System and method for transferring complete filter information to session management function

Abstract

The method(500) handles a request in a network to addresses an issue of sending incomplete or insufficient filter information in an authorization authentication request (AAR). The method comprises receiving(502), by a policy control function (PCF), an AAR request that includes the filter information from a network node of the network. The method comprises determining(504), by the PCF, whether the AAR request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the AAR request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows the PCF to communicate(506) an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the AAR request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method allows the PCF to suppress communicating(508) an update-notify message towards the SMF.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING COMPLETE FILTER INFORMATION TO SESSION MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONRESERVATION OF RIGHTS

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to intellectual property rights such as, but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, Integrated Circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (herein after referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to wireless cellular communications, and specifically to a system and method for ensuring by a Policy Control Function (PCF) to send complete and sufficient filter information (e.g., internet protocol (IP) address, source / destination port number(s), status (e.g., enable uplink), etc.) in a preliminary Authorization Authentication Request (AAR) message to a Session Management Function (SMF).DEFINITIONS

[0003] As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used to indicate otherwise.

[0004] The term AF as used therein, refers to Application Function. The AF is a network function responsible for providing application-specific capabilities and services within the 5G Core architecture. The AF is an element offering applications that require the policy and charging control of traffic plane resources (e.g. universal mobile telecommunication system packet switched (UMTS PS) domain / general packet radio service (GPRS) domain resources).

[0005] The term SMF as used herein, refers to Session Management Function. The SMF plays a crucial role in establishing, managing, and terminating communication sessions between User Equipment (UE) and 5G network services.

[0006] The term PCF as used herein, refers to Policy Control Function. The PCF is a key component of the 5G architecture and plays a crucial role in enforcing policy decisions related to Quality of Service (QoS), traffic management, and network resource allocation.

[0007] The term PCRF as used herein, refers to Policy and Charging Rules Function. The PCRF plays a central role in controlling and enforcing policies related to network resource allocation, quality of service (QoS), and charging for subscriber sessions.

[0008] The term P-CSCF as used herein, refers to Proxy Call Session Control Function. The P-CSCF is a core component in the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture used in mobile and fixed networks. It serves as the first point of contact for the User Equipment (UE) within the IMS network.BACKGROUND

[0009] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0010] In prevalent scenarios when sending an update-notify message, incomplete or insufficient filter information may be sent in a preliminary Authorization Authentication Request (AAR) to a Session Management Function (SMF). This may result in the SMF receiving partial or inaccurate information and may potentially lead to disrupting policy control and session management procedures.

[0011] There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide an improved mechanism that uses a Policy Control Function (PCF) to distinguish between the preliminary and final AARs and trigger an update-notify message towards the SMF only upon receiving the final AAR having the complete filter information.OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0012] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and method that uses a Policy Control Function (PCF) to distinguish between preliminary and final Authorization Authentication Requests (AARs), and trigger an update-notify message, towards a Session Management Function (SMF) when the final AAR having complete filter information is received.

[0013] It is an object of the present disclosure to enable efficient resource allocation by allocating network resources to a deserving user or an application.

[0014] It is an object of the present disclosure to allow authorized access to network services based on the use of sufficient filter information present in the AAR.

[0015] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a high user experience by sending accurate and complete filter information in the final AAR.

[0016] It is an object of the present disclosure to selectively send update- notify message based on availability of complete filter information, resulting in the PCF to adapt to varying network conditions and ensuring efficient utilization of resources.SUMMARY

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a method for handling a request in a network. The method comprising receiving, by a policy control function (PCF), a request from a network node of the network. The method comprising determining, by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method allows to suppress communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards the SMF.

[0018] In an embodiment, the request is an authorization authentication request (AAR) that includes a filter information.

[0019] In an embodiment, the filter information includes one or moreparameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

[0020] In an embodiment, the AAR request containing the filter information is checked to determine whether it meets the predefined set of criteria.

[0021] In an embodiment, the predefined set of criteria comprises one or more parameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

[0022] In an embodiment, the network node is an application function (AF).

