Charging method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of mobile communications. Provided are a charging method, an apparatus, an electronic device, a storage medium and a program product. The method comprises: acquiring energy saving information sent by an MnS provider entity; on the basis of the energy saving information, sending a charging data request to a CHF entity, the CHF entity being used for creating a charging data record on the basis of the charging data request; and acquiring the charging data record returned by the CHF entity. In the embodiments of the present application, a CEF entity can acquire energy saving information by means of the MnS provider entity, and, on the basis of the energy saving information, initiate a charging data request to the CHF entity so as to acquire a charging data record. Thus, the present application can implement standardized charging for energy saving, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of charging for energy saving.

Description

Charging method, device, electronic device, storage medium and program product

[0001] The present disclosure is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411096716.6, filed on August 9, 2024, entitled “Charging method, device, electronic device and storage medium”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of wireless communication, and particularly relates to a charging method, device, electronic device, storage medium and program product. BACKGROUND

[0003] Climate change and the increase in energy consumption have prompted the promotion of energy efficiency, so that some energy efficiency and energy saving scenarios and functions have been supported on the 3GPP wireless and OAM (Operation Administration and Maintenance) sides for operators.

[0004] However, the current network management side cannot realize standardized charging for energy saving. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method capable of standardized charging for energy saving to improve the accuracy and reliability of charging for energy saving.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background section is only used to strengthen the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] The present disclosure provides a charging method, device, electronic device, storage medium and program product, which at least partially solves the problem that related technologies cannot realize standardized charging for energy saving.

[0008] Other characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or will be learned by practice of the present disclosure.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a charging method is provided, which is performed by a CEF (Charging Enablement Function) entity, comprising: obtaining energy saving information sent by a MnS (Management Service) provider entity;

[0010] According to the energy-saving information, a charging data request is sent to a CHF (Charging Function) entity, and the CHF entity is configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request;

[0011] The charging data record returned by the CHF entity is acquired.

[0012] In some example embodiments, before the energy-saving information sent by the MnS provider entity is acquired, the method further includes:

[0013] An energy-saving information subscription request is sent to the MnS provider entity;

[0014] After the charging data record returned by the CHF entity is acquired, the method further includes:

[0015] When the energy-saving information does not need to be charged, an energy-saving information unsubscription request is sent to the MnS provider entity;

[0016] Subscription success information returned by the MnS provider entity is received.

[0017] In some example embodiments, the energy-saving information subscription request sent to the MnS provider entity includes:

[0018] The energy-saving information subscription request sent to the MnS provider entity includes at least one of S-NSSAI (Single network slice selection assistance information), a subscription condition, and an energy-saving information type, and the energy-saving information type includes at least one of energy consumption and energy efficiency.

[0019] In some example embodiments, when the S-NSSAI and the energy-saving information type are included in the energy-saving information subscription request, the energy-saving information sent by the MnS provider entity is acquired, including:

[0020] The energy-saving information sent by the MnS provider entity includes slice-level energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information.

[0021] In some example embodiments, according to the energy-saving information, a charging data request is sent to a CHF (Charging Function) entity, and the CHF entity is configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request;

[0022] Whether to request a charging data record is determined by the energy-saving information and a preset trigger condition, and the preset trigger condition is used to describe a trigger condition for requesting the charging data record;

[0023] When the charging data record is requested, the charging data request is sent to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information.

[0024] In some example embodiments, the charging data request is sent to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information, including:

[0025] The charging data request is sent to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the charging data request including energy consumption information and / or energy efficiency information at a slice level, and the charging data request being used to request the CHF entity to perform a cost calculation according to the energy saving information.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a charging device is also provided, which is applied to a CEF entity and includes:

[0027] An energy saving information obtaining module is configured to obtain energy saving information sent by an MnS provider entity;

[0028] A charging data request sending module is configured to send a charging data request to a CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the CHF entity being used to create a charging data record according to the charging data request;

[0029] A charging data record obtaining module is configured to obtain a charging data record returned by the CHF entity.

[0030] In some example embodiments, the charging device provided by the present disclosure further includes:

[0031] An energy saving information subscription request sending module is configured to send an energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity;

[0032] An energy saving information unsubscription request sending module is configured to send an energy saving information unsubscription request to the MnS provider entity when the energy saving information is not needed for charging management;

[0033] An unsubscription success information receiving module is configured to receive unsubscription success information returned by the MnS provider entity.

