Method and apparatus for processing charging in wireless communication system and method and apparatus for providing policy service using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10084925-B2
Application number	US-201514678293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing charging in wireless communication systems and methods and apparatuses for providing providers' policy services through the charging process are provided. The method includes identifying, by an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio access technology (RAT) used by a user equipment (UE), and generating, by the eNB, charging information per use of a communication service by the UE according to the identified radio access technology (RAT). The method includes identifying, by an eNB, a RAT used by a UE, generating, by the eNB, charging-related information including RAT information indicating the identified RAT for a charging process per use of a communication service by the UE, and transmitting, by the eNB, the charging-related information to a network entity involved with the charging process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing charging in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), the method comprising:
identifying, by a base station, a RAT being used by a user equipment (UE), among the plurality of RATs including a first RAT and a second RAT, based on a radio frequency band being used by the UE; and
generating, by the base station, charging information per use of a communication service by the UE according to the identified RAT being used by the UE,
wherein a radio bearer for the UE of the first RAT and a radio bearer for the UE of the second RAT are individually configured by the base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charging information includes a charging data record (CDR) of the UE.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RAT used by the UE includes at least one of the first RAT using a frequency in a licensed band or the second RAT using a frequency in an unlicensed band.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising transmitting the generated charging information to a provider's network server collecting the charging information.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the generating of the charging information further includes:
receiving charging-related information used for the generating of the charging information from at least one other base station; and
generating the charging information based on the charging-related information, and

wherein the charging-related information includes at least one of RAT information indicating a type of the RAT used by the UE, a duration of communication by the UE, or information on an amount of data transmitted by the UE.

6. A base station in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), the base station comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor configured to:
identify a RAT being used by a user equipment (UE), among the plurality of RATs including a first RAT and a second RAT, based on a radio frequency band being used by the UE, and
generate charging information per use of a communication service by the UE according to the identified RAT being used by the UE,

wherein a radio bearer for the UE of the first RAT and a radio bearer for the UE of the second RAT are individually configured by the base station.

7. The base station of claim 6 , wherein the charging information includes a charging data record (CDR) of the UE.

8. The base station of claim 6 , wherein the RAT used by the UE includes at least one of the first RAT using a frequency in a licensed band or the second RAT using a frequency in an unlicensed band.

9. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the charging information to a provider's network server collecting the charging information.

10. The base station of claim 6 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to control the operation to:
receive charging-related information used for generating the charging information from at least one other base station, and
generate the charging information based on the charging-related information, and

wherein the charging-related information includes at least one of RAT information indicating a type of the RAT used by the UE, a duration of communication by the UE, or information on an amount of data transmitted by the UE.

11. A method for processing charging in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), the method comprising:
identifying, by a base station, a RAT being used by a user equipment (UE), among the plurality of RATs including a first RAT and a second RAT, based on a radio frequency band being used by the UE;
generating, by the base station, charging-related information including RAT information indicating the identified RAT being used by the UE for a charging process per use of a communication service by the UE; and
transmitting, by the base station, the charging-related information to a network entity involved with the charging process,
wherein a radio bearer for the UE of the first RAT and a radio bearer for the UE of the second RAT are individually configured by the base station.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the charging-related information includes at least one of a duration of communication by the UE or information on an amount of data transmitted data.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting the charging-related information to a first network entity processing signaling of subscription information or policy information of the UE,
wherein a second network entity generating charging information including a charging data record (CDR) receives the charging-related information via the first network entity.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the charging-related information is transferred to the first network entity through a signaling message used in at least one of an initial access procedure, a tracking area update procedure, or a service request procedure in the wireless communication system.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the RAT used by the UE includes at least one of the first RAT using a frequency in a licensed band or the second RAT using a frequency in an unlicensed band.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising informing a first network entity that a radio bearer currently used by the UE is for the second RAT in a case where the UE uses the second RAT.

17. A base station in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), the base station comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor configured to:
identify a RAT being used by a user equipment (UE), among the plurality of RATs including a first RAT and a second RAT, based on a radio frequency band being used by the UE,
generate charging-related information including RAT information indicating the identified RAT being used by the UE for a charging process per use of a communication service by the UE, and
transmit the charging-related information to a network entity involved with the charging process,

wherein a radio bearer for the UE of the first RAT and a radio bearer for the UE of the second RAT are individually configured by the base station.

18. The base station of claim 17 , wherein the charging-related information includes at least one of a duration of communication by the UE or information on an amount of data transmitted data.

19. The base station of claim 17 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the charging-related information to a first network entity processing signaling of subscription information or policy information of the UE, and
wherein a second network entity generating charging information including a charging data record (CDR) receives the charging-related information via the first network entity.

20. The base station of claim 19 , wherein the charging-related information is transferred to the first network entity through a signaling message used in at least one of an initial access procedure, a Tracking Area Update procedure, or service request procedure in the wireless communication system.

21. The base station of claim 17 , wherein the RAT used by the UE includes at least one of the first RAT using a frequency in a licensed band or the second RAT using a frequency in an unlicensed band.

22. The base station of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to inform the first network enti

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Han-Na
• Jung Ha-Kyung
• Park Jung-Shin
• Kweon Ki-Suk
• Bae Beom-Sik

Classifications

• H04W8/22

  Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities · CPC title

• H04W4/24

  Accounting or billing · CPC title

• H04L41/5019

  Ensuring fulfilment of SLA · CPC title

• H04L12/1407

  Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture · CPC title

• H04M15/66

  Policy and charging system · CPC title