CN101068148A

CN101068148A - Method and device for policy and charging control

Info

Publication number: CN101068148A
Application number: CNA2007100983559A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 袁立平
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-04-19
Filing date: 2007-04-19
Publication date: 2007-11-07
Also published as: WO2008128454A1

Abstract

A method for controlling policy charge includes obtaining terminal ability information and finalizing access policy and charge control of service request according to terminal ability information and corresponding user contracted information when service request is received. The device used fro realizing said method is also disclosed.

Description

The method and the device of the strategy and the control of chargeing

Technical field

The present invention relates to mobile communication technology, particularly relate to a kind of method and device of policy and charging control.

Background technology

Third generation partner program (3GPP, Third Generation Partnership Project) is as digital communication technology of future generation innovation development trend and target, beyond doubt one of focus of attracting most attention of the world today.The network configuration of described 3GPP comprises circuit domain and packet domain two parts.IP multimedia core network subsystem (IMS has superposeed on the network foundation of existing P S territory, IP Multimedia Core NetworkSubsystem) network, introduce conversation initialized protocol (SIP, Session Initiation Protocol) as professional control protocol, thereby utilize SIP simply, easily expansion and media combination characteristics easily, business control is separated with carrying control, for terminal provides abundant multimedia service.More descriptions about IMS please refer to agreement 3GPP TS 23.228v6.10.0, are not describing at this.

But, 3GPP is in order to strengthen the competitiveness of future network, studying a kind of brand-new evolution network framework, comprise System Architecture Evolution (SAE, System Architecture Evolution) and the Long Term Evolution (LTE of Access Network, Long Term Evolution), wherein the Access Network of evolution is called E-UTRAN, the packet core network framework of evolution mainly comprises: Mobility Management Entity (MME, MobilityManagement Entity), user entity (UPE, User Plane Entity) and the user's face anchor point between the different access systems (IASA, Inter Access System Anchor) logical functional entity.Wherein, MME is responsible for the mobile management of chain of command, comprises the management of user's context and mobile status, and distributing user temporary identity sign etc. are corresponding to the control plane part of current GPRS/UMTS internal system SGSN; IP bearing parameter and the interior routing iinformation of network etc. are preserved in the UPE management, corresponding to the datum plane part of current GPRS/UMTS internal system SGSN and GGSN; IASA then serves as the user's face anchor point between different access systems, wherein 3GPP Anchor logical functional entity is the user's face anchor point between 2G/3G connecting system and LTE connecting system, and SAE Anchor logical functional entity is the user's face anchor point between 3GPP connecting system and the non-3GPP connecting system."Policy and Charging Rules Function entity (PCRF, Policy and Charging Rule Function) is used for policy control decision and flow based charging controlled function.Home network server (HSS, Home Subscriber Server) is used for storing user subscription information.

See also Fig. 1, be the structural representation of the strategy in the prior art 3GPP system and the control (PCC, Policy andCharging Control) of chargeing.As shown in Figure 1, described strategy and charging control system comprise: Application Function (AF, Application Function) 11, "Policy and Charging Rules Function entity (PCRF, Policy and Charging Rules Function) 12, subscriber policy subscribed database (SPR, Subscription Profile Repository) 13, strategy and charging execution function entity (PCEF, Policyand Charging Enforcement Function) 14, Online Charging System (OCS, Online ChargingSystem) 15, off-line accounting system (OFCS, Offline Charging System) 16 and gateway (GW, Gateway) 14 logic entities such as grade, wherein, described AF11 provides the network element of application, this application need dynamic strategy control; Described PCRF12 main implementation strategy control decision and flow based charging controlled function; Described SPR13 is used to store the PCRF12 strategy that need use and the relevant subscription data that charges; Described PCEF141 mainly comprises business data flow detection, strategy execution and flow based charging function, is a functional entity, is integrated on gateway 14 equipment; Described OCS15 mainly is responsible for the online charging function; Described OFCS16 mainly is responsible for the offline charging function.

