CHARGING METHOD, CHARGING NETWORK ELEMENT, CHARGING SYSTEM, AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100174630A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kang, Jiao, Li, Chun, Shi, Xin, Shan, Mingjun
• Application Number:
  US12/726,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20100174630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A charging method, a charging network element, a charging system, and a communication system are disclosed. Network elements are categorized into a master network element and a slave network element; charging control is triggered by the master network element, and the slave network element is responsible for reporting the charging data without credit control. In the charging process, credit control is performed for the master network element in view of the charging data of the slave network element, and centralized charging is performed at the master network element. Compared with the prior art, the disclosure simplifies the charging process, reduces the load of processing and interaction between the charging system and the charging network element, and saves the system resources.

Claims

1. A charging method, wherein a first network element in a network reports charging information and triggers charging control and a second network element reports the charging data, the method comprising:

receiving the charging data reported by the first network element and the second network element; and

performing the charging control according to the charging data reported by the first network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the second network element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging control performed according to the charging data reported by the first network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the second network element comprises:

performing credit control for the first network element according to the charging data of the first network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the second network element.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying whether the network element that reports the charging data is the first network element or the second network element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifying whether the network element that reports the charging data is the first network element or the second network element comprises:

identifying whether the network element that reports the charging data is the first network element or the second network element according to the reported charging data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the charging data further comprises a charging node type of the network element and identifying whether the network element that reports the charging data is the first network element or the second network element comprises:

identifying whether the network element that reports the charging data is the first network element or the second network element according to the charging node type.

6. A charging method, comprising:

receiving a charging request sent by each network element that performs charging control for a service stream, wherein the charging request carries corresponding charging data of each network element;

identifying the type of each network element, the network element comprising a master network element and a slave network element; and

charging according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying the type of the network element comprises:

identifying the type of each network element according to the charging data in the charging request sent by each network element.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the charging request sent by each network element further carries a charging node type of the network element; and

the identifying the type of the network element comprises;

identifying, by a charging system, the type of the network element according to the charging node type.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein after receiving the charging request of the network element, the method further comprises:

if the type of the network element is identified as the slave network element, returning a charging response to the slave network element after completion of the charging to indicate that the service stream needs to continue.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein after receiving the charging request of the network element, the method further comprises:

determining whether the network element is a last network element that performs the charging control for the service stream; and

if such is the case, continuing the charging performed according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data of the master network element with the charging data of the slave network element.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the charging control performed according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element comprises:

performing, by a charging system, credit control for the master network element that controls the service stream according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element, wherein the master network element monitors use of a quota.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the credit control performed by the charging system according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element comprises:

sending, by the charging system, a notification of reapplying for the quota to the master network element;

sending, by the master network element, the charging request to the charging system after receiving the notification; and

performing, by the charging system, rating, quota reservation and/or expense deduction according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element, and returning the quota that needs to be monitored to the master network element.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging response returned to the slave network element carries a credit control result identifier that may be used to identify virtual authorization or normal service control.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein after receiving the charging request of the network element, the method further comprises:

if identifying that the type of the network element is the master network element, determining whether the master network element is a last network element that performs charging control for the service stream;

if such is the case, continuing the charging performed according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element; and

if such is not the case, returning a charging response to the network element to indicate that temporary authorization succeeds and that subsequent credit control is pending.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the charging response returned to the network element carries a credit control result identifier that is used to indicate that the temporary authorization succeeds and that the subsequent credit control is pending.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the charging performed according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element comprises:

performing, by a charging system, rating, quota reservation and/or expense deduction according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element, and returning a quota that needs to be monitored to the master network element.

17. A charging system, comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a charging request sent by each network element that performs charging control for a service stream, wherein the charging request carries corresponding charging data of each network element;

a network element type identifying unit, configured to identify the type of each network element, comprising a master network element and a slave network element; and

a charging control unit, configured to perform charging according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element.

18. The charging system of claim 17, wherein:

the charging request received by the receiving unit carries a charging node identifier; and

the network type identifying unit identifies the type of each network element according to the charging node identifier.

19. A communication system, comprising:

a network element configured to perform charging control for a service stream and send a charging request to a charging system, wherein the charging request carries corresponding charging data of each network element; and

the charging system, configured to identify the type of each network element, comprising a master network element and a slave network element; and

perform charging according to the charging data of the master network element by associating the charging data with the charging data of the slave network element.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein:

the charging request sent by the network element further carries a charging node identifier of the network element; and

the charging system identifies the type of the network element according to the charging node identifier.