METHOD AND APPARATUSES FOR POLICY DECISIONS ON USAGE MONITORING

• US 20130132570A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lopez Nieto, Ana Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• 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 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• 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 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/835 Time or frequency of notifications, e.g. Advice of Charge [AoC]
• 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 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/883 linked escalation limits, i.e. establish, first or second limit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0128 Linked escalation limits, establish, first or second limit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 : QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8104 : Time or frequency of notification
• 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 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

The present invention improves control rules requests between reporting periods, and provides for enhanced PCRF and PCEF carrying out a method of controlling usage of network resources. This method comprises: determining at the PCEF events requiring control rules; requesting control rules and providing information about usage of network resources during the re-porting period from the PCEF to the PCRF; determining at the PCRF first control rules by using the information about usage of network resources; determining at the PCRF second control rules by using an initial value for usage of network resources during a next reporting period; submitting from the PCRF to the PCEF the first and second control rules; enforcing at the PCEF the first control rules received from the PCRF; and upon starting the next reporting period for the user, inactivating the first control rules and enforcing at the PCEF the second control rules received from the PCRF.

Claims

1. A method of controlling usage of network resources with a Policy and Charging Rules Function server “

PCRF”

, which is in charge of providing control rules and usage limits for usage of network resources by users during a reporting period of time, and with a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function server “

PCEF”

, which is in charge of enforcing the control rules and monitoring the usage of network resources per user during the reporting period, the method comprising the steps of;

determining at the PCEF an event for which control rules are required for one or more user traffic flows of a user;

requesting control rules from the PCEF to the PCRF, the request including information about usage of network resources by the user during the reporting period;

determining at the PCRF first control rules as a result of a first policy evaluation by taking into account the information about usage of network resources by the user;

determining at the PCRF second control rules as a result of a second policy evaluation by taking into account an initial value for usage of network resources by the user during a next reporting period;

submitting from the PCRF to the PCEF the first and second control rules;

enforcing at the PCEF the first control rules received from the PCRF; and

upon starting the next reporting period for the user, inactivating the first control rules and enforcing at the PCEF the second control rules received from the PCRF.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining at the PCRF a reset-time for the user, the reset-time indicating the start of the next reporting period for the user, and a step of submitting from the PCRF to the PCEF said reset-time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reset-time is submitted from the PCRF to the PCEF along with the first and second control rules.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining at the PCRF a new usage limit for usage of network resources by the user, and a step of submitting from the PCRF to the PCEF said new usage limit.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising a step of determining at the PCRF whether the new usage limit is to be applied during current or next reporting period, and a step of submitting from the PCRF to the PCEF an indication indicating whether the new usage limit is to be applied during the current or the next reporting period.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the new usage limit is submitted from the PCRF to the PCEF along with the first and second control rules.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the indication indicating whether the new usage limit is to be applied during the current or the next reporting period is submitted from the PCRF to the PCEF along with the new usage limit for the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about usage of network resources submitted from the PCEF to the PCRF upon establishment of an IP Connectivity Access Network “

IP-CAN”

session by the user with the PCEF indicates a null usage of network resources for said IP-CAN session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about usage of network resources submitted from the PCEF to the PCRF during a currently established IP-CAN session for the user includes an accumulated usage of network resources reached by the user for said currently established IP-CAN session.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein responsive to receiving the information about usage of network resources at the PCRF, the method further comprises a step of determining at the PCRF a remaining usage limit for usage of network resources by the user, and a step of submitting from the PCRF to the PCEF said remaining usage limit for the user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein upon termination of an IP-CAN session for the user, the method further comprises a step of notifying such IP-CAN session termination from the PCEF to the PCRF, the notification including as information about usage of network resources the accumulated usage of network resources reached during said IP-CAN session by the user;

and at the PCEF, the method further comprises a step of removing first control rules for said IP-CAN session applied during current reporting period and a step of removing second control rules for said IP-CAN session pending for the next reporting period.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the event for which control rules are required is determined from:

establishment, modification or termination of an IP-CAN session for the user, change of access network type, roaming to a different network, change of location, usage limit exhausted, and start of a new reporting period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein as starting a new reporting period, the method further comprises a step of activating a report timer, upon which expiry the PCEF carries out the step of requesting control rules to the PCRF, and wherein the information about usage of network resources in this request includes the accumulated usage of network resources reached for the IP-CAN session during the previous reporting period and the accumulated usage of network resources reached for the IP-CAN session between the start of the next reporting period and the expiry of the report timer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about usage of network resources is provided from the PCEF to the PCRF for each IP-CAN session established by the user with the PCEF.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about usage of network resources is provided from the PCEF to the PCRF per traffic flow included in each IP-CAN session established by the user with the PCEF.

