Charging method and system for MTC, and message processing entity

• US 9,525,559 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Qing, Li, Zhijun, Xie, Baoguo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, HARUN UR R
• Application Number:
  US14/377,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/259, 370/338, 370/390, 705/34, 455/406
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/65 Off-line charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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

Disclosed are a charging method and system for Machine-Type Communication (MTC), and a message processing entity. After receiving an MTC service request message or an MTC service requesting Short Message (SM), a message processing entity generates a charging request including MTC service type information, and sends the charging request to an online charging subsystem/offline charging subsystem; and after receiving the charging request, the online charging subsystem/offline charging subsystem performs a charging operation using a charging method corresponding to the MTC service type information, and returns a charging response to the message processing entity. With the disclosure, charging for different MTC services can be implemented, such that charging is performed more accurately.

Claims

1. A charging method for Machine-Type Communication (MTC), comprising steps of:

after receiving an MTC service request message or an MTC service requesting Short Message (SM), generating, by a message processing entity, a charging request including MTC service type information, and sending the charging request to an online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem; and

after receiving the charging request, performing, by the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem, a charging operation according to an MTC service type, and returning a charging response to the message processing entity,

wherein the MTC service type information comprises an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) identifier,

wherein different MTC service types are distinguished from each other according to the MTC service type information by;

inferring, by the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem, the MTC service type corresponding to the MTC-IWF identifier included in the charging request.

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

after receiving the charging request, reserving, by the online charging subsystem, a unit for an account or charging an account in real time according to the MTC service type information;

or, after receiving the charging request, filling, by the offline charging subsystem, the MTC service type information in a charging data record generated by the message processing entity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the MTC service type is one of:

an MTC device trigger, an MTC location specific trigger, and an MTC small data packet transmission.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message processing entity obtains the MTC service type information included in the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM by:

obtaining the MTC service type information from a message type of a header of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM;

or

obtaining the MTC service type information from a service type of a header of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM;

or

obtaining the MTC service type information from a byte of a body of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).

9. A charging system for Machine-Type Communication (MTC), comprising:

a message processing entity and an online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem, wherein

the message processing entity is configured for;

after receiving an MTC service request message or an MTC service requesting Short Message (SM), generating a charging request including MTC service type information, and sending the charging request to the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem; and

the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem is configured for;

after receiving the charging request, performing a charging operation according to an MTC service type, and returning a charging response to the message processing entity,

wherein the MTC service type information comprises an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) identifier,

wherein the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem is further configured for;

inferring the MTC service type corresponding to the MTC-IWF identifier included in the charging request.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the MTC service type is one of:

an MTC device trigger, an MTC location specific trigger, and an MTC small data packet transmission.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the message processing entity is further configured for obtaining the MTC service type information included in the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM by:

obtaining the MTC service type information from a message type of a header of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM;

or

obtaining the MTC service type information from a service type of a header of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM;

or

obtaining the MTC service type information from a byte of a body of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).

13. A message processing entity, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the processor is configured for;

receiving a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) service request message or an MTC service requesting Short Message (SM), generating a charging request including MTC service type information, and sending the charging request to an online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem; and

receiving a charging response returned by the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem,

wherein the MTC service type information comprises an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) identifier,

such that the online charging subsystem or offline charging subsystem

infers an MTC service type corresponding to the MTC-IWF identifier included in the charging request.

14. The message processing entity according to claim 13, wherein the MTC service type is one of:

an MTC device trigger, an MTC location specific trigger, and an MTC small data packet transmission.

15. The message processing entity according to claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured for obtaining the MTC service type information included in the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM by:

obtaining the MTC service type information from a message type of a header of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM;

or

obtaining the MTC service type information from a service type of a header of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM;

or

obtaining the MTC service type information from a byte of a body of the MTC service request message or the MTC service requesting SM.

16. The message processing entity according to claim 13, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).

17. The message processing entity according to claim 14, wherein the message processing entity is an MTC InterWorking Function (MTC-IWF) and/or a Short Message Service-Service Centre (SMS-SC).