System and method for rating network services in a communication network

Abstract

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RATING NETWORK SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK 5 Disclosed is an Online Charging System (OCS) (208) for rating network services in a communication network (100), and methods (500) (600) thereof. The OCS (208) includes a rule engine (310) to receive template(s) comprises rating condition(s) and rating action(s), for rating network service(s). The rule engine (310) further generates rule(s) for rating the network service(s) by mapping each 10 rating condition with a corresponding rating action. Furthermore, the rule engine (310) integrates the rule(s) for rating the one or more network services to the OCS (208). The OCS (208) further includes a data parser (304) and a rating engine (308). The data parser (304) receives transaction request(s) for account(s) comprising network data translates it to parametric value(s) for network parameters of the 15 communication network (100). The rating engine (308) identifies the network service(s) based on the parametric values and rates the network service(s) using the rule(s). 5 20

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RATING NETWORK SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003]

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for rating network services in a communication network.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005]

[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely because of its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.

[0006]

[0003] Telecommunication sector has tremendously grown in terms of users in the last two decades. Previously, communication services were just limited to voice calls, messaging services and to some extend usage of data. However, we have seen a huge addition in the type of services provided by telecom service providers such as subscription to data plans, unlimited voice calls and messaging service, over the top (OTT) services, hello-tunes, discount offers, and what not. Typically, the telecom service providers have pre-defined packages of services for the customers with a specific tariff plan for each package. However, majority of customers do not concise with their desired services being included in one service package offered to them, which makes the customers either pay a higher monitory value by opting for various packages or keep them unsatisfied if one package is opted.

[0004] Typically, tariff processing is done using a rating engine, which is responsible for performing both monetary and non-monetary unit determination for network services, external services and applications. However, the contemporary rating engines have predefined rules that are partially adjustable, which renders only a few service packages for the customers. Moreover, the customization of protocols in existing rule engine adds to the computational complexity for tariff processing. In view of the above-mentioned challenges, there is a requirement of a technical solution that can address the broader problem without extensively exhausting the computational resources.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008]

[0005] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key / critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0009]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for integrating rules for rating one or more network services with an Online Charging System (OCS) in a communication network is disclosed. The method includes receiving one or more templates by a rule engine at the OCS. Each template of the one or more templates comprising one or more rating conditions and one or more rating actions, for rating the one or more network services. The method further includes generating, by the rule engine, one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions. Furthermore, the method includes integrating, by the rule engine, the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to the OCS.

[0007] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more rating conditions correspond to parametric values of one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services.

[0010]

[0008] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more templates comprise data for mapping at least one rating condition of the one or more rating conditions to at least one rating action of the one or more rating actions, for the one or more network services.

[0011]

[0009] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more templates further comprises data for mapping one or more service plans to one or more tariff rates, for the one or more network services.

[0012]

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for rating one or more network services for an account by an Online Charging System (OCS) in a communication network is provided. The method includes receiving, by a data parser at the OCS, a transaction request comprising network data for the one or more network services. The method further includes translating, by the data parser, the network data into parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services. Furthermore, the method includes rating, by a rating engine based on rules of the rule engine, the transaction request for the one or more network services. The rules of the rule engine define a relation between the parametric values for one or more of network parameters and one or more rating actions.

[0013]

[0011] In some aspects of the present disclosure, rating the transaction request for the one or more network services comprises comparing the parametric values with rating conditions and parametric values meeting one or more rating conditions of at least one of the rules.

[0014]

[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, based on the rating of the one or more network services, the method comprises determining a tariff value for the one or more network services. For determining the tariff value the method includes determining, by the rule engine, one or more service plans corresponding to the parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services. Moreover, the method includes determining, by the rating engine, the tariff value for the one or more network services based on one or more rules for the one or more service plans from the rules of the OCS.

[0015]

[0013] In some aspects of the present disclosure, upon determining the tariff value for the one or more network services, the method includes retrieving, by the rule engine, an account balance associated with the account. Moreover, the method includes determining, by the rule engine, whether the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. Furthermore, the method includes rendering, by the OCS, a rating status response. The rating status response indicates a successful rating of the one or more network services for the account, when the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. Moreover, the rating status response indicates a failed rating of the one or more network services for the account, when the tariff value is not deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services.

[0016]

[0014] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the failed rating of the one or more network services corresponds to the account balance below the tariff value for the one or more network services.

[0017]

[0015] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, disclosed is Online Charging System (OCS) for rating one or more network services in a communication network. The OCS comprises a rule engine, a rating engine, and a data parser. The rule engine is configured to receive one or more templates. Each template of the one or more templates comprises one or more rating conditions and one or more rating actions, for rating the one or more network services. Moreover, the rule engine is configured to generate one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions. Furthermore, the rule engine is configured to integrate the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to the OCS.