[0023] In an embodiment, a user equipment (UE) is communicatively coupled with a network, the coupling comprises steps of (i) receiving, by the network, a connection request from the UE, (ii) sending, by the network, an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE, and (iii) transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a system for handling a request in a network. The system comprising a receiving unit to receive the request from a network node of the network. The system comprising a processing engine to: (i) receive, by a processing engine, a request from a network node of the network, and (ii) determine, by the processing engine, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the system allows communicating, by the processing engine, an update- notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the system suppresses communicating, by the processing engine, an update-notify message towards the SMF.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the request is an authorization authentication request (AAR) that includes a filter information.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the filter information includes one or more parameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the AAR request containing the filter information is checked to determine whether it meets the predefined set of criteria.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the predefined set of criteriacomprises determining whether the request comprises complete filter information.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled with a network. The coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the network, a connection request from the UE, sending, by the network, an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request. A request is handled in the network by a method comprising receiving, by a policy control function (PCF), a request from a network node of the network. The method comprising determining, by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method allows to suppress communicating, by the PCF, an update- notify message towards the SMF.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for handling a request in a network. The method comprising receiving, by a policy control function (PCF), a request from a network node of the network. The method comprising determining, by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows communicating, by the PCF, an update- notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method allows to suppress communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards the SMF.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In the figures, similar components and / or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in thespecification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

[0032] The diagrams are for illustration only, which thus is not a limitation of the present disclosure, and wherein:

[0033] FIG. 1A illustrates an example network architecture for implementing a proposed system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. IB illustrates an example block diagram of a proposed system (108), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary process flow for a Policy Control Function (PCF) suppressing sending of an update message towards Session Management Function (SMF) when a preliminary Authorization Authentication Request (AAR) is received from the Proxy Call Session Control Function (P- CSCF), in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary representation of inter exchange of messages between a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) / the PCF, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0038] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process flow for checking whether filter information in the received preliminary AAR is complete or not, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method for handling a request in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS100A - Network Architecture102-1 - 102-N - Users104-1 - 104-N - User Equipments (UEs)106 - Network108 - System100B - Block diagram150 - One or more processor(s)152 - Memory154 - Interface(s)156 - Processing engine(s)158 - Database160 - Receiving unit200A - Flow diagram200B - Exemplary representation of inter exchange of messages230 - Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF)232 - Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) / Policy Control Function (PCF) 300 - Computer system310 - External storage device320 - Bus330 - Main memory340 - Read-only memory350 - Mass storage device360 - Communication port(s)370 - Processor400 - Flow diagram500 - Flow diagramDETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may notaddress all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0041] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth.

[0042] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0043] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0044] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, anyaspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0045] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0046] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0047] In the current wireless cellular communications, network resources may be allocated to the undeserving user(s) or application(s) resulting in the wastage of resources. Further, insufficient filter information in an authorization authentication request (AAR) may also lead to unauthorized access to network services (e.g., audio call or video call). Without proper filtering, users or theapplication(s) will get access which they should not have to. This can lead to security breaches or misuse of network resources (e.g., bandwidth). Additionally, if a policy control function (PCF) does not suppress the AAR and sends update- notify request to a session management function (SMF) without adequate filter information, it may result in compromised quality of service (QoS).

[0048] There is therefore a need in the art to provide an improved mechanism that uses the PCF to distinguish between the preliminary and final AARs, and trigger an update-notify message, towards the SMF, only upon receiving the final AAR having the complete filter information (e.g., internet protocol (IP) address, source / destination port number(s), status (e.g., enable uplink), etc.).

[0049] The disclosed system and method address an issue of sending incomplete or insufficient filter information in the AAR. By suppressing an update- notify message in such cases, the PCF may ensure that the SMF does not receive partial or inaccurate information that may potentially disrupt policy control and session management procedures. The disclosure introduces a mechanism where the PCF may distinguish between preliminary and final AARs by examining values in a codec data (such as during uplink / downlink / offer / answer) within a policy rule engine. Only when the PCF receives the final AAR with complete filter information, the PCF may trigger an update notification message towards the SMF.

[0050] In an embodiment, the PCF may suppress sending of an update- notify message towards the SMF when a preliminary AAR with incomplete filter information is received by the PCF. Instead, the PCF may only send an update- notify message when the final AAR with complete filter information is received at the PCF.

[0051] The disclosure provides a mechanism that facilitates to differentiate between the preliminary and the final AAR by examining the values in codec data such as uplink / downlink, offer, and answer are utilized in the policy rule engine. This mechanism helps to ensure that the PCF sends an update-notify message to the SMF only when it has received all the necessary information regarding a filter leading to improving accuracy and completeness of a policy control process.

[0052] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will beexplained in more detail with reference to FIGs. 1A- 5.

