As a business support service, UVC provides the function of managing recharge cards and the recharge function.

In addition, UVC provides multiple recharge access modes and interfaces for third parties. The UVC system is compatible with the following protocols:

Code Division Multiple Access-Wireless Intelligent Network (CDMA-WIN) CAMEL Application Part (CAP) Intelligent Network Application Protocol (INAP) Mobile Application Part (MAP)

The UVC service is an intelligent network service that provides a uniform recharge function for subscribers. The UVC service also provides the functions of issuing and managing recharge cards for carriers. The features related to the recharge card, including the types of recharge card resources, application area of a recharge card, and the encryption of a card manufacturing file.

Supporting Multiple Currency Types

The UVC system supports multiple currency types. If the UVC system supports authenticating a recharged subscriber, the UVC system calculates the amount based on the exchange rate between different currencies.

Recharge for Another Number

A recharge mode in which a subscriber uses a terminal to recharge the account of another terminal in voice mode. The terminal can be a fixed-line phone, a personal handy phone system (PHS),or a mobile phone.

Blacklist

A subscriber account state that a carrier sets to prevent subscribers from attempting to recharge accounts by guessing recharge card number or password.

High security

An enhanced irreversible encryption algorithm is used to ensure the security of recharge card passwords. An enhanced reversible encryption algorithm is used for card manufacturing file to ensure the security of file transfer.

The following methods are used to ensure security of card manufacturing files during card generation, transfer, and storage:

Use the enhanced encryption algorithm to encrypt card manufacturing files.

The corresponding card manufacturing keys are used to encrypt and decrypt card manufacturing files. That is, the public keys of card manufacturers are used during encryption, and the private keys of card manufacturers are used during decryption.
Different card manufacturers use different keys to prevent different card manufacturers from using the same recharge cards. Keys have validity period. Expired keys can not be used any more. New keys must be generated periodically to replace the expired keys. Card manufacturing files are backed up for a proper period of time to prevent them from being automatically deleted.

The UVC system supports encrypting a card manufacturing file and provides the key management tool that runs in the Windows operating system. The key management tool generates the system key pair and the card manufacturer key pair and the password file. The system key pair contains the public key and the private key of the system. The card manufacturer key pair contains the public key and the private key of a card manufacturer. The keys are described as follows:

Public key of the system

A carrier can use the public key of the system to encrypt the work private key. The encryption result is saved to the card manufacturing file that is encrypted. The work private key is generated in the system. It is not displayed on the graphic user interface(GUI).

The card manufacturer can use the public key of the system to authenticate the encrypted file for card manufacturing and signs the encrypted file. The operations help you to ensure that the encrypted file for card manufacturing is not changed maliciously. Private key of the system

A carrier can use the private key of the system to sign the encrypted file for card manufacturing. A carrier can use the private key of the system to decrypt the work private key.

Core Network Related Entities (Base on SS7 Protocol)

USAU: is the Signal Access Unit of the UVC, which enables UVC system to communicate with network via INAP/WIN/CAP./MAP via SS7 signaling.

SMSC: sends short messages, including ordinary short messages, recharge short messages, and short messages for notifying recharge results.
AIP : provides announcement playing and number receiving functions for IVR recharge. USSD Center: USSD center resolves the USSD service code to complete the USSD recharge. RSDP: Remote Service Data Point.

Recharge System (Application Level)

OCS: provides charging ability for prepaid and postpaid subscribers.

BILLING: BILLING provides charging ability for postpaid subscribers. IPCC : resolves the IVR service code to complete the recharge. SRS : Seamless Roaming Solution Service, resolves the IVR service code to complete the recharge. BI: is the report system. UVC can provide data files for the BI, and the BI displays the data in the report.

VCP (Voucher control point) bases on the enhanced network intelligent platform (ENIP). It is the core of the UVC system. VCP is used to implement the following functions:

Control the UVC service

Perform the service logic of recharge

VMP (Voucher Management Point) schedules for generating and loading recharge cards, manages data and parses out MML commands.

Service configuration Service data management Network management

VMAP (Voucher Management Access Point)

VMAP provides the Web-based management access and communicates with VMP

through Man-Machine Language (MML) commands. A carrier operator can access the VMP through VMAP by using the Windows Internet Explorer on a personal computer to manage the UVC service data and recharge card data.

VMAP Server

VMAP Server authenticates the operation requests from VMAP. After the authentication, the VMAP Server forwards the operation requests to VMP, and then obtains the process result and sends the process result to the VMAP.

