PCRF PCEF QoS Feedback for Session Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunications systems using IP Connectivity Access Networks (IP-CAN) face challenges in maintaining Quality of Service (QoS) due to limitations in the access network, leading to service degradation or termination without informing the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) of available QoS resources, resulting in poor user experience and missed charging opportunities.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where the Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) reports QoS limitations to the PCRF, allowing the PCRF to determine how to maintain sessions by modifying authorized QoS or redistributing resources among concurrent sessions, ensuring service continuity and user priority-based allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the PCEF enforces QoS control according to authorized QoS parameters, then service quality is maintained, but service degradation or termination occurs when access network QoS limitations are not reported to the PCRF
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the PCEF reports actual available QoS parameters from the access network back to the PCRF. This feedback loop allows the PCRF to adjust policy decisions based on real network conditions, preventing service degradation by ensuring authorized QoS parameters match actual available resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCEF autonomously monitors and determines the available QoS parameters in the access network and initiates reporting to the PCRF without external prompting. This self-service approach ensures the system maintains service continuity by proactively adapting to network conditions.
2Productivity
If the PCRF makes policy decisions without knowledge of available QoS, then charging opportunities are missed, but system complexity increases with continuous QoS monitoring and reporting mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The PCEF leverages its existing role as a policy enforcement point to simultaneously perform QoS monitoring and reporting functions. By utilizing the PCEF's inherent capabilities and existing communication interfaces with the PCRF, the system avoids adding separate monitoring infrastructure, thus improving charging efficiency without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Loss of information
If the PCEF reports all QoS limitations to the PCRF, then informed policy decisions are enabled, but information processing overhead and signaling traffic increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and reports only the specific QoS parameters that are relevant for policy decision-making from the access network to the PCRF. By selectively reporting only critical QoS information rather than all available data, the system enables informed policy decisions while minimizing signaling overhead and processing requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of facilitating a communication session between a user terminal and an Application Function over an IP Connectivity Access Network. The method comprises, at a Policy and Charging Rules Function, receiving information relating to the session from the Application Function (B3), determining one or more Policy and Charging Control rules for the session including deriving a Quality of Service authorised for the session, and sending the Policy and Charging Control rules, including the authorised Quality of Service, to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (B5). At the Policy and Charging Enforcement Function, installing the one or more Policy and Charging Control rules including the authorised Quality of Service for the session, and, if it is determined that the authorised Quality of Service cannot be achieved due to a limitation on a Quality of Service available in the Access Network, then reporting this to the Policy and Charging Rules Function and including the available Quality of Service (B8). At the Policy and Charging Rules Function, receiving the report from the Policy and Charging Enforcement Function, including the available Quality of Service, and using the available Quality of Service to determine whether and/or how to maintain the session.