[0018]

[0016] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a computerprogram product for rating one or more network services in a communication network is provided. The computer-program product comprises computerexecutable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that, when executed by at least one processor performs operations. The operations include receiving one or more templates, where each template of the one or more templates comprising one or more rating conditions and one or more rating actions, for rating the one or more network services. The operations further include generating one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions. Moreover, the operations also include integrating the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to an Online Charging System (OCS).

[0019] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020]

[0017] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021]

[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an Online Charging System (OCS) architecture in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022]

[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates an operational environment of the OCS, for rating network services in the communication network, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023]

[0021] FIG. 4 is a process-flow diagram depicting operations by a subsystem for rating communication services by the OCS in the communication network, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024]

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart that depicts a method for integrating rules for rating network services with the OCS in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025]

[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart that depicts a method for rating network services for an account by the OCS in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026]

[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram depicting operational entities in the components of the OCS, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0028] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is as follows:

[0029] 100 - Communication network

[0030] 102 - Core network

[0031] 104 - Nodes

[0032] 106 - Devices

[0033] 200 - Online Charging System (OCS) Architecture

[0034] 202 - IMS CSCF

[0035] 204 - Network Functions

[0036] 206 - ISC

[0037] 208 - Online Changing System (OCS)

[0038] 210 - First Set of Interfaces

[0039] 212 - Support Servers

[0040] 212a - Recharging Server

[0041] 212b - Operator’s Post-processing System (OPS)

[0042] 212c - Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)

[0043] 214 - Third Set of Interfaces

[0044] 216 - Online Charging Function

[0045] 218 - Second Set of Interfaces

[0046] 220 - Account Balance Management Function

[0047] 222 - Charging Gateway Function

[0048] 224 - Rating Function (RF) Node

[0049] 300 - Operating environment of OCS

[0050] 302 - Network Entities

[0051] 304 - Data Parser

[0052] 306 - Task Load Balancer

[0053] 308 - Rating Engine 310 - Rule Engine

[0054] 400 - Process flowchart

[0055] 500 - Method for integrating rules to OCS

[0056] 502-506 - Operational Blocks of Method 500

[0057] 600 - Method for rating network services by OCS 602-616 - Operational Blocks of Method 600 700 - Operational Entities 702 - Processor

[0058] 704 - Memory

[0059] 706 - Transceiver

[0060] 708 - Communication Bus

[0061] 710 - Transceiver Modules

[0062] 712 - Data Processing Modules

[0063] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0064]

[0025] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.

[0065]

[0026] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066]

[0027] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” refers to one embodiment and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

[0067]

[0028] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so- described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

[0068]

[0029] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth 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.

[0069]

[0030] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.

[0070]

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.

[0071]

[0032] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and / or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0072]

[0033] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrating customized rules for rating (charging) network services to an Online Charging System (OCS) in the communication network. Some aspects relate to customized charging (or rating of) communication services for account(s) (e.g., accounts associated with a user / subscriber or a device) in the communication network.

[0073]

[0034] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a data model for establishing a relation between network parameters and network services such that a specific combination of parametric values correspond to setup of rule(s) for specific network service(s) in the communication network, as opted by the account(s).

[0035] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to enabling service providing vendors (network service providers) to establish custom rating rules for rating account(s) for network service(s) at the OCS in the communication network, thereby removing the dependency of multiple OCS for a variety of rules for a variety of service providing vendors.

[0074]

[0036] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to providing and managing customized tariff rules for communication services to users (or accounts), without extensively exhausting computational resources in the communication network.

[0075]

[0037] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to managing rating actions (or executing tariff strategies) for rating the network services for several service providers (vendors) by one OCS in the communication network based on dedicated rating rules.

[0076]

[0038] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 through FIG. 6, discussed below, and the one or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0077]

[0039] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components of a communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication network 100 includes a core network 102. The core network 102 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to and designated as ‘network 102’) may be coupled with a plurality of Base Stations (BS) or a plurality of nodes including Node 104-1 through Node 104-N and is configured to facilitate a secured communication among the plurality of nodes (collectively referred to as the “Nodes 104”, and individually referred to as the “Node 104”, hereinafter). The communication network 100 further includes a server (not shown) connected to the core network 102. The server is configured to execute data processing and data storing operations to optimize the network coverage in the communication network 100.

