Group-Based PCEF and PCRF Selection for Wireless Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radio communication technologies lack a systematic approach to monitor group users and group services, as existing methods do not support shared service consumption among users or multiple services across different PDN connections, nor can they exclude services from monitored groups dynamically.
Innovation Solution
A method for selecting a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) and a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) is developed, where a shared group ID is allocated to members, and corresponding relationships between the group ID and IP addresses of PGW/PCEF and PCRF are saved, enabling the same PCEF and PCRF to be selected for all members within a monitored group, ensuring unified service usage monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate PCEF and PCRF are selected for each user independently, then user-specific service monitoring is simple, but group-level shared service consumption cannot be monitored accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the PCEF and PCRF selection into a unified process that operates at the group level rather than individual user level. By selecting a common PCEF and PCRF for all users in a monitored group, the system achieves accurate group-wide service consumption monitoring while simplifying the overall architecture compared to managing separate selections for each user.
Solution Approach 2:
The selected PCEF and PCRF serve multiple functions: they monitor service consumption for all users within the monitored group, enforce group-level policies, and provide unified charging decisions. This universal approach allows a single PCEF-PCRF pair to handle multiple users simultaneously, enabling accurate group-level monitoring without requiring separate dedicated functions for each user.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic service exclusion from monitored groups is implemented, then service monitoring flexibility improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic capabilities allowing the monitored group to be modified in real-time. Users can be added to or removed from monitored groups dynamically based on changing requirements. The system maintains the selected PCEF and PCRF assignments even when group members change, providing flexible adaptability without requiring reselection of core network functions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple services across different PDN connections are monitored as a group, then comprehensive service monitoring is achieved, but selection criteria complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments services into monitored groups based on common characteristics such as service type, PDN connection properties, or user attributes. By organizing services into segments that share common monitoring requirements, the system can apply unified PCEF and PCRF selections to entire groups rather than individually managing each service, thus achieving comprehensive monitoring while maintaining manageable selection criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for selecting a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) and a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF), for monitoring members in a monitored group is provided. The method includes allocating a same group Identity (ID) for members in a monitored group, selecting a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW)/PCEF or a PCEF for a member corresponding to the first user to access the network in the monitored group according to the group ID of the member, selecting a PCRF for the member, saving at least one of a corresponding relationship between the group ID and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the PGW/PCEF, and a corresponding relationship between the group ID and an IP address of the PCEF, and saving at least a corresponding relationship between the group ID and an IP address of the PCRF.