Mechanism for charging and session handling supporting forking

• US 20080046573A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Varga, Jozsef, Ropolyi, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

A network node, such as a network control node like a CSCF or an application server, executing forking forward only the first successful response message arriving from a forking branch, which enables the charging function in the forking node and in nodes in the backward direction from this point to apply charges only for the “winning” branch. By including a special Reason header sent in a BYE request of “unused” successfully contacted branches, charging function in nodes in the forward direction from the forking point are allowed to suppress charges for such unused branches. This is applicable both for online and offline charging methods as defined, for example, by 3GPP.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initializing a communication connection between at least two parties;

executing forking of the communication connection at a network node to a plurality of branches in a forward direction of the network node;

receiving, at the network node, response messages from destination nodes of at least one branch of the plurality of branches;

forwarding a first successful response message from one of the destination nodes in a backward direction side of the network node;

generating a connection terminating message in response to a receipt of further successful response messages from at least one other destination node differing to the first successful response; and

forwarding the connection terminating message to the at least one other destination node for terminating a dialog with the at least one other destination node.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending a failure response message to the backward direction side of the network node in response to a receipt of a further successful response message from the at least one other destination node differing to a first confirming response in case a provisional response is forwarded to the backward direction side of the network node before the receipt of the first successful response message.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing a charging of the communication connection, wherein the charging may be effected only for a branch from which the first successful response message is received and a charging for other branches is terminated.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the charging comprises one of online charging or offline charging.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the connection terminating message to comprise a predetermined parameter indicating that the communication connection is completed with another destination.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

suppressing a charging in a network node located in the forward direction of the network node executing the forking in response to a receipt of the connection terminating message including the predetermined parameter.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

terminating in the network node and on the backward direction side thereof a charging session for branches for which the failure response message is sent.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting up a separate credit control sessions for each branch in case of online charging.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the executing comprises executing the forking at a network node comprising one of a network control node and an application server.

10. An apparatus, configured to:

participate on the initialization of a communication connection between at least two parties;

execute forking of the communication connection to a plurality of branches in the forward direction of the network node;

receive response messages from destination nodes of at least one branch of the plurality of branches;

forward a first successful response message from one of the destination nodes to an backward direction side of the apparatus;

generate a connection terminating message in response to a receipt of further successful response messages from at least one other destination node differing to the first successful response; and

forward the connection terminating message to the at least one other destination node for terminating a dialog with the at least one other destination node.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further configured to:

send a failure response message to the backward direction side of the network node in response to a receipt of a further successful response message from the at least one other destination node differing to a first confirming response in case a provisional response is forwarded to the backward direction side of the network node before the receipt of the first successful response message.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further configured to:

perform a charging of the communication connection, wherein the charging may be effected only for a branch from which the first successful response message is received and a charging for other branches is terminated.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the charging comprises one of online charging or offline charging.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the connection terminating message comprises a predetermined parameter indicating that the communication connection is completed with another destination.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further configured to:

suppress a charging in a network node located in the forward direction of the network node executing the forking in response to a receipt of the connection terminating message including the predetermined parameter.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, further configured to:

terminating in the network node and on the backward direction side thereof a charging session for branches for which the failure response message is sent.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, further configured to:

set up a separate credit control sessions for each branch in case of online charging.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the network node executing the forking is one of a network control node and an application server.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

participating means for participating on the initialization of a communication connection between at least two parties;

executing means for executing forking of the communication connection to a plurality of branches in the forward direction of the network node;

receiving means for receiving response messages from destination nodes of one branch of the plurality of branches;

forwarding means for forwarding a first successful response message from one of the destination nodes to an backward direction side of the apparatus;

generating means for generating a connection terminating message in response to a receipt of further successful response messages from at least one other destination node differing to the first successful response; and

connection forwarding means for forwarding the connection terminating message to the at least one other destination node for terminating a dialog with the at least one other destination node.

20. An apparatus, configured to:

receive a connection terminating message in response to a successful response messages in reply to an communication connection initialization;

process a predetermined parameter which is included in the connection terminating message and indicates that the communication connection is completed with another destination; and

suppress a charging in response to the receipt of the connection terminating message including the predetermined parameter.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further configured to execute, for suppressing the charging, a credit control update procedure by using parameters configured to terminate the charging.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

receiver means for receiving a connection terminating message in response to a successful response messages in reply to an communication connection initialization;

processor means for processing a predetermined parameter which is included in the connection terminating message and indicates that the communication connection is completed with another destination; and

suppressor means for suppressing a charging in response to the receipt of the connection terminating message including the predetermined parameter.

23. A method, comprising:

initializing a communication connection between at least two parties;

executing forking of the communication connection at a network node to a plurality of branches in a forward direction of the network node; and

setting up a separate credit control sessions for each branch.

24. An apparatus, configured to:

participate on the initialization of a communication connection between at least two parties;

execute forking of the communication connection to a plurality of branches in the forward direction of the network node; and

set up a separate credit control sessions for at least one branch of the plurality of branches.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

participating means for participating on the initialization of a communication connection between at least two parties;

executing means for executing forking of the communication connection to a plurality of branches in the forward direction of the network node; and

setting means for setting up a separate credit control sessions for at least one branch of the plurality of branches.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a participating unit configured to participate on the initialization of a communication connection between at least two parties;

an executing unit configured to execute forking of the communication connection to a plurality of branches in the forward direction of the network node;

a receiver configured to receive response messages from destination nodes of at least one branch of the plurality of branches;

a forwarding unit configured to forward a first successful response message from one of the destination nodes to an backward direction side of the apparatus;

a generating unit configured to generate a connection terminating message in response to a receipt of further successful response messages from at least one other destination node differing to the first successful response; and

a connection forwarding unit configured to forward the connection terminating message to the at least one other destination node for terminating a dialog with the at least one other destination node.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a connection terminating message in response to a successful response messages in reply to an communication connection initialization;

a processor configured to process a predetermined parameter which is included in the connection terminating message and indicates that the communication connection is completed with another destination; and

a suppressor configured to suppress a charging in response to the receipt of the connection terminating message including the predetermined parameter.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a participating unit configured to participate on the initialization of a communication connection between at least two parties;

an executing unit configured to execute forking of the communication connection to a plurality of branches in the forward direction of the network node; and

a setting unit configured to set up a separate credit control sessions for at least one branch of the plurality of branches.

29. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to control a processor to perform:

initializing a communication connection between at least two parties;

executing forking of the communication connection at a network node to a plurality of branches in a forward direction of the network node;

receiving at the network node response messages from destination nodes of at least one branch of the plurality of branches;

forwarding a first successful response message from one of the destination nodes in a backward direction side of the network node;

generating a connection terminating message in response to a receipt of further successful response messages from at least one other destination node differing to the first successful response; and

forwarding the connection terminating message to the at least one other destination node for terminating a dialog with the at least one other destination node.

30. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program being configured to control a processor to perform:

initializing a communication connection between at least two parties;

executing forking of the communication connection at a network node to a plurality of branches in a forward direction of the network node; and

setting up a separate credit control sessions for at least one branch of the plurality of branches.