Handling of M2M services in a communication system

• US 9,344,830 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales DIS France SA
• Original Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Ballot, Jean-Marc, Thiebaut, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US13/520,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

In an embodiment, there is provided a method for handling Machine to Machine M2M services in a communication system, said method comprising a step of, for charging for IP Connectivity Access Network IP-CAN bearer services in said communication system:

• • providing global charging information for a plurality of terminals using a same M2M service.

Claims

1. A method for handling Machine to Machine (M2M) services in a communication system, said method comprising:

creating global charging information for a plurality of terminals supporting a same M2M service at an entity creating charging related data for IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearer services in a communication system, wherein the plurality of terminals are associated with a same M2M service identifier that associates each of the plurality of terminals with the same M2M service;

wherein the entity creating charging related data for the IP-CAN bearer services agglomerates charging related data created for terminals associated with the same M2M service identifier to form the global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of terminals;

wherein the global charging information is periodically created for the plurality of terminals, the global charging information depending on whether the plurality of terminals support the same M2M service and on whether the M2M service identifier associated with the same M2M service is allocated to the plurality of terminals.

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

providing indications that each of the plurality of terminals support the same M2M service, wherein the indications are provided from an entity storing subscriber data for the communication system to an entity controlling the IP-CAN bearer services.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a single M2M service identifier is provided for said plurality of terminals supporting the same M2M service.

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

providing indications that each of the plurality of terminals support the same M2M service, wherein the indications are provided from an entity controlling the IP-CAN bearer services to the entity creating charging related data for the IP-CAN bearer services.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said indications are provided in signaling associated with creation of an IP-CAN bearer for at least one of the plurality of terminals.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the M2M service identifier corresponds to a Mobile Station International ISDN Number (MSISDN).

7. A method for handling Machine to Machine (M2M) services in a communication system, said method comprising:

controlling, an association between a M2M service identifier and a plurality of M2M terminals supporting a same M2M service in the communication system, wherein the M2M service is associated with the M2M service identifier, wherein the association between the M2M service identifier and the plurality of M2M terminals is controlled by an entity managing communications for the plurality of M2M terminals in an entity storing subscriber data for the communication system;

wherein an entity creating charging related data for IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearer services agglomerates charging related data for M2M terminals associated with the same M2M service identifier to form global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of M2M terminals.

8. An entity for storing subscriber data for a communication system, said entity configured to:

provide indications that each of a plurality of terminals in a communication system support a same Machine to Machine (M2M) service, wherein the indications are provided to an entity controlling IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearer services in the communications system, wherein the indications include a same M2M service identifier that associates each of the plurality of terminals with the same M2M service;

wherein an entity creating charging related data for IP-CAN bearer services is configured to agglomerate charging related data created for terminals associated with the same M2M service identifier to form global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of terminals.

9. An entity for controlling IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN ) bearer services in a communication system, said entity configured to:

provide indications that each of a plurality of terminals in a communication system support a same Machine to Machine (M2M) service, wherein the indications are provided to an entity creating charging related data for IP-CAN bearer services in the communications system, wherein the indications include a same M2M service identifier that associates each of the plurality of terminals with the same M2M service;

wherein an entity creating charging related data for IP-CAN bearer services is configured to agglomerate charging related data created for terminals associated with the same M2M service identifier to form global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of terminals.

10. An entity for creating charging related data for IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearer services in a communication system, said entity configured to:

agglomerate charging related data created for each of a plurality of terminals supporting a same Machine to Machine (M2M) service to form global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of terminals wherein the plurality of terminals are associated with a same M2M service identifier that associates each of the plurality of terminals with the same M2M service.

11. The entity according to claim 10, further configured to:

periodically create the global charging information for the plurality of terminals, the global charging information depending on whether the plurality of terminals support the M2M service and on whether the M2M service identifier associated with the same M2M service is allocated to the plurality of terminals.

12. An entity for managing communications of Machine to Machine (M2M) terminals in a communication system, said entity configured to:

control an association between a M2M service identifier and a plurality of M2M terminals supporting a same M2M service in a communication system, wherein the M2M service is associated with the M2M service identifier, wherein the association between the M2M service identifier and the plurality of M2M terminals is controlled by the entity managing communications for the plurality of M2M terminals in an entity storing subscriber data for the communication system;

wherein an entity creating charging related data for IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearer services is configured to agglomerate charging related data created for M2M terminals associated with the same M2M service identifier to form global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of M2M terminals.

13. The entity according to claim 12, the entity having an interface with a communication operator, on the entity storing subscriber data that is terminated for the communication operator after the association between the M2M service identifier and the plurality of M2M terminals is controlled in the entity storing subscriber data.

14. The entity according to claim 12, wherein the M2M service identifier corresponds to a Mobile Station International ISDN Number (MSISDN).

15. A method for handling Machine to Machine (M2M) services in a communication system, said method comprising:

providing indications that each of a plurality of terminals support a same M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearer services in a communication system, wherein the indications are provided from an entity storing subscriber data for the communication system to an entity controlling the IP-CAN bearer services in the communication system, wherein the indications include a same M2M service identifier that associates each of the plurality of terminals with the same M2M service;

wherein the entity controlling the IPCAN bearer services provides the indications that each of the plurality of terminals support the same M2M service to an entity creating charging related data for the IP-CAN bearer services;

wherein the entity creating charging related data for the IP-CAN bearer services agglomerates charging related data for terminals associated with the same M2M service to form global charging information for the M2M service in conjunction with charging the M2M service for IP-CAN bearer services used by the plurality of terminals.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the global charging information is periodically created, the period for creating the charging information depending on whether the plurality of terminals support the same M2M service and on the M2M service identifier associated with the same M2M service is allocated to the plurality of terminals.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the M2M service identifier is provided for the plurality of terminals supporting the M2M service.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the M2M service identifier corresponds to a Mobile Station International ISDN Number (MSISDN).

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein said indications are provided by the entity controlling the IP-CAN bearer services in signaling associated with creation of an IP-CAN bearer for at least one of the plurality of terminals.