METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPORTING CHARGING INFORMATION OF DIRECT DEVICE TO DEVICE COMMUNICATION IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20140134974A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovative Sonic Limited
• Original Assignee: Innovative Sonic Limited
• Inventors: Kuo, Richard Lee-Chee
• Application Number:
  US14/077,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20140134974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/93 using near field or similar technologies

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for reporting charging information by a first user equipment. The method includes establishing, by the first user equipment, a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a network and entering a RRC connection mode. The method further includes establishing, by the first user equipment, a peer to peer connection with a second user equipment for a proximity-based service (ProSe) communication. In addition, the method includes sending, by the first user equipment, charging information of the ProSe communication to the network.

Claims

1. A method for reporting charging information by a first user equipment, the method comprising:

establishing, by the first user equipment, a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a network and entering a RRC connection mode;

establishing, by the first user equipment, a peer to peer connection with a second user equipment for a proximity-based service (ProSe) communication; and

sending, by the first user equipment, charging information of the ProSe communication to the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment sends the charging information when the peer to peer connection is released.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment sends the charging information in response to a request message received from a network node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging information may contain a duration of the ProSe communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging information may contain an amount of data transferred during the ProSe communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a data path of the peer to peer connection goes directly between the first user equipment and the second user equipment without via any network node.

7. The method of clam 1, further comprising:

determining whether to send the charging information to the network based on an indicator included in system information of the network.

8. A method for reporting charging information by a first user equipment, the method comprising:

establishing, by the first user equipment, a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a network and entering a RRC connection mode;

establishing, by the first user equipment, a peer to peer connection with a second user equipment for a proximity-based service (ProSe) communication;

releasing, by the first user equipment, the RRC connection and entering a RRC idle mode;

releasing, by the first user equipment, the peer to peer connection during the RRC idle mode; and

sending, by the first user equipment, charging information of the ProSe communication to the network after the first user equipment establishes a new RRC connection with the network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first user equipment sends the charging information in response to a request message received from a network node.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the charging information may contain a duration of the ProSe communication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the charging information may contain an amount of data transferred during the ProSe communication.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a data path of the peer to peer connection goes directly between the first user equipment and the second user equipment without via any network node.

13. The method of clam 8, further comprising:

determining whether to send the charging information to the network based on an indicator included in system information of the network.

14. A communication device for reporting charging information by a first user equipment, the communication device comprising:

a control circuit;

a processor installed in the control circuit;

a memory installed in the control circuit and operatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to execute a program code stored in memory to report charging information by the first user equipment by;

establishing, by the first user equipment, a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a network and entering a RRC connection mode;

establishing, by the first user equipment, a peer to peer connection with a second user equipment for a proximity-based service (ProSe) communication; and

sending, by the first user equipment, charging information of the ProSe communication to the network.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the first user equipment sends the charging information when the peer to peer connection is released.

16. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the first user equipment sends the charging information in response to a request message received from a network node.

17. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the charging information may contain a duration of the ProSe communication.

18. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the charging information may contain an amount of data transferred during the ProSe communication.

19. The communication device of claim 14, wherein a data path of the peer to peer connection goes directly between the first user equipment and the second user equipment without via any network node.

20. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises:

determining whether to send the charging information to the network based on an indicator included in system information of the network.