Credit control method, policy and charging enforcement function entity, and online charging system

• US 10,846,671 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Qing, Hua, Zhang, Chong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US14/980,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 455408
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/78 Redistributing amount between accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/781 dynamically
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/882 for continuing the call beyond the limit using an alternative, e.g. alternative account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a credit control method, a policy and charging enforcement function entity, and an online charging system. The method includes: if an OCS determines that a service borne by a second bearer may share a credit pool with a service borne by a first bearer, sending a second quota allocated to the second bearer and a credit pool identifier corresponding to the first bearer to the PCEF, so that the PCEF stores the second quota and a first quota in a same credit pool, so that the second bearer and the first bearer use the same credit pool, thereby implementing sharing of the credit pool between IP-CAN bearers and even between IP-CAN sessions, and ensuring smoothness of a service.

Claims

1. A credit control method comprising:

receiving a second request sent by a policy and charging enforcement function entity (PCEF), wherein the second request instructs to perform credit control on a second bearer, and the second request comprises a capability negotiation information element (IE) that indicates a credit pool application manner from a plurality of credit pool application manners;

determining, according to the second request, whether a second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share a first credit pool with a first service borne by a first bearer according to the credit pool application manner indicated by the second request, wherein the second bearer is established for a user equipment (UE) after the first bearer is established for the UE, the first credit pool comprising a first quota allocated to the first bearer; and

sending, in response to determining that the second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share the first credit pool with the first service borne by the first bearer, an answer to the PCEF,

wherein the answer carries a first credit pool identifier corresponding to the first bearer and further carries a second quota allocated to the second bearer, and wherein sending the answer causes the PCEF to store the second quota in the first credit pool corresponding to the first credit pool identifier, and causes both the first service borne by the first bearer and the second service borne by the second bearer to concurrently consume credit from the first credit pool based on the first quota allocated to the first bearer and the second quota allocated to the second bearer before either the first service ends or the second service ends.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the answer to the PCEF comprises:

allocating the second quota to the second bearer.

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

receiving a capability negotiation request sent by the PCEF, wherein the capability negotiation request carries the capability negotiation IE that indicates the credit pool application manner; and

sending, in response to receiving the capability negotiation request, a capability negotiation field answer to the PCEF.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of credit pool application manners comprises:

a first credit pool application manner, wherein the first credit pool application manner permits multiple Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearers in a same IP-CAN session to share a credit pool; and

a second credit pool application manner, wherein the second credit pool application manner permits multiple IP-CAN sessions of a same user to share the credit pool.

4. A credit control method comprising:

sending a second request to an online charging system (OCS), wherein the second request instructs to perform credit control on a second bearer, and the second request comprises a capability negotiation information element (IE) that indicates a credit pool application manner from a plurality of credit pool application manners;

receiving an answer sent by the OCS, wherein the answer carries a first credit pool identifier corresponding to a first bearer, according to a determination that a second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share a first credit pool with a first service borne by the first bearer according to the credit pool application manner indicated by the second request, wherein the answer further carries a second quota allocated to the second bearer, and wherein the second bearer is established for a user equipment (UE) after the first bearer is established for the UE, the first credit pool comprising a first quota allocated to the first bearer; and

storing the second quota in the first credit pool corresponding to the first credit pool identifier,

wherein, according to the first credit pool identifier and the second quota, the first credit pool is shared by the first service borne by the first bearer and the second service borne by the second bearer, and wherein storing the second quota causes both the first service borne by the first bearer and the second service borne by the second bearer to concurrently consume credit from the first credit pool based on the first quota allocated to the first bearer and the second quota allocated to the second bearer before either the first service ends or the second service ends.

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

sending a capability negotiation request to the OCS, wherein the capability negotiation request carries the capability negotiation IE indicating the credit pool application manner; and

receiving, in response to sending the capability negotiation request, a capability negotiation field answer sent by the OCS.

6. An online charging system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a second request sent by a policy and charging enforcement function entity (PCEF), wherein the second request instructs to perform credit control on a second bearer, and the second request comprises a capability negotiation information element (IE) that indicates a credit pool application manner from a plurality of credit pool application manners;

a processor;

a non-transitory memory storing a program to be executed in the processor, the program comprising instructions for determining, according to the second request, whether a second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share a first credit pool with a first service borne by a first bearer according to the credit pool application manner indicated by the second request, wherein the second bearer is established for a user equipment (UE) after the first bearer is established for the UE, the first credit pool comprising a first quota allocated to the first bearer; and

a transmitter configured to send an answer to the PCEF in response to the processor determining that the second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share the first credit pool with the first service borne by the first bearer, wherein the answer carries a first credit pool identifier corresponding to the first bearer and further carries a second quota allocated to the second bearer, wherein sending the answer causes the PCEF to store the second quota in the first credit pool corresponding to the first credit pool identifier, and causes both the first service borne by the first bearer and the second service borne by the second bearer to concurrently consume credit from the first credit pool based on the first quota allocated to the first bearer and the second quota allocated to the second bearer before either the first service ends or the second service ends.

