Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel-lucent USA Inc.

Nokia of America Corporation

Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy

Provenance Asset Group LLC

Ranjan Sharma

Yigang Cai

Ramachendra Prahlada Batni

Shengqiang Wang

Maryse Gardella

Sarit Mukherjee

Katherine Hua Guo

Chen Fan

Yu Zhu

Tejas Naik

Ramesh V Pattabhiraman

Goutam Sinha

Robert Brunetti

John Richard Beasley

Anand Kagalkar

Luc T'syen

Shishir Modi

Helmut L Raether

Brian P Davis

Nickolas Landsberg

Yang Chen

Paul E Sulewski

Hai Bin Luo

Shishir C Modi

A system, apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for implementing a fault-tolerant multi-NRF network topology may include a network repository function (NRF) device including: at least one processor configured to execute computer readable instructions to cause the NRF device to, broadcast a NRF query to a NRF cluster of a core network, the NRF cluster including a plurality of NRF devices located in a public land mobile network (PLMN); receive NRF query responses from each NRF device of the NRF cluster, the NRF query responses including network configuration information of each NRF device; determine a status of each NRF device based on the network configuration information; determine a list of network function (NF) devices registered with the NRF cluster; receive a NF query request from a first NF device; and transmit a NF query response to the first NF device.

Implementing a fault-tolerant multi-NRF network topology

A control plane entity selects a subset of a plurality of user plane entities to support a charging session associated with a user based on charging policies for the plurality of user plane entities. The control plane entity allocates portions of a quota for the charging session to the control plane entity and the subset of the plurality of user plane entities based on the charging policies. In some cases, the control plane entity modifies the quotas that are allocated to the control plane entity or the subset of the plurality of user plane entities. Modifying the quotas can include redistributing unused portions of the quotas among the control plane entity and the subset of the plurality of user plane entities, e.g., in response to handover of the user equipment between user plane entities.

Charging policies in network entities that have separate control plane and user plane

Systems, methods, and software for performing online charging in next generation networks. In one embodiment, a Session Management Function (SMF) of a next generation network implements a Charging Trigger Function (CTF) that directly interfaces with an Online Charging System (OCS). The CTF transmits a charging request to the OCS requesting a quota of service units for the SMF, and receives a charging response from the OCS indicating the quota of service units granted to the SMF by the OCS. The CTF then manages the quota by allocating slices of the quota to User Plane Functions (UPF) implemented in a user plane of the next generation network.

Quota management in a session management function (SMF) for online charging

Systems and methods of a network that implements network slicing. In one embodiment, the system includes an account charging server that determines a plurality of charging rules for a UE that are each mapped to a different network slice of the network, a policy control server that identifies the charging rules, and a slice selection server that selects a network slice for the UE based on the charging rules. The system further includes an interface between the policy control server and the account charging server that supports a transaction based on Diameter protocol that includes a request/response. A first Attribute Value Pair (AVP) is defined for the response to identify a charging rule, and a second AVP is defined for the response to identify a network slice that is mapped to the charging rule.

Enhanced interfaces for network slice selection based on charging rules

Apparatus and methods for policy decisions regarding a service data flow enabled for service chaining. One embodiment comprises a policy control element configured to make policy decisions for a session. The policy control element communicates with an offline charging system. The policy control element detects a new service added to the service chain implemented for the service data flow, and transmits a charging rules request to the offline charging system responsive to detecting the new service being added to the service chain. The policy control element receives a response from the offline charging system that includes offline charging rules that are mapped to the new service of the service chain, makes a policy decision for the service data flow based on the offline charging rules, and transmits the policy decision to a policy enforcement element.

Policy decisions based on offline charging rules when service chaining is implemented

Systems, methods, and software for implementing a software upgrade in a virtualized Offline Charging System (OFCS) that includes a pool of Virtualized Charging Collection Functions (vCCF). In one embodiment, a software upgrade is identified for the virtualized OFCS, and installed with an upgrade process. The upgrade process includes developing a skeletal vCCF, which is pre-provisioned in the network, and installing the software upgrade in the skeletal vCCF. The upgrade process includes communicating with a DNS server to modify the priority in a DNS resource record for the skeletal vCCF to equal at least one of the other vCCFs in the pool. The upgrade process also includes designating an antiquated vCCF in the pool as the (next) skeletal vCCF, draining the accounting sessions from the skeletal vCCF, and communicating with the DNS server to set a priority in the DNS resource record for the skeletal vCCF so that the skeletal vCCF is selected last among the vCCFs in the pool by the CTFs for accounting sessions.

