Passive Internet of Things charging method, charging system, network device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a passive Internet of Things charging method and system, network equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of wireless communication. The passive Internet of Things charging method comprises the steps that an NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request which is sent by an application function AF module and matched with a service mode, and the service request comprises a subscription list of the AF module for Ambient UE; the NEF module initiates a service request to a passive Internet of Things function AIF module, the AIF module reports a service mode to a PCF module, the PCF module sends a charging strategy corresponding to the service mode to a CHF module, the AIF module reports terminal data of Ambient UE collected based on a subscription list to the CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging strategy; and the NEF module receives the charging result reported by the CHF module and reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module. Through the technical scheme of the invention, the function of charging the passive Internet of Things terminal when the AF module provides the passive Internet of Things service is realized.

Description

Background Art

[0002] Passive Internet of Things refers to the Internet of Things based on wireless electromagnetic energy capture technology. Since the terminals used in passive Internet of Things do not have SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards and will not actively access the network, they have the characteristics of simple structure, single function, low cost, many types and large quantity. They are also different from the existing 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) terminals and services. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a billing solution for services applied to passive Internet of Things, so as to realize billing when providing network access to passive Internet of Things terminals and providing passive Internet of Things related data and information services by application functions AF (Application Function).

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a passive Internet of Things billing method, a billing system, a network device and a storage medium, which at least to a certain extent overcome the problem in the related art of not providing network access for passive Internet of Things terminals and not charging when providing passive Internet of Things related data and information services for the terminal's application function AF module.

[0005] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by the practice of the present disclosure.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a passive Internet of Things charging method is provided, including: a network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching a service mode sent by an application function AF module, the service request includes a subscription list of the AF module to a passive Internet terminal Ambient UE; the NEF module initiates the service request to a passive Internet of Things function AIF module, so that the AIF module reports the service mode to a policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends a charging policy corresponding to the service mode to a charging function CHF module, the AIF module reports the terminal data of the Ambient UE collected based on the subscription list to the CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy; the NEF module receives the charging result reported by the CHF module; and the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0007] In one embodiment, after the NEF module initiates the service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, it also includes: the NEF module receives the status information of the Ambient UE belonging to the subscription list and the terminal data reported by the AIF module based on the service request.

[0008] In one embodiment, before the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, it also includes: the NEF module performs a registration operation on the charging policy subscription to the PCF module, so that the PCF module updates the charging policy configuration of the CHF module.

[0009] In one embodiment, the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module, further comprising: the NEF module also pushes the status information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data to the AF module.

[0010] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a single request mode, and the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: the NEF module receives the remote single data request of the Ambient UE sent by the AF module based on the single request mode as the service request.

[0011] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a single request mode, and the charging policy corresponding to the service mode includes a single request charging policy.

[0012] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a subscription push mode, and the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: the NEF module receives the push registration request for the passive Internet of Things service subscription sent by the AF module based on the subscription push mode, the NEF module initiates the service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, and also includes: the NEF module initiates the registration operation of the AF module and the subscription requirement on the AIF module to the AIF module based on the push registration request.

[0013] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a subscription push mode, and the charging policy corresponding to the service mode includes a subscription push charging policy.

[0014] In one embodiment, in the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, the NEF module receives the status information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data reported by the AIF module based on the service request, and also includes: the NEF module receives the abnormal information pushed by the AIF module based on the abnormal status of the Ambient UE.

[0015] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a hybrid mode, and the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request that matches the service mode and is sent by an application function AF module, including: the NEF module receives the remote single data request of the Ambient UE and the push registration request for the passive Internet of Things service subscription sent by the AF module based on the hybrid mode as the service request.

[0016] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a hybrid mode, and the charging policy corresponding to the service mode is configured by the CHF module according to the hybrid charging scheme issued by the PCF module.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a passive Internet of Things charging method is provided, including: a passive Internet of Things function AIF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request initiated by a network open function NEF module, and the service request is sent to the NEF module by an application function AF module based on a service mode; the AIF module collects terminal data of the Ambient UE based on a subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried in the service request; the AIF module reports the terminal data to a charging function CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on a charging policy, and reports the charging result to the NEF module, and the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0018] In one embodiment, the AIF module collects the terminal data of the Ambient UE based on the subscription list of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried by the AF module in the service request, including: the AIF module stores the complete terminal data and directly collects the terminal data; the AIF module does not store the complete terminal data, and requests the Ambient UE belonging to the subscription list to report data from the wireless access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things, so that the RAN module broadcasts the data reporting request to the Ambient UE within the coverage range, and reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the received identification and stored data reported in response to the Ambient UE; the AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on the feedback information, so as to report the number and status information of the Ambient UE, the terminal data, and the number of abnormal terminals to the CHF module based on the status information and mobility information, and perform billing operations.

[0019] In one embodiment, before the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, it also includes: the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends the configuration file of the charging policy corresponding to the service mode to the CHF module.

[0020] In an embodiment, the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, including: the AIF module reports any one of a single request mode, a subscription push mode and a mixed mode to the policy control function PCF module.

[0021] In one embodiment, in the single request mode, or in the first subscription in the subscription push mode, or in the initial request in the hybrid mode, before the AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on the feedback information, it also includes: the AIF module receives the correspondence information and terminal data reported by the RAN module based on the identifier and the stored data, and the correspondence information is the correspondence between the RAN module and the Ambient UE.

[0022] In one embodiment, the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, further comprising: in the single request mode, the AIF module reports the state information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data obtained based on the remote single data request to the NEF.

[0023] In one embodiment, the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, further comprising: in the first subscription of the subscription push mode, the AIF module reports the state information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data of the first subscription obtained based on the push registration request to the NEF.

