CN1322708C - Method of implementing user's equipment reorientation in mobile pocket data business - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of implementing user's equipment reorientation in mobile pocket data business, which comprises the following procedures: step 1, a terminating action message is sent to a function entity of a transmission surface by an online charging system, and the terminating action message carries the address of a first application server to indicate the function entity of a transmission surface for reorienting operation; step 2, the function entity of a transmission surface sends operating requirements to the user's equipment, and the address of the first application server is used as application information to be sent to the user's equipment; step 3, the user's equipment receives operating requirements, keeps the address of the first application server and returns response messages; step 4, the user's equipment sends service requirements to the first application server, and the user's equipment is reoriented. The present invention enables the address of the application server to use the existing specification to be brought to the user's equipment from a network side, the loading network does not need to change the existing equipment for supporting the reorienting function, the burden of the user's equipment can not be increased, and convenience and flexibility are realized.

Description

Realize the method for relocating user equipment in a kind of mobile pocket data business

Technical field

The present invention relates to moving communicating field, relate in particular to the method that realizes relocating user equipment in a kind of mobile pocket data business

Technical background

Along with mobile pocket data business use extensive gradually, how mobile pocket data business is chargeed reasonably and accurately, become the problem of mobile operator common concern.Current GPRS (GPRS) network configuration, can only recognize Access Point Name (APN at customer traffic, Access PointName) and this rank of block data protocol context (PDP, Context Packet Data Protocol Context).And in the reality, parallel a plurality of business data flows use same PDP Context carrying probably, and different business then may adopt different charging ways, and the current GPRS network can't satisfy this demand.For example, the user may carry out streaming media service and multimedia messaging service, MMS simultaneously, two business are carried among same APN and the PDP Context simultaneously, but charging regulation difference, according to user data traffic or time-based charging, multimedia messaging service, MMS then charges according to incident (as sending or receive a piece of news) as streaming media service.

The common name of the variety of protocol that packet data protocol is a packet data package to be transmitted with discrete form, as IP agreement and agreement X.25, can be used for external data network and core net alternately, and between the core network function entity alternately.PDP Context is in travelling carriage (MS, Mobile Station) and GPRS Support Node (GSN), is the ensemble of communication that a session is preserved.

APN is a network or the professional sign that marking terminal will insert, and adopts the form of similar domain name.

Can use identical billing solution for dissimilar IP is connected network, need propose a kind of new carrying billing structure, adopt a kind of general billing mechanism based on stream to current GPRS.

At this situation, 3GPP is discussing the charging (FBC that how to realize based on IP stream at present, FloWBased Charging), for a Packet data service, the user is using the data volume that this business consumed to be called business data flow (SDF, Service Data Flow), business data flow is the set that a plurality of IP streams are formed.And in a PDP context, can carry a plurality of different business, and therefore can be less than charging granularity based on PDP context based on the charging granularity of IP stream, thus can provide the more charging means of horn of plenty for operator and service provider.

Aspects such as system configuration, functional requirement and message flow to FBC in the TS23.125 of 3GPP are described.

The FBC system configuration of supporting online charging is as shown in Figure 1:

The FBC system configuration of supporting offline charging is as shown in Figure 2:

Wherein the effect of each functional entity is respectively:

1, transmission surface function entity (TPF, Traffic Plane Function): the functional entity that is loaded packet data stream, can distinguish the grouping bag that belongs to the different business data flow, be used for offline charging information gathering and carry out online credit control, when carrying changes, foundation such as carrying, in modification and the delete procedure, TPF asks charging regulation by the Gx interface to CRF, can carry in the message: the information that the user is relevant with terminal is (as Mobile Subscriber International ISDN number MSISDN, IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Identity IMSI), the information (as Mobile Network Code MNC, Mobile Country Code MCC MCC) that bearer properties (Qos information) and network are relevant.According to the charging regulation that CRF returns, TPF carries out packet filtering on the corresponding service data flow and metering data is collected.

