Policy and Charging Enforcement Function Apparatus, Online Charging Apparatus, and Online Charging Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018077293-A1
Application number	US-201715809645-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, an online charging apparatus, and an online charging method, where the online charging method includes receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), determining that a service data flow of a user equipment is a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor, determining, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow included in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging, and sending a credit control request including the rating group to the online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, comprising:
a communications interface configured to receive a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF); and a processor coupled to the communications interface and configured to:
determine, based on the PCC rule, that a service data flow of a user equipment comprises a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor; and
determine, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow comprised in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging,
wherein the communications interface is further configured to:
send a credit control request comprising the rating group to an online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow; and
receive the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow from the online charging apparatus, and
wherein the processor is further configured to record use information of use of the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow.

2 . The PCEF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the rating group, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor.

3 . The PCEF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the PCC rule further comprises a sponsor identity, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the sponsor identity, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor.

4 . The PCEF apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the use information recorded by the processor corresponds to the rating group, and wherein the communications interface is further configured to send a reporting message comprising the rating group and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied.

5 . The PCEF apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the PCC rule further comprises the sponsor identity and an application service provider identity, wherein the use information recorded by the processor corresponds to the sponsor identity and the application service provider identity, and wherein the communications interface is further configured to send a reporting message comprising the sponsor identity, the application service provider identity, and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied.

6 . The PCEF apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to:
receive the reporting condition from the online charging apparatus, wherein the reporting condition comprises that a quality of service (QoS) of the service data flow is changed; and send the reporting message to the online charging apparatus when the QoS of the service data flow is changed.

7 . The PCEF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow comprises duration, and wherein the processor is further configured to record a start time, an end time, and effective use duration of using the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow in a current reporting period.

8 . A charging method applied to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, comprising:
receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF); determining, based on the PCC rule, that a service data flow of a user equipment comprises a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor; determining, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow comprised in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging; sending a credit control request comprising the rating group to an online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow; receiving the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow from the online charging apparatus; and recording use information of use of the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow.

9 . The charging method according to claim 8 , further comprising determining, based on the rating group, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor.

10 . The charging method according to claim 8 , wherein the PCC rule further comprises a sponsor identity, and wherein the charging method further comprises determining, based on the sponsor identity, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor.

11 . The charging method according to claim 9 , wherein the use information corresponds to the rating group, and wherein the charging method further comprises sending a reporting message comprising the rating group and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied.

12 . The charging method according to claim 10 , wherein the PCC rule further comprises the sponsor identity and an application service provider identity, wherein the use information corresponds to the sponsor identity and the application service provider identity, and wherein the charging method further comprises sending a reporting message comprising the sponsor identity, the application service provider identity, and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied.

13 . The charging method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving the reporting condition from the online charging apparatus, wherein the reporting condition comprises that a quality of service (QoS) of the service data flow is changed; and sending the reporting message to the online charging apparatus when the QoS of the service data flow is changed.

14 . The charging method according to claim 8 , wherein the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow comprises duration, and wherein the charging method further comprises recording a start time, an end time, and effective use duration of using the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow in a current reporting period.

15 . A charging method applied to an online charging apparatus, comprising:
receiving a credit control request from a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus; determining, based on the credit control request, that a service data flow of a user equipment comprises a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor; allocating a credit quota to the sponsor service data flow according to a service unit type sponsored by the sponsor when the sponsor service data flow comprises data access sponsored by the sponsor; and sending the credit quota to the PCEF apparatus.

16 . The charging method according to claim 15 , wherein allocating the credit quota to the sponsor service data flow comprises allocating the credit quota to the sponsor service data flow according to a default quota type stored in the online charging apparatus when the sponsor service data flow comprises the data access sponsored by the sponsor.

17 . The charging method according to claim 15 , wherein allocating the credit quota to the sponsor service data flow comprises allocating, according to the service unit type store

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chai Xiaoqian

Classifications

• H04M17/20

  with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment · CPC title

• H04M2215/0192

  Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods · CPC title

• H04M15/8214

  Data or packet based · CPC title

• H04L12/1407

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

• H04M15/8083

  involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts · CPC title