[0053] FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100 A) in which or with which a system (108) for managing a plurality of stale sessions in a wireless network is implemented, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 1A, the network architecture (100) includes one or more computing devices or user equipments (104-1, 104-2...104-N) associated with one or more users (102-1, 102-2...102-N) in an environment. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more users (102-1, 102-2...102- N) may be individually referred to as the user (102) and collectively referred to as the users (102). Similarly, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one or more user equipments (104-1, 104-2. . . 104- N) may be individually referred to as the user equipment (104) and collectively referred to as the user equipment (104). A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the terms “computing device(s)” and “user equipment” may be used interchangeably throughout the disclosure. Although three user equipments (104) are depicted in FIG. 1 A, however any number of the user equipments (104) may be included without departing from the scope of the ongoing description.

[0055] In an embodiment, the user equipment (104) includes smart devices operating in a smart environment, for example, an Internet of Things (loT) system. In such an embodiment, the user equipment (104) may include, but is not limited to, smart phones, smart watches, smart sensors (e.g., mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, etc.), networked appliances, networked peripheral devices, networked lighting system, communication devices, networked vehicle accessories, networked vehicular devices, smart accessories, tablets, smart television (TV), computers, smart security system, smart home system, other devices for monitoring or interacting with or for the users (102) and / or entities, or any combination thereof. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the user equipment (104) may include, but is not limited to, intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that can integrate seamlessly with each other and / or with a central server or a cloud-computing system or any other device that is network-connected.

[0056] In an embodiment, the user equipment (104) includes, but is not limited to, a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, a phablet device, and so on), a wearable computer device(e.g., a headmounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, and so on), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer, a media playing device, a portable gaming system, and / or any other type of computer device with wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the user equipment (104) includes, but is not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or an equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices such as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other computing device. The user equipment (104) may include one or more in-built or externally coupled accessories including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, an audio aid, a microphone, a keyboard, and input devices for receiving input from the user (102), or the entity such as touch pad, touch enabled screen, electronic pen, and the like. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the user equipment (104) may not be restricted to the mentioned devices and various other devices may be used.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1A, the user equipment (104) communicates with a system (108), for example, a stale session management system, through a network (106). In an embodiment, the network (106) includes at least one of a Fifth Generation (5G) network, 6G network, or the like. The network (106) enables the user equipment (104) to communicate with other devices in the network architecture (100) and / or with the system (108). The network (106) includes a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In another embodiment, the network (106) is implemented as, or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 1A, the network architecture (100) may include the user equipment (UE) (104), the network (106) and the system (108). The UE (104) may be communicatively coupled with the network (106). The communicatively coupling comprises of receiving, from the UE (104), a connection request by the network (106), sending an acknowledgment of the connection request, and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request.

[0059] In another exemplary embodiment, the system (108) includes or comprise, by way of example but not limitation, one or more of: a stand-alone server, a server blade, a server rack, a bank of servers, a server farm, hardware supporting a part of a cloud service or system, a home server, hardware running a virtualized server, one or more processors executing code to function as a server, one or more machines performing server-side functionality as described herein, at least a portion of any of the above, some combination thereof.

[0060] FIG. IB illustrates an example block diagram (100B) of a proposed system (108), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] The system (108) may include one or more processor(s) (150). The one or more processor(s) (150) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that process data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) (150) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (152) of the system (108).

[0062] The memory (152) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory (152) may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.

[0063] In an embodiment, the system (108) may include an interface(s) (154). The interface(s) (154) may comprise a variety of interfaces, for example,interfaces for data input and output devices (I / O), storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) (154) may facilitate communication through the system (108). The interface(s) (154) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system (108). In an embodiment, the system (108) may include a receiving unit (160) to receive a request. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, processing engine(s) (156) and a database (158).

[0064] The processing engine(s) (156) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing engine(s) (156). Such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing engine(s) (156) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine- readable storage medium and the hardware for the processing engine(s) (156) may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors) to execute such instructions.

[0065] In some examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing engine(s) (156). In such examples, the system may comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing engine(s) (156) may be implemented by electronic circuitry. In an embodiment, the processing engine(s) (156) may be implemented as a policy control function (PCF) for the network.