A TPF can be selected according to the identification information of UE by one or more CRF service, can support predefined charging regulation and predefined filter.

2, the charging regulation function entity (CRF that charges based on Business Stream, Service Data Flow BasedCharging Rule Function): be the functional entity of preserving charging regulation, support dynamically the charging regulation of (generating some charging regulation data in real time) and static state (use the user charging regulation is unalterable in the data service process, static charging regulation can be activated dynamically) according to professional criterion.CRF as input, is used to choose suitable charging regulation by the TPF information, AF information and the OCS information that receive, in the TPF request or when specific events trigger is arranged the charging regulation of choosing is sent to TPF

A CRF can corresponding a plurality of TPF.

3, Application Function (AF, Application Function): represent all and use relevant functional entity, it can be operator oneself, also can be the third party service provider, AF provides corresponding information to make CRF can select or dispose corresponding charging regulation to CRF, and the information that AF provides comprises: the identification information of business data flow (can wildcard); The information that charging regulation is selected; Application/service identification, application/service billing rule trigger event, stream type (video, audio frequency) (optional), flow rate (optional).

An AF can be corresponding to a plurality of CRF.AF can select CRF to carry out alternately according to the identification information of UE.

4, credit control function entity (CCF, Credit Control Function): be the functional entity of carrying out credit control, only be used for Online Charging System (OCS, Online Charging System), be to realize by in existing OCS, increasing new function, by the Ry interface, OCS can provide the input information of charging regulation selection to CRF.

5, Charging Collection Function/Charging Gateway Functionality (CCF/CGF, Charging CollectionFunction/Charging Gateway Function): these two functional entitys are used for off-line accounting system, can continue to use the realization in the existing GPRS network charging.

At present, according among the standard 23.125v600 to the definition of charging regulation, the main contents that charging regulation comprises have:

The charging way of a particular traffic data stream: online charging or offline charging;

When offline charging, be to carry out record by flow, duration or flow and duration;

The charging key;

One or more business datum flow filter;

Priority;

Wherein, filter is to be used for distinguishing the packet data package that belongs to particular traffic data stream, and basic formation is the IP five-tuple, comprises source IP address, purpose IP address, source port number, destination slogan, host-host protocol number or application protocol number.The charging key is used for determining rate.Priority is to be used for determining to use which charging regulation to use when the charging regulation appearance is overlapping.

If bearer network is a GPRS network, then TPF is positioned at GGSN (GGSN, Gateway GPRS Supporting Node) locates, AF is a Service Gateway among the PDN, or service server, AF is exactly P-CSCF when being carried on the GPRS network when IP Multimedia System (IMS, IP Multimedia Subsystem), and CRF is newly-increased logic entity.TPF communicates by internal interface as a logic entity that is positioned at GGSN, so the two can be treated as a functional entity, is referred to as the transportation level functional entity.

This billing mechanism also can be applied in the network configuration of 3GPP2 and WLAN.

Online charging mechanism based on FBC:

According to existing realization mechanism based on service data flow charge, if a business is used online charging, implementation procedure can be illustrated with following flow process so:

1, subscriber equipment (UE, User Equipment) sends carrying to TPF and sets up request message.For GPRS, be exactly that GGSN receives Create PDP context Request message;

2, TPF asks charging regulation to CRF, carries the input information that decision CRF selects charging regulation in the message;

3, CRF selects corresponding charging regulation according to the information that obtains, and except carrying and user-dependent information that TPF brings up, this moment, CRF place may also can obtain controlling relevant information from the application of AF and service related information with from the credit of OCS;

4, CRF is handed down to TPF with charging regulation, as replying of charging regulation request message;

5, TPF carries out the action of using or deleting according to the operation indication to charging regulation that CRF provides to corresponding charging regulation;

6, TPF checks the charging regulation of using, if find that charging way wherein is an online charging, needs so to initiate credit request to OCS, asks available credit, uses when providing relevant input information to determine credit for OCS simultaneously;

7, OCS provides credit information to TPF;

If 8 return available credit, then TPF returns carrying to UE and sets up and to accept message, and UE just can be at the carrying transmitting data of having set up; If there is not available credit, then request is set up in the carrying this time of TPF refusal.

