METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR SELECTIVE POLICY ENHANCEMENT (PE) FOR HIGH-USAGE ROAMERS

• US 20120100849A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Marsico, Peter Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0044 of quality context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for modifying policy information associated with a roaming subscriber. The method includes receiving a first signaling message. The first signaling message includes a policy or quality of service (QoS) attribute associated with a roaming subscriber and originating from a home network of the roaming subscriber. The method also includes determining, using information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network, that the policy or QoS attribute should be modified and modifying the policy or

QoS attribute for application in the provider network.

Claims

1. A method for modifying policy information associated with a roaming subscriber, the method comprising:

receiving a first signaling message, wherein the first signaling message includes a policy or quality of service (QoS) attribute associated with a roaming subscriber and originating from a home network of the roaming subscriber;

determining, using information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network, that the policy or QoS attribute should be modified; and

modifying the policy or QoS attribute for application in the provider network.

2. The method of claim 1 including generating a policy and charging control (PCC) rule based on the modified policy or QoS attribute.

3. The method of claim 2 including communicating the PCC rule to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF).

4. The method of claim 1 including notifying the roaming subscriber of the modification.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein notifying the roaming subscriber includes sending a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia message service (MMS) message, an instant message (IM) message, an email message, an XML message, a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message, a Diameter protocol message, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, an Internet protocol (IP) message, or a voice message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network includes subscriber identification information, home network identifying information, subscriber usage information, a network condition, an access network, a policy enhancement trigger, time of day, day of week, network utilization, type of data to be accessed, user device location, and type of user device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first message is sent from or to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a Diameter signaling router (DSR), or a Diameter routing agent (DRA), or a resource admission control subsystem (RACS).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the policy or QoS attribute includes a guaranteed download bitrate, a download bitrate, a guaranteed upload bitrate, an upload bitrate, a permitted service flow, a permitted QoS class, a permitted access point name (APN), charging information, a permitted destination IP address, or a permitted destination IP port.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first message originates from the home network and the policy or QoS attribute is modified by a network element in a visited network.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the network element includes a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a Diameter signaling router (DSR), or a Diameter routing agent (DRA), or a resource admission control subsystem (RACS).

11. The method of claim 3 wherein communicating the PCC rule to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) including applying the policy or QoS attribute at the PCEF so as to temporarily enhance the roaming subscriber'"'"'s experience for enticing the roaming subscriber to subscribe to the provider network.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein communicating the PCC rule to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) includes sending an unmodified version of the policy or QoS attribute in addition to the policy or QoS attribute and applying the unmodified version of the policy or QoS attribute when the policy or QoS attribute expires.

13. A system for modifying policy information associated with a roaming subscriber, the system comprising:

at least one communications interface configured to receive a first signaling message, wherein the first signaling message includes a policy or quality of service (QoS) attribute associated with a roaming subscriber and originating from a home network of the roaming subscriber; and

a policy enhancement (PE) module configured to determine, using information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network, that the policy or QoS attribute should be modified and configured to modify the policy or QoS attribute for application in the provider network.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the policy enhancement (PE) module is configured to generate a policy and charging control (PCC) rule based on the modified policy or QoS attribute.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the system is configured to communicate the PCC rule to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF).

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one communications interface is configured to notify the roaming subscriber of the modification.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one communications interface is configured to notify the roaming subscriber using a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia message service (MMS) message, an instant message (IM) message, an email message, an XML message, a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message, a Diameter protocol message, a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, an Internet protocol (IP) message, or a voice message.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network include subscriber usage information, a network condition, an access network, a policy enhancement trigger, time of day, day of week, network utilization, type of data to be accessed, user device location, and type of user device.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the first message is sent from or to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a Diameter signaling router (DSR), or a Diameter routing agent (DRA), or a resource admission control subsystem (RACS).

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the policy or QoS attribute includes a guaranteed download bitrate, a download bitrate, a guaranteed upload bitrate, an upload bitrate, a permitted service flow, a permitted QoS class, a permitted access point name (APN), charging information, a permitted destination IP address, or a permitted destination IP port.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the first message originates from the home network and the policy or QoS attribute is modified by a network element in a visited network.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the network element includes a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a Diameter signaling router (DSR), or a Diameter routing agent (DRA), or a resource admission control subsystem (RACS).

23. The system of claim 15 wherein communicating the PCC rule to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) includes applying the policy or QoS attribute at the PCEF so as to temporarily enhance the roaming subscriber'"'"'s experience for enticing the roaming subscriber to subscribe to the provider network.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein communicating the PCC rule to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) includes sending an unmodified version of the policy or QoS attribute in addition to the policy or QoS attribute and applying the unmodified version of the policy or QoS attribute when the policy or QoS attribute expires.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving a first signaling message, wherein the first signaling message includes a policy or quality of service (QoS) attribute associated with a roaming subscriber and originating from a home network of the roaming subscriber;

determining, using information associated with the roaming subscriber or a provider network, that the policy or QoS attribute should be modified; and

modifying the policy or QoS attribute for application in the provider network.