METHOD OF AND A DEVICE HANDLING CHARGING DATA IN AN IP-BASED NETWORK

• US 20160006701A1
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: NOLDUS, Rogier August Caspar Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/770,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20160006701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of handling charging data in a first network entity of an IP-based network. The first network entity receives an IP communication control message comprising user identification data and an associated encryption key. Charging data associated with a communications activity related to said user identification data is encrypted using the encryption key and combined with the user identification data to obtain a charging record with encrypted charging data which charging record is transmitted to a second network entity having the role of charging gateway function. The second network entity receives the charging record with encrypted charging data and subjects the encrypted charging data to a decryption process to obtain a charging record comprising the user identification data and unencrypted charging data.

Claims

1. A method of handling charging data in a network entity of an IP-based network;

the method comprising;

receiving an IP communication control message comprising user identification data and an associated encryption key;

obtaining charging data associated with a communications activity related to said user identification data;

subjecting the charging data to encryption by using the encryption key that is associated with the user identification data to obtain encrypted charging data;

processing the user identification data and the encrypted charging data to obtain a charging record with encrypted charging data; and

transmitting the charging record with encrypted charging data to a network entity having the role of charging gateway function.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein processing the user identification data and the encrypted charging data includes encrypting the user identification data using a network encryption key.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein processing the user identification data and the encrypted charging data further includes encrypting the user identification data and the encrypted charging data using a network encryption key.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending another IP communication control message to another network entity, the another IP communication control message comprising the user identification data and the associated encryption key.

5. The method according to any of the claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing the encrypted charging record in a data storage prior to transmission.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the IP-based network is an IMS network and the IP communication control messages are SIP messages.

17. The method according to claim 2, further comprising sending another IP communication control message to another network entity, the another IP communication control message comprising the user identification data and the associated encryption key.

18. The method according to claim 3, further comprising sending another IP communication control message to another network entity, the another IP communication control message comprising the user identification data and the associated encryption key.

19. The method according to claim 2, further comprising storing the encrypted charging record in a data storage prior to transmission.

7. A method of handling charging data in a network entity having the role of charging gateway function of an IP-based network;

the method comprising;

receiving a charging record comprising user identification data and encrypted charging data, the encrypted charging data has been obtained by encrypting charging data associated with a communications activity related to the user identification data by using an encryption key which is associated with the user identification data; and

subjecting the charging record comprising user identification data and encrypted charging data to a decryption process to obtain a charging record comprising the user identification data and unencrypted charging data.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the subjecting comprises:

transmitting the charging record comprising the user identification data and the encrypted charging data to a network entity performing the decryption process; and

receiving the charging record comprising the user identification data and unencrypted charging data from the network entity performing the decryption process.

9. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving a charging system provisioning message comprising user identification data and an associated decryption key; and

the subjecting comprises;

decrypting the encrypted charging data by using the decryption key associated with the user identification data to obtain the unencrypted charging data; and

combining the user identification data and the unencrypted charging data to obtain the charging record comprising the user identification data and unencrypted charging data.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the decryption key associated with the user identification data differs from the encryption key associated with the user identification data.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the IP-based network is an IMS network and the charging system provisioning message is one of an LDAP message and a CAI-3G message.

20. The method according to claim 8, wherein the IP-based network is an IMS network and the charging system provisioning message is one of an LDAP message and a CAI-3G message.

12. A processing device comprising a processor, an Input/Output device to connect to an IP-based network, a database and a data storage comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processing device to:

receive an IP communication control message comprising user identification data and an associated encryption key and store the user identification data and associated encryption key in the database;

obtain charging data associated with a communication activity related to said user identification data;

subject the charging data to encryption by using an encryption key which is associated with the user identification data to obtain encrypted charging data;

process the user identification data and the encrypted charging data to obtain a charging record with encrypted charging data; and

transmit the charging record with encrypted charging data to a network entity having the role of a charging gateway function.

13. The processing device according to claim 12, wherein processing the user identification data and encrypted data includes encrypting the user identification data using a network encryption key.

14. The processing device according to claim 12, wherein processing the user identification data and encrypted data includes encrypting the user identification data and the encrypted charging data using a network encryption key.

15. A processing device comprising a processor, an Input/Output device to connect to an IP-based network, a database and a data storage comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processing device to:

receive a charging record comprising user identification data and encrypted charging data, the encrypted charging data has been obtained by encrypting charging data associated with a communication activity related to the user identification data by using an encryption key which is associated with the user identification data; and

subject the charging record comprising the user identification data and the encrypted charging data to a decryption process to obtain a charging record with the user identification data and unencrypted charging data.

16. The processing device according to claim 15, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the processing device to:

receive a charging system provisioning message comprising user identification data and an associated decryption key; and

the subjecting comprises;

decrypting the encrypted charging data by using the decryption key associated with the user identification data to obtain unencrypted charging data; and

combining the user identification data and the unencrypted charging data to obtain the charging record with the user identification data and unencrypted charging data.