METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVE CHARGING AND PERFORMANCE IN A SOFTWARE DEFINED NETWORK

• US 20180124254A1
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson, Dowlatkhah, Sangar
• Granted Patent: US 10,284,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1417 Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/858 Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including instantiating a virtual network function to provide a network resource in the network, accessing data usage information associated with facilitation of a service to a communication device via the network, determining whether the communication device exceeds a data limit threshold according the data usage information, accessing a data limit instruction associated with the communication device responsive to determining that the communication device exceeds the data limit threshold, determining a modification to the virtual network function associated with the facilitation of the service according to the data limit instruction, and communicating with the network to cause the modification to the virtual network function. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

instantiating a first virtual network function to provide a network resource in a network;

receiving, from a first communication device via the network, a request to facilitate a service to the first communication device;

accessing data usage information associated with the first communication device responsive to receiving the request to facilitate the service;

determining whether the first communication device exceeds a data limit threshold according the data usage information;

accessing a first data limit instruction associated with the first communication device responsive to determining that the first communication device exceeds the data limit threshold;

transmitting a notification to the first communication device that the data limit threshold has been exceeded according to the first data limit instruction;

receiving, from the first communication device, a response to the notification that the data limit threshold has been exceeded;

determining a modification to the first virtual network function according to the response to the notification;

communicating with the network to cause the modification to the first virtual network function;

determining a charging instruction according to the modification to the first virtual network function; and

transmitting the charging instruction to the network.

2. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing data usage history associated with the first communication device, wherein the data usage history includes prior action responsive to the data limit threshold being exceeded; and

modifying the first data limit instruction according to the prior action responsive to the data limit threshold being exceeded.

3. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the modification to the first virtual network function comprises decommissioning the first virtual network function or instantiating a second virtual network function to relieve workload from the first virtual network function.

4. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first communication device is a member of a plurality of communication devices, wherein the data usage information is accounted to the plurality of communication devices, and wherein the first data limit instruction differs from a second data limit instruction associated with a second communication device of the plurality of communication devices.

5. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a data requirement associated with facilitation of the service to the first communication device via the first virtual network function, and wherein the first communication device is further determined to exceed the data limit threshold according the data usage information.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the first communication device is authorized for the service.

7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operation further comprise accessing the first data limit instruction from a policy database.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise accessing a profile associated with the first communication device, wherein the first data limit instruction is included in the profile.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the notification includes charging information associated with facilitation of the service while the data limit threshold is exceeded.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the response to the notification includes acceptance of a charge for continuing facilitation of the service while the data limit threshold is exceeded.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the modification to the first virtual network function is further determined according to the first data limit instruction.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the modification to the first virtual network function comprises changing a priority of the service at the first virtual network function.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving information from the network indicating a degradation in facilitation of the service to the first communication device, wherein the modification to the first virtual network function is further determined from a policy database.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining a ranking of the degradation in facilitation of the service, wherein the charging instruction is further determined according to the ranking of the degradation in facilitation of the service.

15. A software defined network controller, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

accessing data usage information associated with facilitation of a service to a communication device via a network;

determining whether the communication device exceeds a data limit threshold according the data usage information;

accessing a data limit instruction associated with the communication device responsive to determining that the communication device exceeds the data limit threshold;

detecting an authorization for a charge associated with exceeding the data limit threshold;

determining a modification to a first virtual network function associated with the facilitation of the service according to the data limit instruction and responsive to the authorization for the charge associated with exceeding the data limit threshold;

communicating with the network to cause the modification to the first virtual network function;

determining a charging instruction according to the modification to the first virtual network function; and

transmitting the first charging instruction to the network.

16. The software defined network controller of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise instantiating the first virtual network function to provide a network resource in the network.

17. The software defined network controller of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a notification to the communication device that the data limit threshold has been exceeded according to the data limit instruction; and

receiving, from the communication device, a response to the notification that the data limit threshold has been exceeded, wherein the response includes the authorization for the charge associated with exceeding the data limit threshold.

18. The software defined network controller of claim 15, wherein the modification to the first virtual network function comprises decommissioning the first virtual network function or instantiating a second virtual network function to relieve workload from the first virtual network function.

19. A method, comprising:

instantiating, by a processing system include a processor, a virtual network function to provide a network resource in the network;

accessing, by the processing system, data usage information associated with facilitation of a service to a communication device via the network;

determining, by the processing system, whether the communication device exceeds a data limit threshold according the data usage information;

accessing, by the processing system, a data limit instruction associated with the communication device responsive to determining that the communication device exceeds the data limit threshold;

determining, by the processing system, a modification to the virtual network function associated with the facilitation of the service according to the data limit instruction; and

communicating, by the processing system, with the network to cause the modification to the virtual network function.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting, by the processing system, an authorization for a charge associated with exceeding the data limit threshold; and

transmitting, to the network and by the processing system, a charging instruction determined according to the modification to the virtual network function.