Methods and Apparatuses for Control of Usage of One or More Services for a User
First Claim
1. A method for control of usage of one or more services for a user, the method applying in a control server and comprising the steps of:
- the control server identifying one or more services for a user, and determining a service quota for each identified service;
the control server identifying one or more monitoring keys associated with each identified service, and determining a monitoring quota for each identified monitoring key;
the control server identifying one or more related monitoring keys to be submitted together with at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys;
submitting from the control server to a reporting device, for each of the one or more identified monitoring keys, the identified monitoring key, the determined monitoring quota, and the identified one or more related monitoring keys;
receiving at the control server, from the reporting device, usage information for at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys, the monitoring quota for the at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys having been exhausted, and usage information for the identified one or more related monitoring keys submitted together with the at least one monitoring key whose monitoring quota has been exhausted; and
for each service associated with any monitoring key for which usage information has been received, the control server updating the service quota by using the received usage information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention faces the issue of usage monitoring and control of network resources, between a control server and any reporting device. The present invention provides for methods and apparatuses, which significantly reduce the signalling load between the control server and the reporting device, by allowing the control server to submit towards any reporting device, for each identified monitoring key, the identified monitoring key, its monitoring quota and one or more related monitoring keys to be reported together with the identified monitoring key; to receive at the control server, from any reporting device, usage information for at least one monitoring key, whose monitoring quota has been exhausted, and usage information for the related monitoring keys previously submitted with the at least one monitoring key; and to update at the control server, for each service associated with any monitoring key for which usage information has been received, a corresponding service quota by using the received usage information.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for control of usage of one or more services for a user, the method applying in a control server and comprising the steps of:
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the control server identifying one or more services for a user, and determining a service quota for each identified service; the control server identifying one or more monitoring keys associated with each identified service, and determining a monitoring quota for each identified monitoring key; the control server identifying one or more related monitoring keys to be submitted together with at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys; submitting from the control server to a reporting device, for each of the one or more identified monitoring keys, the identified monitoring key, the determined monitoring quota, and the identified one or more related monitoring keys; receiving at the control server, from the reporting device, usage information for at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys, the monitoring quota for the at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys having been exhausted, and usage information for the identified one or more related monitoring keys submitted together with the at least one monitoring key whose monitoring quota has been exhausted; and for each service associated with any monitoring key for which usage information has been received, the control server updating the service quota by using the received usage information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 37)
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10. (canceled)
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11. A method for control of usage of one or more services for a user, the method applying in a reporting device and comprising the steps of:
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receiving one or more monitoring keys from a control server and, for each of the one or more received monitoring keys, a monitoring quota and one or more related monitoring keys; monitoring the monitoring quota for each of the one or more received monitoring keys and, upon determining that the monitoring quota for at least one of the one or more received monitoring keys is exhausted, determining usage information for the at least one monitoring key whose monitoring quota has been exhausted, and usage information for the one or more related monitoring keys; and submitting to the control server the usage information for the at least one monitoring key, whose monitoring quota has been exhausted, and the usage information for the one or more related monitoring keys. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. (canceled)
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19. A control server for control of usage of one or more services for a user, the control server comprising:
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a processing unit adapted to identify one or more services for a user, to determine a service quota for each identified service, to identify one or more monitoring keys associated with each identified service, and to determine a monitoring quota for each identified monitoring key; the processing unit being further adapted to identify one or more related monitoring keys to be submitted together with at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys; an interfacing unit being adapted to submit to a reporting device, for each of the one or more identified monitoring keys, the identified monitoring key, the determined monitoring quota and the identified one or more related monitoring keys; a further interfacing unit being adapted to receive from the reporting device usage information for at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys, the monitoring quota for the at least one of the one or more identified monitoring keys having been exhausted, and usage information for the identified one or more related monitoring keys submitted together with the at least one monitoring key whose monitoring quota has been exhausted; and the processing unit being adapted to update the service quota, for each service associated with any monitoring key for which usage information has been received, by using the received usage information. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. (canceled)
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29. A reporting device for control of usage of one or more services for a user, the reporting device comprising:
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an interfacing unit adapted to receive one or more monitoring keys from a control server and, for each of the one or more received monitoring keys, a monitoring quota and one or more related monitoring keys; a processing unit adapted to monitor the monitoring quota for each of the one or more received monitoring keys and, upon determining that the monitoring quota for at least one of the one or more received monitoring keys is exhausted, the processing unit being adapted to determine usage information for the at least one monitoring key whose monitoring quota has been exhausted, and usage information for the one or more related monitoring keys; and a further interfacing unit being adapted to submit to the control server, the usage information for the at least one monitoring key whose monitoring quota has been exhausted, and the usage information for the one or more related monitoring keys. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. (canceled)
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38. (canceled)
Specification