Mechanism for controlling charging in case of charging client relocation

• US 8,560,408 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Wei Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US12/867,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 455403-408, 455/41.2, 455/436, 705/14.69, 705/30, 370/331, 370/342, 370/328, 370/335, 370/338
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

There is proposed a mechanism for charging control and a charging client relocation. When it is determined that a relocation of a charging related functionality for a communication connection from a previous charging client node to a new charging client node is executed, the new charging client node requests quota information used in a charging procedure for the communication connection from a charging server node. A charging agent is informed by the new charging client node about the relocation to the new charging client node after predetermined information is received from the previous charging client node and the quota information is received from the charging server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining that a relocation procedure of a charging related functionality for a communication connection from a previous charging client node to a new charging client node is executed,

requesting by the new charging client node from a charging server node, before the relocation procedure to the new charging client node is completed, quota information used in a charging procedure for the communication connection, and

sending by the new charging client node an information to a charging agent about the relocation to the new charging client node after the relocation procedure is completed for the new charging client node, after predetermined information is received from the previous charging client node, and after the quota information is received by the new charging client node from the charging server node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined information from the previous charging client node comprises at least one of mobile station context data and charging client context data.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an acknowledgment message for a receipt of the predetermined information to the previous charging client node directly after receipt thereof or after receipt of the quota information.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

rejecting the relocation to the new charging client node in case no quota information is received.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a relocation complete indication message to the previous charging client node, wherein the relocation complete indication message comprises at least one of an information indicating a support of a specific charging mode and an information indicating an inhibition of a quota information transmission from the previous charging client node side.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending further comprises sending of data for updating charging client context data in the charging agent.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requesting further comprises setting up of a session with the charging server node on the basis of an authentication-authorization-accounting protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending further comprises transmitting of quota information to the charging agent based on the quota information received.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

transmitting quota information to the charging agent based on the quota information received.

10. A computer program product comprising code means configured to, when run on a computer system, control the computer system to perform the method of claim 1.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

determining means for determining that a relocation procedure of a charging related functionality for a communication connection from a previous charging client node to a new charging client node is executed,

requesting means for requesting from a charging server node, before the relocation procedure to the new charging client node is completed, quota information used in a charging procedure for the communication connection, for the new charging client node,

receiving means for receiving the quota information from the charging server node, and

informing means for sending an information to a charging agent about the relocation to the new charging client node after the relocation procedure is completed for the new charging client node, after predetermined information is received from the previous charging client node, and after the quota information is received by the receiving means.