[0024] In one embodiment, in the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, the AIF module collects the terminal data of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE based on the service request, including: the AIF module periodically collects the latest terminal data that needs to be billed.

[0025] In one embodiment, in the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, after the AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on the feedback information, it also includes: the AIF module pushes the status information and the terminal data of the Ambient UE obtained based on the service subscription push registration request to the NEF; and when a terminal with an abnormal status is detected, the AIF module pushes abnormal information of the abnormal Ambient UE to the NEF.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a passive Internet of Things charging method is provided, including: a wireless access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things receives a service request of a passive Internet of Things function AIF module for terminal data of a passive Internet terminal Ambient UE; the RAN module receives reported data of the Ambient UE in response to the service request; the RAN module reports feedback information to a mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, so that the AMF module reports the state information and mobility information of the Ambient UE to the AIF module based on the feedback information, so that the AIF module obtains the terminal data based on the state information and the mobility information, the AIF module reports the terminal data to a charging function CHF module, the CHF module charges the terminal data based on a charging policy, and reports the charging result to the NEF module, so that the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0027] In one embodiment, the RAN module receives data reported by the Ambient UE based on the service request, including: the RAN module broadcasts a data reporting request to the Ambient UE within the coverage area; the RAN module receives an identifier and stores data reported by the Ambient UE as the reported data.

[0028] In one embodiment, the RAN module reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, including: the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the location information of the Ambient UE to the AMF module based on the identifier and the stored data, and the corresponding relationship information is the corresponding relationship between the RAN module and the Ambient UE; in a single request mode, or in the first subscription in the subscription push mode, or in the initial request in the hybrid mode, the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the terminal data to the AIF module based on the identifier and the stored data; in a non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the terminal data to the AMF module based on the identifier and the stored data.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a passive Internet of Things billing system is provided, including: at least one of the network open function NEF module, application function AF module, passive Internet terminal Ambient UE, passive Internet of Things function AIF module, policy control function PCF module, billing function CHF module, radio access network RAN ​​module and mobility management AMF module as described in the above embodiments.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; the processor is configured to execute the passive Internet of Things billing method of the first aspect above by executing the executable instructions.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned passive Internet of Things billing method is implemented.

[0032] The passive Internet of Things billing solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to better meet the relevant needs of passive Internet of Things terminal services, configures a passive Internet of Things function AIF module for Ambient UE, collects terminal data of Ambient UE based on the AIF module, and combines the corresponding billing policies configured for different service modes, so that the billing function CHF module performs billing based on the billing policy and the collected terminal data, thereby realizing the function of billing the passive Internet of Things terminal when providing network access for the passive Internet of Things terminal and providing passive Internet of Things related data and information services by the AF module, so as to provide more efficient network services for the passive Internet of Things terminals and services when they are deployed in the network, thereby ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of the passive Internet of Things system.

[0033] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a passive Internet of Things billing system in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 A flow chart of a passive Internet of Things billing method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0037] Figure 3 Another passive Internet of Things billing method flow chart in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0038] Figure 4 A flowchart of another passive Internet of Things billing method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0039] Figure 5 A flowchart of another passive Internet of Things billing method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0040] Figure 6 A flowchart of another passive Internet of Things billing method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0041] Figure 7 A flowchart of another passive Internet of Things billing method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0042] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a passive Internet of Things billing device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0043] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of another passive Internet of Things billing device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0044] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of another passive Internet of Things billing device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0045] Fig.11 A structural block diagram of a computer device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0047] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and their repeated description will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0048] As a new type of terminal and service type, the network needs to consider not only providing network access for passive IoT terminals, but also providing related services for such terminals and services and their corresponding application functions AF. At the same time, since there are not only a large number of passive IoT terminals, but also a wide variety of types, this will lead to a large number of corresponding service types and thus generate a large number of AFs with different services based on passive IoT terminals. In order to better manage a large number of passive IoT terminals and provide corresponding services to AF. Then a single request mode and a subscription push mode for passive IoT services are generated. As a result, there is no corresponding billing scheme for new terminals and services such as passive IoT in the billing function on the network side. At the same time, although the existing session management module SMF, short message service module SMSF and access and mobility management module AMF have related billing designs and definitions with the billing function CHF, due to the characteristics of passive IoT terminals, especially the passive response characteristics, the dependence and potential impact of passive IoT terminal-related services on the above modules will be relatively small. The network function open module NEF is the core network module that is most closely connected with the existing passive IoT terminal-related services. However, according to 3GPP TS23.501 and 3GPP TS 32.254, the services and specifications related to NEF and CHF do not involve passive IoT services, and the existing specifications do not take into account the relevant characteristics of passive IoT terminals and services.

[0049] Considering that passive IoT terminals and services will be deployed in existing networks in the future, it is necessary to design and define a feasible billing scheme and specification for passive IoT services based on the relevant passive IoT service modes and related processes that have been designed. Based on the two modes designed for passive IoT terminals and services, namely the single request mode and the subscription push mode, in which the application function AF initiates service requests to the passive IoT core network element Ambient IoT Function (AIF), a billing scheme based on the passive IoT core network element AIF is designed, and the relevant request content and billing content are defined. At the same time, the billing processes based on the two service request modes are designed. A matching billing service scheme and process are designed for the deployment of passive IoT terminals and related services in the future network.

[0050] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a passive Internet of Things system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the system mainly includes: at least one of a passive Internet terminal Ambient UE 102, an application function AF module 104, a passive Internet of Things function AIF module 106, a network open function NEF module 108, a policy control function PCF module 110, a charging function CHF module 112, a radio access network RAN ​​module 114 and a mobility management AMF module 116, wherein:

[0051] Ambient UE102 (passive IoT terminal Ambient IoT / Ambient UE) is a new type of IoT terminal device that is not equipped with a SIM card, has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost, single function, extremely low power consumption, and generally has no energy storage or extremely low energy storage, and only passively responds to requests.

