Rating System for Home-Rated Roaming Billing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication networks face inefficiencies in interacting to provide home services to User Equipment (UEs) across different wireless networking protocols, leading to suboptimal quality and higher charges for roaming services compared to home services.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication system that includes a provisioning system transferring UE Identity, network ID, and home policy to a network controller, which then applies the home policy to external network elements to ensure UEs receive home-rated usage data, enabling billing based on home-rated usage data for cost-effective home services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless networks interact to serve UEs with roaming service, then UEs can access services outside home network, but the quality of service deteriorates and charges increase compared to home service
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rating system as an intermediary component that mediates between the home network and visiting networks. This rating system translates visiting network identifiers into home network rating groups, enabling the home network to apply home service quality standards and pricing to roaming UEs without requiring direct integration with every visiting network. The rating system acts as a universal translator that maintains home service quality while enabling roaming versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wireless networks interact to serve UEs with roaming service, then UEs can access services outside home network, but billing charges increase compared to home service
Solution Approach 1:
The rating system serves as a financial intermediary that translates roaming usage into home network pricing terms. By converting visiting network identifiers to home rating groups, the system enables the home network to apply home pricing standards to roaming services, eliminating the need for separate roaming billing agreements and reducing charges for both consumers and operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the billing parameter from roaming-specific rates to home network rating groups. This parameter transformation allows the same usage data to be evaluated under different pricing models (home vs. roaming) without changing the actual usage, enabling cost-effective billing while maintaining service accessibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wireless networks provide roaming service, then UEs can use services outside home network, but the complexity of network interaction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rating system is a centralized intermediary that simplifies network interactions by handling the translation and mapping logic in a single location. Instead of requiring complex direct interactions between home and visiting networks, the rating system mediates these interactions through standardized interfaces, reducing overall system complexity while enabling versatile roaming service.
4Reliability
If home network applies home policy to external network elements, then home service quality is maintained, but the complexity of policy enforcement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rating system acts as an intermediary that bridges home network policies with external network elements. It translates home policy requirements into network-specific parameters that external elements can understand and enforce, maintaining home service quality without requiring direct complex policy enforcement in every external network.
Solution Approach 2:
The rating system provides universal policy enforcement by serving multiple functions: it translates policies across different network types, applies consistent home standards to various visiting networks, and maintains quality of service universally. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate policy enforcement mechanisms for each network type.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless communication system serves User Equipment (UE) over external wireless networks. A provisioning system transfers a UE Identity (ID), network ID, and home policy for the UE to a network controller. The provisioning system transfers the network ID and a home rating group to a rating system. The network controller receives the UE ID and network ID from an external network element and transfers the home policy to the external network element. The external network element serves the UE based on the home policy and transfers external usage data to a rating system. The rating system translates the network ID into the home rating group and rates the external usage data using the home rating group. The rating system transfers the UE ID and home-rated usage data to a billing system. The billing system charges for the external network element service using the home-rated usage data.