Only illustrated that above TPF asks credit to OCS when carrying is set up, realize the situation of online charging, TPF needs whether have the available credit according to the charging way in the charging regulation that obtains to the OCS request in before the initial foundation of carrying, relate to carrying at bearing modification or deleting load-bearing etc. and use situation about changing, also can cause the variation of corresponding charging regulation, may have influence on the distribution and the use of credit for online charging, at this moment TPF also needs to initiate credit request message to OCS, by OCS according to user's the account information and the distribution and the use of credit information decision credit.

Find that as OCS present user's credit used up, will issue termination action message (TA, Termination Action) so and give TPF that be used to indicate TPF to carry out the action that some need be carried out with the light time in credit, these actions comprise:

Abandon those by TPF's with the corresponding packet of current particular traffic data stream;

Indication TPF uses default termination flow process, such as allowing those and the corresponding packet of current particular traffic data stream all pass through;

Those and the corresponding packet of current particular traffic data stream are redirected to an application server (AS, Application Server);

If TA is that indication TPF abandons those and current particular traffic data flows corresponding packet, the business of using for the user so will be interrupted suddenly, because in advance without any being prompted to the user, so can cause offending use experience to the user, influence the impression of user to this business or this Virtual network operator; If TA is indication TPF allow the corresponding packet of those and current particular traffic data stream all by and no longer produce charge information, then be unfavorable for Virtual network operator and service provider's interests, do not meet the basic principle of charging; Consider above factor, also can in TA, carry an AS address, indication TPF is redirected to an AS with those and the corresponding packet of current particular traffic data stream, this AS can carry out some and the expired relevant process of credit, such as the reason that is terminated of notice user conversation, provide approach to carry out online supplement with money etc. for the user.

In the billing mechanism realization online charging that uses based on business data flow, to find that this user is used for the credit of current particular traffic data stream expired as OCS, to send TA to TPF, if have the address of AS among this TA, explanation is that OCS indication TPF is redirected current business data flow, the way that existing realization user is redirected is: TPF is according to the address of the AS that obtains, the destination address of the upstream data bag received is rewritten as the address of AS, the source address of the downlink data packet received is rewritten as the address of AS, like this, if the user initiates service request once more, the AS that can directly send to after being redirected goes, this AS can send some information to subscriber equipment, such as inserting confined reason, how to carry out online supplement with money etc.

According to prior art, for certain particular traffic data stream of realizing the user is being used is redirected to an application server that special role is arranged, need this application server that special role is arranged to support the business that this is specific, can be according to the request of subsequent user, operations such as execution information issues, this just brings a problem: exist how many kinds of need realize the application protocol of online charging in the network, this special application server just must be supported same number of application protocol, otherwise after can't realizing being redirected specific business data flow is suitably handled, reused current carrying then and realize online operation such as supplement with money.Can realize online application server of supplementing function with money hereto, both dumb, do not possess extensibility yet.

In addition, rewrite the method for address in the uplink and downlink packet, when practical operation, have some problems, such as for GPRS network, TPF is the logic entity of GGSN, originally just be used for packet data package is added up and mated, and then generation is based on the charge information of business data flow generation, can not influence the use of existing GGSN equipment, having increased TPF now rewrites after the demand of up-downgoing data, webmaster can be chargeed to existing GPRS, a lot of aspects such as Lawful Interception and statistical information collection exert an influence, thereby have problem aspect intercommunication.

Also have one may need the factor considered, because OCS is the entity in the home network, therefore the OCS AS address correspondence of carrying in TA also is equipment in the home network probably, and TPF may be a home network, also may be visited network, if the TPF that the user uses is the entity in the visited network, the AS address that issues of OCS not necessarily can be familiar with by TPF so, perhaps GGSN can not connect with the AS in another network for security consideration.

