Mobile Packet Core Session Termination via PCC Rule Filtering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile packet core networks lack a mechanism to distinguish between active and inactive sessions, leading to unnecessary termination of sessions during network outages or congestion, and existing solutions for online charging are inefficient and cannot handle policy changes.
Innovation Solution
A gateway device in the mobile packet core network is equipped with a filter and terminating unit that can terminate sessions based on predefined rules, allowing operators to selectively delete active sessions using PCC rules, enabling session management through the Gx interface and DPI capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If online charging is applied to terminate sessions when packets matching PCC rules are detected, then session termination can be achieved, but extra signaling between PCEF and OCS is required and policy changes after first packet detection cannot be handled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the session termination function from the online charging system (OCS) and relocates it to the policy control rule function (PCRF). The PCRF now directly manages session termination by detecting packet matches against PCC rules and initiating termination procedures, eliminating the need for continuous PCEF-OCS signaling for this specific function. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable termination while reducing signaling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the PCRF acts as a mediator between the PCEF and the session management system. Instead of direct PCEF-OCS signaling, the PCRF receives policy requirements, detects packet matches, and coordinates termination actions, thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining reliable session termination control.
2Reliability
If all sessions are terminated during network outages or congestion, then active sessions can be cleared for re-establishment, but inactive sessions are unnecessarily terminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between active and inactive sessions at the packet inspection level. The system configures specific filters and detection rules that identify packets belonging to active sessions, allowing selective termination only of active sessions during network outages or congestion. Inactive sessions without matching packets remain unaffected, resolving the contradiction by preserving inactive sessions while clearing active ones for re-establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring detection filters and rules in the PCRF that identify active sessions before termination is needed. When network outages or congestion occur, the system already has the capability to distinguish and target only active sessions for termination, preventing unnecessary loss of inactive sessions while ensuring proper clearance of active sessions for recovery.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A gateway device of a mobile packet core network matches (S31) data packets flowing to/from the mobile packet core network, using a filter, and terminates (S33) a session in accordance with an action for the filter when a data packet of the session, which flows to/from the mobile packet core network, matches the filter (S32).