Mobility-Aware Policy Charging Control for Wireless Handovers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delays and interruptions in communication between policy control and charging rules functions in wireless communication systems can lead to inaccurate charging and quality of service enforcement during handovers between radio access networks, resulting in service disruptions and billing errors.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mobility-aware policy and charging control architecture that performs dynamic policy and charging control by maintaining concurrent sessions between source and target PCEF entities, ensuring continuous enforcement of quality of service policies and charging rules through soft handoffs and double binding resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional policy and charging control architecture is used during handovers, then system complexity is reduced, but service continuity and billing accuracy deteriorate due to communication delays and interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing a preliminary binding between the PCRF and the target PCEF before the handover is complete. The target PCEF receives PCC rules in advance from the PCRF, ensuring that policy and charging control continuity is maintained without waiting for post-handover communication that may be delayed or interrupted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the target PCEF as an intermediary that maintains a preliminary binding with the PCRF during handover. This intermediary relationship allows the target PCEF to receive and enforce PCC rules proactively, bridging the communication gap that occurs during handover transitions.
2Measurement precision
If conventional handover procedures are used, then device complexity is minimized, but billing accuracy and quality of service enforcement deteriorate due to communication interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent improves billing accuracy by performing preliminary actions where the target PCEF receives charging control rules from the PCRF before the handover completes. This ensures that charging information is not lost during handover, and billing can continue accurately without interruption or delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by establishing a preliminary binding that persists through the handover process. The target PCEF maintains its binding with the PCRF continuously, ensuring that policy and charging control actions continue uninterrupted during the transition from source to target access network.
3Reliability
If soft handoffs with concurrent sessions are implemented, then service continuity is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements soft handoff characteristics through preliminary action by establishing a preliminary binding between the PCRF and the target PCEF before the handover is complete. This allows the target PCEF to begin enforcing policies and charging rules in advance, creating a seamless transition that resembles soft handoff behavior where service continuity is maintained.
Data Source
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AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for implementation in a policy control and charging rules functional entity in a wireless communication system. The method includes receiving, from at least one of a source policy and charging enforcement function in a source access network or a target policy and charging enforcement function in a target access network, information indicative of a mobile unit that has handed off from the source access network to the target access network. The method also includes establishing a first session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit. The first session is concurrent with a second session for communicating policy and charging rules associated with the mobile unit. The second session was previously established with the source policy and charging enforcement function in the source access network. The method further includes transmitting at least one policy and charging rule to the target policy and charging enforcement function using the first session.