Policy Management System Pre-provisions Application Filters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Telecommunication networks face challenges in efficiently managing and distributing packet flow descriptions and application filters across multiple charging and enforcement components, leading to increased latency, signaling overhead, and complexity in supporting sponsored services and IoT communications.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for provisioning application filters in a telecommunication system, where a processor receives requests from charging and enforcement components, determines application identifiers, and sends stimulus messages to filter management systems to pre-emptively provision missing filters, using Diameter protocols for communication, thereby reducing latency and improving network responsiveness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If packet flow descriptions are distributed on-demand to charging and enforcement components, then network resources are conserved, but latency increases and network responsiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork resource consumptionVSAvoidfilter provisioning latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-provisions packet flow descriptions to charging and enforcement components before they are actually needed. The filter management system proactively pushes filters to components based on predicted service requirements, rather than waiting for on-demand requests. This preliminary action eliminates latency while maintaining resource efficiency by only pre-provisioning filters for anticipated services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If packet flow descriptions are pre-provisioned to all charging and enforcement components, then network responsiveness improves, but signaling overhead and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork responsivenessVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies differentiated provisioning strategies to different charging and enforcement components based on their specific roles, service requirements, and traffic patterns. Rather than uniformly pre-provisioning all components, the filter management system selectively pushes filters only to components that need them for specific services, reducing unnecessary signaling overhead while maintaining responsiveness where required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary provisioning actions only when and where needed, based on service registration information and predicted filter requirements. The filter management system proactively pushes packet flow descriptions to specific charging and enforcement components before services are activated, rather than maintaining all possible filters at all components continuously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system supports multiple service types including sponsored services and IoT communications, then service versatility improves, but filter management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice support capabilityVSAvoidfilter management system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filter management system implements a universal architecture that handles multiple service types (sponsored services, IoT communications, traditional services) through a single integrated system. The system uses unified service registration mechanisms and common filter provisioning protocols that work across different service types, reducing overall complexity despite the diversity of services supported.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The filter management system acts as an intermediary between service providers and charging/enforcement components, abstracting the complexity of diverse service requirements. It translates various service type requirements into standardized filter provisioning operations, shielding the underlying complexity from both service providers and network components while maintaining support for multiple service types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11005765B2System and method for managing and distributing packet flow descriptions in a telecommunications network

Publication Date: 2021.05.11 OPENET TELECOM LTD

AI summary

The system and methods of the various embodiments enable the efficient management and distribution of application filters or packet flow descriptions within a telecommunications network. A policy management system may be configured to receive a request message from a charging and enforcement (CaE) component, determine application identifiers for a data communication based on information included in the received request message, and determine policy rules. The policy management system may send a stimulus message that includes the determined application identifiers to a filter management system component so as to cause the filter management system to preemptively provision the charging and enforcement component with application filters. The policy management system may also send a response message that includes the determined policy rules to the CaE component. The charging and enforcement component may use the application filters to identify a data communication and implement the received policy rules for the identified data communication.