Method for sharing network and network element

• US 10,117,103 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honor Device Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Dong, Zou, Lan
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US15/264,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network sharing method and apparatus. The method comprises: a network element obtaining configuration information of resource sharing, the configuration information comprising: configuring a sharing type of a shared resource of the network element, configuring division of a share of the shared resource of the network element, and configuring a sharing party corresponding to the share of the shared resource of the network element; and the network element controlling the shared resource of the network element according to the configuration information. By means of the present invention, a share of a shared resource of a network element can be configured, and a carrier or a PLMN or a user equipment in a shared network can be accurately controlled.

Claims

1. A network device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein

the memory is configured to store program used to execute a process for sharing a network,

the processor is configured to execute the program stored in the memory, wherein execution of the program causes the processor to:

acquire information about resource usage of sharing resources; and

control the sharing resources of the network device according to the information about resource usage;

wherein the information about resource usage comprises one or any combination of the following;

identities or index numbers of sharing types of used sharing resources,

information about a user equipment using the types of sharing resources, and information about a home operator or a home public land mobile network (PLMN) of the user equipment,

information about a user equipment which accesses the network device using all the types of sharing resources, and an identity of a service network or a core network or a PLMN which the user equipment accesses or a type of a service provided for the user equipment,

shares or amounts for the used sharing resources or a proportion between an amount of the used sharing resources and an amount of the total resources,

amounts of each of the types of sharing resources which are used by each of operators or PLMNs or a ratio thereof to the sharing resources,

billing rates corresponding to the types of used sharing resources,

a period of time or numbers of times for using each of the types of sharing resources,

priorities of the types of used sharing resources, and

amounts or proportions of portions of the used sharing resources which exceed share limits;

wherein the sharing types of the used sharing resources comprise;

a dedicated resource, a mutual resource or a preemptive resource,

wherein the dedicated resource is a sharing resource of the network element which is allocated to at least one operator or at least one PLMN and is exclusively used by the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN, or a resource which is monopolized by at least one operator or at least one PLMN but is allowed to be shared with other operators or other PLMNs,

the mutual resource is a sharing resource of the network element which is allocated to the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN and is preferentially used by the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN, and is allowed to be rented to other operators or other PLMNs in a case that the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN does not use the sharing resource, and

the preemptive resource is a resource which is usable for operators or PLMNs according to a chronological order for requesting the sharing resource and priorities for the operators and PLMNs.

2. The network device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to determine usages of the shares of the resources in the network device for a current service operator or a current service PLMN of a user equipment transmitting a request for using resources according to the information about resource usage, and determine whether to allocate needed resources to the user equipment according to the usages of the shares of the resources.

3. The network device according to claim 2, wherein

the processor is configured to allocate the sharing resources of the network device according to the priorities of the sharing resources, wherein the processor allocates a sharing resource with a high priority to the user equipment if the usage of the sharing resource with a high priority does not exceed a share limit, and

the processor is configured to allocate a sharing resource with a low priority to the user equipment or reject the request for using resources if the usage of the sharing resource with a high priority exceeds a share limit.

4. The network device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to generate statistics on the types, shares or sharers of the sharing resources according to the information about resource usage, to acquire usages of the types of sharing resources by operators or PLMNs represented by different sharers, and perform billing processing according to billing rates corresponding to the types of sharing resources.

5. The network device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to report the information about resource usage to an upstream network element of the network device or a billing network element.

6. The network device according to claim 1, wherein the network device comprises:

a sharing network element, an entity of policy and charging rule function (PCRF), an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server or a policy server.

7. The network device according to claim 6, wherein the sharing network element comprises:

a network element of an access network, a network element of a core network or a network element of a subnet.

8. A method for sharing a network, comprising:

acquiring, by a network element, information about resource usage of sharing resources; and

controlling, by the network element, the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage, wherein

the information about resource usage comprises one or any combination of the following;

identities or index numbers of sharing types of used sharing resources,

information about a user equipment using the types of sharing resources, and information about a home operator or a home public land mobile network (PLMN) of the user equipment,

information about a user equipment which accesses the network element using all the types of sharing resources, and an identity of a service network or a core network or a PLMN which the user equipment accesses or a type of a service provided for the user equipment,

shares or amounts for the used sharing resources or a proportion between an amount of the used sharing resources and an amount of the total resources,

amounts of each of the types of sharing resources which are used by each of operators or PLMNs or a ratio thereof to the sharing resources,

billing rates corresponding to the types of used sharing resources,

a period of time or numbers of times for using each of the types of sharing resources,

priorities of the types of used sharing resources, and

amounts or proportions of portions of the used sharing resources which exceed share limits;

wherein the sharing types of the used sharing resources comprise;

a dedicated resource, a mutual resource or a preemptive resource,

wherein the dedicated resource is a sharing resource of the network element which is allocated to at least one operator or at least one PLMN and is exclusively used by the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN, or a resource which is monopolized by at least one operator or at least one PLMN but is allowed to be shared with other operators or other PLMNs,

the mutual resource is a sharing resource of the network element which is allocated to the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN and is preferentially used by the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN, and is allowed to be rented to other operators or other PLMNs in a case that the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN does not use the sharing resource, and

the preemptive resource is a resource which is usable for operators or PLMNs according to a chronological order for requesting the sharing resource and priorities for the operators and PLMNs.

