Charging method, authentication method, charging device, and authentication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9357082-B2
Application number	US-201414330711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2012
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A charging method, an authentication method, a charging device, and an authentication device. The charging method includes: receiving a service unit request sent by an access device, calculating a granted service unit according to a current tariff, determining a reporting time point according to a tariff switch point and returning a service unit answer to the access device; and receiving a used service unit reported by the access device at the reporting time point, calculating a remaining service unit based on the granted service unit and the used service unit instructing the access device to perform a forcible offline operation. The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention may effectively reduce an occurrence probability of a user account overdraft, thereby reducing a loss caused by the user account overdraft to an operator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging method, comprising:
receiving a service unit request sent by an access device;
calculating a granted service unit according to a current tariff;
determining a reporting time point according to a tariff switch point when it is determined that an overdraft monitoring condition is met according to the granted service unit and a tariff after the tariff switch point;
returning a service unit answer, which carries the granted service unit and the reporting time point, to the access device;
receiving a used service unit reported by the access device at the reporting time point;
calculating a remaining service unit based on the granted service unit and the used service unit; and
instructing the access device to perform a forcible offline operation when it is determined that the remaining service unit will cause an overdraft.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the overdraft monitoring condition is at least one of the following conditions:
Tariff after the tariff switch point×Granted service unit>Current account balance; and

(Granted service unit−Preset maximum access speed×Time interval between a current moment and the tariff switch point)×Tariff after the tariff switch point+Preset maximum access speed×Time interval between the current moment and the tariff switch point×Current tariff>Current account balance.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the reporting time point according to the tariff switch point comprises assigning the tariff switch point to the reporting time point.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the reporting time point according to the tariff switch point comprises:
calculating a delay duration; and
calculating the reporting time point according to the following formula: Reporting time point=Tariff switch point+Delay duration.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein calculating the delay duration comprises calculating a random number based on a preset random algorithm to use the random number as the delay duration.

6. A charging method, comprising:
receiving a service unit request sent by an access device through an authentication device;
calculating a granted service unit according to a current tariff;
returning a service unit answer to the access device through the authentication device when it is determined that an overdraft monitoring condition is met according to the granted service unit and a tariff after a tariff switch point, wherein the service unit answer carries the granted service unit and a reporting time point that is determined according to the tariff switch point; and
receiving a used service unit reported by the access device through the authentication device at the reporting time point;
calculating a remaining service unit based on the granted service unit and the used service unit; and
instructing, through the authentication device, the access device to perform a forcible offline operation when it is determined that the remaining service unit will cause an overdraft.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein returning the service unit answer to the access device through the authentication device comprises:
determining the reporting time point according to the tariff switch point; and
returning the service unit answer, which carries the granted service unit and the reporting time point, to the access device through the authentication device.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein returning the service unit answer to the access device through the authentication device comprises:
instructing the authentication device to determine the reporting time point according to the tariff switch point; and
instructing the authentication device to return the service unit answer, which carries the granted service unit and the reporting time point, to the access device.

9. An authentication method, comprising:
receiving an access request sent by an access device;
sending a service unit request to a charging device;
receiving a service unit answer that is returned by the charging device and carries a granted service unit;
returning an access response to the access device when the service unit answer carries an overdraft monitoring indication, wherein the access response carries the granted service unit and a reporting time point that is determined according to a tariff switch point;
receiving a used service unit reported by the access device at the reporting time point;
reporting the used service unit to the charging device;
receiving a forcible offline instruction returned by the charging device; and
instructing the access device to perform a forcible offline operation.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the overdraft monitoring indication is the reporting time point determined according to the tariff switch point.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein returning the access response to the access device comprises:
determining the reporting time point according to the tariff switch point; and
returning the access response, which carries the granted service unit and the reporting time point, to the access device.

12. A charging device, comprising:
an overdraft monitoring module configured to:
receive a service unit request sent by an access device;
calculate a granted service unit according to a current tariff;
determine a reporting time point according to a tariff switch point when it is determined that an overdraft monitoring condition is met according to the granted service unit and a tariff after the tariff switch point; and
return a service unit answer to the access device, wherein the service unit answer carries the granted service unit and the reporting time point; and

a forcible offline instructing module configured to:
receive a used service unit reported by the access device at the reporting time point;
calculate a remaining service unit based on the granted service unit and the used service unit; and
instruct the access device to perform a forcible offline operation when it is determined that the remaining service unit will cause an overdraft.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the overdraft monitoring condition is at least one of the following conditions:
Tariff after the tariff switch point×Granted service unit>Current account balance; and

(Granted service unit−Preset maximum access speed×Time interval between a current moment and the tariff switch point)×Tariff after the tariff switch point+Preset maximum access speed×Time interval between the current moment and the tariff switch point×Current tariff>Current account balance.

14. The device according to claim 12 , wherein when the reporting time point is determined according to the tariff switch point, and wherein the overdraft monitoring module is configured to assign the tariff switch point to the reporting time point.

15. The device according to claim 12 , wherein when the reporting time point is determined according to the tariff switch point, and wherein the overdraft monitoring module is configured to:
calculate a delay duration; and
calculate the reporting time point according to the following formula: Reporting time point=Tariff switch point+Delay duration.

16. A charging device, comprising:
an overdraft monitoring module configured to:
receive a service unit request sent by an access device through an authentication device;
calculate a granted service unit according to a current tariff; and
return a service unit answer to the access device through the authentication device when it is determined that an o

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Yafeng

Classifications

• H04M15/854

  Available credit · CPC title

• H04M15/853

  Calculate maximum communication time or volume · CPC title

• H04M15/85

  characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification · CPC title

• H04M15/62 Primary

  based on trigger specification · CPC title

• H04M15/43 Primary

  Billing software details · CPC title