METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT FOR A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20160352924A1
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SENARATH, Nimal Gamini, ZHANG, Hang, VRZIC, Sophie
• Granted Patent: US 10,200,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• 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 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method and system for providing Customer Service Management (CSM) a communication network, such as a 5G wireless communication network. The communication network provides at least one service involving one or more terminals serviced by the communication network. A CSM function is defined which is based upon said at least one service and customized to said at least one service, to provide service-customized CSM. CSM may provide service-based charging/billing, service-based context management, service-customized QoE control, service-customized network topology.

Claims

1. A method for providing Customer Service Management (CSM) in a communication network, the communication network comprising a virtual network operated by a controller, the virtual network providing a service to one or more UE associated with a corresponding at least one customer, the method comprising a CSM function operative on the communication network:

receiving a report based on an associated Quality of Service (QoS)/Quality of Experience (QoE) policy associated with the service;

transmitting QoS instructions to the controller in accordance with the received report and the QoS/QoE policy to effect changes in the virtual network to enforce the QoS/QoE policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the CSM function further provides charging/billing for said service, and wherein the method further comprises:

the CSM instructing the controller to configure a CMS charging element in at least one virtual node of the virtual network to collect and forward usage information relating to network usage charging for the service;

receiving the usage information from the controller;

evaluating the received usage information based upon a charging policy associated with that service to generate a service-based charge; and

,

forwarding the service-based charge to the customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the evaluating the received usage information further comprises evaluating the received usage information based upon the established QoS/QoE policy, and wherein the service-based charge is further based upon the evaluation of the received usage information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a dynamic charging evaluator (DCE) function operative on the network evaluating a dynamic charging state on the network by evaluating a current traffic state on the network based upon a pre-determined charging policy associated with the service and the customer, and communicating the dynamic charging state to the CSM function;

the CSM function receiving the dynamic charging state from the DCE function and instructing at least one of a device traffic controller or a network traffic filter to effect traffic management in relation to the service based upon the dynamic charging state and the pre-determined charging policy associated with the customer and the service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the CSM function further carries out the steps of:

establishing a unique global user ID based on the customer, UE, and device context;

sharing the unique global user ID with a plurality of local CSM functions;

receiving context from at least one of the plurality of local CSM functions associated with the unique global user ID corresponding to behavior governed by that at least one local CSM function and associated with the unique global user ID;

maintaining the received context in association with the unique global user ID; and

,

sharing the received context between the plurality of local CSM functions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the CSM function further carries out the steps of:

establishing a unique global user ID based on the customer, UE, and device context;

sharing the unique global user ID with a plurality of local CSM functions;

receiving context from at least one of the plurality of local CSM functions associated with the unique global user ID corresponding to behavior governed by that at least one local CSM function and associated with the unique global user ID;

evaluating the received context based upon a charging policy associated with the unique global user ID to generate a bill; and

,

charging the customer based upon the generated bill.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the received context is further associated with the at least one service, and wherein the charging policy is further associated with the at least one service;

and, wherein the generated bill is charged based upon usage of the at least one service.

8. A system for providing Customer Service Management (CSM) comprising:

a communication network that comprises a virtual network operated by a controller;

one or more UE receiving a service provided by the virtual network, the service having an associated Quality of Service (QoS)/Quality of Experience (QoE) policy; and

,

a CSM function operative on the communication network to;

receive a QoS/QoE associated with the service; and

,

transmit QoS instructions to the controller in accordance with the received report and the QoS/QoE policy to effect changes in the virtual network to enforce the QoS/QoE policy.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the CSM function is further operative to:

instruct the controller to configure a CMS charging element in at least one virtual node of the virtual network to collect and forward usage information relating to network usage charging for the service;

receive the usage information from the controller;

evaluate the received usage information based upon a charging policy associated with the service to generate a service-based charge; and

,

forward the service-based charge to the customer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the received usage information is evaluated based upon the established QoS/QoE policy, and wherein the service-based charge is further based upon the evaluation of the received usage information.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a dynamic charging evaluator (DCE) function operative on the virtual network to evaluate a dynamic charging state on the virtual network by evaluating a current traffic state on the virtual network based upon a pre-determined charging policy associated with the service and the at least one customer, and communicating the dynamic charging state to the CSM function;

the CSM function further operative to receive the dynamic charging state from the DCE function and to instruct at least one of a device traffic controller or a network traffic filter to effect traffic management in relation to the service based upon the dynamic charging state and the pre-determined charging policy associated with the at least one customer and the service.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the CSM function is further operative to:

establish a unique global user ID based on each at least one customer, UE, and device context;

share the unique global user ID with a plurality of local CSM functions;

receive context from at least one of the plurality of local CSM functions associated with the unique global user ID corresponding to behavior governed by that at least one local CSM function and associated with the unique global user ID;

maintain the received context in association with the unique global user ID; and

,

share the received context between the plurality of local CSM functions.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the CSM function is further operative to:

establish a unique global user ID based on the customer, UE, and device context;

share the unique global user ID with a plurality of local CSM functions;

receive context from at least one of the plurality of local CSM functions associated with the unique global user ID corresponding to behavior governed by that at least one local CSM function and associated with the unique global user ID;

evaluate the received context based upon a charging policy associated with the unique global user ID to generate a bill; and

,

charge the customer based upon the generated bill.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the received context is further associated with the at least one service, and wherein the charging policy is further associated with the at least one service;

and, wherein the generated bill is charged based upon usage of the at least one service.