Enhanced Sy Interface for Real-Time Traffic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication technologies lack refined control over user traffic, leading to excessive usage and increased mobile communication costs due to the absence of effective real-time monitoring and control mechanisms, particularly in 3G and 4G networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for traffic control that involves receiving service requirements and internet-surfing policies from a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW), acquiring and issuing traffic control information through an extended Sy interface, including state information of policy counters and traffic slices, to enable precise monitoring and management of network usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If near-real-time settle accounts to call bills is adopted, then charging is implemented, but delay phenomenon occurs causing excessive traffic usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing real-time monitoring mechanisms before excessive traffic usage occurs. The system proactively monitors traffic consumption and enforces policies immediately, rather than waiting for near-real-time settlement cycles to detect and correct usage patterns. This preventive approach eliminates the delay phenomenon while maintaining charging accuracy.
2Reliability
If Gy interface is used for real-time charging, then traffic control is partially achieved, but OCS cannot control all users and upper-layer applications lack control rights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by extending the Sy interface to provide multi-functional capabilities. The enhanced Sy interface not only supports policy control but also enables traffic monitoring, traffic slice allocation, and upper-layer application control for all users. This universal interface design eliminates the limitation of OCS being able to control only partial users while maintaining real-time charging functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dimensionality change by adding upper-layer application control capabilities to the existing Sy interface architecture. This extends the control dimension from network-layer policy management to application-layer traffic control, enabling both network operators and upper-layer applications to monitor and control user traffic consumption simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If Sy interface is added for policy control, then service policies can be controlled, but traffic control function is missing and PCRF can adopt local policy without OCS determination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining policy control functions with traffic monitoring and control functions into a unified enhanced Sy interface. This integration ensures that when PCRF receives policy control requests through Sy, it simultaneously performs traffic monitoring and enforces traffic slices, eliminating the previous separation where policy control existed but traffic control was missing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by implementing real-time traffic monitoring through the enhanced Sy interface that provides continuous feedback to both OCS and upper-layer applications. The system monitors actual traffic consumption and policy compliance, providing feedback loops that enable dynamic adjustment of traffic slices and policy enforcement, ensuring PCRF cannot adopt local policies that violate OCS determinations.
4Loss of energy
If extensive traffic control is implemented, then network overhead is reduced, but existing architecture cannot achieve refined control of application-layer traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by extending control capabilities from the network layer to the application layer through the enhanced Sy interface. This enables measurement and control of traffic not just at the network level but also at the application level, providing refined control over specific application protocols and services while maintaining efficient network overhead management.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for traffic control. The method includes: receiving a service requirement from a PGW and an Internet-surfing policy corresponding to the service requirement; acquiring traffic control information from an upper-layer application according to the service requirement and the Internet-surfing policy, herein the traffic control information includes: state information of a policy counter to be monitored and a traffic slice corresponding to the state information of the policy counter; and issuing the state information of the policy counter and the traffic slice to the PGW. The technical solution provided by the present invention achieves an effect of opening the traffic control to the upper-layer application, saves the unnecessary overhead and investment of a network layer, and improves the capability of a system to quickly deploy a traffic-refined application.