System and method for signaling information in order to enable and disable distributed billing in a network environment

• US 20060029084A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grayson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]

Abstract

An apparatus for signaling information in a network environment is provided that includes an access gateway operable to establish one or more packet data protocol (PDP) links on behalf of an end user. The access gateway is operable to communicate a message associated with a change in quality of service, locale, or policy enforcement relating to a selected one of the PDP links to a client services packet gateway (CSPG). The CSPG responds to the message by providing an accounting command for the selected PDP link such that synchronization is achieved between accounting information and a state associated with the selected PDP link.

Claims

1. An apparatus for signaling information in a network environment, comprising:

an access gateway operable to establish one or more packet data protocol (PDP) links on behalf of an end user, wherein the access gateway is operable to communicate a message associated with a change in quality of service level, locale, or policy enforcement relating to a selected one or more of the PDP links to a client services packet gateway (CSPG), the CSPG responding to the message by providing an accounting command for the selected PDP link such that synchronization is achieved between accounting information and a state associated with the selected PDP link.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a policy decision function coupled to the access gateway and operable to generate the message that is received by the access gateway.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message is provided in a selected one of a group of protocols that consists of:

a) a RADIUS protocol;

b) a TACACS protocol;

c) a GTP′

protocol; and

d) a DIAMETER protocol.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSPG is operable to provide one or more services to the end user, the services being selected from a group of services consisting of:

a) accounting;

b) firewalling;

c) filtering;

d) wireless application protocol transformations;

e) compression;

f) optimization;

g) billing; and

h) content authorization.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accounting command provided by the CSPG is modifying billing associated with the end user.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a quota server operable to distribute a quantity of quota to the end user via one or more flows, wherein the modification of billing includes enabling and disabling accounting and wherein the CSPG is further operable to communicate with the quota server in order to execute the enabling or the disabling of the billing associated with the end user.

7. An apparatus for signaling information in a network environment, comprising:

an access gateway operable to receive a quota request message from a client services packet gateway (CSPG), the access gateway being able to asynchronously signal to the CSPG to return a portion of quota for a flow associated with an end user, wherein the access gateway is operable to communicate a command to indicate that a service level, locale or policy enforcement corresponding to the flow is modified such that synchronization is achieved between accounting information and a gating function associated with the flow.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the access gateway is signaled that a gate corresponding to the flow is to be closed.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the command to indicate that a gate corresponding to the flow is open allows accounting for the flow to be initiated.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a cause segment is included in the signaling that offers a reason for the CSPG for a return of the portion of quota.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a quota server operable to distribute a quantity of quota to the end user via one or more flows, wherein the quota server is further operable to read the quota request message from the CSPG.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the CSPG is operable to provide one or more services to the end user, the services being selected from a group of services consisting of:

a) accounting;

b) firewalling;

c) filtering;

d) wireless application protocol transformations;

e) compression;

f) optimization;

g) billing; and

h) content authorization.

13. An apparatus for signaling information in a network environment, comprising:

a client services packet gateway (CSPG) operable to read a message that was sent to an access gateway, which is coupled to the CSPG, the access gateway operable to establish a flow on behalf of an end user, wherein the CSPG is operable to act autonomously in response to reading the message by providing an accounting command for the flow such that synchronization is achieved between call information and a gating function associated with the flow.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a policy decision function coupled to the access gateway and operable to generate the message that is received by the access gateway.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the message is provided in a selected one of a group of protocols that consists of:

a) a RADIUS protocol;

b) a TACACS protocol;

c) a GTP′

protocol;

d) a DIAMETER protocol; and

e) a COPS protocol.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the CSPG is operable to provide one or more services to the end user, the services being selected from a group of services consisting of:

a) accounting;

b) firewalling;

c) filtering;

d) wireless application protocol transformations;

e) compression;

f) optimization;

g) billing; and

h) content authorization.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the CSPG is operable to respond to the message by analyzing accounting rules for down-link packets, and wherein if there is correspondence between a down-link rule and a packet classification corresponding to a closed gate then the CSPG disables an accounting functionality for the flow.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the CSPG is operable to respond to the message by analyzing the accounting rules for the down-link packets such that if the accounting rules indicate a previously disabled charging rule corresponding to an open gate, then the CSPG can enable the accounting functionality for the flow.

19. A method for signaling information in a network environment, comprising:

establishing one or more packet data protocol (PDP) links on behalf of an end user; and

communicating a message associated with a change in quality of service, locale, or policy enforcement relating to a selected one of the PDP links to a client services packet gateway (CSPG), the CSPG responding to the message by providing an accounting command for the selected PDP link such that synchronization is achieved between accounting information and a state associated with the selected PDP link.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating the message that is received by the CSPG.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the message is provided in a selected one of a group of protocols that consists of:

a) a RADIUS protocol;

b) a TACACS protocol;

c) a GTP′

protocol; and

d) a DIAMETER protocol.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the accounting command provided by the CSPG is a selected one of enabling and disabling billing associated with the end user.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

distributing a quantity of quota to the end user via one or more flows.

24. A method for signaling information in a network environment, comprising:

receiving a quota request message from a client services packet gateway (CSPG);

responding to the quota request message by signaling to the CSPG to return a portion of quota for a flow associated with an end user; and

communicating a command to indicate that a gate corresponding to the flow is open such that synchronization is achieved between call information and a gating function associated with the flow.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

signaling that the gate corresponding to the flow is to be closed.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the command to indicate that the gate corresponding to the flow is open allows accounting for the flow to be initiated.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a cause segment that is included in the signaling, the cause segment offering a reason for the CSPG for a return of the portion of quota.

28. A method for signaling information in a network environment, comprising:

reading a message that was sent to an access gateway, which is operable to establish a flow on behalf of an end user; and

acting autonomously in response to reading the message by providing an accounting command for the flow such that synchronization is achieved between call information and a gating function associated with the flow.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

generating the message that is received by the access gateway.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the message is provided in a selected one of a group of protocols that consists of:

a) a RADIUS protocol;

b) a TACACS protocol;

c) a GTP′

protocol;

d) a DIAMETER protocol; and

e) a COPS protocol.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

providing one or more services to the end user, the services being selected from a group of services consisting of;

a) accounting;

b) firewalling;

c) filtering;

d) wireless application protocol transformations;

e) compression;

f) optimization;

g) billing; and

h) content authorization.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

responding to the message by analyzing accounting rules for down-link packets, wherein if there is correspondence between a down-link rule and a packet classification corresponding to a closed gate then an accounting functionality is disabled for the flow.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

responding to the message by analyzing the accounting rules for the down-link packets such that if the accounting rules indicate a previously disabled charging rule corresponding to an open gate, then the accounting functionality is enabled for the flow.