[0078]

[0040] In an embodiment, each of the nodes are configured to be coupled with one or more user devices 106-1, 106-2, 106-3, 106-4, through 106-(N-l), 106-N (collectively referred to as the “user devices 106”, and individually referred to as the “user device 106”, hereinafter). In one aspect, the core network 102 may establish a secured communication between the one or more user devices 106 associated with the plurality of nodes 104. In another aspect, the core network 102 may establish a secured communication between the one or more user devices 106 associated with the same node 104.

[0079]

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, the core network 102 may effectively establish a secured communication between the user device 106-1 and the user device 106-2, where the user device 106-1 and the user device 106-2 both are coupled with the Node 104-1. In another embodiment, the core network 102 may establish a secured communication between the user device 106-2 and the user device 106-N with equal effectiveness, where the user device 106-2 is coupled with the Node 104-1 and the user device 106-N is coupled with the Node 104-N.

[0080]

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the core network 102 (also, referred to as network 102, herein) may be configured as an application server and may be communicably operational or may be integrated with a user device 106 via a network coupled with a server. The core network 102 may pertain to 5thGeneration (5G) service-based architecture and may be configured to interconnect distinct networks associated with the architecture. Therefore, the core network 102 may provide a path for the exchange of information between one or more of the networks, and corresponding subnetworks.

[0043] Although FIG. 1 illustrates one example of the communication network 100, various changes may be made to FIG. 1. For example, the communication network 100 may include any number of nodes and user devices 106 in any suitable arrangement, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various components in FIG. 1 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0081]

[0044] FIG. 2 is a block diagram that depicts an Online Charging System (OCS) architecture 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the OCS architecture 200 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as ‘architecture 200’) may include some (or all) of the components of the core network 102. The architecture 200 may include an Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem Call Session Control Function (IMS-CSCF) 202 coupled to a first set of network elements 204 by an IMS Service Control (ISC) 206. Examples of the first set of network elements 204 may include a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Serving General Packet Radio System Support Node (SGSN), proxy function, Traffic Detection Function (TDF), etc. as presented in FIG. 2. The first set of network elements comprises network functions corresponding to various network services provided by a service provider associated with the architecture 200.

[0082]

[0045] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the network services associated with the architecture 200 may correspond to operational functionality of the network elements 204. For example, the network services may include, but are not limited to, voice calling network services and Short Messaging Service(s) (SMS) (e.g., through input(s) including credit-control-request and credit-control-answer) corresponding to Ro interface, subscriber policy counter status (identification and alteration) services and advertising application services (e.g., through input(s) including command code values, spending limit request command, spending limit answer command, spending-status-notification requests, spending-status- notification answer command, and session-termination-request command) corresponding to Sy interface, broadband and / or optical fiber network service(s) corresponding to radius interface, network service(s) related to immediate account debit, event based account debit with reservations, session based account debit with reservations, account refund, account balance query, etc. corresponding to Rc interface, network service(s) related to external account recharging corresponding to Rr interface, network service(s) related to determination of a price for a given event or service (e.g., one-time or recurrent charges) corresponding to the Re interface, network service(s) related to service providing operator's post-processing operations corresponding to Bo interface, and online data and multimedia services (e.g., through input(s) related to collection and transfer of charging information from Online Charging Function (OCF) 216 to the Charging Gateway Function (CGF) 222) corresponding to Gy interface in the 5thGeneration (5G) communication network. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any service associated with the functionality of the network elements 204 as ‘the network services’ without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0083]

[0046] The OCS 208 may be coupled to the ISC 206 by way of a first set of interfaces 210. Examples of interfaces in the first set of interfaces 210 may include, but are not limited to, CAMEL Application Part (CAP) interface, and the Ro interface. The OCS 208 may include networking components configured to determine parameters associated with network services consumed by an account of a subscriber or user / device in the communication network. The account may represent an identity of a subscriber (e.g., a user) and / or a user device. The OCS 208 may include an Online Charging Function (OCF) 216 to determine a set of communication parameters associated with the network service(s) rendered to the account. Preferably, the OCF 216 may include a Session based Charging Function (SCF) 216a and an Event based Charging Function (ECF) 216b. The SCF 216a may be configured to determine communication parameters associated with session(s) of the network service(s) rendered to the account. For example, when data is communicated in a session, the SCF 216a may determine a duration of data communication in the session, a size of data communicated in the session, whether the session includes any special conditions (such as data roaming), etc.

[0084]

[0047] The ECF 216b may be configured to determine communication parameters associated with events of network service(s) rendered to the account. For example, when a text message is communicated, the ECF 216b may determine a size of text message, location of a recipient of the text message, etc. The OCS 208 may further include Account Balance Management Function (AB MF) 220, a Charging Gateway function (CGF) 222, and a Rating Function (RF) 224 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as ‘RF node 224’ or ‘RF pod 224’ or ‘RF 224’). The ABMF 220, the CGF 222, and the RF node 224 may be coupled with the OCF 216 by a second set of interfaces 218. Preferably, the ABMF 220 may be coupled to the OCF 216 using Rc interface and the RF node 224 may be coupled to the OCF 216 using Re interface. Similarly, the CGF 222 may be coupled to the OCF 216 using Ga interface.

