IMS Sponsored Service Billing via Intermediary Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile communication networks lack a method for third-party Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to pay mobile communication network usage fees on behalf of subscribers and provide differentiated service qualities, especially in IMS-based networks, which results in suboptimal service quality and inability to dynamically adapt to changing service demands.
Innovation Solution
A sponsored service provision method and system that allows ISPs to pay mobile communication network usage fees by transmitting sponsored service start requests, establishing sessions, and billing through an Authentication/Authorization/Accounting (AAA) server, enabling dynamic quality control and service validation, and shifting traffic to nearest network nodes during overload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a 3rd party ISP provides Internet service through the mobile communication network operator's IP network without IMS core network involvement, then the ISP can provide Internet service to mobile subscribers, but the ISP cannot pay the mobile communication network usage fee in the mobile subscriber's stead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an IMS core network as an intermediary between the 3rd party ISP and the mobile communication network operator. The IMS core network enables the ISP to provide sponsored services by mediating the interaction between the ISP's Internet service and the operator's charging system, allowing the operator to charge the ISP directly rather than individual subscribers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the mobile communication network infrastructure universal by enabling it to support both traditional subscriber-based charging and new sponsored service models. The network is enhanced to handle multiple service provisioning modes simultaneously, allowing both direct subscriber payment and ISP-sponsored payment through the same infrastructure.
2Device complexity
If the mobile communication network retains no information on the Internet service, then the network maintains simplicity, but the ISP cannot provide quality-differentiated services based on QoS
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the IMS core network pre-establish service information and QoS parameters before Internet service delivery. The network proactively configures quality-differentiated service attributes based on the sponsored service agreement between the ISP and operator, enabling QoS control without adding complex real-time processing requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If the 3rd party ISP provides the Internet service transparently of the mobile communication network, then the service delivery is simple, but it is impossible for the mobile communication network to differentiate among the Internet services and enhance the service quality dynamically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling the mobile communication network to differentiate and enhance service quality at specific network nodes and for specific services. The IMS core network allows quality-differentiated treatment for sponsored services while maintaining standard transparent delivery for other services, creating localized quality enhancement without compromising overall system simplicity.
4Device complexity
If there is physical distance between the mobile terminal and ISP, then the network architecture remains distributed, but propagation/processing delay causes user to experience degradation of the quality of the Internet service
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the IMS core network as an intermediary that consolidates service control functions closer to the mobile terminal. By routing sponsored service traffic through the operator's IMS infrastructure rather than directly to distant ISP servers, the patent reduces propagation and processing delays while maintaining the distributed nature of the overall network architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and a system for providing a sponsored service on an IMS-based mobile communication network, and comprises the steps of: a sponsored service client transmitting to a sponsored service server a sponsored service start request message; the sponsored service server determining the validity of the sponsored service after receiving the start request message; transmitting to the sponsored service client a sponsored service start acceptance message when the sponsored service server determines the sponsored service as valid; generating a sponsored service between the sponsored service client and an Internet service provider server; the sponsored service server generating charged fee information and transmitting the charged fee information to an authentication/authorization/accounting (AAA) server, when the sponsored service client requests termination of the sponsored service; and terminating the sponsored service session. According to the present invention, the sponsored service, in which a third paπy Internet service provider can pay the cost using the mobile communication network instead of a wireless user equipment subscriber, can be provided, and the quality of the service can be dynamically controlled from the point the Internet service is provided.