Gradually adopting at present described PCC structure to finish the strategy of carrying and the control of chargeing among the 3GPP, this strategy and charge and can be initiated by terminal also can be initiated by AF, now initiates strategy and charging is that example illustrates with AF, and its concrete implementation procedure is:

Before setting up professional the connection, terminal and AF finish service capability negotiation, such as finishing caller and called the address negotiation and the medium type of support etc.; AF request PCRF sets up professional the connection, and described request comprises information such as user ID, IP access style, medium type, business description and bandwidth requirement; After described PCRF receives this request, need obtain this user signing contract information, if can get access to this user's CAMEL-Subscription-Information, then carry out access strategy and the control of chargeing according to the algorithm that defines among the request of the content of described CAMEL-Subscription-Information, AF and the PCRF thereof, if allow the user to insert, then carry out this user's strategy and charging regulation to core network requests; After described core net is received this request, initiate radio resource request to wireless access network; Described wireless access network and terminal consult to finish the control of Radio Resource, and for this user distributes corresponding radio resource, the response of finishing to core net feedback allocation of radio resources simultaneously.

In said process, when PCRF carries out strategy and charge control, then can be according to user's IP access style (GPRS, IWLAN, LTE etc.) and business need, and the professional ability of user signing contract information as allowing, charging way etc., the maximum bandwidth that the every class service quality of user is corresponding respectively, finish the control of strategy as input, and in the mobile network of prior art, the user is actually (as mobile phone and the SIM card) that can separate with terminal, above-mentioned information can not reflect the business support ability of user and terminal fully, i.e. when the terminal capability of the actual use of user and user's subscription data can not mate fully, policy distribution may be failed, Radio Resource may produce the waste of certain hour, the user experience variation.That is to say, when wireless access network and terminal carrying out service ability (such as the bandwidth that can support etc.) when consulting, if the professional ability of terminal can not satisfy, are then consulted failure; Can only support the 512K bandwidth such as a certain business of terminal, but the business need of wireless access network is not less than the 1M bandwidth, and the bandwidth of user when signatory is 1M, and at this moment wireless access network be owing to can't obtain terminal ability information accurately, causes finally failing when consulting with terminal.

Summary of the invention

The embodiment of the invention provides a kind of strategy and the method and the device of the control of chargeing, so that improve strategy and the accuracy and the promptness of the control of chargeing according to terminal ability information, reduces the waste of resource.

For solving the problems of the technologies described above, the embodiment of the invention provides a kind of strategy and the method for the control of chargeing, and described method comprises step:

Obtain terminal ability information;

Finish the access strategy of service request and the control of chargeing according to described terminal ability information and corresponding user signing contract information.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a kind of strategy and the device of the control of chargeing, and described device comprises:

Acquiring unit is used to obtain terminal ability information;

Strategy and charging control unit are used for finishing the access strategy of service request and the control of chargeing according to described terminal ability information and corresponding user signing contract information.

Compared with prior art, the embodiment of the invention has the following advantages: before carrying out strategic decision-making, obtain this user's terminal ability information earlier, and be according to making a strategic decision and charge control, to improve accuracy, the promptness of PCC strategy according to this.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the strategy and the structural representation of charging control PCC in the prior art 3GPP system;

Fig. 2 is the flow chart of the method for strategy and the control of chargeing in the embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is first embodiment that obtains terminal ability information described in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is second embodiment that obtains terminal ability information described in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is the 3rd embodiment that obtains terminal ability information described in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is the applicating flow chart of wireless access capability for terminal ability information described in the embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is the structural representation of the device of strategy and the control of chargeing in the embodiment of the invention.

Embodiment

Below we will be in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, optimum implementation of the present invention is described in detail.At first it is to be noted, the implication of the term of using among the present invention, words and claim can not only only limit to its literal and common implication and go to understand, the implication and the notion that also comprise and then conform to technology of the present invention, this is because we are as the inventor, to suitably provide the definition of term, so that the most appropriate description is carried out in our invention.Therefore, the configuration that provides in this explanation and the accompanying drawing is first-selected embodiment of the present invention, rather than will enumerates all technical characteristics of the present invention.We will recognize to also have the various equivalent scheme or the modifications that can replace our scheme.

The present invention is further illustrated below in conjunction with accompanying drawing and embodiment.

See also Fig. 2, be the flow chart of strategy in the embodiment of the invention with the method for the control of chargeing, described method comprises:

Step S201: obtain terminal ability information;

Step S201: finish the access strategy of service request and the control of chargeing according to described terminal ability information and corresponding user signing contract information.

In the present embodiment, network side (such as PCRF etc.) at first will obtain terminal ability information, and corresponding user signing contract information, finish the access strategy and the charging regulation control of service request after comprehensively judging according to terminal ability information and user signing contract information then.Wherein, described terminal ability information comprises: wireless access capability (such as IP-CAN type etc.); Supporting business tabulation (as MBMS etc.); Maximum bandwidth (also can be maximum bandwidth of business-level etc.); Remaining bandwidth.But be not limited to disclosed content, also can comprise out of Memory.