[0085]

[0048] The ABMF 220 may be configured to determine and maintain account(s) corresponding to a session and / or an event associated with the network service. The RF node 224 may be configured to generate rate information (e.g., tariff) for each network service using the predefined network rules. Particularly, the RF node 224 may have a data model customized for the network services opted for the account. The data model may include strategies for rating and protocols for execution the strategies for the network service(s) opted by the account. Preferably, the data model may be a data structure configured to store parametric values of the network parameters corresponding to the network services rendered by service providing vendors in the communication network 100. The data model may be accessed by the RF 224 (specifically rule engine 310 as presented later in FIG. 3) to identify the network service(s) corresponding to a transaction request corresponding to an account. The CGF 222 may be configured to support the RF node 224 by managing policies for determination of rate (e.g., tariff) for each network service associated with the account.

[0049] Furthermore, the OCS 208 may be coupled to support servers 212 by a third set of interfaces 214. The support servers 212 may include a Recharging Server (RS) 212a, an Operator’s Post-processing System (OPS) 212b, and the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 212c. The RS 212a may be configured to manage account balance details and recharge(s) details corresponding to the account. The OPS 212b may be configured to perform post-processing operation(s) for management of rating policies (e.g., tariff policies) for the service provider. The PCRF 212c may be configured to manage policies for e.g., rating rules (tariff rules) generated by the RF node 224 based on the user selected services. Moreover, the PCRF 212c may be configured to manage rate(s) corresponding to various network services that can be accessed by the account.

[0086]

[0050] The third set of interfaces 214 may include Rr interface, Bo interface, and Sy interface. Particularly, the ABMF 220 may be coupled with the RS 212a using the Rr interface, the CGF 222 may be coupled to the OPS 212b using the Bo interface and the RF node 224 may be coupled to the PCRF 212c using the Sy interface. Preferably, the first set of interfaces 210, the second set of interfaces 218, and the third set of interfaces 214 are network interfaces related to the 5G telecom network. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the first through third sets of interfaces are standard network interfaces and are segregated based on their appearance in the architecture 200.

[0087]

[0051] Although FIG. 2 illustrates one example of the architecture 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 2. For example, the architecture 200 may include any number of components of similar functionality as of those presented in FIG. 2 in any suitable arrangement, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various components of the architecture 200 as presented in FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to specific needs or technical advancements in upcoming telecom standards.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates an operational environment 300 of the OCS 208, for rating network service(s) in the communication network 100, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The operational environment 300 includes network entities 302 and the OCS 208. The OCS 208 may include a data parser 304, a task load balancer 306, and rating engine(s) 308. Each rating engine 308 may be associated with a rule engine 310. Various components of the OCS 208 may be configured for integration of rules for multiple service providers (vendors) in the communication network with existing rules for rating (or charging) network services by the OCS 208 in the communication network 100.

[0088]

[0053] The network entities 302 may include suitable logic, interfaces, and hardware circuitry to receive input(s) from the various entities of the core network 102 and render output(s) to them. Specifically, the network entities 302 may enable the service providers (or vendors) to provide data corresponding to custom rating rules for network service(s) in the communication network 100.

[0089]

[0054] The rule engine 310 may be configured to receive the data corresponding to the custom rating rules, preferably in form of template(s), from the network entities 302. The data may be provided by a specific service provider for integrating custom rating rule(s) for rating of network service(s) in the communication network Each template may include rating condition(s) and rating action(s), for rating the network service(s). Preferably, the rating condition(s) may correspond to parametric values of network parameter(s) associated with the network service(s). Each network parameter may have a specific parametric value and each network service may be identified based on a specific set of parametric values for a specific set of network parameters. The template(s) may include data for mapping at least one rating condition of to at least one rating action, for the one or more network services. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the template(s) may further include data for mapping one or more service plans to one or more tariff rates, for the one or more network services. For example, in a scenario, a template corresponding to a condition: 10GB data @ 20USD followed by 30GB data @ 100USD followed by 5USD per GB data may include rating actions corresponding to a first tariff rate up to 10GB data, a switch of the tariff rate at consumption of 10GB data, followed by another switch of the tariff rate at consumption of 30GB data.