[0066] In an embodiment, the receiving unit (160) may receive the AAR information from the AF via the interface (154). In an embodiment, the AAR may contain preliminary AAR information which may include, but are not limited to, filter information internet protocol (IP) address, source / destination port number(s), status (e.g., enable uplink), etc. In an embodiment, the processing engine(s) (156) receives the AAR (e.g., preliminary AAR) having the filter information via the receiving unit (160) and determines whether the filter information is complete ornot. In an embodiment, if the filter information is found incomplete or does not satisfy a predefined set of criteria (e.g., whether the filter information is complete including IP address, source / destination port number, etc.), the processing engine(s) (156) may suppress the preliminary AAR until a final AAR is received with complete filter information. In an embodiment, processing engine(s) (156) may receive the final AAR with complete filter information. The complete filter information may be obtained from the AF. Once the complete filter information is received, the processing engine(s) (156) sends update-notify message to the SMF. In an embodiment, the predefined set of criteria may include filter information in the form of one or more or any combination of the parameters like IP address, source / destination port number, status (e.g., enable uplink), etc. In an embodiment, to differentiate between the preliminary and final / complete AAR, values in the codec data (e.g., received from the AF) such as uplink / downlink, offer, and answer are utilized in a policy rule engine. In an embodiment, the AF may include information like attribute value pair (A VP) into the AAR in order to indicate the particular service that the AF session belongs to. For example, the AVP may include the codec data such as uplink (indicating that Session Description Protocol (SDP) was received from the UE and sent to the network), downlink (indicating that the SDP was received from the network and sent to the UE), offer (indicating that the SDP lines from an SDP offer are being provisioned), answer (indicating that the SDP lines from an SDP answer are being provisioned), etc.

[0067] FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary process flow (200A) for the PCF suppressing the communication of an update message towards the SMF when a preliminary AAR is received from the Proxy Call Session Control Function (P- CSCF) (202), in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As illustrated, at step (208), the PCF (204) may receive a create request for an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session creation from the SMF node. In an embodiment, at step (210), when a preliminary AAR is received from the P-CSCF (202) with incomplete filter information, the PCF (204) may not send an update notification to the SMF. Thereafter, the PCF (204) may suppress the received preliminary AAR. In an embodiment, at step (212), PCF (204) may send an Authentication, Authorization,and Accounting (AAA) success result code or a message to the (P-CSCF) (202).

[0068] In an embodiment, further at step (214), when a final AAR is received from the P-CSCF (202) with complete filter information, then the PCF (204) may send an update notification request (i.e., for installation of policy and charging control (PCC) rules) to the SMF (206) at step (216). In response to this, at step (218), an update-notify response (i.e., success) is received from the SMF (206) at the PCF (204). This indicates, at step (220), the success of the AAA and the call may get connected.

[0069] FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary representation of inter exchange of messages (200B) between a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) / the PCF, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. In an embodiment, one example of the application function (AF) is the proxy call session control function (P-CSCF). In an embodiment, application function or the P-CSCF can be a network node. In an embodiment, the P-CSCF may use Rx interface to communicate with the PCRF / PCF. For example, in an embodiment, the Rx interface may allow the P- CSCF to request policy decisions from the PCRF / PCF, facilitate the exchange of information related to resource usage for billing, etc. In an embodiment, Rx interface may use RESTful (representational state transfer) hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and / or extensible markup language (XML) for the communication.

[0070] In an embodiment, the PCF may receive a create request for session creation from the SMF node. In an embodiment, after sending the create response, a session gets created at the PCF.

[0071] In an embodiment, if a preliminary AAR received from the AF includes incomplete filter information, then PCF may not send update-notify to the SMF, and further the PCF may suppress the preliminary AAR.

[0072] In an embodiment, if a final AAR is received from the AF with complete filter information, then PCF may send update-notify to the SMF and connect the audio or video call.

[0073] The disclosed system and method facilitate to reduce signallingtraffic. By suppressing the update-notify message for the preliminary AARs with incomplete filter information, unnecessary signalling traffic between the PCF and SMF may be avoided. This may result in a more efficient and optimized network operation.

[0074] Further, the disclosed system and method facilitates to improve resource utilization. Filtering information plays a crucial role in managing network resources effectively. By waiting for the final AAR with complete filter information before sending an update-notify message, the PCF may ensure that available network resources are allocated appropriately based on accurate and complete information.

[0075] The disclosed system and method facilitate to improve user experience. With more accurate and complete filter information available in the final AAR, the PCF may make better policy decisions that align with user preferences and requirements. This may result in an improved user experience, including optimized services quality, reduced latency, and enhanced network performance.