Summary of the invention

Purpose of the present invention, propose to realize in a kind of mobile pocket data business the method for relocating user equipment exactly, by utilizing the realization mechanism of existing bearer network (as GPRS network), the application server that finishing UE to of indication has the special role on-line operation of be correlated with receives the process of the information that professional termination is correlated with.

For this reason, the present invention adopts following technical scheme:

Realize the method for relocating user equipment in a kind of mobile pocket data business, it is characterized in that may further comprise the steps:

S1, Online Charging System send the termination action message to transmission surface function entity, and described termination action message is carried first application server address, and indication transmission surface function entity is initiated redirect operation;

S2, transmission surface function entity are initiated operation requests to subscriber equipment, and first application server address is handed down to subscriber equipment as application message;

S3, subscriber equipment receive operation requests, preserve first application server address and echo reply message;

S4, subscriber equipment are initiated service request to first application server, finish being redirected of subscriber equipment.

Described step S2, described operation requests is the bearing modification request.

Described step S4, subscriber equipment is initiated service request by existing carrying to first application server.

Described step S2, described operation requests is set up request for carrying.

Described step S2, described operation requests is the deleting load-bearing request.

Described step S4 comprises that also the subscriber equipment and first application server set up the process of new carrying.

Described step S4, subscriber equipment is initiated service request by newly-established carrying to first application server.

Described first application server is the WAP server, and among the described step S4, described subscriber equipment is initiated service request to first application server and used wap protocol.

Described first application server is a sip server, and among the described step S4, described subscriber equipment is initiated service request to first application server and used Session Initiation Protocol.

The present invention realizes the method for relocating user equipment, by on existing bearing protocol basis, expanding, use existing standard to bring subscriber equipment application server address from network side, can so that bearer network need not change existing equipment and realization in order to support a redirection function, and subscriber equipment itself just can be supported mutual with various application servers, so can not increase the burden of subscriber equipment, and, use this method and can reuse the safety that existing bearer network is supported, therefore number of mechanisms such as roaming realize convenient, flexible.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a FBC system configuration schematic diagram of supporting online charging in the prior art;

Fig. 2 is a FBC system configuration schematic diagram of supporting offline charging in the prior art;

Fig. 3 is an online charging schematic flow sheet of the prior art;

Fig. 4 is that the present invention is at the redirected flow process schematic diagram that does not require under the current dialogue condition of termination;

The redirected flow process schematic diagram that Fig. 5 is the present invention under the current dialogue condition that requires to terminate;

Fig. 6 is another redirected flow process schematic diagram of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is the present invention when implementing in GPRS network, does not require the redirected flow process schematic diagram under the current dialogue condition of termination;

Fig. 8 is the present invention when implementing in GPRS network, requires the redirected flow process schematic diagram under the current dialogue condition of termination;

Fig. 9 is the present invention when implementing in GPRS network, another redirected flow process schematic diagram.

Embodiment

Below in conjunction with the specific embodiment of the present invention is described.

In the billing mechanism realization online charging that uses based on business data flow, to find that this user is used for the credit of current particular traffic data stream expired as OCS, to send TA to TPF, if have the address of AS among this TA, explanation is that OCS indication TPF is redirected current business data flow, TPF gives this AS address notification the gateway device of bearer network so, as the information relevant with application, by the expansion existing protocol, increase an AS address style, the message of using existing bearer network to use sends to subscriber equipment with this AS address, subscriber equipment is according to the address that obtains, can use the connection of having set up, also can make amendment to existing the connection, perhaps rebulid a connection and this special application server is set up session, receive some information that AS sends or carry out online process such as supplement with money.

Consider that OCS need have multiple to the information of TPF indication, as, indicate whether the current session that terminates, indicate whether to initiate to be redirected, indicate whether packet loss etc., so the TA that OCS issues to TPF may more than one, that is to say that OCS may indicate TPF to carry out a plurality of actions in a message.

