Charging for MTC small data transmission and trigger at MTC-IWF

• US 10,404,479 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaowei, Prasad, Anand Raghawa
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Jing
• Application Number:
  US15/021,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• 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: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8221 Message based
• 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 order for charging SDT and MTC device trigger over control plane, there is provided a network node (40) that relays messages over a control plane (T5 and Tsp) between an MTC device (10) and an SCS (50). The network node (40) counts the number of messages successfully relayed, and generates a CDR in accordance with the counted number. The messages are SDT messages delivered from the MTC device (10) to the SCS (50), SDT messages delivered from the SCS (50) to the MTC device (10), or MTC device trigger messages delivered from the SCS (50) to the MTC device (10). The network node (40) transfers the CDR to an OCF (31) or a CDF (32).

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising:

a UE (User Equipment);

a CDF (Charging Data Function) or a CGF (Charging Gateway Function);

an SCS (Service Capability Server); and

an MTC-IWF (Machine Type Communication-Interwork Function), wherein

the SCS is configured to send information on a device trigger to the MTC-IWF, and

the MTC-IWF is configured to;

send the information to the UE;

generate a CDR (Charging Data Record) including a field of an address of the MTC-IWF when the MTC-IWF receives a response from the UE that successfully received the information; and

forward the CDR to the CDF or the CGF for charging of the device trigger.

2. The mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein the MTC-IWF is configured to check that the SCS is authorized to perform the device trigger.

3. The mobile communication system of claim 1, wherein the CDR further includes an identifier of the UE.

4. A method of a mobile communication system including:

a UE (User Equipment);

a CDF (Charging Data Function) or a CGF (Charging Gateway Function);

an SCS (Service Capability Server); and

an MTC-IWF (Machine Type Communication-Interwork Function), the method comprising;

sending information on a device trigger to the MTC-IWF;

sending the information to the UE;

generating a CDR (Charging Data Record) including a field of an address of the MTC-IWF when the MTC-IWF receives a response from the UE that successfully received the information; and

forwarding the CDR to the CDF or the CGF for charging of the device trigger.

5. An MTC-IWF (Machine Type Communication-Interwork Function) of a mobile communication system including:

a UE (User Equipment);

a CDF (Charging Data Function) or a CGF (Charging Gateway Function); and

an SCS (Service Capability Server), the MTC-IWF comprising;

a receiver configured to receive information on a device trigger from the SCS;

a sender configured to send the information to the UE; and

a controller configured to;

generate a CDR (Charging Data Record) including a field of an address of the MTC-IWF when the MTC-IWF receives a response from the UE that successfully received the information; and

forward the CDR to the CDF or the CGF for charging of the device trigger.

6. The MTC-IWF of claim 5, wherein the MTC-IWF is configured to check that the SCS is authorized to perform the device trigger.

7. The MTC-IWF of claim 5, wherein the CDR further includes an identifier of the UE.

8. A method of an MTC-IWF (Machine Type Communication-Interwork Function) of a mobile communication system including:

a UE (User Equipment);

a CDF (Charging Data Function) or a CGF (Charging Gateway Function); and

an SCS (Service Capability Server), the method comprising;

receiving information on a device trigger from the SCS;

sending the information to the UE;

generating a CDR (Charging Data Record) including a field of an address of the MTC-IWF when the MTC-IWF receives a response from the UE that successfully received the information; and

forwarding the CDR to the CDF or the CGF for charging of the device trigger.

9. A UE (User Equipment) of a mobile communication system including:

a CDF (Charging Data Function) or a CGF (Charging Gateway Function);

an MTC-IWF (Machine Type Communication-Interwork Function); and

an SCS (Service Capability Server), the UE comprising;

a receiver configured to receive information on a device trigger from the MTC-IWF which receives the information from the SCS; and

a sender configured to send a response upon successfully receiving the information,

wherein the MTC-IWF generates a CDR (Charging Data Record) including a field of an address of the MTC-IWF when the MTC-IWF receives the response from the UE and forwards the CDR to the CDF or the CGF for charging of the device trigger.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein the MTC-IWF is configured to check that the SCS is authorized to perform the device trigger.

11. The UE of claim 9, wherein the CDR further includes an identifier of the UE.

12. A method of a UE (User Equipment) of a mobile communication system including:

a CDF (Charging Data Function) or a CGF (Charging Gateway Function);

an MTC-IWF (Machine Type Communication-Interwork Function); and

an SCS (Service Capability Server), the method comprising;

receiving information on a device trigger from the MTC-IWF which receives the information from the SCS; and

sending a response upon successfully receiving the information,

wherein the MTC-IWF generates a CDR (Charging Data Record) including a field of an address of the MTC-IWF when the MTC-IWF receives the response from the UE and forwards the CDR to the CDF or the CGF for charging of the device trigger.