Online Charging System Quota Reservation for Network Load Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 3GPP charging architecture fails to handle increased signaling and load on communication networks due to higher demands for accuracy, more frequent users, and increasing numbers of services used in parallel, leading to potential network overload and traffic rejection.
Innovation Solution
An Online Charging System (OCS) that receives a request message for service charging, accesses a system utilization indicator to determine a service usage quota, and reserves this quota from the account, transmitting it to the charging client to control service usage, thereby managing network load and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real time charging systems continuously surveil authorization of services to limit credit risk, then operator revenue security is improved, but network signaling load and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing a credit limit for the subscriber before service activation. The OCS receives a credit limit indication from the charging client, determines a service usage quota based on this credit limit, and reserves the corresponding amount from the subscriber's account in advance. This pre-authorization mechanism eliminates the need for continuous surveillance during service delivery, reducing real-time signaling load while maintaining revenue security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the charging control process into distinct phases: pre-service credit limit establishment and post-service billing. The OCS separates the authorization function (determining service usage quota based on credit limit) from the accounting function (billing after service delivery). This segmentation allows the system to perform comprehensive credit checks beforehand while simplifying real-time operations to basic quota monitoring.
2Ease of operation
If service usage quota is reserved from subscriber account based on credit limit, then end user spending control is improved, but processing time and system load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the computationally intensive credit limit evaluation and service usage quota determination in advance, during the service activation phase. The OCS receives the credit limit indication, calculates the appropriate service usage quota, and reserves funds from the subscriber's account before service delivery begins. This preliminary processing eliminates time-consuming calculations during real-time service operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic service usage quota adjustment based on the subscriber's credit limit and account balance. The OCS dynamically determines the service usage quota to match available credit, and dynamically updates the reserved amount as services are consumed. This dynamic approach provides real-time spending control to users while optimizing processing efficiency through adaptive quota management.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for controlling charging of a service in a communication network comprising in an Online Charging System OCS receiving a request message for charging of the service from a charging client where the request message is including at least data identifying a first communication network account to charge for the service. A system utilization indicator is accessed representing a computer resource utilization value of a node involved in providing the service. Based on at least the system utilization indicator a determined service usage quota is determined, including a determined service usage quota attribute, to be reserved for from the account. The service usage quota is reserved for from the account and an answer message is transmitted to the charging client including the determined service usage quota attribute of the service usage quota reserved for from the account to be applied in controlling the service.