[0034] In some example embodiments, the energy saving information subscription request sending module is configured to send the energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity, the energy saving information subscription request including at least one of S-NSSAI, a subscription condition, and an energy saving information type, wherein the energy saving information type includes at least one of energy consumption and energy efficiency.

[0035] In some example embodiments, when the S-NSSAI and the energy saving information type are included in the energy saving information subscription request, the energy saving information obtaining module is configured to obtain the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity, and the energy saving information includes slice-level energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information.

[0036] In some example embodiments, the charging data request sending module is configured to determine whether to request the charging data record by the energy saving information and a preset trigger condition, wherein the preset trigger condition is used to describe a trigger condition of requesting the charging data record; and when the charging data record is requested, the charging data request is sent to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information.

[0037] In some example embodiments, the charging data request sending module is configured to send the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the charging data request includes energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information, and the charging data request is used to request the CHF entity to calculate the cost according to the energy saving information.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, which includes a processor and a memory storing executable instructions of the processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform the charging method of any of the above via execution of the executable instructions.

[0039] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the charging method of any of the above.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product or a computer program is provided, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium. A processor of an electronic device reads the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to cause the electronic device to perform the charging method provided in any of the various optional manners in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of the specification, illustrate implementations of the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the drawings are only schematic, and that they do not necessarily correspond to the precise implementation of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent similar or like elements unless otherwise indicated.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a charging method in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for sending a charging data request in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of another charging method in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a charging apparatus in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a computer-readable storage medium in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Example implementations will now be described with reference to the drawings; however, example implementations can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of example implementations to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in one or more implementations in any suitable manner.

[0051] In addition, the accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Identical reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar elements and therefore repeated description thereof will be omitted. Some of the blocks in the drawings are functional blocks that do not necessarily correspond to physical or logical entities. These functional blocks can be implemented in software, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0052] The specific implementations of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary application system architecture diagram to which the charging method in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the system architecture 100 can include a CEF entity 101, an MnS provider entity 102, and a CHF entity 103. The CEF entity 101, the MnS provider entity 102, and the CHF entity 103 can communicate with each other through standardized interfaces and protocols.

[0054] The CEF entity 101 can obtain the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity 102.

[0055] Then, the CEF entity 101 can send a charging data request to the CHF entity 103 according to the energy saving information.

[0056] Then, the CHF entity 103 can create a charging data record according to the charging data request, and return the charging data record to the CEF entity 101.

[0057] Finally, the CEF entity 101 can obtain the charging data record returned by the CHF entity 103.

[0058] Those skilled in the art can know that the number of the CEF entity 101, the MnS provider entity 102, and the CHF entity 103 in FIG. 1 is only illustrative, and according to actual needs, there can be any number of CEF entities 101, MnS provider entities 102, and CHF entities 103. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0059] Under the above system architecture, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a charging method, which can be executed by any CEF entity with computing processing capability.

[0060] In some embodiments, the charging method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed by the CEF entity of the above system architecture; in other embodiments, the charging method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized by the CEF entity, the MnS provider entity, and the CHF entity in the above system architecture through interaction.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a charging method in the embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the charging method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes the following steps S202 to S208.

[0062] S202, the CEF entity obtains energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity.

[0063] In exemplary embodiments, the MnS provider entity can collect energy saving information, which can include energy consumption type energy saving information and / or energy efficiency type energy saving information.

[0064] In a possible implementation, the energy saving information collected by the MnS provider entity can be slice-level energy saving information, wherein the unit of measurement of the slice-level energy consumption type energy saving information can be joule, and the slice-level energy efficiency type energy saving information can be represented by the ratio of the performance or effective output of the slice to the energy consumption.

[0065] It should be noted that the energy consumption can also be referred to as energy consumption, and the energy efficiency can also be referred to as energy efficiency.

[0066] In some example embodiments, before obtaining the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity, the charging method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can further include: sending an energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity.

[0067] It should be noted that the energy saving information subscription request can also be referred to as a performance information subscription request. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the format of the energy saving information subscription request, and the format of the energy saving information subscription request can be determined based on experience or application scenarios.

[0068] In example embodiments, when the CEF entity determines that the energy saving information needs to be charged and managed, the CEF entity can generate an energy saving information subscription request and send it to the MnS provider entity. After receiving the energy saving information subscription request, the MnS provider entity can collect the energy saving information corresponding to the energy saving information subscription request.