[0076] The disclosed system and method allow for a flexibility to accommodate different scenarios and requirements. By selectively sending an update notification message based on availability of complete filter information, the PCF may adapt to varying network conditions, and ensure efficient utilization of resources. In an embodiment, for example, if the filter information is found incomplete or does not satisfy a predefined set of criteria (e.g., source / destination IP address, source / destination port number, protocol, status, etc. is / are not mentioned), the PCF may adapt by suppressing the preliminary AAR until a final AAR is received with complete filter information. In an embodiment, if the filter information does not contain any one or more parameters like source / destination IP address, source / destination port number, protocol, status, etc., it is considered as incomplete filter information.

[0077] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary computer system (300) in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 3, the computer system may include an external storage device (310), a bus(320), a main memory (330), a read-only memory (340), a mass storage device (350), communication port(s) (360), and a processor (370). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system may include more than one processor and communication ports. The processor (370) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port(s) (360) may be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. The communication port(s) (360) may be chosen depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system connects.

[0078] The main memory (330) may be random access memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory (340) may be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information e.g., start-up or Basic Input / Output System (BIOS) instructions for the processor (370). The mass storage device (350) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage device (350) includes, but is not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or Firewire interfaces), one or more optical discs, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage, e.g., an array of disks.

[0079] The bus (320) communicatively couples the processor (370) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (320) may be, e.g., a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (370) to the computer system.

[0080] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g., a display,keyboard, joystick, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to the bus (320) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (360). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0081] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process flow (400) for checking whether the filter information in the received preliminary AAR is complete or not, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0082] In an embodiment, at step (402), an application function (AF) sends the AAR to the PCF. In an embodiment, step (402) may also indicate a precondition in which an IMS packet data unit (PDU) session should be established between the SMF and PCF. After this, the PCF may receive an AAR diameter message from the P-CSCF. In an embodiment, the AAR may contain preliminary AAR information which may include filter information like internet protocol (IP) address, source / destination port number(s), status (e.g., enable uplink), etc. In an embodiment, at step (404), the PCF receives the AAR (e.g., preliminary AAR) having the filter information and determines whether the filter information is complete or not at step (406). In an embodiment, at step (408), if the filter information is found incomplete or does not satisfy a predefined set of criteria (e.g., IP address, source / destination port number, status, etc. is / are not mentioned), the PCF may suppress the preliminary AAR at step (408) until a final AAR is received with complete filter information. In an embodiment, at step (412), the PCF receives the final AAR with complete filter information. The complete filter information may be obtained from the AF. Once the complete filter information is received at step (414), the PCF sends an update notification to the SMF. In an embodiment, the predefined set of criteria may include filter information in the form of one or more or any combination of the parameters like IP address, source / destination port number, status (e.g., enable uplink), etc. In an embodiment, to differentiate between the preliminary and final / complete AAR, values in the codec data (e.g., receivedfrom the AF) such as uplink / downlink, offer, and answer are utilized in a policy rule engine. In an embodiment, the AF may include information like attribute value pair (A VP) into the AAR in order to indicate the particular service that the AF session belongs to. For example, the AVP may include the codec data such as uplink (indicating that Session Description Protocol (SDP) was received from the UE and sent to the network), downlink (indicating that the SDP was received from the network and sent to the UE), offer (indicating that the SDP lines from an SDP offer are being provisioned), answer (indicating that the SDP lines from an SDP answer are being provisioned), etc. In an embodiment, if the AAR received by the PCF is preliminary, the PCF may further negotiate to obtain the final / complete AAR.

[0083] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a method (500) for handling a request (e.g., the request to establish an audio or a video call) in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] At step (502), the method receives, by a policy control function (PCF), a request from a network node of the network.

[0085] At step (504), the method determines, by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. For example, the predefined set of criteria may include one or more parameters like source IP address, destination IP address, source port number, destination port number, protocol, status, etc. So, when the request is received by the PCF, it checks whether or not the request contains all the required parameters (e.g., by comparing the parameters mentioned in the request with the parameters mentioned in the predefined set of criteria). In an embodiment, the predefined set of criteria may be stored in the database (158) and can be updated / configured by the user.

[0086] At step (506), if the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF). In an embodiment, the update-notify message may contain PCC rule definitions that need to be installed / removed at the SMF.

[0087] At step (508), if the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method suppresses communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards the SMF. For example, when the request is received by the PCF,it checks whether or not the request contains all the required parameters (e.g., by comparing the parameters mentioned in the request with the parameters mentioned in the predefined set of criteria). If one or more parameters in the request are not mentioned, the PCF suppresses the update-notify message towards the SMF. In an embodiment, suppressing the update-notify message may represent not installing or removing the PCC rule definitions on the SMF.

