Timestamp Parameters for Parallel Charging Event Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charging systems lack support for real-time correlation of parallel charging events, leading to uncertainties when awarding bonuses based on service usage, such as in GPRS systems, where bonuses may not be awarded before or after service usage, causing inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
Implementing time stamp parameters at network clients and service elements to order and correlate charging requests, ensuring that the 'happened-before' relation is preserved, allowing the charging system to apply credit control mechanisms appropriately, thereby guaranteeing that bonuses are awarded before service usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-time credit control is implemented in a distributed charging system, then service delivery can be controlled, but parallel charging events cannot be reliably correlated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having network nodes (GGSN, HSS, SGSN) pre-generate and attach time stamp parameters to charging requests before they reach the charging system. This advance preparation ensures that when parallel charging events are received, the temporal ordering information is already in place, allowing the charging system to correctly correlate events without complex real-time processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The time stamp parameter acts as an intermediary element that mediates between distributed network nodes and the charging system. It carries temporal ordering information through the charging request message, enabling reliable correlation of parallel charging events without requiring direct complex communication between all network nodes and the charging system.
2Productivity
If bonuses are awarded based on service usage in real-time, then user incentives can be provided, but race conditions occur when usage and bonus awarding are simultaneous
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by having network nodes attach time stamp parameters to charging requests before processing. This ensures that when the charging system receives parallel charging requests (including both usage reporting and bonus awarding requests), the temporal ordering is preserved in the time stamp parameters, allowing accurate determination of whether bonus awarding should occur before or after service usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging system uses feedback from the time stamp parameters to determine the correct processing order of parallel charging events. By comparing the time stamp parameters in charging requests, the system receives feedback about the temporal relationship between events and adjusts its processing accordingly, ensuring bonuses are awarded at the correct moment relative to service usage.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is implemented in a network (110) that provides a service to an end user, the network including a first client (115-1), a second client (115 -M) and a charging system (130). The method includes the first client (115-1) receiving (900) a service event (120) that is destined for an end user (105) and retrieving (915) a first logical clock value from memory, where the first logical clock value specifies a number of service events received at the second client (115- M). The method further includes the first client (115-1) incrementing (920) a second logical clock value based on receipt of the service event (120) and constructing (920) a first time stamp parameter based on the first logical clock value and the second logical clock value. The method also includes the first client (115-1) sending (925) a charging request to a charging system, where the charging request includes the first time stamp parameter and where the charging request requests credit authorization associated with providing the service event (120) to the end user (105). The service event may be associated with one of Multimedia messaging service (MMS) data, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling message, or a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message received at the first client. In one exemplary embodiment, the first client includes a Gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (GGSN) and the second client includes a MultiMedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC). In a second exemplary embodiment, the first client includes a GGSN and the second client comprises a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF). In a third exemplary embodiment, the first client includes a router and the second client includes a S-CSCF. In a further exemplary embodiment, the first client includes a S-CSCF and the second client includes an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem Application Server (IMS AS). In another exemplary embodiment, the first client includes a first IMS AS and the second client includes a second IMS AS. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the first client includes a GGSN and the second client includes a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) portal.