In the present embodiment, network side obtains terminal ability information by following several modes (but being not limited to this), finishes access strategy and charging control according to described terminal ability information and corresponding user signing contract information then.Understanding for the ease of those skilled in the art illustrates respectively below.

See also Fig. 3, for obtaining first embodiment of terminal ability information described in Fig. 2; The service request that present embodiment is initiated at network side is when (comprise and set up or revise), in service negotiation stage carried terminal ability information, and with described terminal ability information notice PCRF, described PCRF finishes strategy and the control of chargeing as input in conjunction with other information.Its concrete implementation procedure for (the described flow process of present embodiment only is involved in the description that the present invention is correlated with, its actual flow process may with described difference to some extent, be not used in restriction the application at this, down with, repeat no more):

1. when the AF of network side initiated service request, terminal and AF finished service negotiation, as finish address negotiation between calling and called; The medium type of being supported; Terminal ability information etc.;

2. the PCRF of described AF request network side sets up professional the connection, the sign, IP access style of carrying the user in the described request are (such as GPRS, IWLAN, LTE etc.), medium type, bandwidth requirement, business description (such as source and destination address, port numbers and agreement etc.) and terminal ability information;

3. described PCRF searches the CAMEL-Subscription-Information that self whether has this user earlier, if this user signing contract information not, then according to this user's sign, to the user signing contract information storehouse at user place SPR, obtain user signing contract information, described user signing contract information comprises: the maximum bandwidth that the every class service quality of business, charging way, the user that the user allows is corresponding respectively etc.; Carry out access strategy and the control of chargeing according to the algorithm that defines among the signatory content of the request (comprising terminal ability information) of AF and SPR and the PCRF then; Promptly set up professional the connection to core network requests;

4. after the request of connecting of described core net (or PCEF) business of receiving, set up carrying or revise original carrying, initiate radio resource request to wireless access network according to the requirement and the actual bearer situation of strategy and charging regulation;

5. described wireless access network is received radio resource request, distributes corresponding radio resource;

6. described wireless access network and terminal (UE) consult to finish Radio Resource control;

7. described wireless access network is finished allocation of radio resources to the core net feedback and is finished information;

8. described core net (or PCEF) is set up to the professional connection of PCRF feedback and is finished response;

9. the professional connection of described PCRF notice AF is set up and is finished.

Present embodiment is initiated in the service request at network side, elder generation's negotiation terminal ability information can information send to PCRF by AF with described terminal, then so that PCRF can accurately obtain terminal ability information, and, in time finish this user's the strategy and the control of chargeing as decision-making foundation.

Also see also Fig. 4 for obtaining second embodiment of terminal ability information described in Fig. 2.The service request that described embodiment initiates in terminal (set up, revise), carried terminal ability information in described request, and with described terminal ability information notice PCRF, described PCRF is as input, finish strategy and the control of chargeing in conjunction with other information, its concrete implementation procedure is:

0. terminal is initiated carrying to wireless access network and set up request, described request comprises terminal ability information;

1. described wireless access network is transmitted this carrying to core net and is set up request;

2. described core net is carried user's sign, IP access style (GPRS, IWLAN, LTE etc.), bandwidth requirement, business description (source and destination address, port numbers and agreement) and terminal ability information to PCRF acquisition request user signing contract information in the described request;

Its subsequent step 3 is identical to the description of step 8 with step 3 described in Fig. 3 to the description of step 8, specifically sees for details above-mentionedly, does not repeat them here.

Present embodiment mainly be in core net when PCRF sends carrying and sets up request, described terminal ability information is informed described PCRF, so that described PCRF can accurately obtain terminal ability information, and, in time finish this user's the strategy and the control of chargeing as decision-making foundation.

See also Fig. 5 again, obtain the 3rd embodiment of terminal ability information for Fig. 2 is described.Present embodiment is to notify PCRF with terminal capability in user registration course.Its concrete implementation procedure is:

1. terminal is initiated register requirement to core net, comprises user's terminal ability information in the described register requirement;

2. described core net should be returned the registration response through authentication and authorization after register requirement;

3. described core net is carried user's terminal capability to the rule of PCRF request default bearer in this request;

4. described PCRF writes down the position of this user place core net, and searches the CAMEL-Subscription-Information that self whether has this user, if this user signing contract information not then obtains user's CAMEL-Subscription-Information from SPR, its process of obtaining sees for details above-mentioned, does not repeat them here;

5. described PCRF comprises described user's CAMEL-Subscription-Information to core net feedback default bearer response message in this response message;

6. described terminal, wireless access network and core net are created default bearer;

7. described core net is returned registration reply message to terminal;

8. terminal is returned registration confirmation message to core net.

