Establishing facets of a policy for a communication session

• US 20070220251A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jonathan, Andreasen, Flemming, Stammers, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 : with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 : Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 : adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Establishing one or more facets of a policy includes facilitating a communication session for an access terminal at a visited network. The access terminal is associated with a home network having a home policy server. The policy is received at a visited policy server of the visited network. The policy comprises the facets. If the facets are unacceptable, the facets are negotiated until a stopping point is reached. The negotiation includes adjusting by the visited policy server at least one facet of the one or more facets, and notifying the home policy server of the adjustment. The facets are established in accordance with the negotiation.

Claims

1. A method for establishing one or more facets of a policy for a communication session, comprising:

facilitating registration of an access terminal at a visited network, the access terminal associated with a home network having a home policy server;

receiving the policy at a visited policy server of the visited network, the policy comprising the one or more facets;

if the one or more facets are unacceptable, negotiating the one or more facets until a stopping point is reached, the negotiation comprising;

adjusting by the visited policy server at least one facet of the one or more facets; and

notifying the home policy server of the adjustment; and

establishing the one or more facets in accordance with the negotiation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein negotiating the one or more facets further comprises:

receiving a notification indicating acceptance of the at least one facet adjusted by the visited policy server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein negotiating the one or more facets further comprises:

receiving a response comprising at least one facet adjusted by the home policy server; and

continuing negotiation if;

the at least one facet adjusted by the home policy server is unacceptable; and

the stopping point has not been reached.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein negotiating the one or more facets further comprises:

determining if the received policy is compatible with a policy at the visited policy server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a policy output in accordance with an application identified by an application facet of the one or more facets.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more facets further comprises:

a network facet requesting one or more network resources for an application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stopping point comprises at least one of the following:

a predetermined number of iterations have been performed; and

the one or more facets are acceptable to the home policy server and the visited policy server.

8. A visited policy server of a visited network, comprising:

a memory operable to;

store a policy comprising one or more facets; and

a processor in communication with the memory and operable to;

facilitate registration of an access terminal at the visited network, the access terminal associated with a home network having a home policy server;

receive the policy;

if the one or more facets are unacceptable, negotiate the one or more facets until a stopping point is reached, the negotiation comprising;

adjusting by the visited policy server at least one facet of the one or more facets; and

notifying the home policy server of the adjustment; and

establish the one or more facets in accordance with the negotiation.

9. The visited policy server of claim 8, the processor further operable to negotiate the one or more facets by:

receiving a notification indicating acceptance of the at least one facet adjusted by the visited policy server.

10. The visited policy server of claim 8, the processor further operable to negotiate the one or more facets by:

receiving a response comprising at least one facet adjusted by the home policy server; and

continuing negotiation if;

the at least one facet adjusted by the home policy server is unacceptable; and

the stopping point has not been reached.

11. The visited policy server of claim 8, the processor further operable to negotiate the one or more facets by:

determining if the received policy is compatible with a policy at the visited policy server.

12. The visited policy server of claim 8, the processor further operable to:

determine a policy output in accordance with an application identified by an application facet of the one or more facets.

13. The visited policy server of claim 8, wherein the one or more facets further comprises:

a network facet requesting one or more network resources for an application.

14. The visited policy server of claim 8, wherein the stopping point comprises at least one of the following:

a predetermined number of iterations have been performed; and

the one or more facets are acceptable to the home policy server and the visited policy server.

15. Logic for establishing one or more facets of a policy for a communication session, the logic embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and operable to:

facilitate registration of an access terminal at a visited network, the access terminal associated with a home network having a home policy server;

receive the policy at a visited policy server of the visited network, the policy comprising the one or more facets;

if the one or more facets are unacceptable, negotiate the one or more facets until a stopping point is reached, the negotiation comprising;

adjusting by the visited policy server at least one facet of the one or more facets; and

notifying the home policy server of the adjustment; and

establish the one or more facets in accordance with the negotiation.

16. The logic of claim 15, further operable to negotiate the one or more facets by:

receiving a notification indicating acceptance of the at least one facet adjusted by the visited policy server.

17. The logic of claim 15, further operable to negotiate the one or more facets by:

receiving a response comprising at least one facet adjusted by the home policy server; and

continuing negotiation if;

the at least one facet adjusted by the home policy server is unacceptable; and

the stopping point has not been reached.

18. The logic of claim 15, further operable to negotiate the one or more facets by:

determining if the received policy is compatible with a policy at the visited policy server.

19. The logic of claim 15, further operable to:

determine a policy output in accordance with an application identified by an application facet of the one or more facets.

20. The logic of claim 15, wherein the one or more facets further comprises:

a network facet requesting one or more network resources for an application.

21. The logic of claim 15, wherein the stopping point comprises at least one of the following:

a predetermined number of iterations have been performed; and

the one or more facets are acceptable to the home policy server and the visited policy server.

22. A system for establishing one or more facets of a policy for a communication session, comprising:

means for facilitating registration of an access terminal at a visited network, the access terminal associated with a home network having a home policy server;

means for receiving the policy at a visited policy server of the visited network, the policy comprising the one or more facets;

if the one or more facets are unacceptable, means for negotiating the one or more facets until a stopping point is reached, the negotiation comprising;

adjusting by the visited policy server at least one facet of the one or more facets; and

notifying the home policy server of the adjustment; and

means for establishing the one or more facets in accordance with the negotiation.