[0090]

[0055] The rule engine 310 may also be configured to generate one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions. Moreover, the rule engine 310 may be configured to integrate the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to the OCS 208. Particularly, the rule engine 310 may enable an establishment of a data model that relates parametric values of the network parameter(s) with the rule(s) of network service(s) (specifically, in terms of the rating conditions and the rating actions).

[0091]

[0056] The data parser 304 may be configured to receive a transaction request comprising network data for the one or more network services from the network entities 302. Particularly, the transaction request may correspond to access of the one or more network services for the account (e.g., account of a subscriber of a service providing vendor in the communication network 100). The data parser 304 may further be configured to translate the network data into parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services.

[0092]

[0057] The rating engine 308 may be configured to rate the transaction request for the one or more network services according to rules of the OCS 208. The rules of OCS 208 define a relation between the parametric values for network parameters and the rating actions for the network services in the communication network, specifically including the customized rules integrated to the OCS 208 based on the template(s) provided by the service providing vendor. Preferably, rating the transaction request corresponds to determination of tariff value for the one or more network services for the account.

[0058] In some aspects of the present disclosure, to determine the tariff value for the one or more network services, the rule engine 310 may be configured to determine one or more service plans corresponding to the parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services. Moreover, the rating engine 308 may be configured to determine the tariff value for the one or more network services based on one or more rules for the one or more service plans from the rules of the OCS 208.

[0093]

[0059] Upon determination of the tariff value for the one or more network services, the rule engine 310 is configured to retrieve (or fetch) details of an account balance associated with the account corresponding to the transaction request from the support servers 212. The rule engine 310 may further be configured to determine whether the tariff value is / can be deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. Specifically, the rule engine 310 enables comparison of the tariff value with the account balance associated with the account. Moreover, the rule engine 310 may generate a rating status response based on the comparison. Particularly, the rating status response may indicate either a successful rating or a failed rating. The successful rating of the one or more network services for the account is identified when the account balance is greater than or equal to the tariff value and / or the tariff value is successfully deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. On a contrary, the failed rating of the one or more network services for the account is identified when the tariff value is not deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the failed rating of the one or more network services corresponds to the account balance below the tariff value for the one or more network services.

[0094]

[0060] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the OCS 208 may include multiple rating engines 308, each comprising at least one rule engine 310. In such scenario, the operational environment 300 may include a task load balancer 306 strategically placed between the data parser 304 and the rating engines 308. The task load balancer 306 may include circuitry, interfaces, codes, and / or logics configured to distribute the parametric values corresponding to multiple transaction requests, received parallelly by the OCS 208, amongst the rating engines 308, thereby distributing the computational burden on each rating engine 308 and enabling parallel processing of multiple transaction requests.

[0095]

[0061] As will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that FIG. 3 illustrates only one setup of the operational environment 300 for the OCS for rating the network services in the communication network 100, various other setups in a variety of configurations, combinations and / or count of components (as presented in FIG. 3) may be possible to implement without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Various changes may be made to FIG. 3, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the OCS 208 may include any number of components in addition to those shown in FIG. 3 without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various components in FIG. 3 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0096]

[0062] FIG. 4 is a process-flow diagram depicting operations by a subsystem 400 for rating the communication services by the OCS 208 in the communication network 100, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The subsystem 400 may include the network entities 302 (e.g., components of the core network 102) and the OCS 208, as independent entities. More particularly, the OCS 208 may be hosted by a data processing server (not shown) and may provide data processing and / or data storage services to enable rating of the network services based on rules customized for account of a user / subscriber associated with a service provider in the communication network 100.

[0063] The OCS 208 may include the rating engine 308 and the rule engine 310. The rating engine 308 may include circuitry, logic, interface(s), and code(s) configured to receive transaction request from the network entities 302 comprising network data in a structured format (e.g., from the core network 102). Moreover, the rating engine 308 may be enabled with the data model including strategies for rating and protocols for execution the strategies for the network service(s) opted by the account. Preferably, the data model (i.e., data structure) may be configured to store parametric values of the network parameters corresponding to the network services rendered by service providing vendors in the communication network 100. The data model may be accessed by the rule engine 310 to identify the network service(s) corresponding to a transaction request (comprising network data) corresponding to the account. Moreover, the data model enables the rule engine 310 to map the tariff rules of the OCS with the network data (i.e., transaction request for network service(s) for the account) to determine the execution strategy (i.e., rating action(s) and a sequence of execution of the rating actions) and the tariff value for the network service(s). In some aspects of the present disclosure, the network rules may be modelled into a mapping of distinct sets of parametric values of the network parameters with the network service(s). The tariff value for the network services may be determined based on rules. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the rules may be modelled into a mapping of network data and Tariff / Price to be selected.

