Offline charging for proximity services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9775018-B2
Application number	US-201414586334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing offline charging for proximity services. One embodiment is a proximity service element that controls proximity services for a mobile network. The proximity service element receives a request from User Equipment (UE) for a proximity service, and collects offline charging information related to the proximity service. The proximity service element formats the offline charging information into an offline charging communication, and transmits the offline charging communication to an offline charging system.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a proximity service server that connects to at least one network element of a mobile network that serves a plurality of User Equipment (UE);
the proximity service server is configured to control proximity services provided by the mobile network between UEs in proximity to each other, wherein the proximity services include direct communication between UEs in proximity to each other using local radio resources; and
a Diameter Rf interface between the proximity service server and an offline charging system enhanced with Attribute Value Pairs (AVPs) that are defined for the proximity services;
the proximity service server comprising:
a controller configured to receive a request from a proximity service application executing on a UE to authorize a proximity service initiated by the UE, and to collect offline charging information for the proximity service in response to receiving the request, wherein the offline charging information applies solely to the proximity service;
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into at least one of the AVPs of a Diameter Rf Accounting Request (ACR) that reports the offline charging information for the proximity service, and to transmit the Diameter Rf ACR to the offline charging system to charge for the proximity service.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for a filter identifier used in a discovery procedure, wherein the filter identifier includes application codes and masks that the UE monitors during the discovery procedure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for an application identifier for the proximity service application on the UE that is designed to perform functions of the proximity service; and
an AVP defined for an application code used by the UE in a discovery procedure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for a charging identifier, wherein the charging identifier is a unique identifier assigned to the proximity service by the proximity service server.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for a discovery model used by the UE in a discovery procedure, wherein the discovery model is selected between Model A and Model B as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP); and
an AVP defined for a discovery role type used by a UE during the discovery procedure according to the discovery model, wherein the discovery role type is selected between announcing, monitoring, and match report under Model A, or between discoverer and discoveree under Model B.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for a direct communication type requested by the UE for a direct communication, wherein the direct communication type is selected between One-to-One, One-to-Many, or One-to-All.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for a direct communication mode indicating whether the UE acts as a transmitter or receiver for a One-to-Many or One-to-All communication type.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an AVP defined for a number of recipients for a One-to-Many communication type.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to format the offline charging information for the proximity service into:
an event identifier or session identifier assigned to the proximity service.

10. A method for implementing offline charging in a proximity service server of a mobile network, the method comprising:
controlling, by the proximity service server which connects to at least one network element of the mobile network that serves a plurality of User Equipment (UE), proximity services provided by the mobile network between UEs in proximity to each other, wherein the proximity services include direct communication between UEs in proximity to each other using local radio resources;
receiving, by the proximity service server, a request from a proximity service application executing on a UE to authorize a proximity service initiated by the UE;
collecting, by the proximity service server, offline charging information for the proximity service in response to receiving the request, wherein the offline charging information applies solely to the proximity service;
wherein a Diameter Rf interface is defined between the proximity service server and an offline charging system that is enhanced with Attribute Value Pairs (AVPs) that are defined for the proximity services;
formatting, by the proximity service server, the offline charging information for the proximity service into at least one of the AVPs of a Diameter Rf Accounting Request (ACR) that reports the offline charging information for the proximity service; and
transmitting the Diameter Rf ACR from the proximity service server to the offline charging system to charge for the proximity service.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein formatting the offline charging information comprises:
formatting the offline charging information into:
an AVP defined for a filter identifier used in a discovery procedure, wherein the filter identifier includes application codes and masks that the UE monitors during the discovery procedure.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein formatting the offline charging information comprises:
formatting the offline charging information into:
an AVP defined for an application identifier for the proximity service application on the UE that is designed to perform functions of the proximity service; and
an AVP defined for an application code used by the UE in a discovery procedure.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein formatting the offline charging information comprises:
formatting the offline charging information into:
an AVP defined for a charging identifier, wherein the charging identifier is a unique identifier assigned to the proximity service by the proximity service server.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein formatting the offline charging information comprises:
formatting the offline charging information into:
an AVP defined for a discovery model used by the UE in a discovery procedure, wherein the discovery model is selected between Model A and Model B as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP); and
an AVP defined for a discovery role type used by a UE during the discovery procedure according to the discovery model, wherein the discovery role type is selected between announcing, monitoring, and match report under Model A, or between discoverer and discoveree under Model B.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein formatting the offline charging information comprises:
formatting the offline charging information into:
an AVP defined for a direct communication type requested by the UE for a direct communication, wherein the direct communication type is selected between One-to-One, One-to-Many, or One-to-All.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent Usa Inc

Inventors

• Li Xiang Yang
• Cai Yigang

Classifications

• H04M15/93

  using near field or similar technologies · CPC title

• H04M15/65

  Off-line charging system · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/24 Primary

  Accounting or billing · CPC title