[0069] In some example embodiments, sending the energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity includes: sending the energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity, and the energy saving information subscription request includes at least one of S-NSSAI, subscription conditions, and energy saving information types, wherein the energy saving information types include at least one of energy consumption and energy efficiency.

[0070] For example, the S-NSSAI included in the energy saving information subscription request can be used to identify a specific network slice. The S-NSSAI can include at least one part of SST (Slice / Service type) and SD (Slice Differentiator).

[0071] Exemplarily, the subscription condition included in the energy saving information subscription request can be used to describe under what circumstances the MnS provider entity needs to notify the CEF entity of the energy saving information. In a possible implementation, the subscription condition may, for example, include a time condition, an energy saving level condition, an event condition, a quality of service condition, and the like, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0072] Exemplarily, the energy saving information type included in the energy saving information subscription request can include at least one of energy consumption and energy efficiency. The energy saving information type is used to describe the type of energy saving information that the MnS provider entity needs to collect.

[0073] In some exemplary embodiments, when the S-NSSAI and the energy saving information type are included in the above-mentioned energy saving information subscription request, the above-mentioned obtaining of the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity can include: obtaining the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity, and the energy saving information includes slice-level energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information.

[0074] S204, sending a charging data request to a CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the CHF entity being configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request.

[0075] It should be noted that the charging data record can also be referred to as a CDR (Charging Data Record).

[0076] In some exemplary embodiments, the sending of the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information includes: sending a charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the charging data request including energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information, and the charging data request being used to request the CHF entity to perform a cost calculation according to the energy saving information.

[0077] In exemplary embodiments, the charging data request can include the energy saving information. Therefore, the CHF entity can perform a cost calculation according to the energy saving information in the charging data request, thereby creating a charging data record.

[0078] The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the content in the charging data record, and in a possible implementation, the charging data record created by the CHF entity according to the energy saving information can be used to describe at least one of an amount of charging, a charging state according to the energy saving information. The charging state may, for example, include online charging, offline charging, and the like.

[0079] In a possible implementation, the charging data record can include charging amount information and charging state information, and can also include energy saving information, S-NSSAI, and the like.

[0080] Exemplarily, the CEF entity can also determine when to send the charging data request to the CHF entity.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 3, the method for sending a charging data request to a CHF entity according to energy-saving information provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can include the following steps S2042 to S2044.

[0082] S2042, determining whether to request a charging data record by the energy-saving information and a preset trigger condition, wherein the preset trigger condition is used to describe a trigger condition for requesting the charging data record.

[0083] S2044, when the charging data record is requested, sending the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy-saving information.

[0084] The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the preset trigger condition, which can be determined based on experience or application scenarios, for example. For example, if the energy-saving information includes an energy consumption type, the preset trigger condition can include an energy consumption threshold value, and when the energy consumption value in the energy-saving information is greater than the energy consumption threshold value, the charging data request can be sent to the CHF entity.

[0085] For another example, if the energy-saving information includes an energy efficiency type, the preset trigger condition can include an energy efficiency threshold value, and when the energy efficiency value in the energy-saving information is greater than the energy efficiency threshold value, the charging data request can be sent to the CHF entity.

[0086] For another example, if the energy-saving information includes an energy consumption type and an energy efficiency type, the preset trigger condition can include an energy consumption threshold value and an energy efficiency threshold value, and when the energy consumption value in the energy-saving information is greater than the energy consumption threshold value or the energy efficiency value in the energy-saving information is greater than the energy efficiency threshold value, the charging data request can be sent to the CHF entity.

[0087] For another example, if the energy-saving information includes an energy consumption type and an energy efficiency type, the preset trigger condition can include an energy consumption threshold value and an energy efficiency threshold value, and when the energy consumption value in the energy-saving information is greater than the energy consumption threshold value and the energy efficiency value in the energy-saving information is greater than the energy efficiency threshold value, the charging data request can be sent to the CHF entity.

[0088] S206, obtaining the charging data record returned by the CHF entity.

[0089] In some exemplary embodiments, after obtaining the charging data record returned by the CHF entity, the charging method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can further include: when the energy-saving information does not need to be charged, sending an energy-saving information unsubscription request to an MnS provider entity; and receiving unsubscription success information returned by the MnS provider entity.

