Charging count method and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9313035-B2
Application number	US-201213350422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2012
Priority date	Jul 16, 2009
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A charging count method and a charging count device are provided. The method includes: acquiring an industry user identifier corresponding to a user equipment according to a user equipment identifier or an access point name APN used by the user equipment; and performing charging count on an industry user corresponding to the industry user identifier. Through the charging count method and the charging count device, charging processing of a charging count network element is optimized, thereby greatly reducing a charging processing load of the charging count network element, and ensuring normal operation of the charging count network element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging count method, comprising executing operations by at least a processor in a Gateway GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node or a Packet Data Network Gateway (GGSN/PDW), the operations comprising:
the GGSN/PDW acquiring from a user equipment or a core management network element, an industry user identifier, wherein the industry user identifier corresponds to the user equipment, and the acquiring of the industry user identifier is according to receiving one of: a user equipment identifier which corresponds to the user equipment or an access point name (APN) which is used by the user equipment, wherein the acquiring of the industry user identifier according to the access point name (APN) which is used by the user equipment, comprises:
acquiring the industry user identifier corresponding to the user equipment according to the received APN which is used by the user equipment and a corresponding configured relation between the APN and the industry user; and

performing by the GGSN/PDW, charging count on an industry user which corresponds to the acquired industry user identifier, wherein the performing of the charging count on the industry user corresponding to the industry user identifier comprises:
sending the acquired industry user identifier to a policy control and charging rules function (PCRF);
receiving a charging rule of the industry user determined by the PCRF according to the industry user identifier; and

performing the charging count on the industry user according to the charging rule.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the acquiring of the industry user identifier which utilizes the user equipment identifier comprises one of:
acquiring the industry user identifier corresponding to the user equipment identifier according to the received user equipment identifier and a corresponding configured relation between the user equipment and the industry user;
acquiring the industry user identifier corresponding to the user equipment identifier according to the received user equipment identifier and a configured user equipment list utilized by the industry user; and
acquiring the industry user identifier corresponding to the user equipment identifier according to the received user equipment identifier and the industry user which corresponds to a configured user equipment identifier segment, wherein the configured user equipment identifier segment is allocated to be utilized by the industry user.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the charging rule of the industry user comprises one or more of:
a charging identifier used by the industry user;
a charging method of the industry user; and
a count mode of the industry user.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing the charging count on the industry user corresponding to the industry user identifier comprises:
generating a charging identifier of the industry user; and
performing the charging count on the industry user according to the charging identifier of the industry user and a configured charging rule of the industry user.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the performing the charging count on the industry user comprises:
performing volume charging count on user equipments of the industry user, combining volume charging information of the user equipments, and generating volume charging information of the industry user, wherein a count mode of the charging rule is volume count; or
performing duration charging count on user equipments of the industry user, combining duration charging information of the user equipments, and generating duration charging information of the industry user, wherein a count mode of the charging rule is duration count.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the performing the charging count on the industry user further comprises:
sending the volume charging information or the duration charging information of the industry user to an online charging system, wherein a charging method of the charging rule is online charging and a message sent to the oneline charging system comprises the charging identifier of the charging rule; or
sending the volume charging information or the duration charging information of the industry user to an offline charging system, wherein a charging method of the charging rule is offline charging and a message sent to the offline charging system comprises the charging identifier of the charging rule.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing the charging count on the industry user comprises:
performing volume charging count on user equipments of the industry user, combining volume charging information of the user equipments, and generating volume charging information of the industry user, wherein a count mode of the charging rule is volume count; or
performing duration charging count on user equipments of the industry user, combining duration charging information of the user equipments, and generating duration charging information of the industry user, wherein a count mode of the charging rule is duration count.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the performing the charging count on the industry user further comprises:
sending the volume charging information or the duration charging information of the industry user to an online charging system, wherein a charging method of the charging rule is online charging and a message sent to the oneline charging system comprises the charging identifier of the charging rule; or
sending the volume charging information or the duration charging information of the industry user to an offline charging system, wherein a charging method of the charging rule is offline charging and a message sent to the offline charging system comprises the charging identifier of the charging rule.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the performing the charging count on the industry user corresponding to the industry user identifier, the method further comprises:
sending charging count information to a charging system;
wherein the charging count information comprises:
the industry user identifier, a charging identifier used by the industry user, and charging information of the industry user; or
a charging identifier used by the industry user, and the charging information of the industry user.

10. A charging count device in the GGSN/PDW, comprising a processor coupled to a memory storing algorithms, wherein the algorithms when executed by the processor, configure the charging count device to:
acquire from a user equipment or a core management network element an industry user identifier, wherein the industry user identifier corresponds to the user equipment, and the acquiring of the industry user identifier is according to receiving one of: a user equipment identifier which corresponds to the user equipment or an access point name (APN) which is used by the user equipment, wherein the acquiring of the industry user identifier according to the access point name (APN) which is used by the user equipment, comprises:
acquiring the industry user identifier corresponding to the user equipment according to the received APN which is used by the user equipment and a corresponding configured relation between the APN and the industry user; and

perform charging count on an industry user which corresponds to the acquired industry user identifier, wherein the performing of the charging count on the industry user corresponding to the industry user identifier comprises:
sending the acquired industry user identifier to a policy control and charging rules function (PCRF);
receiving a charging rule of the industry user determined by the PCRF according to the in

Assignees

• Wu Wenfu
• Zhang Jin
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Wenfu
• Zhang Jin

Classifications

• H04L12/1407

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

• H04L12/1403

  Architecture for metering, charging or billing · CPC title

• H04M15/00

  Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP} · CPC title

• H04L12/14 Primary

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

• H04L12/1471

  splitting of costs · CPC title