[0097]

[0064] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart that depicts a method 500 for integrating rules for rating network services with the OCS 208 in the communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Particularly, the method 500 presents operational steps to add custom rules to the OCS 208, specific to a service provider, for rating network services of an account associated with the corresponding service provider. The method 500 is presented through blocks 502 through 506.

[0065] At block 502, the rule engine 310 may receive template(s) from the network entities 302. Each template may include rating condition(s) and rating action(s) for network service(s). The rating condition(s) correspond to parametric values of the network parameters associated with the requested network services for the account.

[0098]

[0066] In some aspects of the present disclosure, when the service provider provides a logic for operation (i.e., business logic) and the network data can be provided through a single template, then template comprise data for mapping at least one rating condition of the one or more rating conditions to at least one rating action of the one or more rating actions, for the one or more network services. In some other aspects of the present disclosure, when the service provider does not provide a logic of operation (i.e., business logic) and multiple template(s) are provided, then the templates further comprise data for mapping one or more service plans to one or more tariff rates, for the one or more network services. Specifically, the rating condition(s) and the rating action(s) may be specific to tariff value(s) for network service(s) corresponding to the service plans provided by the service provider.

[0099]

[0067] At block 504, the rule engine 310 may generate rule(s) for the network service(s) by mapping each rating condition with a corresponding rating action in the received template(s). Such rule(s) may be specifically generated for the network service(s) to rate accounts (of subscribers) corresponding to the service provider.

[0100]

[0068] At block 506, the rule engine 310 may integrate the generated rule(s) with existing rules of the OCS 208 for rating the network service(s) for the accounts corresponding to the subscribers of the service provider.

[0101]

[0069] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart that depicts a method 600 for rating the network service(s) for the account corresponding to the service provider by the OCS 208 in the communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600 is presented through blocks 602 through 616.

[0070] At block 602, the data parser 304 may receive the transaction request comprising network data for the network service(s). Specifically, the transaction request may correspond to an access of the network service(s) by the service provider to the account based on the rules specified for the network services of the service provider.

[0102]

[0071] At block 604, the data parser 304 may translate the network data into parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the network service(s). Moreover, based on the parametric values for the one or more network parameters, the network service(s) may be confirmed.

[0103]

[0072] At block 606, the rating engine 308 may rate the transaction request for the network service(s) based on the rules specified for the account by the service provider. The rules may define a relation between the parametric values for one or more of network parameters and one or more rating actions. In some aspects of the present disclosure, rating the transaction request for the network service(s) comprises comparing the parametric values with rating conditions and parametric values meeting one or more rating conditions of at least one of the rules of the rule engine 310. Preferably, the transaction request may be associated with an access for network service(s) based on the rating rule(s) for the account and may be associated with determining the tariff value for the network service(s).

[0104]

[0073] Preferably, based on the rating of the transaction request for the one or more network services, the tariff value of the network service(s) may be determined. Specifically, the rule engine 310 may determine one or more service plans corresponding to the parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the network service(s). Moreover, the rating engine 308 may determine the tariff value for the network service(s) based on one or more rules for the one or more service plans from the rules of the OCS 208.

[0074] At block 608, upon determining the tariff value for the network service(s), the rule engine 310 may retrieve the account balance associated with the account of the subscriber corresponding to the service provider.

[0105]

[0075] At block 610, the rule engine 310 may determine whether the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. In other words, the rule engine 310 may compare the tariff value with the account balance. When the account balance is identified lower than the tariff value, the method 600 proceeds to block 612, else, the method 600 proceeds to block 614.

[0106]

[0076] At block 612, the rule engine 310 may identify the failed rating of the network service(s). The method 600 proceeds to block 616.

[0107]

[0077] At block 614, the rule engine 310 may identify the successful rating of the network service(s). The method proceeds to block 616.

[0108]

[0078] At block 616, the rating engine 308 may generate the rating status of the network service(s) for the account. The rating status response may indicate either the successful rating or the failed rating. The successful rating of the one or more network services for the account is identified when the account balance is greater than or equal to the tariff value and / or the tariff value is successfully deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. On a contrary, the failed rating of the one or more network services for the account is identified when the tariff value is not deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the failed rating of the one or more network services corresponds to the account balance below the tariff value for the one or more network services.

[0109]

[0079] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram depicting operational entities 700 in the components of the OCS 208, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Particularly, the operational entities 700 may be utilized for implementation of the components of the OCS 208 such as, but not limited to, the data parser 304, the task load balancer 306, the rating engine 308, and the rule engine 310. The operational entities 700 may include a processor 702, a memory 704, a transceiver 706, transceiver modules 710, and data processing modules 712, communicatively coupled through a communication bus 708.

