Method and System for Charging According to Flow of MBMS

• US 20110010311A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Meiping
• Application Number:
  US12/601,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method and system for charging according to the flow of multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) is provided. The method includes: a BM-SC make a Service Announcement sent to a subscriber terminal carry data items indicating a service can be charged according to the flow; if a subscriber selects to be charged according to the flow while subscription a service, a tag which requests the subscriber terminal to return the flow, and a payment mode of the subscriber terminal are sent to the subscriber terminal; the subscriber terminal stores the flow information corresponding to the service while receiving the service, and sends a charging request to charging system in different policies according to the payment mode; the charging system charges according to the flow information.

Claims

1. A method for charging according to the flow of MBMS, characterized in that the method includes the following steps:

Step 1, a Broadcast/Multicast Service Center, BM-SC, make a Service Announcement sent to a subscriber terminal carry data items indicating a service can be charged according to the flow;

Step 2, if a subscriber selects to be charged according to the flow while subscribing a service, a tag which requests the said subscriber terminal to return the flow, and a payment mode of the said subscriber terminal are sent to the said subscriber terminal;

Step 3, the said subscriber terminal stores the flow information corresponding to the said service while receiving the said service, and sends a charging request to charging system in different policies according to the said payment mode; and

Step 4, the said charging system charges according to the said flow information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the said payment mode includes prepaid and postpaid.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when the said payment mode is the said prepaid, the said policies include one of the followings prepaid:

the said subscriber terminal reports the said flow information regularly in the process of service broadcasting or service receiving; and

the said subscriber terminal reports the said flow information when the service broadcasting or the service receiving is ended.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that when the said payment mode is the said postpaid, the said policies include postpaid:

the said subscriber terminal reports the said flow information when the service broadcasting or the service receiving is ended.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the said charging system includes Charging Data Function Entity, CDF, and Online Charging System, OCS, wherein, when the said payment mode is the said prepaid, the said charging system is the said OCS, when the said payment mode is the said postpaid, the said charging system is the said CDF.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that when the said payment mode is the said prepaid, the said Step 4 includes the following procedures:

the said OCS performs a real-time charging on the said subscriber terminal; and

if there is not enough fee of the said subscriber terminal, the said OCS reports to the said BM-SC, the said BM-SC obtains the subscription information of the said subscriber terminal and prevents the said subscriber terminal from continuing to receive the said service;

otherwise, the said service will be continued.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that when the said payment mode is the said postpaid, the said Step 4 includes the following procedures:

the said CDF performs a charging according to the said flow information on the said subscriber terminal.

8. The method according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 7, characterized in that in the said Step 3, the said subscriber terminal sends the said charging request through Gi interface to the said charging system.

9. A system for charging according to the flow of MBMS, characterized in that the system includes:

sending unit, located on a BM-SC, which is used for sending a Service Announcement which carries data items indicating a service can be charged according to the flow to a subscriber terminal;

setting unit, which is used for setting a payment mode of the said subscriber terminal and a tag which requests the said subscriber terminal to return the flows, and sending the said tag and the said payment mode to the said subscriber terminal when the said subscriber terminal selects to be charged according to the flow in service subscription;

storage unit, located on the said subscriber terminal, which is used for performing calculation of the flow and regularly storing the flow information corresponding to the said service while receiving the said service;

flow sending unit, located on the said subscriber terminal, which is used for sending the said flow information regularly or when the service broadcasting or the service receiving is ended; and

charging unit, which is used for charging according to the said flow information according to the said payment mode.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the system also includes:

timer, located on the said subscriber terminal, which is used for performing a timing for storage of media content and sending the flow report.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the said payment mode includes prepaid and postpaid.

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that when the said payment mode is the said prepaid, the said charging unit is used for performing a real-time charging on the said subscriber terminal, and notifying the said subscriber terminal through the said BM-SC or other means when there is not enough fee of the said subscriber terminal.

13. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that when the said payment mode is the said postpaid, the said charging unit is used for performing a charging according to the said flow information on the said subscriber terminal.

14. The system according to any of the claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the said subscriber terminal sends the said charging request to the said charging unit through anyone of the following means:

sending to the said charging unit through the said BM-SC by Gi interface;

sending to the said charging unit through short message center and short message gateway in the form of a short message; and

sending to the said charging unit through the wireless application protocol.