SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MONITORING SERVICES

• US 20170118667A1
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: MATTSSON, Ulf, KARLSSON, Josefin
• Granted Patent: US 10,382,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04T 2001/103 Core Network Resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04T 2001/215 Billing; Accounting; Charging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to systems and methods for providing monitoring services comprising receiving, at an aggregator proxy function, APF in a first Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, a first event report transmitted by a monitoring function in the first PLMN. The first event report comprising first event information related to a monitoring event, and a request identifier. Further, receiving, at the APF, a second event report transmitted by a monitoring function in the first PLMN. The second event report comprising second event information related to the monitoring event, and said request identifier. After receiving the first and second event reports, the APF transmitting an aggregate event report to a report receiving function not in the first PLMN.

Claims

1. A method in an aggregator proxy function, APF, for providing a monitoring service, the method comprising:

receiving, in a first Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, a first event report transmitted by a monitoring function in the first PLMN, the first event report comprising first event information related to a monitoring event, and a request identifier;

receiving, a second event report transmitted by the monitoring function in the first PLMN, the second event report comprising second event information related to the monitoring event, and said request identifier; and

after receiving the first and second event reports, transmitting an aggregate event report to a report receiving function not in the first PLMN, the aggregate event report comprising at least one of the first event information and the second event information, and said request identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

prior to receiving the first and second event reports, receiving at a request message comprising the request identifier and information specifying a monitoring event;

and

transmitting the message to a monitoring function, the message comprising the request identifier and the information specifying the monitoring event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the report receiving function is a Service Capability Exposure Function, SCEF, or a Home Subscriber Server, HSS, function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event report is transmitted by a first monitoring function and the second event report is transmitted by a second monitoring function that is separate and distinct from the first monitoring function.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second monitoring function, respectively, is one of:

an MME, an SGSN, a PDN-GW, a PCRF, a SGW, a RCAF, a eNB, a RNC, and a BSC.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event report comprises information specifying a reporting event.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the request message comprises information specifying a reporting event.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein

the APF detects the occurrence of the specified reporting event, and

the APF transmits to the report receiving function an aggregate event report as a result of detecting the occurrence of the specified reporting event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the information specifying the reporting event comprises a value representing a number of event reports, and

the APF detects the occurrence of the specified reporting event by comparing said value with a value identifying a number of event reports comprising the request identifier that have been received by the APF.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein

the information specifying the reporting event comprises a value representing an amount of time, and

the APF detects the occurrence of the specified reporting event by comparing said value with a value identifying an elapsed amount of time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein

the information specifying the reporting event comprises a value representing a number of reports to be sent from the APF, and

the APF detects the occurrence of the specified reporting event and decrease by one each time from the said number.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the APF generating charging information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the APF receiving a permission request from a monitoring function;

the APF, in response to the permission request, transmitting a permission response to the monitoring function; and

the APF receiving an event report from the monitoring function.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the request identifier comprises an address of the report receiving function.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the request identifier further comprises an element that is separate and distinct from the address of the reporting function.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event report further comprises an address of the report receiving function.

17. An aggregator proxy function, APF, configured to perform the method of claim 1.

18. A method in a monitoring function for providing a monitoring service, the method comprising:

the monitoring function in a first Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, transmitting a first event report to an aggregator proxy function, APF, in the first PLMN, the first event report comprising first event information related to a monitoring event and a request identifier; and

transmitting a second event report to the APF in the first PLMN, the second event report comprising second event information related to the monitoring event and said request identifier.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

prior to transmitting the first and second event reports, receiving a request message comprising the request identifier and information specifying a monitoring event.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the monitoring function is one of:

an MME, an SGSN, a PDN-GW, a PCRF, a SGW, a RCAF, a eNB, a RNC, and a BSC.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first event report comprises information specifying a reporting event.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the request message comprises information specifying a reporting event.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein

the information specifying the reporting event comprises at least one of a value representing a number of event reports, a value representing an amount of time, or a value representing a number of reports to be sent from the APF.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

the monitoring function transmitting a permission request to the APF;

the monitoring function receiving a permission response from the APF, in response to the permission request; and

the monitoring function transmitting an event report to the APF.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the request identifier comprises an address of the report receiving function.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the request identifier further comprises an element that is separate and distinct from the address of the reporting function.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the first event report further comprises an address of the report receiving function.

28. A monitoring function node configured to perform the method of claim 18.