[0090] The method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can enable the CEF entity to obtain energy saving information through the MnS provider entity, and enable the CHF entity to initiate a charging data request based on the energy saving information to obtain a charging data record, so that the embodiment of the disclosure can implement standardized charging for energy saving, and improve the accuracy and reliability of charging for energy saving.

[0091] Exemplarily, the charging method flowchart provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can be as shown in FIG. 4.

[0092] In the FIG. 4, the charging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented by the interaction among the MnS provider entity, the CEF entity and the CHF entity.

[0093] S401, subscription is performed through the MnS provider entity.

[0094] Exemplarily, the CEF entity can perform subscription of energy saving information by sending an energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity.

[0095] S402, subscription is successful.

[0096] Exemplarily, the MnS provider entity can return subscription success information to the CEF entity.

[0097] S403, energy saving information is reported.

[0098] Exemplarily, the MnS provider entity can return energy saving information to the CEF entity.

[0099] S404, report confirmation.

[0100] Exemplarily, the CEF entity can return information confirming receipt of the energy saving information to the MnS provider entity.

[0101] S405, a preset trigger condition is met.

[0102] Exemplarily, the CEF entity can determine whether the energy saving information meets a preset trigger condition, and when the preset trigger condition is met, S406 is performed.

[0103] S406, charging data request.

[0104] Exemplarily, the CEF entity can send a charging data request to the CHF entity.

[0105] S407, a charging data record is created.

[0106] Exemplarily, the CHF entity can create a charging data record according to the charging data request.

[0107] S408, charging data response.

[0108] Exemplarily, the CHF entity can return the charging data record to the CEF entity.

[0109] S409, cancel the subscription through the MnS provider entity.

[0110] Exemplarily, when the energy saving information does not need to be managed for charging, the CEF entity can send an energy saving information unsubscribing request to the MnS provider entity.

[0111] S410, the unsubscribing is successful.

[0112] Exemplarily, the MnS provider entity can return unsubscribing success information.

[0113] Exemplarily, information elements included in a charging data record can be as shown in Table 1.

[0114] Table 1

[0115] It can be understood that each information element in Table 1 exists independently, and these information elements are exemplarily listed in the same table, but it does not mean that all elements in the table must exist at the same time according to the table. The value of each information element is independent of the value of any other element in Table 1. Therefore, those skilled in the art can understand that the value of each element in Table 1 is an independent embodiment. Each information element category in Table 1 can be O (Optional Conditional, optional condition).

[0116] The embodiments of the present disclosure add a charging process based on energy saving information conditions. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure realize a way of subscribing to and obtaining energy saving information from the MnS provider in the CEF entity, so that the CEF entity can obtain slice-level energy consumption or energy efficiency information. In addition, the CEF entity can initiate a CDR request process, and the CHF entity can generate a CDR related to energy saving according to the energy saving information provided by the CEF entity, thereby realizing that the operator can subsequently perform energy saving related charging or provide charging concessions for energy saving users through the CDR.

[0117] It should be noted that the acquisition, storage, use, processing, etc. of data in the technical solutions of the present disclosure comply with relevant provisions of national laws and regulations. The personal identity data, operation data, behavior data, etc. of various types of data of individuals, customers and crowds, etc. acquired in the embodiments of the present disclosure have been authorized.

[0118] Based on the same inventive concept, the disclosure embodiments also provide a charging device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle of the device embodiments to solve the problem is similar to the above-mentioned method embodiments, the implementation of the device embodiments can be referred to the implementation of the above-mentioned method embodiments, and the repeated parts will not be described here.

[0119] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a charging device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the device is applied to a CEF entity, and the device comprises:

[0120] an energy-saving information obtaining module 501, configured to obtain energy-saving information sent by an MnS provider entity;

[0121] a charging data request sending module 502, configured to send a charging data request to a CHF entity according to the energy-saving information, and the CHF entity is configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request;

[0122] a charging data record obtaining module 503, configured to obtain a charging data record returned by the CHF entity.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the charging device provided by the embodiments of the disclosure further comprises:

[0124] an energy-saving information subscription request sending module, configured to send an energy-saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity;

[0125] an energy-saving information unsubscription request sending module, configured to send an energy-saving information unsubscription request to the MnS provider entity when the energy-saving information is not needed for charging management;

[0126] a subscription success information receiving module, configured to receive subscription success information returned by the MnS provider entity.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the energy-saving information subscription request sending module is configured to send the energy-saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity, and the energy-saving information subscription request comprises at least one of S-NSSAI, a subscription condition, and an energy-saving information type, wherein the energy-saving information type comprises at least one of energy consumption and energy efficiency.