[0052] The application function AF module 104 (Application Function) mainly refers to an application function module that takes the passive IoT terminal and its data as the core and provides related services for the passive IoT terminal and the third party. In this system, it mainly requests to obtain the terminal information (such as status information, location information, etc.) and terminal data (related data stored in the terminal) of the passive IoT terminal.

[0053] Passive IoT function AIF module 106 (Ambient IoT Function), this function module is mainly responsible for collecting, storing and processing terminal data of passive IoT. Storing the correspondence information between the passive IoT terminal ID and the base station ID facilitates quick retrieval when querying the terminal. Classify, simplify, perform security checks, timeliness checks and other operations on the collected Ambient IoT terminal data. In the subscription service mode, this module also stores the terminal subscription list information: the status and data information of which Ambient IoT terminals each AF has subscribed to. It also has a push function: this module will push information to the corresponding AF at a fixed time after data collection based on the actual stored subscription information.

[0054] The network exposure function NEF module 108 (Network Exposure Function) is mainly used to perform security desensitization and classification and packaging processing on the information and data when the passive IoT function module AIF on the network side provides relevant data and terminal information to the application function AF. It is also responsible for connecting the passive IoT function module AIF on the network side with the policy control module PCF and the billing function module CHF.

[0055] The policy control function PCF module 110 (Policy Control Function) is used to select corresponding service policies and charging policies according to the service type requested by the application service to the passive Internet of Things function module AIF on the network side.

[0056] The charging function CHF module 112 (Charging Function), a charging function center, is used to provide corresponding charging functions for the service in the process of the passive Internet of Things function module AIF on the network side providing relevant data services to the application function AF.

[0057] The radio access network RAN ​​module 114 (Radio Access Network) is used to interact with the Ambient UE and obtain terminal data.

[0058] The mobility management AMF module 116 (Access and Mobility Management Function) is used to perform mobility management of passive IoT terminals. According to the corresponding relationship between the passive IoT terminals and the base stations and the process in which the base stations provide access services to the passive IoT terminals, the terminals can be roughly positioned with low precision, thereby realizing mobility management of large-scale passive IoT terminals.

[0059] Below, each step of the passive Internet of Things billing method in this example implementation will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0060] Figure 2 A flow chart of a passive Internet of Things billing method in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, a passive Internet of Things charging method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a network open function NEF module, including:

[0062] Step S202: the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, where the service request includes a subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE.

[0063] The service modes include, but are not limited to, a single request mode, a cyclic subscription push mode, and a hybrid mode of the above modes.

[0064] The terminals in the subscription list are Ambient UEs for which the passive Internet of Things provides services. The subscription list content may specifically include the ID of the AF module, the ID of the Ambient UE, and the specific requirements of each AF module for the subscription service (including the number of terminal devices, data type, and data timeliness requirements).

[0065] Step S204, the NEF module initiates a service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, so that the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends the billing policy corresponding to the service mode to the billing function CHF module, and the AIF module reports the terminal data of the Ambient UE collected based on the subscription list to the CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the billing policy.

[0066] Among them, the AF module sends the service request to the NEF module, and the NEF module sends it to the AIF module. The AIF module reports the service mode to the PCF module, and the PCF module sends the billing policy to the CHF module. The AIF module also reports the collected terminal data to the CHF module, so that the CHF module can bill the terminal data based on the billing policy.

[0067] The terminal data includes specific data volume and data type, so that the CHF module can charge the data volume and data type according to the charging policy.

[0068] Step S206: The NEF module receives the charging result reported by the CHF module.

[0069] Step S208: The NEF module reports the billing result to the corresponding AF module.

[0070] In this embodiment, in order to better meet the relevant requirements of passive Internet of Things terminal services, a passive Internet of Things function AIF module is configured for AmbientUE to collect terminal data of Ambient UE based on the AIF module, and combined with the corresponding billing policies configured for different service modes, the billing function CHF module performs billing based on the billing policy and the collected terminal data, thereby realizing the function of billing the passive Internet of Things terminal when providing network access to the passive Internet of Things terminal and providing passive Internet of Things related data and information services by the AF module, so as to provide more efficient network services for the passive Internet of Things terminal and services when the passive Internet of Things terminal and services are deployed in the network, thereby ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of the passive Internet of Things system.

[0071] In one embodiment, after the NEF module initiates a service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, the process also includes: the NEF module receives the status information and terminal data of the Ambient UE belonging to the subscription list reported by the AIF module based on the service request.

[0072] The status information is used to indicate whether the Ambient UE is in service, normal, lost or destroyed, etc., so as to determine the validity of the collected terminal data based on the status information.

[0073] Exemplarily, Ambient UE stores the service data provided by the Internet of Things, namely, terminal data. After Ambient UE reports the terminal data to AIF, AIF reports the information to CHF for billing based on relevant dimensions such as the amount of terminal data, data dimension, and number of terminals. For example, if a total of 100MB of data is received from 1,000 terminals, the billing information is: number of terminals 100, data volume 100MB.

[0074] In one embodiment, before the AIF module reports the service mode to the PCF module, the method further includes: the NEF module performs a registration operation on the charging policy subscription to the PCF module, so that the PCF module updates the charging policy configuration of the CHF module.

[0075] In this embodiment, before performing the billing operation, the NEF module needs to pre-register with the PCF module to subscribe to the corresponding billing policy. Based on the subscription operation, when billing is required, the PCF module updates the billing policy configuration of the CHF module to ensure that the CHF module matches the service mode when billing the terminal.

[0076] In one embodiment, the NEF module reports the billing result to the corresponding AF module, further comprising:

[0077] The NEF module also pushes the status information and terminal data of the Ambient UE to the AF module.

