Charging Method, System and Server for PoC Service

• US 20080319783A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• 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, Dong, YAO, Jing
• Application Number:
  US12/205,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319783A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/78 Redistributing amount between accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8066 According to the number of recipients
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2093 Push to talk
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7277 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7281 Redistribute amount between accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7478 : According to the number of recipients
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8112 : during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 : Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8162 : Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 : for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A charging method, a system and a server for Poc service are disclosed. The Poc server transmits updating CCR message to OCS when the number of the clients participated in conversation changes, the message carries the information of the number of the clients participated in the conversation. The present invention could provide the charging scheme based on the number of the clients participated in the conversation to the user, therefore the diversiform charging requirements of operators are fulfilled and the satisfaction degree of users is increased.

Claims

1. A method for online charging a Push-to-Talk over Cellular, PoC, service, comprising:

initiating, by a PoC server, a Credit Control update Request, CCR (update), to an Online Charging System, OCS, and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the CCR (update), when the number of session-participating clients changes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when an invited client participates in the session, the initiating the CCR (update) to the OCS and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the CCR (update) comprises:

initiating, by the PoC server, a session request to the client invited to participate in the session, and receiving a success answer sent by the client invited to participate in the session;

sending, by the PoC server, a CCR (update) to the OCS and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the CCR (update), and receiving a Credit Control update Answer, CCA (update), sent by the OCS.

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

initiating, by the client invited to participate in the session, a Credit Control Request, CCR, to the OCS, and

returning, by the OCS, a Credit Control Answer, CCA, to the client invited to participate in the session.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when a session-participating client leaves the session, the initiating the CCR (update) to the OCS and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the CCR (update) comprises:

initiating, by the PoC server, a CCR (update) to the OCS, reporting the number of the session-participating clients CCR (update), and receiving a CCA (update) sent by the OCS; and

initiating, by the PoC server, a deletion request to the client that leaves the session, and receiving a deletion success answer sent by the client that leaves the session.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, further comprising:

initiating, by the client that leaves the session, a Credit Control terminating Request, CCR (terminated), to the OCS, and

returning, by the OCS, a Credit Control terminating Answer, CCA (terminated), to the client that leaves the session.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the number of the session-participating clients is carried in a “

Number-Of-Participants”

cell of the CCR (update).

7. A method for offline charging a PoC service, comprising:

initiating, by a PoC server, an Accounting Request (ACR) to a Charging Data Function, CDF, entity and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the ACR, when the number of session-participating clients changes.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, when an invited client participates in the session, the initiating the ACR to the CDF and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the ACR comprises:

initiating, by the PoC server, a session request to the client invited to participate in the session, and receiving a success answer sent by the client invited to participate in the session; and

initiating, by the PoC server, the ACR to the CDF, reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the ACR, and receiving an Accounting Answer, ACA, sent by the CDF.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, further comprising:

sending, by the client invited to participate in the session, the ACR to the CDF, and

returning, by the CDF, the ACA to the client invited to participate in the session.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein, when a session-participating client leaves the session, the initiating the ACR to the CDF and reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the ACR comprises:

initiating, by the PoC server, a deletion request to the client that leaves the session, and receiving a deletion success answer sent by the client that leaves the session; and

initiating, by the PoC server, the ACR to the OCS, reporting the number of the session-participating clients through the ACR, and receiving an ACA sent by the OCS.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending, by the client that leaves the session, an Accounting-stop Request, ACR (stop), to the CDF, and

returning, by the CDF, an Accounting-stop Answer, ACA (stop), to the client that leaves the session.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein, the number of the session-participating clients is carried in a “

Number-Of-Participants”

cell of the ACR.

13. A PoC server for online charging, configured to communicate with an OCS and online charge a PoC service, wherein, the PoC server comprises:

a Number-Of-Participants update unit, adapted to initiate a CCR (update) to the OCS and report the number of session-participating clients through the CCR (update) when the number of the session-participating clients changes.

14. The PoC server according to claim 13, wherein, the number of the session-participating clients is carried in a “

Number-Of-Participants”

cell of the CCR (update).

15. A PoC server for offline charging, configured to communicate with a CDF and offline charge a PoC service, wherein, the PoC server comprises:

a Number-Of-Participants update unit, adapted to initiate an ACR to the CDF and report the number of session-participating clients through the ACR when the number of the session-participating clients changes.

16. The PoC server according to claim 15, wherein, the number of the session-participating clients is carried in a “

Number-Of-Participants”

cell of the ACR.

17. A system for charging a PoC service, comprising:

an OCS, adapted to charge the PoC service when the session-participating client(s) is online; and

/or

a CDF, adapted to charge the PoC service when the session-participating client(s) is offline; and

a Number-Of-Participants update unit connected with the OCS and/or the CDF respectively, adapted to initiate a CCR (update) to the OCS, and report the number of the session-participating clients through the CCR (update), and/or initiate an ACR to the CDF, and report the number of the session-participating clients through the ACR, when the number of the session-participating clients changes.