Mobility Aware Policy and Charging Control in a Wireless Communication Network

• US 20080229385A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Livanos, Konstantin, Feder, Peretz M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for implementation in a policy control and charging rules functional entity in a wireless communication system. The method includes receiving, from at least one of a source policy and charging enforcement function in a source access network or a target policy and charging enforcement function in a target access network, information indicative of a mobile unit that has handed off from the source access network to the target access network. The method also includes establishing a first session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit. The first session is concurrent with a second session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit. The second session was previously established with the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network. The method further includes transmitting at least one policy and charging rule to the target policy and charging enforcement function using the first session.

Claims

1. A method for implementation in a policy control and charging rules functional entity in a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving, from at least one of a source policy and charging enforcement function in a source access network or a target policy and charging enforcement function in a target access network, information indicative of a mobile unit that has handed off from the source access network to the target access network;

establishing, with the target policy and charging enforcement function, a first session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit, the first session being substantially concurrent with a second session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit, the second session being previously established with the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network; and

transmitting at least one policy and charging rule to the target policy and charging enforcement function using the first session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information indicative of the mobile unit comprises receiving an identifier indicative of the mobile unit and an event indicating that the mobile unit has handed off from the source access network to the target access network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the first session comprises determining that the second session has previously been established with the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising suspending the second session in response to establishing the first session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is accessing at least one service provided by at least one application function, and comprising transmitting at least one event notification to said at least one application function in response to receiving the information indicative of the mobile unit that has handed off from the source access network to the target access network.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising determining said at least one policy and charging rule.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising performing at least one credit request procedure in response to transmitting said at least one policy and charging rule.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising initiating removal of the second session in response to successfully performing said at least one credit request procedure.

9. A method for implementation in an online charging system in a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving, from at least one of a source policy and charging enforcement function in a source access network or a target policy and charging enforcement function in a first access network, information indicative of a mobile unit that has handed off from the source access network to the target access network;

establishing, with the first policy and charging enforcement function, a first session for communicating credit control rules associated with the mobile unit, the first session being concurrent with a second session for communicating credit control rules associated with the mobile unit, the second session being previously established with the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network; and

transmitting at least one credit control rule to the target policy and charging enforcement function using the first session.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the information indicative of the mobile unit comprises receiving a correlation identifier indicative of the second session.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving a final credit report associated with the mobile unit and the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving information indicative of a credit record formed by the target policy and charging enforcement function in response to receiving said at least one credit control rule.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising correlating the credit record with the final credit report using the correlation identifier indicative of the second session.

14. A method for implementation in a policy and charging enforcement functional entity in a target access network of a wireless communication system, comprising:

transmitting, to a policy control and charging rules functional entity in the wireless communication system, information indicative of a mobile unit that has handed off from a source access network to the target access network;

establishing, with the policy control and charging rules function, a first session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit, the first session being concurrent with a second session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit, the second session being previously established with a source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network; and

receiving at least one policy and charging rule from the policy control and charging rules function using the first session.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising receiving a context transfer from the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the information indicative of the mobile unit comprises transmitting the information indicative of the mobile unit in response to receiving the context transfer.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the information indicative of the mobile unit comprises transmitting an identifier indicative of the mobile unit and an event indicating that the mobile unit has handed off from the source access network to the target access network.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising suspending the second session in response to establishing the first session.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising providing, to an online charging system in the wireless communication system, signaling including information indicative of the mobile unit and a correlation identifier indicative of the second session.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising receiving at least one credit control rule associated with the mobile unit from the online charging system in response to providing the signaling to the online charging system.