Secure Memory Charging for Proximity Services
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current charging mechanisms in LTE communication systems, particularly in proximity service scenarios, face challenges in efficiently and accurately billing for direct or local communication between user equipment, as they lack real-time interaction with network resource usage and effective methods for secure tracking and reporting of resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a method where user equipment allocates a secure memory area to collect proximity service charging data, generates a unique charging ID, and reports this data to the network, allowing for both online and offline charging mechanisms to account for proximity service usage, ensuring secure and accurate billing through secure memory areas and unique identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional offline charging mechanism is used for proximity service, then billing can be processed after resource usage, but real-time charging control and accurate tracking of direct UE-to-UE resource usage cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system is segmented into multiple components: UE-side charging data collection, secure memory storage, network-side charging data repository, and charging function entities. This segmentation allows real-time data collection at the edge (UE) while maintaining centralized control and accurate billing processing at the network side, resolving the contradiction between fast local response and reliable centralized billing.
Solution Approach 2:
A charging data repository and charging function entities act as intermediaries between the UE and the billing system. These intermediaries collect, store, and process charging data in real-time, enabling both immediate charging responses and accurate billing reconciliation without requiring direct UE-to-billing-system communication for every transaction.
2Measurement precision
If secure tracking of proximity service resource usage is implemented, then billing accuracy improves, but system complexity increases due to secure memory allocation and data protection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The secure memory area and charging data collection mechanisms are designed as universal components that can be deployed across different UE types and proximity service scenarios. The charging data repository serves multiple functions including real-time data storage, historical data archiving, and billing reconciliation, reducing the need for separate specialized systems and thereby limiting complexity growth.
3Productivity
If real-time charging data collection is performed at UE, then online charging capability is enabled, but energy consumption and device processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs partial charging data collection locally, storing essential charging information in secure memory and transmitting it periodically or event-driven to the network. This partial local processing enables online charging capability while avoiding the excessive energy consumption of continuous real-time processing and transmission, striking a balance between productivity and energy usage.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A mechanism for a user equipment is described. The mechanism comprises allocating a secure memory area, wherein said secure memory area being inaccessible by a user of the user equipment; generating an charging identifier relating to proximity communication involving the user equipment; collecting proximity service charging data during the proximity communication; storing the charging identifier and the proximity service charging data in the secure memory area.