In the present embodiment, described terminal ability information also can send to PCRF so that PCRF can accurately be known terminal ability information by login request message.

In addition, the application of the described terminal ability information of the embodiment of the invention mainly comprises: wireless access capability, professional ability and the application of maximum support bandwidth and the application of remaining bandwidth, but be not limited to this, also can comprise the application of others.Be applied as example explanation with described respectively below.

Seeing also Fig. 6, is the applicating flow chart of wireless access capability for terminal ability information described in the embodiment of the invention.When the wireless technology of the current access of user can't satisfy professional requirement, PCRF can provide preferred wireless access technology sign according to the wireless access capability of terminal, for terminal or Access Network as handover triggering condition, to select more suitably access technology.For identical preferred wireless access technology, core net/PCEF can carry out polymerization when creating carrying, the continuity of business when helping follow-up the switching.The wireless access technology sign can pass through terminal by application layer or NAS layer message, or non-NAS layer message informing Access Network.Its concrete implementation procedure is:

1.PCRF receive service request, comprise the wireless access capability of terminal in the described service request;

2. described PCRF can provide preferred wireless access technology sign according to the wireless access capability of described terminal, supplies terminal or Access Network as handover triggering condition, to select more suitably access technology;

3. described PCRF sends the professional request of foundation that connects to core net/PCEF, carries preferred wireless access technology and PCC rule;

4. described core net/PCEF sets up the carrying strategy according to the wireless access capability of terminal in the request of setting up; In addition,, can when creating carrying, carry out polymerization, the continuity of business when helping follow-up the switching for identical preferred wireless access technology;

5. described core net is sent radio resource request message according to described foundation carrying strategy to wireless access network, and this request message can be included in NAS layer message with preferred access technology sign and pass through terminal, or non-NAS layer message informing Access Network;

6. terminal and wireless access network are finished Radio Resource control;

7. wireless access network returns the wireless access response to core net;

8. core net is returned professional connection setup complete message to PCRF, and described message can be carried preferred access technology sign;

9. described PCRF returns response message to AF, comprises preferred access technology sign in this message, and AF can carry preferred access technology by application layer and identify to terminal.(this step is optional, as shown in phantom in FIG.)

Wherein, step 5 described in the present embodiment, 8,9 all is to the transfer mode of preferred access technology sign, can exist simultaneously, also can independently exist.

In addition, for professional ability and the maximum application of supporting bandwidth, such as the MBMS business: when using the PCC strategy and create carrying, PCRF can determine whether by the maximum bandwidth whether terminal supports the MBMS business maybe can support authorizing and strategy, it realizes that principle with basic identical as the described principle of Fig. 7 embodiment, does not repeat them here.

Application for the supporting business tabulation: whether support IPTV etc. as terminal.

Application for remaining bandwidth: that is to say, when terminal has begun some business, taken certain bandwidth resources, PCRF can authorize more accurately according to the current remaining bandwidth of terminal, thereby improve the accuracy and the promptness of PCC strategy, reduce the wasting of resources.

Accordingly, the embodiment of the invention also provides a kind of strategy and the device of the control of chargeing, and its structural representation as shown in Figure 7.Described device comprises: acquiring unit 71 and strategy and charging control unit 72.Wherein, described acquiring unit 71 is used to obtain terminal ability information; Described terminal ability information comprises: wireless access capability, professional ability and maximum bandwidth, the supporting business supported are tabulated and remaining bandwidth, but are not limited to this, also can be other.Described strategy and charging control unit 72 are used for finishing the access strategy of service request and the control of chargeing according to described terminal ability information and corresponding user signing contract information.

