Usage monitoring after rollover

• US 9,065,660 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ellis, Stephen E., Mo, Fan
• Primary Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US13/094,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/881 for continuing the call beyond the limit using allow grace
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: determining a session to roll over; determining whether usage monitoring at a usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session; and if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session, sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session. Various alternative embodiments additionally include one or more of the following: waiting for a length of time to receive a usage report at the session management node from the usage monitoring node; wherein the step of sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node is only performed when a usage report is not received during the length of time.

Claims

1. A method of performing a rollover by a session management node, the method comprising:

determining a session to roll over;

determining whether usage monitoring at a usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session;

if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session, sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session;

determining at least one attribute to modify for the session; and

determining a new value for the at least one attribute;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,

wherein the at least one attribute includes a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the session management node is a Policy and Charging Rules Node (PCRN) and the usage monitoring node is a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a session to roll over comprises:

determining that a new billing period has begun; and

in response to determining that a new billing period has begun, retrieving at least one session managed by the session management node.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an applicable policy set for the session; and

determining a usage value to which a policy of the policy set will apply for the session;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to send a usage report when the session has reached the usage value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether usage monitoring at a usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session comprises:

determining an applicable policy set for the session, wherein the applicable policy set includes a plurality of thresholds; and

determining whether all thresholds were met by the session prior to the current rollover.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is not currently disabled for the session, sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to disable usage monitoring for the session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

waiting for a length of time to receive a usage report at the session management node from the usage monitoring node;

wherein the step of sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node is only performed when a usage report is not received during the length of time.

8. A session management node for performing a rollover, the session management node comprising:

an interface that communicates with a usage monitoring node;

a session storage that stores a plurality of session records;

a rollover initiator that;

determines that a rollover should be performed,

in response to determining that a rollover should be performed, retrieves a session record, and

determines whether usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for a session associated with the session record; and

a message generator that, if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for a session associated with the session record, generates a message instructing the usage monitoring node to enable usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node for a session associated with the session record;

determines at least one attribute to modify for the session; and

determines a new value for the at least one attribute;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,

wherein the at least one attribute is a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay.

9. The session management node of claim 8, wherein the rollover initiator further:

waits for a length of time for the session management node to receive a usage report from the usage monitoring node;

wherein the message generator generates the message instructing the usage monitoring node to enable usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node for a session associated with the session record only when the session management node does not receive a usage report during the length of time.

10. The session management node of claim 8, further comprising a threshold calculator that:

determines an applicable policy set for the session; and

determines a usage value to which a policy of the policy set will apply for the session;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to send a usage report when the session has reached the usage value.

11. The session management node of claim 8, wherein, in determining whether usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for a session associated with the session record, the rollover initiator:

determines an applicable policy set for the session, wherein the applicable policy set includes a plurality of thresholds; and

determines whether all thresholds were met by the session prior to the current rollover.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for performing a rollover by a session management node, the machine readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for determining a session to roll over;

instructions for determining whether usage monitoring at a usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session;

instructions for if usage monitoring at the usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session, sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session;

instructions for determining at least one attribute to modify for the session; and

instructions for determining a new value for the at least one attribute;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,

wherein the at least one attribute is a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

instructions for waiting for a length of time to receive a usage report at the session management node from the usage monitoring node;

wherein the instructions for sending a message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node are only performed when a usage report is not received during the length of time.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

instructions for determining an applicable policy set for the session; and

instructions for determining a usage value to which a policy of the policy set will apply for the session;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to send a usage report when the session has reached the usage value.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for determining whether usage monitoring at a usage monitoring node is currently disabled for the session comprises:

instructions for determining an applicable policy set for the session, wherein the applicable policy set includes a plurality of thresholds; and

instructions for determining whether all thresholds were met by the session prior to the current rollover.

16. A method of performing a rollover by a session management node, the method comprising:

determining a session to roll over;

sending a first request message from the session management node to the usage monitoring node, wherein the message includes an instruction to disable usage monitoring for the session;

waiting for a period of time to receive a second request message from the usage monitoring node;

if the session management node receives the second request message from the usage monitoring node, sending an answer message to the usage monitoring node, wherein the answer message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session;

determining at least one attribute to modify for the session; and

determining a new value for the at least one attribute;

wherein the message further includes an instruction to apply the new value to the at least one attribute for the session,

wherein the at least one attribute includes a quality of service (QoS) characteristic comprising one or more of network transport requirements, priority, bandwidth, guaranteed bit rate, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), response time, usage limits for streaming video, usage limits for other communications, and delay; and

if the session management node does not receive the second request message from the usage monitoring node, sending a third request message to the usage monitoring node, wherein the third request message includes an instruction to enable usage monitoring for the session.