[0110]

[0080] The processor 702 may include processing circuitry, logic, interface(s), and / or code(s), that enable the component of the OCS 208 to execute data processing operation(s) (e.g., generation, modification, execution, etc.) pertaining to a corresponding functionality of the component, as is mentioned above. The processor 702 may include one or a plurality of processors, including a general- purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, a graphics-only processing unit such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) or the like, a programmable logic device, or any combination thereof.

[0111]

[0081] According to an exemplary embodiment, the transceiver modules 710 and the data processing modules 712 (cumulatively referred to as ‘the modules’) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement operations of the component through the processor 702 and / or the transceiver 706. In non-limiting examples, described herein, such combinations of hardware and software programming may be implemented in several different ways, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Each module of the modules (i.e., the transceiver modules 710 and the data processing modules 712) may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or codes. The programming for the modules may be performed through processor-executable instructions stored in the memory 704 (e.g., a non- transitory machine-readable storage medium) and a hardware for the modules may comprise a processing resource (for example, the processor 702), to execute such instructions. Preferably, a first transceiver module 710-1 may enable the transceiver 706 for transmission and / or reception of data and / or instructions for the data parser 304, a second transceiver module 710-2 may enable the transceiver 706 for transmission and / or reception of data and / or instructions for the task load balancer 306, a third transceiver module 710-3 may enable the transceiver 706 for transmission and / or reception of data and / or instructions for the rating engine 308 (including the rule engine 310). Similarly, a first data processing module 712-1 may enable the processor 702 for processing operations pertaining to the data parser 304, a second data processing module 712-2 enable the processor 702 for processing operations pertaining to the task load balancer 306, and a third data processing module 712-3 may enable the processor 702 for processing operations pertaining to the rating engine 308 (including the rule engine 310), as presented in FIG. 3 through FIG. 6 above. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the modules for a single component (i.e., data parser 304, the task load balancer 306, the rating engine 308, and the rule engine 310) may be combined to a single module or each module of the modules may be further subdivided into different modules.

[0112]

[0082] The memory 704 may be configured to store data and / or instruction(s) required by the processor 702 for execution of processing operations of the component it is deployed in. A part of the memory 704 may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), a cache memory, or a Read Only Memory (ROM). The memory 704 may include non-volatile storage elements. Examples of such nonvolatile storage elements may include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of electrically programmable memories (EPROM) or electrically erasable and programmable (EEPROM) memories. In addition, the memory 704 may, in some examples, be considered a non-transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory 704 is non-movable. In some examples, the memory 704 may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non- transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in RAM or cache). The memory 704 may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the component of the OCS 208 it is deployed in, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include T1 or otherwise cover any data storage medium as ‘the memory 704’, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0113]

[0083] The transceiver 706 may include interface(s), logic, circuitry, and / or codes to enable communication between the component it is deployed in with the other components of the OCS 208. Examples of the transceiver 706 may include, but are not limited to, a Modulator-Demodulator (MODEM), a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and / or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, amplifier(s), a tuner, oscillator(s), a digital signal processor, a Coder-Decoder (CODEC) chipset, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit.

[0114]

[0084] Examples of the communication bus 708 may include, but are not limited to, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), and a Front Side Bus (FSB). Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of coupling means present or related to later developed technologies, that may be configured to connect the communicatively couple the operational entities 700, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0115]

[0085] Although FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary operational entities for deployment of the operational components (e.g., the data parser 304, the task load balancer 306, the rating engine 308, and the rule engine 310) of the OCS 208, various changes may be made to FIG. 7. For example, the operational components may be implemented through any number of components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 7, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various components in FIG. 7 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0116]

[0086] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, the OCS 208 offers collective rule integration as a solution to customize service plans for accounts associated with a variety of service providers and manage rating of network services for accounts accordingly. The collective rule integration by can integrate with any form of Tariff Rules and / or Subscriber Rules as it is mapped to the network parameters, that enables a single OCS 208 to be used for rating accounts corresponding to multiple service providing vendors based on their specified rating rules in the communication network 100. Therefore, the present disclosure removes the dependency of a dedicated OCS to be utilized for rating a single vendor and provides a generic framework for rating the network services, which makes the OCS 208 universal, flexible, and customizable.

[0117]

[0087] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0118]

[0088] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0119]

[0089] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method (500) for integrating rules for rating one or more network services with an Online Charging System (OCS) (208) in a communication network (100), the method (500) comprising: receiving, by a rule engine (310) at the OCS (208), one or more templates, wherein each template of the one or more templates comprising one or more rating conditions and one or more rating actions, for rating the one or more network services; generating, by the rule engine (310), one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions; and integrating, by the rule engine (310), the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to the OCS (208).