[0078] In one embodiment, in a single-request service mode, that is, the service mode includes a single-request mode, the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: the NEF module receives a remote single data request of an Ambient UE sent by the AF module based on the single-request mode as a service request.

[0079] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a single request mode, and the charging policy corresponding to the service mode includes a single request charging policy.

[0080] Exemplarily, the single request mode mainly deals with the situation that when the application function AF module has business needs, it initiates a data acquisition request to the AIF module responsible for the passive Internet of Things terminal management business function network element through the network open function NEF module. The AIF module collects and organizes the requested terminal data based on the actual stored terminal information and data, reports it to the AF module, and performs relevant billing for the collected terminal quantity, terminal information, and terminal data volume.

[0081] The process of single request mode billing includes:

[0082] The AF module initiates a single information data acquisition request to the network through the NEF module.

[0083] After receiving the request, the NEF module sends a data acquisition request to the AIF module, and at the same time sends billing-related configuration to the CHF module through the PCF module.

[0084] After collecting all the relevant data, the AIF module will report the collected terminal quantity, terminal information and terminal data volume to the CHF module for relevant billing.

[0085] Finally, the AIF module will report the relevant data to the NEF module, and the CHF module will report the billing results to the NEF module at the same time. The NEF module will report the requested data and related billing results to the corresponding AF module.

[0086] In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the single request mode is closer to the current service mode in the 3GPP network. For AF modules that require a small number of terminals or a low frequency of requests, or AF modules that have high requirements for data timeliness, this mode can better meet the needs. In the single request mode, the network elements of passive IoT related services will report the billing function CHF for relevant billing based on the actual request content and quantity.

[0087] In one embodiment, in the subscription push service mode, the service mode includes a subscription push mode.

[0088] Among them, the network open function NEF module receives the passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: the NEF module receives the push registration request for passive Internet of Things service subscription sent by the AF module based on the subscription push mode.

[0089] The NEF module initiates a service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, and also includes: the NEF module initiates a registration operation of the AF module and the subscription demand on the AIF module to the AIF module based on the push registration request.

[0090] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a subscription push mode, and the charging policy corresponding to the service mode includes a subscription push charging policy.

[0091] Exemplarily, the subscription push mode billing is that the AIF module actively collects terminal information and pushes related status information and data according to the service request based on the relevant subscription information and subscription needs registered by the AF module on the AIF module, and the network billing function module CHF makes corresponding billing reports based on the actual subscription request subscription service needs and the actual push status of the AIF module.

[0092] The billing process for subscription push mode includes:

[0093] The AF module initiates a passive IoT service subscription push registration request to the network through the NEF module.

[0094] After receiving the request, the NEF module sends a request for subscription registration and subscription business needs to the AIF module.

[0095] The NEF module also sends the billing scheme configuration related to the subscription push of the AF module to the CHF module through the PCF module.

[0096] After receiving the subscription registration request, the AIF module will collect relevant terminal information and data according to the specific subscription business requirements, and return the relevant request data for the first subscription.

[0097] After collecting all the relevant data, the AIF module will report the collected terminal quantity, terminal information, and terminal data volume to the CHF module for relevant billing.

[0098] Finally, the AIF module will report the relevant data to the NEF module, and the CHF module will report the billing results to the NEF module at the same time. The NEF module will report the requested data and related billing results to the corresponding AF module.

[0099] Based on the periodic push function of the subscription push mode, in each subsequent data collection cycle of the AIF module, the AIF module will repeat the process of collecting data and reporting to CHF for billing, and finally NEF will push the relevant request data and billing information.

[0100] In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the subscription push mode itself is a mode and process for providing related services for the AF module designed based on the characteristics of passive Internet of Things terminals and services. This mode solves the problem of congestion of requests from a large number of AFs to the AIF module due to the large number and variety of terminals of the passive Internet of Things, which may cause congestion of requests from a large number of AFs to the AIF module. The passive Internet of Things network element AIF module on the core network side can manage a large number of passive Internet of Things terminals in a more orderly and efficient manner and provide related services for the same number and variety of AF modules. For this subscription service, based on the corresponding billing plan and workflow, the network side can provide the AF module with related services about the passive Internet of Things while actually billing for the corresponding services.

[0101] In one embodiment, in a non-first periodic subscription in a subscription push mode, the NEF module receives the state information and terminal data of the Ambient UE reported by the AIF module based on the service request, and further includes:

[0102] The NEF module receives the abnormal information pushed by the AIF module based on the abnormal state of the Ambient UE.

[0103] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a hybrid mode, and the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request sent by the AF module that matches the service mode, including: the NEF module receives the remote single data request of the Ambient UE and the push registration request for the passive Internet of Things service subscription sent by the AF module based on the hybrid mode as a service request.

[0104] In one embodiment, the service mode includes a hybrid mode, and the charging policy corresponding to the service mode is configured by the CHF module according to the hybrid charging scheme issued by the PCF module.

[0105] Hybrid mode billing can be understood as a combination of single request mode and subscription mode. Therefore, the hybrid mode can take into account the service characteristics of AF modules with fewer requests or higher data timeliness requirements in the single mode, as well as the relatively complex service content of some AF modules, which require the network side to provide a large amount of relevant terminal data and may also have temporary or regular service characteristics with high timeliness requirements for data. In this case, the AF module can temporarily send a single data acquisition request to the AIF module while registering the relevant subscription push service with the AIF module. After receiving the relevant request, the AIF module will normally perform the relevant operations in the single request mode. Finally, in the hybrid mode, the specific billing plan will be performed by the CHF module according to the actual billing plan configuration issued by the PCF module, and reported to the AF module through the NEF module.