7. The online charging system according to claim 6, wherein the program further includes instructions for allocating the second quota to the second bearer when it is determined that the second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share the first credit pool with the first service borne by the first bearer.

8. The online charging system according to claim 6, wherein the first bearer and the second bearer belong to a same Internet Protocol connectivity access network (IP-CAN) session.

9. The online charging system according to claim 6, wherein the first bearer belongs to a first Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session, and the second bearer belongs to a second IP-CAN session, wherein the first IP-CAN session and the second IP-CAN session are different sessions.

10. The online charging system according to claim 6, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a capability negotiation request sent by the PCEF, wherein the capability negotiation request carries the capability negotiation IE indicating the credit pool application manner;

and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to send a capability negotiation field answer to the PCEF.

11. A policy and charging enforcement function entity (PCEF) comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a second request to an online charging system (OCS), wherein the second request instructs to perform credit control on a second bearer, and the second request comprises a capability negotiation information element (IE) that indicates a credit pool application manner from a plurality of credit pool application manners; and

a receiver configured to;

receive a second answer sent by the OCS, wherein the second answer carries a first credit pool identifier corresponding to a first bearer, according to a determination that a second service borne by the second bearer is permitted to share a first credit pool with a first service borne by the first bearer according to the credit pool application manner indicated by the second request, wherein the second answer further carries a second quota allocated to the second bearer, and wherein the second bearer is established for a user equipment (UE) after the first bearer is established for the UE, the first credit pool comprising a first quota allocated to the first bearer; and

store the second quota in the first credit pool corresponding to the first credit pool identifier,

wherein, according to the first credit pool identifier and the second quota, the first credit pool is shared by the first service borne by the first bearer and the second service borne by the second bearer, and wherein storing the second quota causes both the first service borne by the first bearer and the second service borne by the second bearer to concurrently consume credit from the first credit pool based on the first quota allocated to the first bearer and the second quota allocated to the second bearer before either the first service ends or the second service ends.

12. The PCEF according to claim 11, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send a first request to the OCS, wherein the first request instructs to perform credit control on the first bearer;

and

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a first answer sent by the OCS, wherein the first answer carries the first quota and the first credit pool identifier corresponding to the first quota of the first bearer.

13. The PCEF according to claim 12, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send the second request to the OCS by using a second Gy session;

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the second answer sent by the OCS by using the second Gy session;

wherein the transmitter is further configured to send the first request to the OCS by using a first Gy session;

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the first answer sent by the OCS by using the first Gy session; and

wherein the first Gy session and the second Gy session are communications conducted on a Gy interface between the PCEF and the OCS.

14. The PCEF according to claim 13, wherein the first Gy session and the second Gy session are different Gy sessions, or a same shared Gy session.

15. The PCEF according to claim 14, wherein, when the first Gy session and the second Gy session are different Gy sessions:

the transmitter is further configured to;

send a first update credit control request to the OCS by using the first Gy session, wherein the first update credit control request carries a third quota consumed by the first bearer; and

send a second update credit control request to the OCS by using the second Gy session, wherein the second update credit control request carries a fourth quota consumed by the second bearer; and

the receiver is further configured to;

receive a first update credit control answer sent by the OCS by using the first Gy session, wherein the first update credit control answer carries a fifth quota newly allocated to the first bearer; and

receive a second update credit control answer sent by the OCS by using the second Gy session, wherein the second update credit control answer carries a sixth quota newly allocated to the second bearer.

16. The PCEF according to claim 15, wherein, when the first Gy session and the second Gy session are a same shared Gy session:

the transmitter is further configured to send a third update credit control request to the OCS by using the same shared Gy session, wherein the third update credit control request carries the third quota consumed by the first bearer and the fourth quota consumed by the second bearer; and

the receiver is further configured to receive a third update credit control answer sent by the OCS by using the same shared Gy session, wherein the third update credit control answer carries the fifth quota newly allocated to the first bearer and the sixth quota newly allocated to the second bearer.

17. The PCEF according to claim 11, wherein the first bearer belongs to a first Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session, and the second bearer belongs to a second IP-CAN session, wherein the first IP-CAN session and the second IP-CAN session are different sessions.

18. The PCEF according to claim 11, wherein the first bearer and the second bearer belong to a same Internet Protocol connectivity access network session IP-CAN session.

19. The PCEF according to claim 18, wherein:

the transmitter is further configured to send a capability negotiation request to the OCS, wherein the capability negotiation request carries the capability negotiation IE indicating the credit pool application manner; and

the receiver is further configured to receive a capability negotiation field answer sent by the OCS.