TPF initiates to be redirected when the OCS indication, and when still not requiring the session that terminates current, implementation as seen from the figure, specifically may further comprise the steps then as shown in Figure 4:

S1, when OCS finds that credit is used up, issue TA to TPF, wherein carry the address of an AS, be used to indicate TPF to initiate to be redirected, do not indicate TPF termination current sessions;

S2, TPF initiate the bearing modification request according to the indication of TA to UE, and UE is handed down to as application related information in the AS address;

S3, UE accept the bearing modification request, preserve the AS address, return the response message of bearing modification;

S4, UE just can utilize existing carrying then, initiates service request to AS, and the application protocol of use is according to the address style decision of AS, if AS is WAP Server, then use WAP and AS to connect,, then use Session Initiation Protocol to communicate by letter with AS if AS is SIP AS.

When OCS indication TPF initiates to be redirected, when requiring the current session of termination simultaneously, implementation as seen from the figure, specifically may further comprise the steps as shown in Figure 5:

S1, when OCS finds that credit is used up, issue TA to TPF, wherein carry the address of an AS, be used to indicate TPF to initiate to be redirected, indicate TPF termination current sessions simultaneously;

S2, TPF initiate the deleting load-bearing request according to the indication of TA to UE, and UE is handed down to as application related information in the AS address;

S3, UE accept the deleting load-bearing request, preserve the AS address, return the response message of deleting load-bearing;

S4, UE utilize the AS address that obtains, and set up a new carrying, initiate service request to AS, the application protocol that uses if AS is WAP Server, then uses WAP and AS to connect according to the address style decision of AS, if AS is SIP AS, then use Session Initiation Protocol to communicate by letter with AS.

TPF initiates to be redirected when the OCS indication, and implementation as seen from the figure, specifically may further comprise the steps as shown in Figure 6:

S1, when OCS finds that credit is used up, issue TA to TPF, wherein carry the address of an AS, be used to indicate TPF to initiate to be redirected, can indicate the TPF current sessions that whether terminates simultaneously;

S2, TPF initiate carrying according to the indication of TA to UE and set up request, and UE is handed down to as application related information in the AS address;

S3, UE accept carrying and set up request, preserve the AS address, return the response message that carrying is set up;

S4, UE utilize the AS address that obtains, and set up a new carrying, initiate service request to AS, the application protocol that uses if AS is WAP Server, then uses WAP and AS to connect according to the address style decision of AS, if AS is SIP AS, then use Session Initiation Protocol to communicate by letter with AS.

Below we with GPRS network as bearer network, specific implementation of the present invention is described, if used other bearer networks, such as CDMA2000 or wireless lan (wlan), thinking realizes being redirected of subscriber equipment like can application class, does not add to describe at this.

As shown in Figure 7, be the redirection process when not requiring the session that terminates current, as seen from the figure, may further comprise the steps:

1) OCS issues TA and gives TPF, wherein has the address of AS;

2) as the logic entity of GGSN, TPF is according to the indication of TA, and notice GGSN, GGSN determine to initiate to upgrade the PDP Context request, have the address of AS among the PCO IE in the message (refix Control OperationInformation Element);

3) after GPRS serving GPRS support node (SGSN, Serving GSN) is received the renewal PDP Context request message of GGSN transmission, some parameters being handled, is transparent transmission to PCO IE still, initiates to revise the PDP Context request then;

4) MS returns the modification PDP Context and accepts message as affirmation, if MS does not accept this time to revise, can initiate new pdp context activation then again by this context of deexcitation;

5) modification (this process is optional) of execution RAB;

6) SGSN receives that revising PDP Context accepts after the message, after perhaps the RAB modification process is finished, sends and upgrades the PDP Context response message to GGSN;

Wherein C1 is the process that triggers intelligent network, skips at this.