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more rating conditions correspond to parametric values of one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services.

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more templates comprise data for mapping at least one rating condition of the one or more rating conditions to at least one rating action of the one or more rating actions, for the one or more network services.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one or more templates further comprises data for mapping one or more service plans to one or more tariff rates, for the one or more network services.

5. A method (600) for rating one or more network services for an account by an Online Charging System (OCS) (208) in a communication network (100), the method comprising:receiving, by a data parser (304) at the OCS (208), a transaction request comprising network data for the one or more network services; translating, by the data parser (304), the network data into parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services; and rating, by a rating engine (308) based on rules of the rule engine (310), the transaction request for the one or more network services, wherein the rules of the rule engine (310) define a relation between the parametric values for one or more of network parameters and one or more rating actions.

6. The method (600) as claimed in claim 5, wherein, rating the transaction request for the one or more network services comprises comparing the parametric values with rating conditions and parametric values meeting one or more rating conditions of at least one of the rules of the rule engine (310).

7. The method (600) as claimed in claim 5, wherein, based on the rating of the one or more network services, the method comprises determining a tariff value for the one or more network services by: determining, by the rule engine (310), one or more service plans corresponding to the parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services; and determining, by the rating engine (308), the tariff value for the one or more network services based on one or more rules for the one or more service plans from the rules of the OCS (208).

8. The method (600) as claimed in claim 7, wherein, upon determining the tariff value for the one or more network services, the method comprising: retrieving, by the rule engine (310), an account balance associated with the account; determining, by the rule engine (310), whether the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services; andrendering, by the OCS (208), a rating status response, wherein the rating status response indicates: a successful rating of the one or more network services for the account, when the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services; and a failed rating of the one or more network services for the account, when the tariff value is not deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services.

9. The method (600) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the failed rating of the one or more network services corresponds to the account balance below the tariff value for the one or more network services.

10. An Online Charging System (OCS) (208) for rating one or more network services in a communication network (100), wherein the OCS (208) comprising: a rule engine (310) configured to: receive one or more templates, wherein each template of the one or more templates comprises one or more rating conditions and one or more rating actions, for rating the one or more network services; and generate one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions; and integrate the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to the OCS (208).

11. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the one or more rating conditions correspond to parametric values of one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services.

12. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the one or more templates comprise data for mapping at least one rating condition of the one or more ratingconditions to at least one rating action of the one or more rating actions, for the one or more network services.

13. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more templates further comprises data for mapping one or more service plans to one or more tariff rates, for the one or more network services.

14. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a data parser (304) and a rating engine (308), wherein for rating the one or more network services for an account in the communication network (100): the data parser (304) is configured to receive a transaction request comprising network data for the one or more network services and translate the network data into parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services; and the rating engine (308) is configured to rate the transaction request for one or more network services according to rules of the OCS (208), wherein the rules of OCS (208) define a relation between the parametric values for one or more of network parameters and one or more rating actions, wherein the rate of the transaction request corresponds to determination of tariff value for the one or more network services.

15. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 14, wherein, rating the transaction request for the one or more network services comprises comparing the parametric values with rating conditions and parametric values meeting one or more rating conditions of at least one of the rules of the rule engine (310).

16. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 14, wherein, to determine the tariff value for the one or more network services based on the rating of the transaction request for the one or more network services:the rule engine (310) is configured to determine one or more service plans corresponding to the parametric values for one or more of network parameters associated with the one or more network services; and the rating engine (308) is configured to determine the tariff value for the one or more network services based on one or more rules for the one or more service plans from the rules of the OCS (208).

17. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 16, wherein, upon determination of the tariff value for the one or more network services, the rule engine (310) is configured to: retrieve an account balance associated with the account; determine whether the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services, wherein the OCS (208) renders a rating status response indicating: a successful rating of the one or more network services for the account, when the tariff value is deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services; and a failed rating of the one or more network services for the account, when the tariff value is not deducted from the account balance in lieu of the one or more network services.

18. The OCS (208) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the failed rating of the one or more network services corresponds to the account balance below the tariff value for the one or more network services.

19. A computer-program product for rating one or more network services in a communication network (100), the computer-program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer- readable medium and that, when executed by at least one processor performs operations comprising:receiving one or more templates, wherein each template of the one or more templates comprising one or more rating conditions and one or more rating actions, for rating the one or more network services; generating one or more rules for the one or more network services by mapping each rating condition of the one or more rating conditions with a corresponding rating action of the one or more rating actions; and integrating the one or more rules for rating the one or more network services to an Online Charging System (OCS) (208).

Images