METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING QUALITY OF SERVICE OF USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20130040685A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Xiangyang
• Application Number:
  US13/583,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20130040685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• 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 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling, in a policy and charging rules function entity, quality of service of a user equipment. The method includes the steps of: obtaining charging-related information of the user equipment (210); and determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to the charging-related information (220). With the introduction of the charging-related information, the policy and charging rules function entity can control quality of service according to the existing system resources and the contribution and demand of the user equipment to thereby balance reasonably demands of different user equipments and to utilize effectively the limited resources of the system.

Claims

1. A method, in a policy and charging rules function entity, of controlling quality of service corresponding to a user equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

A. obtaining charging-related information about the user equipment; and

B. determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to the charging-related information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step A is performed by the steps of:

transmitting a user charging information request to a subscription profile repository, the user charging information request being used for requesting the subscription profile repository to transmit the charging-related information, and the subscription profile repository storing the charging-related information received from an online charging system; and

receiving the charging-related information from the subscription profile repository.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step A is performed by the steps of:

transmitting a user charging information request to an online charging system, the user charging information request being used for requesting the online charging system to transmit the charging-related information; and

receiving the charging-related information from the online charging system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step A is performed by the steps of:

receiving a user charging information update request, the user charging information update request being used for requesting the policy and charging rules function entity to receive the charging-related information; and

receiving the charging-related information from a subscription profile repository, the subscription profile repository storing the charging-related information received from an online charging system, or receiving the charging-related information from an online charging system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charging-related information comprises at least one of:

a tariff package type of the user equipment, a recharge amount of the user equipment, a plurality of rates of the user equipment corresponding to a plurality of time periods and a plurality of rates of the user equipment corresponding to a plurality of geographical areas.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a tariff package of the user equipment, the step B is performed by the steps of:

obtaining an amount of used data of the user equipment in a period of the tariff package;

comparing the amount of used data with a predetermined amount of data corresponding to the tariff package; and

determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a recharge amount of the user equipment, the step B is performed by the steps of:

comparing the recharge amount with at least one predetermined recharge amount; and

determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a plurality of rates of the user equipment corresponding to a plurality of time periods, the step B is performed by the steps of:

obtaining a first time value corresponding to the user equipment;

determining a first rate corresponding to the first time value among the plurality of rates corresponding to the plurality of time periods;

comparing the first rate with at least one predetermined rate; and

determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a plurality of rates of the user equipment corresponding to a plurality of geographical areas, the step B is performed by the steps of:

obtaining a first geographical location corresponding to the user equipment;

determining a second rate corresponding to the first geographical location among the plurality of rates corresponding to the plurality of geographical areas;

comparing the second rate with at least one predetermined rate; and

determining the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

10. A controlling apparatus, in a policy and charging rules function entity, for controlling quality of service corresponding to a user equipment, the controlling apparatus comprising:

a first obtaining device configured to obtain charging-related information about the user equipment; and

a first determining device configured to determine the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to the charging-related information.

11. The controlling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first obtaining device comprises:

a first transmitting device configured to transmit a user charging information request to a subscription profile repository, the user charging information request being used for requesting the subscription profile repository to transmit the charging-related information, and the subscription profile repository storing the charging-related information received from an online charging system; and

a first receiving device configured to receive the charging-related information from the subscription profile repository.

12. The controlling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a tariff package of the user equipment, the first determining device comprises:

a second obtaining device configured to obtain an amount of used data of the user equipment in a period of the tariff package;

a first comparing device configured to compare the amount of used data to with a predetermined amount of data corresponding to the tariff package; and

a second determining device configured to determine the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

13. The controlling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a recharge amount of the user equipment, the first determining device comprises:

a second comparing device configured to compare the recharge amount with at least one predetermined recharge amount; and

a third determining device configured to determine the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

14. The controlling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a plurality of rates of the user equipment corresponding to a plurality of time periods, the first determining device comprises:

a third obtaining device configured to obtain a first time value corresponding to the user equipment;

a fourth determining device configured to determine a first rate corresponding to the first time value among the plurality of rates corresponding to the plurality of time periods; and

a third comparing device configured to compare the first rate with at least one predetermined rate; and

the fourth determining device being further configured to determine the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.

15. The controlling apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the charging-related information comprises a plurality of rates of the user equipment corresponding to a plurality of geographical areas, the first determining device comprises:

a fourth obtaining device configured to obtain a first geographical to location corresponding to the user equipment;

a fifth determining device configured to determine a second rate corresponding to the first geographical location among the plurality of rates corresponding to the plurality of geographical areas;

a fourth comparing device configured to compare the second rate with at least one predetermined rate; and

the fifth determining device being further configured to determine the quality of service corresponding to the user equipment according to a result of the comparison.