[0128] In some example embodiments, when the energy-saving information subscription request comprises S-NSSAI and an energy-saving information type, the energy-saving information obtaining module 501 is configured to obtain energy-saving information sent by the MnS provider entity, and the energy-saving information comprises slice-level energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the charging data request sending module 502 is configured to determine whether to request the charging data record by the energy saving information and a preset trigger condition, wherein the preset trigger condition is used to describe a trigger condition of requesting the charging data record; and when the charging data record is requested, the charging data request is sent to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the charging data request sending module 502 is configured to send the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information, wherein the charging data request includes the energy consumption information and / or the energy efficiency information at the slice level, and the charging data request is used to request the CHF entity to calculate the cost according to the energy saving information.

[0131] It should be noted that the energy saving information obtaining module 501, the charging data request sending module 502, and the charging data record obtaining module 503 correspond to S202-S206 in the method embodiment, and the modules have the same examples and application scenarios as the corresponding steps, but are not limited to the contents disclosed in the above method embodiment. It should be noted that the modules as part of the device can be executed in a computer system such as a group of computer executable instructions.

[0132] The device provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can obtain the energy saving information by the MnS provider entity, and the CHF entity initiates a charging data request to obtain the charging data record based on the energy saving information. Therefore, the embodiment of the disclosure can implement standardized charging for energy saving, and improve the accuracy and reliability of charging for energy saving.

[0133] Those skilled in the art can understand that each aspect of the disclosure can be implemented as a system, a method or a program product. Therefore, each aspect of the disclosure can be embodied as a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining hardware and software aspects, which can be collectively referred to as "circuitry", "module" or "system" here.

[0134] The embodiment of the disclosure provides an electronic device. Exemplarily, the electronic device includes a processor and a memory. The memory can be used to store executable instructions of the processor. The processor is configured to execute the charging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure by executing the executable instructions.

[0135] The electronic device 600 according to this embodiment of the disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows only one example of the electronic device 600, and should not impose any limitation on the functions and use range of the embodiment of the disclosure.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 6, electronic device 600 is in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Components of electronic device 600 can include, but are not limited to, at least one processing unit 610, at least one storage unit 620, and a bus 630 that connects different system components, including storage unit 620 and processing unit 610.

[0137] The storage unit stores program codes that can be executed by the processing unit 610, so that the processing unit 610 performs the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the above "Exemplary Method" section of the present specification. For example, the processing unit 610 can perform the following steps of the above method embodiments:

[0138] Obtaining energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity; sending a charging data request to a CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the CHF entity being configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request; and obtaining the charging data record returned by the CHF entity.

[0139] Storage unit 620 can include a readable medium in the form of volatile storage such as random access memory (RAM) 6201 and / or cache memory 6202, and can further include a non-volatile storage such as read-only memory (ROM) 6203.

[0140] Storage unit 620 can also include program / utility 6204 having a set of programs / modules 6205, each of which performs one or more functions (e.g., storing and / or maintaining data). These programs / modules include, but are not limited to, one or more of: operating systems, one or more applications, other programs, and program data. Each of these examples, or some combination thereof, can include implementation of a networking environment.

[0141] Bus 630 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a storage bus or bus controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0142] The electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more external devices 640 such as a keyboard or pointing device, a Bluetooth device, or a database via I / O interface 650. In fact, the electronic device 600 can communicate with any devices (e.g., a router, a modem, a printer, etc.) or one or more entities via the I / O interface 650. The I / O interface 650 can include, for example, a modem, a router, a switch, or a hub for interfacing the electronic device 600 to other devices. Further, the electronic device 600 can communicate with one or more networks, such as one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs), and / or one or more public networks, such as the Internet, via the network adapter 660. As depicted, the network adapter 660 is in communication with the other components of the electronic device 600 via the bus 630. It should be appreciated that the network adapter 660 can be implemented as a wireless adapter, a wired adapter, or a combination thereof. It should also be appreciated that the electronic device 600 can include more than one network adapter 660.

[0143] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the example embodiments described herein can be implemented by software and / or by hardware coupled with software, as described above. Thus, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product. The software product can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash disk, a mobile hard disk, or the like) or a network, and includes a number of instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to perform the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0144] In particular, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above charging method.

