Policy device selection by common IMS

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10917527-B2
Application number	US-201916404215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2019
Priority date	May 6, 2019
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A computer device may include a memory storing instructions and processor configured to execute the instructions to receive a request associated with a subscriber, wherein the request includes information identifying whether the user is a Fifth Generation (5G) subscriber or information identifying a gateway device associated with the user. The computer device may be further configured to select a Fourth Generation (4G) Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) device or a 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) device based on the information included in the received request and forward the received request to the selected 4G PCRF device or 5G PCF device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer device, a request associated with a user, wherein the request includes information identifying whether the user is a Fifth Generation (5G) subscriber, and wherein the request is received during a call setup;
selecting, by the computer device, a Fourth Generation (4G) Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) device or a 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) device based on the information included in the received request, wherein the computer device is configured to function as a Diameter routing agent (DRA) that routes messages between devices in a core network that includes the 4G PCRF device and the 5G PCF device; and
forwarding, by the computer device, the received request to the selected 4G PCRF device or 5G PCF device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes a Diameter Authentication Authorization Request (AAR) received from a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the CSCF device is configured to communicate with the computer device as a 5G Application Function (AF).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes an attribute value pair that identifies the user as a 5G subscriber, and wherein selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received request includes:
selecting the 5G PCF device, in response to the request including the attribute value pair that identifies the user as a 5G subscriber.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes an attribute value pair that identifies the user as not being a 5G subscriber, and wherein selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received request includes:
selecting the 4G PCRF device, in response to the request including the attribute value pair that identifies the user as not being a 5G subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request further includes a gateway device identifier associated with a data connection associated with the user, the method further comprising:
building a mapping table that relates particular gateway device identifiers to particular 4G PCRF devices or 5G PCF devices.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving another request associated with another user, wherein the other request includes the gateway device identifier; and
selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the gateway device identifier using the mapping table.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the gateway device identifier corresponds to a 4G Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) identifier, and wherein selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received other request includes:
selecting the 4G PCRF device, in response to the gateway device identifier corresponding to a 4G PGW identifier.

9. The method of 7 , wherein the gateway device identifier corresponds to a 5G Session Management Function (SMF) identifier, and wherein selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received other request includes:
selecting the 5G PCF device, in response to the gateway device identifier corresponding to a 5G SMF identifier.

10. A computer device comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
receive a request associated with a user, wherein the request includes information identifying whether the user is a Fifth Generation (5G) subscriber, and wherein the request is received during a call setup;
select a Fourth Generation (4G) Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) device or a 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) device based on the information included in the received request, wherein the computer device is configured to function as a Diameter routing agent (DRA) that routes messages between devices in a core network that includes the 4G PCRF device and the 5G PCF device; and
forward the received request to the selected 4G PCRF device or 5G PCF device.

11. The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the request includes a Diameter Authentication Authorization Request (AAR) received from a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) device.

12. The computer device of claim 11 , wherein the CSCF device is configured to communicate with the computer device as a 5G Application Function (AF).

13. The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the request includes an attribute value pair that identifies the user as a 5G subscriber, and wherein, when selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received request, the processor is further configured to:
select the 5G PCF device, in response to the request including the attribute value pair that identifies the user as a 5G subscriber.

14. The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the request includes an attribute value pair that identifies the user as not being a 5G subscriber, and wherein, when selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received request, the processor is further configured to:
select the 4G PCRF device, in response to the request including the attribute value pair that identifies the user as not being a 5G subscriber.

15. The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the request further includes a gateway device identifier associated with a data connection associated with the user, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
build a mapping table that relates particular gateway device identifiers to particular 4G PCRF devices or 5G PCF devices.

16. The computer device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive another request associated with another user, wherein the other request includes the gateway device identifier; and
select the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the gateway device identifier using the mapping table.

17. The computer device of claim 16 , wherein the gateway device identifier corresponds to a 4G Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) identifier, and wherein, when selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received other request, the processor is further configured to:
select the 4G PCRF device, in response to the gateway device identifier corresponding to a 4G PGW identifier.

18. The computer device of claim 16 , wherein the gateway device identifier corresponds to a 5G Session Management Function (SMF) identifier, and wherein, when selecting the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information included in the received other request, the processor is further configured to:
select the 5G PCF device, in response to the gateway device identifier corresponding to a 5G SMF identifier.

19. A system comprising:
a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) device configured to:
receive a request to establish an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) call associated with a user; and
send a Diameter Authentication Authorization Request (AAR) associated with the IMS call, wherein the AAR includes information identifying whether the user is a Fifth Generation (5G) subscriber; and

a Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) device configured to:
route messages between devices in a core network that includes a Fourth Generation (4G) Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) device and a 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) device;
receive the AAR from the CSCF device;
select the 4G PCRF device or the 5G PCF device based on the information inc

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc
• Verison Patent And Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Ahmadi Hossein M
• PATIL Sudhakar Reddy
• Cakulev Violeta
• Avanes Robert
• Kotecha Lalit R

Classifications

• H04W76/12

  Setup of transport tunnels · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04M15/66 Primary

  Policy and charging system · CPC title

• H04L65/1016

  IP multimedia subsystem [IMS] · CPC title

• H04W80/10

  adapted for {application} session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] {(connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14)} · CPC title