Method and system for content charging

• US 20080010379A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Hang
• Application Number:
  US11/901,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• 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 12/1439 time-based

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for content charging, including: sending, by a Portal Server, a service activation request to a Policy Server based on a service request from a user; responding to the service activation request, determining the service policy corresponding to the service request, and delivering a service policy activation message to a content control gateway by the Policy Server; executing the service policy and reporting user service consumption information to the Policy Server by the content control gateway; performing charging, by the Policy Server, according to the user service consumption information. By using the technical solution of the invention, accurate and low-cost charging on content service may be realized, and the requirements of dynamic adjustment on content service QoS may be met.

Claims

1. A method for content charging, comprising:

sending, by a Portal Server, a service activation request to a Policy Server, based on a service request from a user;

responding to the service activation request, determining a service policy corresponding to the service request, and delivering a service policy activation message to a content control gateway, by the Policy Server;

executing the service policy and reporting user service consumption information to the Policy Server by the content control gateway; and

permitting the user to use the service, and charging according to the user service consumption information reported by the content control gateway, by the Policy Server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

sending, by the Portal Server, a service deactivation request to the Policy Server, when a request for stopping the service from the user is received; and

responding to the service deactivation request, delivering a service policy cancellation message, performing rating and accounting according to the consumption information, by the Policy Server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

reporting, by the content control gateway, the user service consumption information to the Policy Server periodically during the use of the service;

rating according to the user service consumption information, and accounting on the service consumption of the user according to each rating information after the user stops using the service, by the Policy Server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

querying a preset correlation table between the service and the service policy according to the service activation request, determining the service policy corresponding to the service, extracting the parameters needed for executing the service policy, filling the parameters in the service policy activation message and delivering the service policy activation message to the content control gateway by the Policy Server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the service policy activation message comprises the information of the source IP address, destination IP address, destination port, destination service resource and traffic flow information of the network packet.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

granting the source IP address of the user network packet a right to access the destination IP address, destination port and destination service resource, and controlling the network flow according to the traffic flow information in the service policy message, by the content control gateway.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining the content data flows according to the Content Server or the service port of the content, controlling the content data flow and collecting the consumption information, by the content control gateway.

11. A Policy Server, for realizing the charging method according to claim 1, wherein the Policy Server comprises a central control module, a charging engine module, a portal interface module and a device interface module, wherein:

the central control module is connected with the charging engine module, portal interface module and device interface module, and is adapted to receive a service activation request sent by the portal interface module, convert the service activation request into a service policy message corresponding to the service, deliver the service policy activation message via the device interface, receive user service consumption information reported by the device interface module, and invoke the charging engine module for rating;

the portal interface module is adapted to receive a service request from the user, send a service activation request or a service deactivation request to the central control module, and return the execution result of the service request;

the device interface module is adapted to forward the policy information delivered by the central control module, and report policy execution information and service consumption information to the central control module;

the charging engine module is adapted to receive an invoking instruction from the central control module and perform rating and charging according to the user service consumption information.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the server further comprises a database interface and a memory database, through the database interface, an external database and the memory database is accessed;

the memory database is adapted to store policy data, charging data, configuration data and user session data, and receive an instruction from the central control module for updating the data.

13. A content control gateway, for implementing the charging method according to claim 1, comprising a central control module, a flow classification module, a content filtration module, a charging collection module and an interface module, wherein:

the central control module is adapted to receive a policy sent by the Policy Server, and interact with the flow classification module, content filtration module and charging collection module for interpreting and executing the policy;

the flow classification module is adapted to check, classify and control a source IP address, a destination IP address and destination port information of a network packet on the IP layer, and only permit a network flow that conforms to the policy to pass;

the content filtration module is adapted to check, classify and control resources to be accessed by the network packet on the application layer, and only permit the network flow that conforms to the policy to pass;

the charging collection module is adapted to collect the time length and the traffic flow information of the network flow, and report the original charging data to the central control module;

the interface module is adapted to provide an interface between the central control module and the Policy Server.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

reporting, by the content control gateway, the user service consumption information to the Policy Server periodically during the use of the service;

rating according to the user service consumption information, and accounting on the service consumption of the user according to each rating information after the user stops using the service, by the Policy Server.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the service policy message comprises the information of the source IP address, destination IP address, destination port, destination service resource and traffic flow information of the network packet.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

the service policy message comprises the information of the source IP address, destination IP address, destination port, destination service resource and traffic flow information of the network packet.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

granting the source IP address of the user network packet a right to access the destination IP address, destination port and destination service resource, and controlling the network flow according to the traffic flow information in the service policy message, by the content control gateway.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

granting the source IP address of the user network packet a right to access the destination IP address, destination port and destination service resource, and controlling the network flow according to the traffic flow information in the service policy message, by the content control gateway.

8. A system for content charging, comprising a Portal Server and a Content Server, wherein the system further comprises a Policy Server and a content control gateway, the Policy Server is connected with the Portal Server and the content control gateway and is adapted to deliver a service policy activation message and a service policy cancellation message, perform rating and charging according to user service consumption information reported by the content control gateway;

the content control gateway is connected with the Content Server and is adapted to control access to the Content Server of the user according to the access right, count the service consumption information and report the user service consumption information to the Policy Server for charging.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the Policy Server comprises a central control module, a charging engine module, a portal interface module and a device interface module, wherein:

the central control module is connected with the charging engine module, portal interface module and device interface module, and is adapted to respond to a service activation request sent by the portal interface module, convert the service activation request into a service policy message corresponding to the service, deliver a service policy activation message via the device interface module, receive user service consumption information reported by the device interface module, and invoke the charging engine module for rating;

the portal interface module is adapted to receive a service request from the user, send a service activation request or a service deactivation request to the central control module, and return the execution result of the service request;

the device interface module is adapted to forward the policy information delivered by the central control module, and report policy execution information and service consumption information to the central control module;

the charging engine module is adapted to receive an invoking instruction from the central control module and perform rating and charging according to the user service consumption information.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the content control gateway comprises a central control module, a flow classification module, a content filtration module, a charging collection module and an interface module, wherein:

the central control module is adapted to receive a policy sent by the Policy Server, and interact with the flow classification module, content filtration module and charging collection module for interpreting and executing the policy;

the flow classification module is adapted to check, classify, control a source IP address, a destination IP address and destination port information of a network packet on the IP layer, and permit a network flow that conforms to the policy to pass;

the content filtration module is adapted to check, classify, control resources to be accessed by the network packet on the application layer, and permit the network flow that conforms to the policy to pass;

the charging collection module is adapted to collect the time length and the traffic flow information of the network flow, and report the original charging data to the central control module;

the interface module is adapted to provide an interface between the central control module and the Policy Server.