[0088] In an embodiment, the request is an authorization authentication request (AAR) that includes a filter information.

[0089] In an embodiment, the filter information includes one or more parameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

[0090] In an embodiment, the AAR request containing the filter information is checked to determine whether it meets the predefined set of criteria.

[0091] In an embodiment, the predefined set of criteria comprises one or more parameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

[0092] In an embodiment, the network node is an application function (AF).

[0093] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled with a network. The coupling comprises steps of receiving, by the network, a connection request from the UE, sending, by the network, an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request. A request is handled in the network by a method comprising receiving, by a policy control function (PCF), a request from a network node of the network. The method comprising determining, by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method allows to suppress communicating, by the PCF, an update- notify message towards the SMF.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure relates to acomputer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for handling a request in a network. The method comprising receiving, by a policy control function (PCF), a request from a network node of the network. The method comprising determining, by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria. If the request meets the predefined set of criteria, the method allows communicating, by the PCF, an update- notify message towards a session management function (SMF). If the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria, the method allows to suppress communicating, by the PCF, an update-notify message towards the SMF.

[0095] The present disclosure provides technical advancement related to handling Authorization Authentication Request (AAR) requests in the network. This advancement addresses the limitations of existing solutions that do not provide a mechanism to handle AAR requests when sufficient filter information is not provided in the AAR. The disclosure enables distinguishing between the preliminary and final AARs and triggers an update-notify message towards the Session Management Function (SMF) only upon receiving the final AAR having the complete filter information, which offers significant improvements in minimizing disruptions in policy control and session management procedures.

[0096] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0097] The present disclosure facilitates to provide a system and method that uses a Policy Control Function (PCF) to distinguish between preliminary andfinal AARs, and trigger an update-notify message, towards a Session Management Function (SMF) when the final AAR having complete filter information is received.

[0098] The present disclosure facilitates efficient resource allocation by allocating network resources to a deserving user or an application.

[0099] The present disclosure facilitates to allow an authorised access to network services based on use of sufficient filter information present in the AAR.

[0100] The present disclosure facilitates to provide a high user experience by sending accurate and complete filter information in the final AAR.

[0101] The present disclosure facilitates to selectively send an update-notify message based on availability of complete filter information, resulting in the PCF adapting to varying network conditions and ensuring efficient utilization of resources.

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. A method (500) for handling a request in a network, the method (500) comprising: receiving (502), by a policy control function (PCF), the request from a network node of the network; determining (504), by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria; communicating (506), by the PCF, an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF) when the request meets the predefined set of criteria; and suppressing (508) the communication, by the PCF, the update-notify message towards the SMF, when the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request is an authorization authentication request (AAR) that includes a filter information.

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the filter information includes one or more parameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the AAR request containing the filter information is checked to determine whether it meets the predefined set of criteria.

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined set of criteria comprises determining whether the request comprises complete filter information.

6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node is an application function (AF).

7. A system (108) for handling a request in a network, the system (108) comprising: a receiving unit (160) to receive the request from a network node of the network; a processing engine (156) to: determine whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria; communicate an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF), when the request meets the predefined set of criteria; and suppress the communication comprising the update- notify message towards the SMF, when the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria.

8. The system (108) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the request is an authorization authentication request (AAR) that includes a filter information.

9. The system (108) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the filter information includes one or more parameters from a group comprising of an internet protocol (IP) address, a port number, and a status.

10. The system (108) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the AAR request containing the filter information is checked to determine whether it meets the predefined set of criteria.

11. The system (108) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the predefined set of criteria comprises determining whether the request comprises complete filter information.

12. The system (108) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the network node is an application function (AF).

13. A user equipment (UE) (104) communicatively coupled with a network (106), the coupling comprises steps of: receiving, by the network (106), a connection request from the UE (104); sending, by the network (106), an acknowledgment of the connection request to the UE (104); and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, wherein handling a request in the network (106) is performed by a method as claimed in claim 1.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method (500) for handling a request in a network, the method (500) comprising: receiving (502), by a policy control function (PCF), the request from a network node of the network; determining (504), by the PCF, whether the request meets a predefined set of criteria; communicating (506), by the PCF, an update-notify message towards a session management function (SMF) when the request meets the predefined set of criteria; and suppressing (508) the communication, by the PCF, the update-notify message towards the SMF, when the request does not meet the predefined set of criteria.

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