9. The method according claim 8, wherein the controlling, by the network element, the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage comprises:

determining, by the network element, usages of the shares of the resources in the network element for a current service operator or a current service PLMN of a user equipment transmitting a request for using resources according to the information about resource usage, and determining whether to allocate needed resources to the user equipment according to the usages of the shares of the resources.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determining whether to allocate needed resources to the user equipment according to the usages of the shares of the resources comprises:

allocating, by the network element, the sharing resources of the network element according to the priorities of the sharing resources, wherein a sharing resource with a high priority is allocated to the user equipment if the usage of the sharing resource with a high priority does not exceed a share limit, and

allocating, by the network element, a sharing resource with a low priority to the user equipment or rejecting the request for using resources if the usage of the sharing resource with a high priority exceeds a share limit.

11. The method according claim 8, wherein the controlling, by the network element, the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage comprises:

generating, by the network element, statistics on the types, shares or sharers of the sharing resources according to the information about resource usage, to acquire usages of the sharing types of the sharing resources by operators or PLMNs represented by different sharers, and performing billing processing according to billing rates corresponding to the types of sharing resources.

12. The method according claim 8, wherein the controlling, by the network element, the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage comprises:

reporting, by the network element, the information about resource usage to an upstream network element or a billing network element.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon, a computer program comprising at least one code section for distributing data, the at least one code section being executable by a network element for causing the network element to perform the following:

acquiring information about resource usage of sharing resources; and

controlling the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage, wherein

the information about resource usage comprises one or any combination of the following;

identities or index numbers of sharing types of used sharing resources,

information about a user equipment using the types of sharing resources, and information about a home operator or a home public land mobile network (PLMN) of the user equipment,

information about a user equipment which accesses the network element using all the types of sharing resources, and an identity of a service network or a core network or a PLMN which the user equipment accesses or a type of a service provided for the user equipment,

shares or amounts for the used sharing resources or a proportion between an amount of the used sharing resources and an amount of the total resources,

amounts of each of the types of sharing resources which are used by each of operators or PLMNs or a ratio thereof to the sharing resources,

billing rates corresponding to the types of used sharing resources,

a period of time or numbers of times for using each of the types of sharing resources,

priorities of the types of used sharing resources, and

amounts or proportions of portions of the used sharing resources which exceed share limits;

wherein the sharing types of the used sharing resources comprise;

a dedicated resource, a mutual resource or a preemptive resource,

wherein the dedicated resource is a sharing resource of the network element which is allocated to at least one operator or at least one PLMN and is exclusively used by the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN, or a resource which is monopolized by at least one operator or at least one PLMN but is allowed to be shared with other operators or other PLMNs,

the mutual resource is a sharing resource of the network element which is allocated to the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN and is preferentially used by the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN, and is allowed to be rented to other operators or other PLMNs in a case that the at least one operator or the at least one PLMN does not use the sharing resource, and

the preemptive resource is a resource which is usable for operators or PLMNs according to a chronological order for requesting the sharing resource and priorities for the operators and PLMNs.

14. The medium according claim 13, wherein the controlling the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage comprises:

determining usages of the shares of the resources in the network element for a current service operator or a current service PLMN of a user equipment transmitting a request for using resources according to the information about resource usage, and determining whether to allocate needed resources to the user equipment according to the usages of the shares of the resources.

15. The medium according claim 14, wherein the determining whether to allocate needed resources to the user equipment according to the usages of the shares of the resources comprises:

allocating the sharing resources of the network element according to the priorities of the sharing resources, wherein a sharing resource with a high priority is allocated to the user equipment if the usage of the sharing resource with a high priority does not exceed a share limit, and

allocating a sharing resource with a low priority to the user equipment or rejecting the request for using resources if the usage of the sharing resource with a high priority exceeds a share limit.

16. The medium according claim 13, wherein the controlling the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage comprises:

generating statistics on the types, shares or sharers of the sharing resources according to the information about resource usage, to acquire usages of the sharing types of the sharing resources by operators or PLMNs represented by different sharers, and performing billing processing according to billing rates corresponding to the types of sharing resources.

17. The medium according claim 13, wherein the controlling the sharing resources of the network element according to the information about resource usage comprises:

reporting the information about resource usage to an upstream network element or a billing network element.