[0145] In the example embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a computer program. The computer program, when executed by a processor, can implement the charging method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer readable storage medium can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium.

[0146] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a computer-readable storage medium in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7, the computer-readable storage medium 700 stores a program product capable of implementing the method of the present disclosure. In some possible implementation manners, various aspects of the present disclosure can also be implemented in the form of a program product including program code for causing an end device to perform the steps described in the above “Exemplary Method” section according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure when the program product is run on the end device.

[0147] More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium in the present disclosure can include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, 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 disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any appropriate combination of the foregoing.

[0148] In the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium can include a data signal carried in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave propagating through the transmission medium, in which the readable program code is borne. Such a propagated data signal can take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. The readable signal medium can also be any readable medium that can send, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0149] In some embodiments, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium can be transmitted by any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, and the like, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0150] In specific implementation, the program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language such as Java, C++, and the like, and a conventional procedural programming language such as the “C” language or a similar programming language.

[0151] The program code can be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a stand-alone 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 the case involving a remote computing device, the remote computing device can be connected to the user computing device through any kind of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computing device (for example, connected through the Internet by using an Internet service provider).

[0152] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the devices for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, such division is not mandatory.

[0153] 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. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into several modules or units for embodiment.

[0154] In addition, although the steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying 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 result. In addition or alternatively, some steps can be omitted, a plurality of steps can be combined into one step, and / or one step can be divided into a plurality of steps, etc.

[0155] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can easily understand that the example embodiments described herein can be implemented by software, or by software in combination with necessary hardware.

[0156] Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments 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 U disk, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, and includes several instructions to make a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) execute the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0157] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art with the consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed application. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure following the general principles thereof and including the general and specific knowledge in the art not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are to be regarded as exemplary only, and the true scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims. The specification and examples are to be regarded as exemplary only, and the true scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A charging method, wherein, executed by a charging enabling function, CEF, entity, comprising: obtaining energy saving information sent by a management service, MnS, provider entity; sending a charging data request to a charging function, CHF, entity according to the energy saving information, the CHF entity being configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request; obtaining a charging data record returned by the CHF entity.

2. The charging method of claim 1, wherein, Before the obtaining the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity, the method further comprises: sending an energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity; wherein, after the obtaining the charging data record returned by the CHF entity, the method further comprises: when charging management on energy saving information is not needed, sending an energy saving information unsubscription request to the MnS provider entity; receiving unsubscription success information returned by the MnS provider entity.

3. The charging method of claim 2, wherein, The sending the energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity comprises: sending the energy saving information subscription request to the MnS provider entity, the energy saving information subscription request comprising at least one of a single network slice selection assistance information, S-NSSAI, a subscription condition, and an energy saving information type, wherein the energy saving information type comprises at least one of energy consumption and energy efficiency.

4. The charging method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, When the energy saving information subscription request comprises the S-NSSAI and the energy saving information type, the obtaining the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity comprises: obtaining the energy saving information sent by the MnS provider entity, the energy saving information comprising slice-level energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information.

5. The billing method of claim 1, wherein, The sending the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information comprises: determining whether to request a charging data record through the energy saving information and a preset trigger condition, wherein the preset trigger condition is configured to describe a trigger condition for requesting the charging data record; when the charging data record is requested, sending the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information.

6. The charging method according to claim 1 or 5, wherein, The sending the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information comprises: sending the charging data request to the CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the charging data request comprising energy consumption information and / or slice-level energy efficiency information, the charging data request being configured to request the CHF entity to perform cost calculation according to the energy saving information.

7. A charging apparatus wherein, applied to a CEF entity, comprising: an energy saving information obtaining module configured to obtain energy saving information sent by a MnS provider entity; a charging data request sending module configured to send a charging data request to a CHF entity according to the energy saving information, the CHF entity being configured to create a charging data record according to the charging data request; a charging data record obtaining module configured to obtain a charging data record returned by the CHF entity.

8. An electronic device, comprising: comprising: a processor; and a memory configured to store executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the charging method of any one of claims 1-6 via execution of the executable instructions.

9. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, wherein, The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the charging method of any one of claims 1-6. The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the charging method of any one of claims 1-6.

10. A computer program product, wherein, The computer program product comprises computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium, a processor of an electronic device reads the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, so that the electronic device executes the charging method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images