[0106] like Figure 3 As shown, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a passive Internet of Things charging method is applied to a passive Internet of Things function AIF module, including:

[0107] Step S302, the passive Internet of Things function AIF module receives the passive Internet of Things service request initiated by the network open function NEF module, and the service request is sent to the NEF module by the AF module based on the service mode.

[0108] Step S304: the AIF module collects the terminal data of the Ambient UE based on the subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried in the service request.

[0109] Step S306, the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy, reports the charging result to the NEF module, and the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0110] In this embodiment, the AIF module serves as the main functional module in the passive Internet of Things billing system. When receiving a passive Internet of Things service request, the AIF module collects the terminal data of the Ambient UE in the list based on the subscription list of the Ambient UE carried in the service request, and reports the terminal data to the CHF module. In combination with the PCF module, the AIF module sends the billing policy corresponding to the service mode to the CHF module, thereby realizing the function of billing the passive Internet of Things terminal when providing network access to the passive Internet of Things terminal and providing the passive Internet of Things related data and information services by the AF module, so as to provide more efficient network services for the passive Internet of Things terminal and services when deploying the passive Internet of Things terminal and services in the network, thereby ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of the passive Internet of Things system.

[0111] In one embodiment, the AIF module collects the terminal data of the Ambient UE based on the subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried in the service request, including:

[0112] The AIF module stores complete terminal data and directly collects terminal data.

[0113] Among them, the operation of directly collecting terminal data is usually performed in a single request mode.

[0114] The AIF module does not store complete terminal data, and requests the Ambient UE reporting data belonging to the subscription list from the wireless access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things, so that the RAN module broadcasts the data reporting request to the Ambient UE within the coverage area, and reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the received Ambient UE response reported identification and stored data.

[0115] The base station broadcasts a data reporting request to the Ambient UEs in the subscription list within the coverage area, so that the Ambient UEs report the terminal data based on the reporting request, so as to ensure the accuracy of the charging operation.

[0116] The AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on the feedback information, and reports the number and status information of the Ambient UE, terminal data, and the number of abnormal terminals to the CHF module based on the status information and mobility information for billing operations.

[0117] Among them, the mobility information may specifically include the location information of Ambient UE, etc., the terminal data includes the number and status information of Ambient UE, terminal data, and the number of abnormal terminals. The number of valid terminals is determined based on the number of Ambient UEs and the number of abnormal terminals, the specific data volume is determined based on the data volume and type, and the billing operation is performed based on the specific data volume and the number of valid terminals.

[0118] In one embodiment, before the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, the AIF module also includes: reporting the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends a configuration file of the charging policy corresponding to the service mode to the CHF module.

[0119] In one embodiment, the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, including: the AIF module reports any one of a single request mode, a subscription push mode and a mixed mode to the policy control function PCF module.

[0120] In one embodiment, in a single request mode, or in the first subscription in a subscription push mode, or in the initial request in a hybrid mode, before the AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on feedback information, it also includes: the AIF module receives the correspondence information and terminal data reported by the RAN module based on the identification and storage data, and the correspondence information is the correspondence between the RAN module and the Ambient UE.

[0121] In this embodiment, in a single request mode, or in the first subscription in a subscription push mode, or in the first request in a hybrid mode, the corresponding relationship facilitates quick retrieval when querying the terminal to determine the terminal for which data needs to be collected.

[0122] In one embodiment, the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, further comprising: in a single request mode, the AIF module reports the state information and terminal data of the Ambient UE obtained based on the remote single data request to the NEF.

[0123] In one embodiment, the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, further comprising: in the first subscription in the subscription push mode, the AIF module reports the state information and terminal data of the first subscribed Ambient UE obtained based on the push registration request to the NEF.

[0124] In one embodiment, in a non-first periodic subscription in a subscription push mode, the AIF module collects terminal data of a passive Internet terminal Ambient UE based on a service request, including: the AIF module periodically collects the latest terminal data that needs to be billed.

[0125] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the timeliness and effectiveness of billing, the AIF module needs to periodically collect the latest terminal data that needs to be billed to ensure the timeliness of the terminal data.

[0126] In one embodiment, in a non-first periodic subscription in a subscription push mode, after the AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on feedback information, it also includes: the AIF module pushes the status information and terminal data of the Ambient UE obtained based on the service subscription push registration request to the NEF; and when a terminal with an abnormal status is detected, the AIF module pushes the abnormal information of the abnormal Ambient UE to the NEF.

[0127] like Figure 4 As shown, a passive Internet of Things charging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a radio access network RAN ​​module, including:

[0128] Step S402: The radio access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things receives a service request from the passive Internet of Things function AIF module for terminal data of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE.

[0129] Step S404: The RAN module receives the reporting data of the Ambient UE in response to the service request.

[0130] In step S406, the RAN module reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, so that the AMF module reports the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE to the AIF module based on the feedback information, so that the AIF module obtains the terminal data based on the status information and the mobility information, and the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy, and reports the charging result to the NEF module, so that the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0131] In this embodiment, on the RAN module side, in order to ensure that complete terminal data that needs to be billed can be obtained, when it is detected that the data is incomplete, it is necessary to require the Ambient UE to report its own ID and data, and further report it to the AIF module, thereby realizing the function of charging the passive Internet of Things terminal when providing network access to the passive Internet of Things terminal and the passive Internet of Things related data and information services provided by the AF module, so as to provide more efficient network services for the passive Internet of Things terminals and services when they are deployed in the network, thereby ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of the passive Internet of Things system.

[0132] In one embodiment, the RAN module receives data reported by the Ambient UE based on a service request, including:

[0133] The RAN module broadcasts a data reporting request to the Ambient UEs within the coverage area.

[0134] The RAN module receives the identifier and storage data reported by the Ambient UE as reported data.