Recharge Access via UVC and update balance in OCS/IN System, Billing or 3G System. The subscribers can enjoy unified service experience.

UVC access method is more convenient for service deployment, update and maintenance

The following section introduce the signaling flow of the recharge: 1. A recharge request is send to UVC. The recharge request contains the password of a recharge card and the recharged number.

2. UVC checks recharge card statusanalyzes the recharged number and authenticates the recharge card, and then sends the message for adding money to OCS/IN or other charging system.
3. The charging system updates the subscribers balance and returns a response message. 4. UVC set the recharge card to used up, and then sends the message to the charging system to confirm. 5. The charging system sends an acknowledge back to UVC. 6. UVC sends a recharge response to the SMSC to notify the user of the recharge result.

Recharge Access via OCS/IN and verify Voucher in UVC

OCS/IN access method is main recharge access method at present, which can provide more flexible and powerful recharge promotion and bonus functions.

This solution change a little of Original VC system but enjoy more security recharge card RSA encryption & decryption mechanism.

The following section introduce the signaling flow of OCS/IN access recharge: 1. OCS/IN receives a recharge request which contains the password of a recharge card and the recharged number.

2. OCS/IN sends a card authentication request to UVC. The authentication request contains the recharged number, calling number, and password of a recharge card.
3. UVC authenticates the recharge card. If the recharge card status is normal, UVC locks the recharge card, and then returns the basic information about the recharge card to OCS/IN, including the recharge resource, validity period. 4. OCS/IN adds balance and additional validity period to the user accountand then sends a card set request message to the UVC. 5. UVC updates the status and resource information of the recharge card, unlocks the recharge card, and then sends a recharging confirmation response message to the OCS/IN. 6. OCS/IN sends a response message to SMSC to notify the user of the recharge result.

Generating

Generating indicates that the carrier can generate recharge card data through the VMAP. The data of a recharge card includes the batch number, type, face value, sequence number, password, validity period, balance, and additional validity period. During this stage, three files are produced.

Brief info file Loading file Card making file

Loading

Loading indicates that the carrier can load the recharge card data files to the database through the VMAP. Data files of the recharge card must be identified by the VMP. Data files contain all the information about a batch of recharge cards

and the password in it is a text encrypted through non-reversible encryption.

After the recharge card data is loaded to the database, the recharge card is in Generated status and can not be used.

Decryption & Manufacture & Distribution

Decrypt the card making file so as to get the card data to manufacture the cards the distribute the physical cards to channels.

Life Cycle State

Generated

Description
A recharge card enters the Generate state after the basic data of the recharge card in the UVC system is customized through the Generating task. The basic data includes the batch number, face value, card number, and validity period. A recharge card in Generate state enters the Loaded state after loading into VCP database. A recharge card in Loaded state can not be used to recharge the account of a subscriber. Issue to channel.(This status is useless if channel function is not subscribed.) A recharge card in Issue state can not be used to recharge the account of a subscriber. A recharge card in Loaded state enters the Activated state after being activated. A recharge card that is activated can return to the Issue state after being deactivated. An activated recharge card enters the Used state after a subscriber uses the recharge card to recharge an account. A recharge card in Used state is deleted from the UVC system by an operator after being used. The recharge cards in the states such as Generate, Issue, Activated, and Locked enter Expired state after the validity period. A recharge card in Expired state can return to a non-expired state after the validity period is extended. A recharge card in Activated state enters the Locked state after being locked for certain reasons. A recharge card in Locked state and is within the validity period can return to the Activated state after being unlocked.

Loaded

Issued

Activated

Used

Expired

Locked

Carrier PTCL

Core Network and IN is provided by Huawei, In its subsidiary company PTML (Ufone) , IN is provided by Nortel, Core Network is

provided by Siemens.

To switch over to the UVC solution, PTCL processed in two steps:

Step1: Recharge requirements access to each subsystems and are handled by subsystems as before. Recharge bonus is also provided by subsystems. But new voucher cards are generated in UVC system. Existing cards are still in use and customers can not find anything different. Step2: After consume all the originate recharge cards, UVC provide unified recharge access and recharge bonus instead of subsystems so as to launch more flexible promotions.

Huawei constructed the WIN for GMCC in 1999. Up to August 2004, the system consists of 82 SCPs, 3 SMPs, 3 VCs, which is up to date the largest WIN in China. Up to August 2004, the active mobile subscriber number of Guangdong mobile has reached up to 40 million(active voucher cards capacity is usually 6-10 times of total subscribers). GMCC begin to swap to Huawei OCS system since 2009.