30. A computer program, loadable into an internal memory of a computer with input and output units as well as with a processing unit, the computer program comprising executable code adapted to carry out the method steps according to claim 1 when running in the computer.

31. The computer program of claim 30, wherein the executable code is recorded in a carrier readable in a computer.

16. A Policy and Charging Rules Function server “

PCRF”

for providing control rules and usage limits for usage of network resources by users during a reporting period of time, the PCRF comprising;

an interfacing unit arranged for receiving a request for control rules from a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function server “

PCEF”

which is in charge of enforcing the control rules and monitoring the usage of network resources per user during the reporting period, the request including information about usage of network resources by a user during the reporting period;

a memory for storing the information about usage of network resources by the user;

a processing unit arranged for determining first control rules as a result of a first policy evaluation by taking into account the information about usage of network resources by the user, and second control rules as a result of a second policy evaluation by taking into account an initial value for usage of network resources by the user during a next reporting period; and

the interfacing unit arranged for submitting to the PCEF the first control rules along with the second control rules.

17. The PCRF of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is arranged for determining a reset-time for the user, the reset-time indicating the start of the next reporting period for the user, and wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for submitting to the PCEF said reset-time along with the first and second control rules.

18. The PCRF of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is arranged for determining a new usage limit for usage of network resources by the user, and wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for submitting to the PCEF said new usage limit.

19. The PCRF of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is arranged for determining whether the new usage limit is to be applied during current or next reporting period, and wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for submitting to the PCEF an indication indicating whether the new usage limit is to be applied during the current or the next reporting period, the indication being submitted along with the new usage limit for the user.

20. The PCRF of claim 18, wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for submitting the new usage limit to the PCEF along with the first and second control rules.

21. The PCRF of claim 16, wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for receiving, as information about usage of network resources, an accumulated usage of network resources reached by the user for a currently established IP-CAN session, the processing unit is arranged for determining a remaining usage limit for usage of network resources by the user, the memory is arranged for storing the remaining usage limit for usage of network resources by the user, and the interfacing unit is arranged for submitting to the PCEF said remaining usage limit for the user.

22. A Policy and Charging Enforcement Function server “

PCEF”

for enforcing control rules and monitoring usage of network resources per user during reporting periods, the PCEF comprising;

a processing unit arranged for determining an event for which control rules are required for one or more user traffic flows of a user;

an interfacing unit arranged for requesting control rules to a Policy and Charging Rules Function server “

PCRF”

, which is in charge of providing control rules and usage limits for usage of network resources by users during a reporting period, the request including information about usage of network resources by the user during the reporting period;

the interfacing unit arranged for receiving from the PCRF first and second control rules;

a memory unit arranged for storing the second control rules; and

the processing unit arranged for enforcing the first control rules received from the PCRF and, upon starting the next reporting period for the user, the processing unit arranged for inactivating the first control rules and for enforcing the second control rules stored in the memory unit.

23. The PCEF of claim 22, wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for receiving a reset-time from the PCRF and the processing unit is arranged for starting the next reporting period for the user as indicated by the reset-time.

24. The PCEF of claim 23, wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for receiving the reset-time from the PCRF along with the first and second control rules.

25. The PCEF of claim 22, wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for receiving from the PCRF a new usage limit along with an indication indicating whether the new usage limit is to be applied during the current or the next reporting period.

26. The PCEF of claim 25, wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for receiving the new usage limit from the PCRF along with the first and second control rules.

27. The PCEF of claim 22, wherein the processing unit is arranged for determining an accumulated usage of network resources reached by the user for a currently established IP-CAN session, and wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for submitting said accumulated usage of network resources to the PCRF and for receiving from the PCRF a remaining usage limit for usage of network resources by the user.

28. The PCEF of claim 22, wherein the processing unit is arranged for determining the event for which control rules are required from:

establishment, modification or termination of an IP-CAN session for the user, change of access network type, roaming to a different network, change of location, usage limit exhausted, and start of a new reporting period.

29. The PCEF of claim 28, wherein upon start of a new reporting period the processing unit is arranged for activating a report timer and, upon expiry of said report timer, the processing unit is arranged for determining the accumulated usage of network resources reached for the IP-CAN session during the previous reporting period and the accumulated usage of network resources reached for the IP-CAN session between the start of the new reporting period and the expiry of the report timer, and wherein the interfacing unit is arranged for requesting control rules to the PCRF and for submitting as information about usage of network resources in this request the accumulated usage of network resources reached for the IP-CAN session during the previous reporting period and the accumulated usage of network resources reached for the IP-CAN session between the start of the new reporting period and the expiry of the report timer.