[0135] In one embodiment, the RAN module reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, including:

[0136] The RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the location information of the Ambient UE to the AMF module based on the identification and storage data. The corresponding relationship information is the corresponding relationship between the RAN module and the Ambient UE.

[0137] In the single request mode, or in the first subscription in the subscription push mode, or in the initial request in the hybrid mode, the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and terminal data to the AIF module based on the identification and storage data.

[0138] In the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and terminal data to the AMF module based on the identification and storage data.

[0139] like Figure 5 As shown, based on the network element interaction in the passive Internet of Things system, a passive Internet of Things billing method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is implemented based on a single mode, including:

[0140] Step S502: The AF module remotely requests single Ambient UE data.

[0141] Step S504: The NEF module initiates a single Ambient UE information and data request.

[0142] Step S506: The NEF module registers the subscription charging policy.

[0143] Step S508: The PCF module requests the CHF module to update the charging policy configuration.

[0144] Step S510A: If the AIF has no relevant data or the data is incomplete, the Ambient UE is requested to report the data.

[0145] Step S510B: If the AIF has no relevant data or the data is incomplete, the Ambient UE is requested to report the data.

[0146] Step S512: The corresponding base station broadcasts a data reporting request to all ambient UEs within the range.

[0147] Step S514: Ambient UE reports ID and storage data.

[0148] Step S516: The RAN module reports the corresponding information and location information of the terminal and the base station.

[0149] Step S518: The RAN module reports the corresponding information between the terminal and the base station and the terminal data.

[0150] Step S520: The AMF module reports terminal status information and mobility information.

[0151] Step S522: The AIF module reports the service type of the single request mode.

[0152] Step S524: The PCF module sends a configuration file of a single request charging policy.

[0153] Step S526: The AIF module reports the content used to perform the billing operation this time.

[0154] The content used to perform the billing operation this time includes the number of terminals, terminal status information, terminal data volume and type, and the number of abnormal interruptions.

[0155] Step S528: The CHF module reports the charging result.

[0156] Step S530: The AIF module returns the terminal status and terminal data of this request.

[0157] Step S532: The NEF module pushes the terminal status information, terminal data and billing results.

[0158] like Figure 6 As shown, based on the network element interaction in the passive Internet of Things system, according to a passive Internet of Things billing method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first subscription process based on the subscription push mode is implemented, including:

[0159] Step S602: The AF module remotely requests to subscribe to Ambient UE data.

[0160] Step S604: The NEF module initiates AF registration and registers the AF and subscription requirements on the AIF.

[0161] Step S606: The NEF module registers the subscription billing policy.

[0162] Step S608: The CF module requests the CHF module to update the charging policy configuration.

[0163] Step S610: The AIF module requests all Ambient UEs registered with the AIF to report the latest data.

[0164] Step S612: The corresponding base station broadcasts a data reporting request to all ambient UEs within the range.

[0165] Step S614: Ambient UE reports ID and storage data.

[0166] Step S616: The RAN module reports the corresponding information and location information of the terminal and the base station.

[0167] Step S618: The RAN module reports the corresponding information between the terminal and the base station and the terminal data.

[0168] Step S620: The AMF module reports terminal status information and mobility information.

[0169] Step S622: The AIF module reports the service type of the subscription push mode.

[0170] Step S624: The PCF module sends a configuration file of the subscription push charging policy.

[0171] Step S626: The AIF module reports the content used to perform the billing operation this time.

[0172] Step S628: The CHF module reports the charging result.

[0173] Step S630: The AIF module returns the terminal status and terminal data of the first subscription.

[0174] Step S632: The NEF module pushes the terminal status information, terminal data and billing results.

[0175] like Figure 7 As shown, based on the network element interaction in the passive Internet of Things system, according to a passive Internet of Things billing method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a periodic subscription push process based on the subscription push mode is implemented, including:

[0176] Step S702: The AIF module periodically collects Ambient UE data.

[0177] Step S704: The AIF module requests all Ambient UEs registered with the AIF to report the latest data.

[0178] Step S706: The corresponding base station broadcasts a data reporting request to all ambient UEs within the range.

[0179] Step S708: Ambient UE reports ID and storage data.

[0180] Step S710: The RAN module reports the corresponding information and location information of the terminal and the base station.

[0181] Step S712: The RAN module reports the corresponding information between the terminal and the base station and the terminal data.

[0182] Step S714: The AMF module reports terminal status information and mobility information.

[0183] Step S716A: After the AIF module processes the data, it pushes the terminal status and terminal data according to the subscription service configuration.

[0184] Step S716B: If the AIF module detects an abnormal terminal, it directly pushes the abnormal information to the subscriber.

[0185] Step S718: The AIF module reports the service type of the subscription push mode.

[0186] Step S720: The PCF module sends a configuration file for the subscription push charging policy.

[0187] Step S722: The AIF module reports the content used to perform the billing operation this time.

[0188] Step S724: The CHF module reports the charging result.

[0189] Step S726: The NEF module pushes the terminal status information, terminal data and billing results.

[0190] It should be noted that the above-mentioned figures are only schematic illustrations of the processes included in the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is easy to understand that the processes shown in the above-mentioned figures do not indicate or limit the time sequence of these processes. In addition, it is also easy to understand that these processes can be performed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0191] Refer to the following Figure 8 The passive Internet of Things billing device 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 8 The passive Internet of Things billing device 800 shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0192] The passive Internet of Things billing device 800 is presented in the form of a hardware module. The components of the passive Internet of Things billing device 800 may include but are not limited to: a first receiving module 802, which is used for the network open function NEF module to receive the passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the AF module, and the service request includes the subscription list of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE by the AF module; an initiating module 804, which is used for the NEF module to initiate a service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, so that the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends the billing policy corresponding to the service mode to the billing function CHF module, and the AIF module reports the terminal data of the Ambient UE collected based on the subscription list to the CHF module, and the CHF module bills the terminal data based on the billing policy; the first receiving module 802 is also used for: the NEF module receives the billing result reported by the CHF module; the first reporting module 806, which is used for the NEF module to report the billing result to the corresponding AF module.