As shown in Figure 8, the redirection process when being the current session of requirement termination as seen from the figure, may further comprise the steps:

1) OCS issues TA and gives TPF, wherein has the address of AS;

2) as the logic entity of GGSN, TPF is according to the indication of TA, and notice GGSN, GGSN determine to initiate the request of deletion PDP Context, have the address of AS among the PCOIE in the message;

3) after SGSN receives the deletion PDP Context request message of GGSN transmission, initiating the request of deexcitation PDP Context, is transparent transmission to PCO IE wherein; MS deletes this PDP Context, returns the deexcitation PDP Context and accepts message as affirmation;

4) SGSN can receive deexcitation PDP Context that MS returns accept message before or send deletion PDP Context response message afterwards to GGSN;

5) dispose procedure (this process is optional) of execution RAB;

Wherein C1 is the process that triggers intelligent network, skips at this.

As shown in Figure 9, the redirection process when being the current session of requirement termination as seen from the figure, may further comprise the steps:

1) OCS issues TA and gives TPF, wherein has the address of AS;

2) as the logic entity of GGSN, TPF is according to the indication of TA, and notice GGSN, GGSN determine notice MS to initiate once new pdp context activation, have the address of AS among the PCOIE in the message; Transmission routing iinformation process in the step 2 is for the positional information to the current SGSN for the MS service of HLR inquiry, in this case of the present invention, connects because the user has set up the PDP of an activation, so optionally step 2 does not just need to have carried out;

3) so GGSN directly sends a PDU notification request message to SGSN, and PCOIE wherein has the address of AS, SGSN returns corresponding replying as confirming;

4) SGSN sends request PDP context activation message to MS, and wherein PCO IE passes through MS;

5) MS initiates general pdp context activation according to the information that obtains.

In the present invention, in order to realize above process, require GGSN in the message that MS sends, will carry this parameter of PCO IE, this parameter is a parameter that just has in the existing GTP agreement, be optional, be used in needs from MS to GGSN, perhaps from GGSN to MS, carry some information relevant with application layer, in order to realize to carry the AS address to the MS direction from GGSN, need in existing GTP protocol specification (TS24.008), define a new ID, such as 0005H, be used to indicate PCO to transmit an application server address, as follows:

-0001H(P-CSCF?Address)；

-0002H(IM?CN?Subsystem?Signaling?Flag)；

-0003H(DNS?Server?Address)；and

-0004H(Policy?Control?rejection?code)；

-0005H(Application?Server?Address)。

Claims (8)

1, realize the method for relocating user equipment in a kind of mobile pocket data business, it is characterized in that may further comprise the steps:

S1, Online Charging System send the termination action message to transmission surface function entity, and described termination action message is carried first application server address, and indication transmission surface function entity is initiated redirect operation;

S2, transmission surface function entity are initiated operation requests to subscriber equipment, and first application server address is handed down to subscriber equipment as application message;

S3, subscriber equipment receive operation requests, preserve first application server address and echo reply message;

S4, subscriber equipment are initiated service request to first application server, finish being redirected of subscriber equipment.

2, the method for claim 1 is characterized in that described step S2, and described operation requests is the bearing modification request.

3, method as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that described step S4, and subscriber equipment is initiated service request by existing carrying to first application server.

4, the method for claim 1 is characterized in that described step S2, and described operation requests is set up request for carrying.

5, the method for claim 1 is characterized in that described step S2, and described operation requests is the deleting load-bearing request.

6, as claim 4 or 5 described methods, it is characterized in that described step S4, also comprise subscriber equipment before first application server is initiated service request, the subscriber equipment and first application server are set up the process of new carrying.

7, the method for claim 1 is characterized in that described first application server is a WAP (wireless application protocol) WAP server, and among the described step S4, described subscriber equipment is initiated service request to first application server and used wap protocol.

8, the method for claim 1 is characterized in that described first application server is the Session initiation Protocol sip server, and among the described step S4, described subscriber equipment is initiated service request to first application server and used Session Initiation Protocol.

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