Bridgewater Systems Corp.

Tom A Foottit

Yong Li

Mark Jones

Shannon Bell

Masilamany Raguparan

Randy Jones

Dmitry Toptygin

Elizabeth Janet Clark

Joseph Jean Gaetan Michel Collette

Matthew Upton

A flexible rule engine allows a network operator to dynamically create and modify business rules that govern a subscriber's access to a communications network. The flexible rule engine governs subscriber transitions between various session states by testing for subscriber conditions, network conditions, and then performing specified actions based on these conditions. A rule editor provides the network operator with the ability to compose, edit and delete one or more rules in real time, using an appropriate user interface.

System and method for providing access to a network using flexible session rights

A system and method are described whereby interoperability is facilitated in a 3GPP network environment in combination with DIAMETER policy controls. Such interoperability enables updated policy rules to be fully communicated in on-line charging situations where quota expirations occur. This invention maintains centralized policy control in a 3GPP network with on-line charging.

System and method for providing interoperability between diameter policy control and charging in a 3GPP network

Systems and methods for providing centralized subscriber session state information are provided. The system includes multiple local session state store servers associated with one or more access control servers and a global location store. When access to a network is attempted, the local session state store server receives an access request message and creates a local session state store record, including a user identifier and information associated with the requested session. The local session state store server also transmits a location message to the global location store. Upon receipt of the location message, the global location store creates a record including the user identifier and a network address for the local session state store server having the session state information for the user. An application requiring user session information can access the global location store and the multiple local session state store servers via a common application programming interface.

Systems and methods for providing centralized subscriber session state information

Systems and methods for managing communications network congestion are provided. In an embodiment, the system includes a radio access network (RAN) interface configured to receive RAN congestion indicators, a congestion correlator module configured to correlate RAN congestion indicators to service congestion indicators, a database comprising a set of congestion based policy rules, a policy controller module configured to apply the congestion-based policy rules to achieve a policy decision, and a policy enforcement control point interface configured to transmit network control instructions to enforce the policy decisions. In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for managing communications network congestion, that includes receiving one or more radio access network (RAN) congestion indicators, correlating the one or more RAN congestion indicators to one or more service congestion indicators, applying a congestion-based policy rule based on service congestion indicators to generate a policy decision, and implementing the policy decision.

Systems and methods for network congestion management using radio access network congestion indicators

Systems and methods for providing adaptive fine-grained fair usage controls are provided. Rather than providing a fixed fair usage threshold having time and data volume for all subscribers in the network, a quota manager at the policy controller defines an initial fair usage window having a longer period of time and higher data volume. When a subscriber exceeds the initial window, the quota manager provides a smaller time period and lower data volume. The quota manager continues to adapt the fair usage window in this way until a violation of the fair usage threshold is detected. The adaptive fair usage windows may be based on subscriber profile information, subscriber session information, and/or prior subscriber usage history.

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Stittsville, Canada

Tom A Foottit