[0193] Refer to the following Fig. 9 To describe the passive Internet of Things billing device 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 The passive Internet of Things billing device 900 shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0194] The passive Internet of Things billing device 900 is presented in the form of a hardware module. The components of the passive Internet of Things billing device 900 may include but are not limited to: a second receiving module 902, which is used for the passive Internet of Things function AIF module to receive the passive Internet of Things service request initiated by the network open function NEF module, and the service request is sent to the NEF module by the AF module based on the service mode; a collecting module 904, which is used for the AIF module to collect the terminal data of the Ambient UE based on the subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried in the service request; a second reporting module 906, which is used for the AIF module to report the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy, and reports the charging result to the NEF module, and the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0195] Refer to the following Fig.10 The passive Internet of Things charging device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Fig.10 The passive Internet of Things billing device 1000 shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0196] The passive Internet of Things charging device 1000 is presented in the form of a hardware module. The components of the passive Internet of Things charging device 1000 may include but are not limited to: a third receiving module 1002, which is used for the wireless access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things to receive the service request of the passive Internet of Things function AIF module for the terminal data of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE; the third receiving module 1002 is also used for: the RAN module receives the reporting data of the Ambient UE in response to the service request; the third reporting module 1004, which is used for the RAN module to report feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, so that the AMF module reports the state information and mobility information of the Ambient UE to the AIF module based on the feedback information, so that the AIF module obtains the terminal data based on the state information and the mobility information, and the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy, and reports the charging result to the NEF module, so that the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

[0197] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various aspects of the present invention may be implemented as a system, method or program product. Therefore, various aspects of the present invention may be specifically implemented in the following forms, namely: a complete hardware implementation, a complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software, which may be collectively referred to herein as a "circuit", "module" or "system".

[0198] Refer to the following Fig.11The electronic device 1100 according to this embodiment of the present invention is described below. It can be a network device or a terminal. Fig.11 The electronic device 1100 shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0199] like Fig.11 As shown, the electronic device 1100 is in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 1100 may include but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 1110, at least one storage unit 1120, and a bus 1130 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 1120 and the processing unit 1110).

[0200] The storage unit stores program codes, which can be executed by the processing unit 1110, so that the processing unit 1110 performs the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention described in the above “Exemplary Method” section of this specification. For example, the processing unit 1110 can perform the following steps: Figures 2 to 7 The described scheme.

[0201] The storage unit 1120 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access storage unit (RAM) 11201 and / or a cache storage unit 11202 , and may further include a read-only storage unit (ROM) 11203 .

[0202] The storage unit 1120 may also include a program / utility 11204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 11205, such program modules 11205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0203] Bus 1130 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory unit bus or memory unit controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0204] The electronic device 1100 may also communicate with one or more external devices 1170 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.), may also communicate with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 1100, and / or communicate with any device that enables the electronic device 1100 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., routers, modems, etc.). Such communication may be performed via an input / output (I / O) interface 1150. Furthermore, the electronic device 1100 may also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) via a network adapter 1160. As shown, the network adapter 1160 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 1100 via a bus 1130. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules may be used in conjunction with the electronic device 1100, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0205] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0206] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the above method of the present specification is stored. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the present invention may also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes a program code, and when the program product is run on an electronic device, the program code is used to enable the electronic device to perform the steps according to various exemplary implementations of the present invention described in the above "Exemplary Method" section of the present specification.

[0207] The program product for implementing the above method according to an embodiment of the present invention may adopt a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and may be run on an electronic device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto, and in this document, a readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0208] The program product may use any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0209] Computer readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. Readable signal media may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0210] The program code embodied on the readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0211] Program code for performing the operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a separate software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0212] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units to be embodied.

[0213] In addition, although the steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in this specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired results. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps, etc.

[0214] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0215] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present disclosure, which follows the general principles of the present disclosure and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A passive Internet of Things billing method, characterized in that: include: The network open function NEF module receives the passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, wherein the service request includes a subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE; The NEF module initiates the service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, so that the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends the charging policy corresponding to the service mode to the charging function CHF module, and the AIF module reports the terminal data of the Ambient UE collected based on the subscription list to the CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy; The NEF module receives the billing result reported by the CHF module; The NEF module reports the billing result to the corresponding AF module.

2. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the NEF module initiates the service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, the method further includes: The NEF module receives the status information of the Ambient UE belonging to the subscription list and the terminal data reported by the AIF module based on the service request.

3. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, the method further includes: The NEF module performs a registration operation on the charging policy subscription to the PCF module, so that the PCF module updates the charging policy configuration of the CHF module.

4. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The NEF module reports the billing result to the corresponding AF module, further comprising: The NEF module also pushes the status information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data to the AF module.

5. The passive Internet of Things charging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The service mode includes a single request mode, and the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: The NEF module receives the remote single data request of the Ambient UE sent by the AF module based on the single request mode as the service request.

6. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The service mode includes a single request mode, The charging policy corresponding to the service mode includes a single request charging policy.

7. The passive Internet of Things charging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The service mode includes a subscription push mode, The network open function NEF module receives the passive IoT service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: The NEF module receives the push registration request for the passive Internet of Things service subscription sent by the AF module based on the subscription push mode, The NEF module initiates the service request to the passive Internet of Things function AIF module, further comprising: The NEF module initiates a registration operation of the AF module and the subscription requirement on the AIF module to the AIF module based on the push registration request.

8. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The service mode includes a subscription push mode, The charging policy corresponding to the service mode includes a subscription push charging policy.

9. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 8, characterized in that: In the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, the NEF module receives the status information of the AmbientUE and the terminal data reported by the AIF module based on the service request, further comprising: The NEF module receives the abnormal information pushed by the AIF module based on the abnormal state of the Ambient UE.

10. The passive Internet of Things charging method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The service mode includes a hybrid mode, and the network open function NEF module receives a passive Internet of Things service request matching the service mode sent by the application function AF module, including: The NEF module receives the remote single data request of the Ambient UE and the push registration request for the passive Internet of Things service subscription sent by the AF module based on the hybrid mode as the service request.

11. The passive Internet of Things charging method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The service mode includes a hybrid mode, The charging policy corresponding to the service mode is configured by the CHF module according to the hybrid charging scheme issued by the PCF module.

12. A passive Internet of Things billing method, characterized in that: include: The passive Internet of Things function AIF module receives the passive Internet of Things service request initiated by the network open function NEF module, and the service request is sent to the NEF module by the application function AF module based on the service mode; The AIF module collects the terminal data of the Ambient UE based on the subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried in the service request; The AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the charging policy, reports the charging result to the NEF module, and the NEF module reports the charging result to the corresponding AF module.

13. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The AIF module collects the terminal data of the Ambient UE based on the subscription list of the AF module to the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE carried in the service request, including: The AIF module stores the complete terminal data and directly collects the terminal data; The AIF module does not store the complete terminal data, and requests the Ambient UE belonging to the subscription list to report data from the radio access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things, so that the RAN module broadcasts the data reporting request to the Ambient UE in the coverage range, and reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the received identification reported by the Ambient UE in response to the storage data; The AIF module receives the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on the feedback information, and reports the number and status information of the Ambient UE, the terminal data, and the number of abnormal terminals to the CHF module based on the status information and mobility information to perform billing operations.

14. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 13, characterized in that: Before the AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, the method further includes: The AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module, so that the PCF module sends the configuration file of the charging policy corresponding to the service mode to the CHF module.

15. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The AIF module reports the service mode to the policy control function PCF module including: The AIF module reports any one of a single request mode, a subscription push mode and a hybrid mode to the policy control function PCF module.

16. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 15, characterized in that: In the single request mode, or in the first subscription of the subscription push mode, or in the first request of the hybrid mode, the AIF module does not store the complete terminal data, and further includes: The AIF module receives the corresponding relationship information and the terminal data reported by the RAN module based on the identifier and the stored data, where the corresponding relationship information is the corresponding relationship between the RAN module and the Ambient UE.

17. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, and further includes: In the single request mode, the AIF module reports the state information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data obtained based on a remote single data request to the NEF.

18. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The AIF module reports the terminal data to the charging function CHF module, and further includes: In the first subscription in the subscription push mode, the AIF module reports to the NEF the state information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data of the first subscription obtained based on the push registration request.

19. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 15, characterized in that: In the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, the AIF module collects the terminal data of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE based on the service request, including: The AIF module periodically collects the latest terminal data that needs to be billed.

20. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 19, characterized in that: In the non-first periodic subscription in the subscription push mode, after the AIF module receives the state information and mobility information of the Ambient UE reported by the AMF module based on the feedback information, the method further includes: The AIF module pushes the status information of the Ambient UE and the terminal data obtained based on the service subscription push registration request to the NEF; and When a terminal with an abnormal state is detected, the AIF module pushes abnormal information of the abnormal Ambient UE to the NEF.

21. A passive Internet of Things billing method, characterized in that: include: The radio access network RAN ​​module of the passive Internet of Things receives a service request from the passive Internet of Things function AIF module for terminal data of the passive Internet terminal Ambient UE; The RAN module receives reporting data from the Ambient UE in response to the service request; The RAN module reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, so that the AMF module reports the status information and mobility information of the Ambient UE to the AIF module based on the feedback information, so that the AIF module obtains the terminal data based on the status information and the mobility information, and the AIF module reports the terminal data to the billing function CHF module, and the CHF module charges the terminal data based on the billing policy, and reports the billing result to the NEF module, so that the NEF module reports the billing result to the corresponding AF module.

22. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 21, characterized in that: The RAN module receives data reported by the Ambient UE based on the service request, including: The RAN module broadcasts a data reporting request to the Ambient UE within the coverage area; The RAN module receives the identifier and storage data reported by the Ambient UE as the reported data.

23. The passive Internet of Things billing method according to claim 22, characterized in that: The RAN module reports feedback information to the mobility management AMF module based on the reported data, including: The RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the location information of the Ambient UE to the AMF module based on the identifier and the stored data, where the corresponding relationship information is the corresponding relationship between the RAN module and the Ambient UE; In a single request mode, or in an initial subscription in a subscription push mode, or in an initial request in a hybrid mode, the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the terminal data to the AIF module based on the identifier and the stored data; In a non-first periodic subscription in a subscription push mode, the RAN module reports the corresponding relationship information and the terminal data to the AMF module based on the identifier and the stored data.

24. A passive Internet of Things billing system, characterized in that: include: The network open function NEF module, application function AF module, passive Internet terminal Ambient UE, passive Internet of Things function AIF module, policy control function PCF module and charging function CHF module as described in claims 1 to 11; The mobility management AMF module as described in claims 12 to 20; and At least one of the Radio Access Network RAN ​​modules and as claimed in claims 21 to 23.

25. A network device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the passive Internet of Things billing method described in any one of claims 1 to 11, 12 to 20, or 21 to 23 by executing the executable instructions.

26. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the passive Internet of Things billing method described in any one of claims 1 to 23 is implemented.

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