Software upgrade in a virtualized offline charging system

Systems and methods for charging in networks where radio resources are shared between Machine Type Communication (MTC) traffic and legacy traffic. A base station of a wireless access network determines a scheduling of radio resources on the air interface between MTC traffic and legacy traffic, and provides signaling to an MTC device and a legacy device indicating the scheduling of the radio resources. The base station collects resource sharing information regarding the sharing of the radio resources between the MTC traffic and the legacy traffic, and transmits a message to a network element of a core network that includes the resource sharing information. The network element may then forward the resource sharing information to a charging system so that the sharing of the radio resources is taken into account when charging the MTC device and/or the legacy device for usage of the air interface.

Charging for usage of radio resources that are shared between MTC traffic and non-MTC traffic

Systems and methods for performing offline charging for group communications. One embodiment is an application server that identifies data for a group communication, identifies an encryption code assigned to the group, encrypts the data for the group communication using the encryption code, and initiates delivery of the encrypted data for the group communication to the group of mobile devices over an MBMS bearer. The application server collects charging information related to the group communication using MBMS delivery, formats the charging information into an offline charging communication, and transmits the offline charging communication to an offline charging system.

Offline charging for group communications using multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) delivery

Systems, methods, and software that distribute accounting requests to a plurality of Charging Data Functions (CDFs). One embodiment comprises a distributor unit that connects to the CDFs, which register their queues with the distributor unit. When receiving an accounting request (e.g., interim or stop) for a session, the distributor unit extracts an identifier from the accounting request indicating a destination queue previously selected for the session. When the destination queue is not accepting new sessions or ongoing sessions, the distributor unit identifies a prioritized list for the session, identifies a position of the destination queue in the prioritized list, searches the prioritized list for an alternate queue having a lower priority than the destination queue, and having a status indicating that the alternate queue is accepting new sessions. The distributor unit then selects the alternate queue as an alternate destination queue for the session.

Destination selection for an offline charging system to avoid reversion

Systems and methods are provided for processing messages in an Offline Charging System (OFCS) of a communications services provider. A front-end distributor unit receives Diameter messages from a Charging Trigger Function (CTF) and distributes the Diameter messages to Charging Data Function (CDF) units of the OFCS. The distributor unit receives Diameter response messages from CDFs and calculates performance metrics based on the distributed messages and their responses. The distributor unit computes revised distribution weights used for distributing new Diameter messages for new Diameter sessions to the CDF units based on the measured metrics, thus adjusting the distribution pattern of the Diameter messages based on estimated workload conditions at the CDFs.

Dynamic distribution in an offline charging system

Systems and methods that provide charging for supplemental content in a data flow separately from other content in the data flow. One embodiment comprises a network element of a Packet-Switched (PS) network that serves mobile User Equipment (UE). The network element receives a data flow of packets for a download of content requested by the UE, and identifies supplemental content in the data flow not requested by the UE, such as advertising content. The network element generates a charging request, inserts charging information for the supplemental content in the charging request, and transmits the charging request to a charging system so that the supplemental content can be charged separately from other content of the data flow.

Separate charging for supplemental content in a data flow

A distributed collaborative offline charging system and method is provided. Charging is determined by receiving a reduced charging record at a charging control function. The reduced charging record includes a charging data subset and an index for charging parameters that are not included in reduced charging record. The charging control function retrieves the charging parameters that are not included in reduced charging record utilizing the index.

Distributed collaborative offline charging system

Systems and methods for providing charging information for a device-to-device (D2D) communication. One embodiment is User Equipment (UE) that collects charging information for a D2D communication with one or more other UEs, to determine that the UE is out-of-coverage of a mobile network, to select a relay entity capable of relaying the charging information from the UE to the mobile network, and to transmit the charging information to the relay entity. The relay entity may then relay the charging information to the mobile network to initiate charging for the D2D communication.

Relay of charging information for proximity services

A Charging Data Function (CDF) unit of an Offline Charging System (OFCS) receives Accounting Charging Request (ACR) messages from Charging Trigger Functions (CTFs). The CDF stores ACRs in designated buckets based on the source CTF and its determined status. If there is no change in the status of the source CTF, the CDF continues to store ACRs as they are received in the designated bucket. If the source CTF status has changed (i.e., a reboot or restart has occurred), the CDF allocates a new bucket for the given CTF and stores ACR messages indicating the new status in the new bucket. In addition, the receiving CDF stops storing ACR messages in the previous bucket and deprecates it as being obsolete. The CDF processes the obsolete bucket to generate incomplete Charging Data Records (CDRs) for any ACRs for which complete CDRs cannot be generated.

Growing community of inventors

New Albany, OH, United States of America

Ranjan Sharma