PCRF AND PCC RULE SETTING METHOD IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20140233432A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SungKyunKwan University's Research & Business Foundation (SungKyunKwan University (SKKU))
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SungKyunKwan University's Research & Business Foundation (SungKyunKwan University (SKKU))
• Inventors: Lim, Han-Na, Cho, Song-Yean, Son, Jung-Je, Jeong, Sang-Soo, Chung, Min Young, Choi, Bum-Gon
• Granted Patent: US 9,450,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• 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 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system

Abstract

A PCEF for setting a PCC rule in a mobile communication network includes: a receiver for receiving a command message including a monitoring key list including at least one monitoring key corresponding to a PCC rule and a number of instances monitored in a corresponding service, from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF); a setting unit for setting the PCC rule based on the command message and setting a monitoring key according to the at least one monitoring key; and a monitoring processor for setting a range of monitoring in consideration of the number of instances and the at least one monitoring key, and performing monitoring based on the set range of the monitoring.

Claims

1. A Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) for setting a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule in a mobile communication network, the PCEF comprising:

a receiver for receiving a command message including a monitoring key list including at least one monitoring key corresponding to a PCC rule and a number of instances monitored in a corresponding service, from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF);

a setting unit for setting the PCC rule based on the command message and setting a monitoring key of the PCC rule according to the at least one monitoring key; and

a monitoring processor for setting a range of monitoring in consideration of the number of instances and the at least one monitoring key, and performing monitoring based on the set range of the monitoring.

2. The PCEF of claim 1, wherein when a difference between the number of instances and the number of monitoring keys included in the monitoring key list is 1, the monitoring processor sets the range of the monitoring such that the PCC rule is included in a session level monitoring, and performs monitoring of services within a session.

3. The PCEF of claim 1, wherein when a difference between the number of instances and the number of monitoring keys included in the monitoring key list is 0, the monitoring processor sets the range of the monitoring such that the PCC rule is included in a group level monitoring, and performs monitoring of each monitoring group for a PCC rule including an identical monitoring key.

4. The PCEF of claim 1, wherein the command message further comprises usage monitoring information, and the PCEF further comprises a usage processor for determining a monitoring level of a usage monitoring control instance based on usage monitoring information included in the command message and setting a limit value of usage based on the monitoring level of the usage monitoring control instance.

5. The PCEF of claim 1, wherein the command message further comprises a charge rule name, and the setting unit sets the PCC rule based on the charge rule name included in the command message.

6. The PCEF of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting a Credit Control Request (CCR) command message for requesting a PCC rule to the PCRF.

7. The PCEF of claim 6, wherein the receiver receives a Credit Control Answer (CCA) command message including the monitoring key list and the PCC rule determined by the PCRF, in response to the CCR command message, from the PCRF.

8. The PCEF of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives a Re-Auth Request (RAR) command message including the monitoring key list and the PCC rule determined by the PCRF, from the PCRF.

9. A method of setting a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule by a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) in a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a command message including a monitoring key list including at least one monitoring key corresponding to a PCC rule and a number of instances monitored in a corresponding service, from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF);

setting the PCC rule based on the command message;

setting a monitoring key of the PCC rule according to the at least one monitoring key; and

setting a range of monitoring in consideration of the number of instances and the at least one monitoring key, and performing monitoring based on the set range of the monitoring.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the monitoring comprises:

when a difference between the number of instances and the number of monitoring keys included in the monitoring key list is 1, setting the range of the monitoring such that the PCC rule is included in a session level monitoring; and

performing monitoring of services within a session.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the monitoring comprises:

when a difference between the number of instances and the number of monitoring keys included in the monitoring key list is 0, setting the range of the monitoring such that the PCC rule is included in a group level monitoring; and

performing monitoring of each monitoring group for a PCC rule including an identical monitoring key.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the command message further comprises usage monitoring information, and the method further comprises:

after performing the monitoring based on the set range of the monitoring, determining a monitoring level of a usage monitoring control instance based on usage monitoring information included in the command message; and

setting a limit value of usage based on the monitoring level of the usage monitoring control instance.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the command message further comprises a charge rule name, and setting the PCC rule comprises setting the PCC rule based on the charge rule name included in the command message.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the command message comprises:

transmitting a Credit Control Request (CCR) command message for requesting a PCC rule to the PCRF; and

receiving a Credit Control Answer (CCA) command message including the monitoring key list and the PCC rule determined by the PCRF, in response to the CCR command message, from the PCRF.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the command message comprises receiving a Re-Auth Request (RAR) command message including the monitoring key list and the PCC rule determined by the PCRF, from the PCRF.