Method for selecting a policy and charging rules function server on a non-roaming scene

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9019890-B2
Application number	US-81182208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2008
Priority date	Jan 10, 2008
Publication date	Apr 28, 2015
Grant date	Apr 28, 2015

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for selecting a policy and charging rules function server in a non-roaming scenario to achieve that the PCC policies for each IP-CAN session are determined only by one PCRF. The method comprises of a Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) establishing an association relationship table in which IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session information and corresponding address information of a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) server are stored; and when a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) entity and a Gateway Control Function Entity (GWCF) requests the PCRF for or to update a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) policy of one IP-CAN session, or when an Application Function (AF) entity sends application information or service information down to the PCRF, obtaining the address information of the PCRF associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA, then performing subsequent processing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for selecting a policy and charging rules function server in non-roaming scenario, comprising the following steps of:
a Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) establishing an association relationship table, wherein the association relationship table stores IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session information and corresponding Policy and Charging Rules Function server (PCRF) address information; and
when a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function entity (PCEF) requests a PCRF for or to update a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) policy related to one IP-CAN session, acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA, then sending a message to the PCRF corresponding to the acquired PCRF address information for requesting the PCC policy related to said IP-CAN session, and the PCRF sending the PCC policy to the PCEF;
when a Gateway Control Function Entity (GWCF) requests for or to update the PCC policy related to said IP-CAN session, acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA, then sending a message to the PCRF corresponding to the acquired PCRF address information for requesting the PCC policy related to said IP-CAN session, and the PCRF sending the PCC policy to the GWCF;
when an Application Function entity (AF) sends application information or service information related to said IP-CAN session, acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA, then sending the application information or service information down to the PCRF corresponding to the acquired PCRF address information;
wherein, the step of acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA comprises:
the DRA searching the association relationship table stored thereon, and if said IP-CAN session is found, the DRA returning the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session to the PCEF, the GWCF, or the AF,
otherwise the DRA selecting one PCRF for said IP-CAN session, establishing an association relationship between said IP-CAN session and said one PCRF, and returning the PCRF address information to the PCEF, the GWCF, or the AF;
after the step of acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA, further comprising:
the PCEF, the GWCF, or the AF storing a local association relationship table including the IP-CAN session information and corresponding PCRF address information associated with the IP-CAN session information; and
the method further comprises:
when the PCEF requests a PCRF for or to update a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) policy related to one IP-CAN session, first searching the local association relationship table stored thereon, and if said IP-CAN session is found in the local association relationship table, acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from the local association relationship table;
when the GWCF requests for or to update the PCC policy related to said IP-CAN session, first searching the local association relationship table stored thereon, and if said IP-CAN session is found in the local association relationship table, acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from the local association relationship table;
when the AF sends application information or service information related to said IP-CAN session, first searching the local association relationship table stored thereon, and if said IP-CAN session is found in the local association relationship table, acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from the local association relationship table.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein,
said DRA establishes the association relationship table during a process of a user equipment (UE) establishing the IP-CAN session in a non-roaming scenario.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein,
the IP-CAN session information in said association relationship table established in the DRA including the following content: a user equipment identification, a user equipment IP address, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) identification.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein,
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of 3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to a S-GW having a GWCF function entity;
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of trusted non-3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to a trusted non-3GPP access gateway having a GWCF function entity; and
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of untrusted non-3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein,
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of 3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to a S-GW having a GWCF function entity;
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of trusted non-3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to a trusted non-3GPP access gateway having a GWCF function entity; and
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of untrusted non-3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein,
the IP-CAN session information stored in the local association relationship table of the PCEF includes user equipment identification, user equipment IP address, and the PDN identification;
the IP-CAN session information stored in the local association relationship table of the GWCF includes the user equipment identification and the PDN identification; and
the IP-CAN session information stored in the local association relationship table of the AF includes the user equipment IP address and the PDN identification.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein,
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of 3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to a S-GW having a GWCF function entity;
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of trusted non-3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to a trusted non-3GPP access gateway having a GWCF function entity; and
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of untrusted non-3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein,
the step of the PCEF acquiring the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session from said DRA comprises: said PCEF acquiring the PCRF address information from the DRA through an indicating IP-CAN session setup message, wherein, said indicating IP-CAN session setup message includes user equipment identification, user equipment IP address, and PDN identification; and
the step of the DRA searching the association relationship table stored thereon comprises: said DRA using the user equipment identification, the user equipment IP address, and the PDN identification included in the indicating IP-CAN session setup message as searching conditions to search for the PCRF address information associated with said IP-CAN session.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein,
when the user equipment related to said IP-CAN session locates in coverage of 3GPP, said PCEF refers to a P-GW having a PCEF function entity, and said GWCF refers to

Assignees

• Rui Tong
• Zong Zaifeng
• Zhou Xiaoyun
• Song Jun
• Zhu Jinguo
• Zte Corp

Inventors

• Rui Tong
• Zong Zaifeng
• Zhou Xiaoyun
• Song Jun
• Zhu Jinguo

Classifications

• H04W80/04

  Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol] · CPC title

• H04L12/14

  Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework · CPC title

• H04W40/24

  Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update · CPC title

• H04L12/1403

  Architecture for metering, charging or billing · CPC title

• H04L12/1471

  splitting of costs · CPC title