System and method for sharing subscriber resources in a network environment

• US 10,284,429 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Ameo, Chaturvedi, Anurag, Srivastava, Vimal
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Van Roie, Justin T
• Application Number:
  US16/058,125
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/748 Negotiation of resources, e.g. modification of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/828 Allocation of resources per group of connections, e.g. per group of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for modifying a network service of a requesting network member. A request, received from the requesting member, can include an identification of a sponsoring network member for a requested network service modification. A group can be generated and associated with the requesting member and with the sponsoring member. The group may also include a group policy referencing the requested network service modification. The sponsoring member can be provided with an activation key for activating the network service modification and a first network policy can be applied to the requesting member and a second network policy can be applied to the sponsoring member.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor and from a requesting member, a request for a sponsored network service modification, the request including an identification of a sponsoring member for the sponsored network service modification and a time duration for the sponsored network service modification;

generating, by the processor, a group associated with the sponsoring member and the requesting member, the group including a group policy comprising a reference to the sponsored network service modification and the time duration;

providing, to the sponsoring member, a key for activating the sponsored network service modification;

receiving, by the processor and from the sponsoring member, the key for activating the sponsored network service modification;

modifying, by the processor and according to the group policy, a first network policy applied to the requesting member and a second network policy applied to the sponsoring member, the modification of the first network policy including an increase in a Quality of Service (QoS) to the requesting member and the modification to the second network policy including a decrease in a QoS to the sponsoring member; and

reverting the modification to the first network policy and the second network policy in response to the time duration completing.

2. The method of the claim 1, wherein the request is received by an unstructured supplementary service data server (USSD), the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the USSD and to a network exposure function (NEF), the received request; and

storing, by the processor and in the NEF, the group for a time duration, the NEF in communication with a policy control function (PCF) for modifying the first network policy and the second network policy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received by a NEF, the method further comprising storing, by the processor and in the NEF, the group for a time duration, the NEF in communication with a PCF for modifying the first network policy and the second network policy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request adheres to a representative state transfer (REST) format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a second sponsoring member and the group is further associated with the second sponsoring member, the method further comprising:

providing, to the second sponsoring member, the key for activating the sponsored network service modification; and

modifying, by the processor and according to the group policy, a third network policy applied to the second sponsoring member.

6. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive, from a requesting member, a request for a sponsored network service modification, the request including an identification of a sponsoring member for the sponsored network service modification and a time duration for the sponsored network service modification;

generate a group associated with the sponsoring member and the requesting member, the group including a group policy comprising a reference to the sponsored network service modification and the time duration;

provide, to the sponsoring member, a key for activating the sponsored network service modification;

receive, from the sponsoring member, the key for activating the sponsored network service modification;

modify, according to the group policy, a first network policy applied to the requesting member and a second network policy applied to the sponsoring member, the modification of the first network policy including an increase in a Quality of Service (QoS) to the requesting member and the modification to the second network policy including a decrease in a QoS to the sponsoring member; and

reverting the modification to the first network policy and the second network policy in response to the time duration completing.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising an unstructured supplementary service data server (USSD), wherein the request is received by the USSD and the memory further stores instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to:

transmit, from the USSD and to a network exposure function (NEF), the received request; and

store, in the NEF, the group for the time duration, the NEF in communication with a policy control function (PCF) for modifying the first network policy and the second network policy.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the request is received by a NEF and the memory further stores instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to:

store, in the NEF, the group for the time duration, the NEF in communication with a PCF for modifying the first network policy and the second network policy.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the request adheres to a representative state transfer (REST) format.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the request includes a second sponsoring member and the group is further associated with the second sponsoring member, and the memory further stores instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to:

provide, to the second sponsoring member, the key for activating the sponsored service modification; and

modify, according to the group policy, a third network policy applied to the second sponsoring member;

wherein the modification to the third network policy is reversed in response to the time duration completing.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a requesting member, a request for a sponsored network service modification, the request including an identification of a sponsoring member for the sponsored network service modification and a time duration for the sponsored network service modification;

generate a group associated with the sponsoring member and the requesting member, the group including a group policy comprising a reference to the sponsored network service modification and the time duration;

provide, to the sponsoring member, a key for activating the sponsored network service modification;

receive, from the sponsoring member, the key for activating the sponsored network service modification;

modify, according to the group policy, a first network policy applied to the requesting member and a second network policy applied to the sponsoring member, the modification of the first network policy including an increase in a Quality of Service (QoS) to the requesting member and the modification to the second network policy including a decrease in a QoS to the sponsoring member; and

reverting the modification to the first network policy and the second network policy in response to the time duration completing.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request is received by an unstructured supplementary service data server (USSD), and further comprising instructions effective to cause a communications network to:

transmit, from the USSD and to a network exposure function (NEF), the received request; and

store, in the NEF, the group for the time duration, the NEF in communication with a policy control function (PCF) for modifying the first network policy and the second network policy.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request is received by a NEF, and further comprising instructions effective to cause a communications network to:

store, in the NEF, the group for the time duration, the NEF in communication with a PCF for modifying the first network policy and the second network policy.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request adheres to a representative state transfer (REST) format.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request includes a second sponsoring member and the group is further associated with the second sponsoring member, and further comprising:

provide, to the second sponsoring member, the key for activating the sponsored service modification; and

modify, according to the group policy, a third network policy applied to the second sponsoring member;

wherein the modification to the third network policy is reversed in response to the time duration completing.