Nokia Siemens Networks Oy

Nokia Corporation

Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy

Nokia Technologies Oy

Vesa Pauli Hellgren

Bruno Landais

Li Zhu

Sandro Grech

Roman Pichna

Gerald Goermer

Alex Bachmutsky

Michael Jung

Serafim Petsis

Euthimios Bothos

Alexandros Triantafillou

Pranav Dhekane

A mechanism for a user equipment is described. The mechanism comprises allocating a secure memory area, wherein said secure memory area being inaccessible by a user of the user equipment; generating an charging identifier relating to proximity communication involving the user equipment; collecting proximity service charging data during the proximity communication; storing the charging identifier and the proximity service charging data in the secure memory area.

Proximity service charging

According to several embodiments of the present invention, a single session according to an authentication, authorization and accounting protocol, with a network element carrying out a policy and charging rule function is created, wherein the specific session may be used to manage and/or report policy and/or charging control rules.

Optimized interface between two network elements operating under an authentication, authorization and accounting protocol

The present invention refers to providing of a load balancing, by use of a gateway network element comprising a group of load balanced access points. In particular, the load balancing is performed by selecting of an access point from said group of load balanced access points by use of an access point name, which is derived from a packet data protocol context activation request, said packet data protocol context activation request being transmitted by a mobile subscriber or node, respectively, and received by the gateway network element.

Gateway network element, a method, and a group of load balanced access points configured for load balancing in a communications network

The generation of charging data and charging traffic is reduced during idle periods of an always-on connection. During the detection of idle periods on the always-on connection special data like ICMP messages, keep alive messages and polling messages is ignored and not counted as active traffic. When an idle period is detected the charging session related to the always-on connection is suspended for the duration of the idle period in order to reduce the generation of charging data related to the idle always-on connection without terminating the charging session. Further on the user is not billed for the detected periods where the always-on connection was idle.

Methods, apparatuses, system and related computer program product for charging of always-on connections

A method of locating NAS context relating to a network access server session in a communication network is provided, the method comprising receiving an Accounting Stop Request for a PDP context associated to a network access server session, comparing an Accounting Session ID implemented in the Accounting Stop Request with Accounting Session IDs associated with active network access server sessions, in case that no matching Accounting Session ID is found, determining whether a value of an identification parameter implemented in the received Accounting Stop Request matches a value of a corresponding identification parameter associated with an active network access server session, and locating a NAS context based on the result of matching identification parameters.

Method of locating NAS context

A method of deciding to release communication resources used for a network access server session in a communication network is provided, wherein the method involves receiving an Accounting Stop Request for a PDP context associated to the network access server session, deciding whether a Session Stop Indicator is included in the Accounting Stop Request, in case no Session Stop Indicator is included deciding whether further PDP contexts are associated with the network access server session, in case no further PDP context is associated with the network access server session, starting an IDLE Timer to determine a point in time for releasing the communication resources.

Method of deciding to release communication resources

The invention discloses providing access bearer related information in a packet data network comprising network entities including an access processor for processing access requests, a service processor for processing service requests, and at least one service entity for providing services. An access bearer identification is obtained for a data packet to be transmitted between two of the network entities. The access bearer identification indicates the access bearer that the data packet is associated with. The access bearer identification is combined with the data packet. The combined access bearer identification and data packet is transmitted. The received access bearer identification is extracted. The invention allows providing additional identification information about the PDP context of a data packet while the data packet is being redirected between service entities, access processors, and service processors independent from each other.

Providing access bearer related information in a packet data network

The invention allows providing a fixed access point for a terminal device. One of multiple access points is assigned to serve as a fixed access point for a terminal device based on a received identifier of the terminal device. A notification about the assignment of the fixed access point is transmitted to at least one of the terminal device and a gateway node serving the terminal device. As a result, Mobile IP based handover between GPRS and WLAN will be seamless. Furthermore, the invention allows using a dedicated gateway for infected terminals to provide quarantined access to network services.

Growing community of inventors

Helsinki, Finland

Vesa Pauli Hellgren