to claim 16, characterized in that the computer program comprises a third routine for sending the transaction information report as a response to a service request sent by the customer from the terminal equipment (12) to the system through the network server (8) to the data transfer path from the customer's terminal equipment (12) through the network server (8) to the call database system (5) of the reporting system and/or from the message database- and voice mail system (7).

18. A computer program according to claim 17, characterized in that to display the collected transaction information on the customer's terminal equipment (12) through the network server (8), a client application of the network server (8) browser program is to be implemented in the terminal equipment (12).