Methods and systems for selecting one or more charging profiles for a mobile data service session

• US 8,175,574 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panda, Biswaranjan, Iyer, Jayaraman, Ma, Weimin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/414,121
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1425 involving dedicated fields in the data packet for billing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• 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: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for selecting one or more charging profiles for a mobile data service session are disclosed. A method includes identifying one or more available sources of charging profiles that each provide a charging profile for a mobile data service user and selecting a charging profile to be used for at least a portion of the mobile data service session based on selection criteria that ranks the available sources of charging profiles. Access is provided to the selected charging profile for use in billing the mobile data service user.

Claims

1. A method for selecting one or more charging profiles for a mobile data service session, comprising:

identifying a plurality of available sources of charging profiles that each provide a charging profile for a mobile data service user;

selecting a charging profile from the plurality sources identified to be used for at least a portion of said mobile data service session based on source rankings derived using criteria to rank said available sources of charging profiles;

wherein the charging profiles are ranked in order of precedence;

wherein said selection criteria ranks sources of charging profiles according to the following order;

first, an override rule for an access point or box level global, second, a profile server, third, a serving support node (SGSN) and fourth, a default charging profile configured in access point or box; and

providing access to said charging profile for use in billing said mobile data service user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said charging profile is selected based on the location of said mobile data service user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said charging profile contains information that designates a service user as pre-paid or post-paid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein for a pre-paid user said charging profile includes the address of a corresponding online charging server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said charging profile is selected during mobile data service session authorization.

6. The method of claim 1, detecting that the mobile data service session is executing in a new location and dynamically changing said charging profile during the mobile data service session based on the detection of the new location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said sources of charging profile are selected from the group that includes a profile server, a serving support node (SGSN), and a stored default charging profile.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer readable memory unit;

one or more processors coupled to said memory unit, said one or more processors for executing a method for selecting one or more charging profiles for a mobile data service session, comprising;

identifying a plurality of available sources of charging profiles that each provide a charging profile for a mobile data service user;

selecting a charging profile to be used for at least a portion of said mobile data service session based on source rankings derived using criteria to rank said available sources of charging profiles;

wherein the charging profiles are ranked in order of precedence; and

providing access to said charging profile for use in billing said mobile data service user;

wherein a charging profile rank order of precedence is determined from highest priority to lowest priority according to the following criteria in order of precedence;

an override rule for an access point, one or more charging profiles received from a charging profile server, one or more charging profiles received from a serving support node (SGSN) and one or more default charging profiles configured in an access point.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said charging profile contains information that designates a service user as pre-paid or post-paid.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein for a pre-paid user said charging profile includes the address of a corresponding online charging server.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said charging profile is selected during mobile data service session authorization.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said charging profile is changed after the establishment of said mobile data service session.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said sources of charging profiles are selected from the group that includes a profile server, a serving support node (SGSN), and a stored default charging profile.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said selection criteria ranks sources of charging profiles as follows:

first, an override rule for an access point or box level global, second, a profile server, third, a serving support node (SGSN) and fourth, a default charging profile configured in access point or box.

15. A system for selecting one or more charging profiles for a mobile data service session, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of available sources of charging profiles that each provide a charging profile for a mobile data service user;

means for selecting a charging profile from the plurality of sources to be used for at least a portion of said mobile data service session based on source rankings derived using criteria to rank said available sources of charging profiles, wherein a charging profile rank order of precedence is determined from highest priority to lowest priority according to the following criteria in order of precedence;

an override rule for an access point, one or more charging profiles received from a charging profile server, one or more charging profiles received from a serving support node (SGSN) and one or more default charging profiles configured in an access point; and

means for providing access to said charging profile for use in billing said mobile data service user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said charging profile is selected based on location of said mobile data service user.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said charging profile contains information that designates a service user as pre-paid or post-paid.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein for a pre-paid user said charging profile includes the address of a corresponding online charging server.