Described acquiring unit 71 comprises that at least subelement 711 is obtained in negotiation, subelement 712 is obtained in carrying foundation and the one or more of subelement 713 are obtained in registration, and sends subelement 714.Wherein, subelement 711 is obtained in described negotiation, is used for obtaining entrained terminal ability information when terminal and network side carry out service negotiation, and described terminal ability information is sent to described transmission subelement 714; Described carrying is set up and is obtained subelement 712, is used for initiating to obtain entrained terminal ability information when request is set up in carrying in terminal, and described terminal ability information is sent to described transmission subelement 714; Subelement 713 is obtained in described registration, is used for obtaining entrained terminal ability information at user registration course, and described terminal ability information is sent to described transmission subelement 714.Described transmission subelement 714 is set up and is obtained subelement 712 and obtain the one or more of subelement 713 with registration and link to each other with consulting to obtain subelement 711, carrying respectively, is used for described terminal ability information is sent to described strategy and charging control unit 72.

Preferably, described device can be integrated among the PCRF, also can be integrated in other the equipment.

The function of each unit and effect see the specific implementation process of said method for details in the described device, do not repeat them here.

This shows that the embodiment of the invention terminal ability information of giving chapter and verse is optimized the implementation procedure of PCC strategy.That is to say, before PCRF carries out strategic decision-making, obtain this user's terminal ability information earlier, and judge according to it, to improve accuracy, promptness and the useful expansion of PCC strategy, reduce and even avoid occurring the situation of policy distribution failure, thereby reduce the wasting of resources.

The above only is a preferred implementation of the present invention; should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, under the prerequisite that does not break away from the principle of the invention; can also make some improvements and modifications, these improvements and modifications also should be considered as protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for policy and billing control, comprising the steps of:

Obtain terminal capability information;

The access policy and charging control of the service request are completed according to the terminal capability information and the corresponding user subscription information.

2. The method for policy and charging control according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining terminal capability information includes any of the following methods:

carrying terminal capability information when performing service negotiation on the terminal network side, and notifying the policy and charging rule functional entity PCRF of the terminal capability information;

When the terminal initiates a bearer establishment request, notify the PCRF of the carried terminal capability information;

During the user registration process, the PCRF is notified of the carried terminal capability information.

3. The method of policy and charging control according to claim 2, characterized in that the terminal capability information is carried when the service negotiation is performed on the terminal network side, and the terminal capability information is notified to the policy and charging rule functional entity The PCRF process includes:

A service request is initiated on the network side, and the terminal completes service negotiation with the application function entity AF on the network side, and the negotiation process includes determining terminal capability information;

The AF requests the PCRF on the network side to establish a service connection, and the request carries terminal capability information.

4. The method for policy and charging control according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the terminal initiates a bearer establishment request, the process of notifying the PCRF of the carried terminal capability information includes:

A bearer establishment service request initiated by the terminal to the radio access network, where the request carries terminal capability information;

The wireless access network forwards the bearer establishment service request to the PCRF through the core network.

5. The method of policy and charging control according to claim 2, characterized in that, the process of notifying PCRF of the carried terminal capability information during the user registration process is as follows:

The terminal initiates a registration request to the core network, and the registration request carries terminal capability information;

After passing the authentication and authorization, the core network requests the PCRF for a default bearer rule, the request carries terminal capability information, and the PCRF records the core network where the user is located.

6. The method of policy and charging control according to claim 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the process of completing the policy and charging control of service requests according to terminal capability information and corresponding user subscription information is:

The PCRF searches for the user's subscription information, and if not found, obtains the corresponding user subscription information from the user subscription information database SPR where the user is located, and completes the access strategy and plan of the service request in combination with the terminal capability information. fee control.

7. The policy and charging control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal capability includes: wireless access capability, supported service list, maximum bandwidth and/or remaining bandwidth.

8. A device for policy and charging control, comprising:

an acquisition unit, configured to acquire terminal capability information;

The policy and charging control unit is used to complete the access policy and charging control of the service request according to the terminal capability information and the corresponding user subscription information.

9. The device for policy and charging control according to claim 8, wherein the acquisition unit includes at least one of:

The negotiation acquisition subunit is used to acquire the carried terminal capability information when the terminal performs service negotiation with the network side;

The bearer establishment acquisition subunit is used to acquire the carried terminal capability information when the terminal initiates a bearer establishment request;

The registration obtaining subunit is used to obtain terminal capability information carried during the user registration process.

10. The device for policy and charging control according to claim 9, wherein the acquisition unit further comprises: a sending unit, which is connected to one or more of the negotiation acquisition subunit, the bearer establishment acquisition subunit, and the registration acquisition subunit respectively. Multiple connections, used to send the terminal capability information to the policy and charging control unit.

11. The device for policy and charging control according to claim 8, characterized in that the device is integrated in PCRF.