EP4736478A1 - System and method for policy control function (pcf) based short message service (sms) delivery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system (100) and method for policy control function (PCF) (116) based short messaging service (SMS) delivery. The method provides the PCF (116) interacting with a SMSC Gateway server (120) over SMPP interface to provide the SMS. The PCF (116) initiates a connection with both primary and secondary SMSC Servers at start-up. PCF (116) sends messages on the available connections, prioritizing the primary SMSC server. If the connections are established but the requests are getting timed out, then PCF (116) disconnects from the SMSC server from which it is getting timeouts based on the configurable threshold.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POLICY CONTROL FUNCTION (PCF) BASED SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE (SMS) DELIVERY

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to intellectual property rights such as, but are not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, Integrated Circuit (IC) layout design, and/or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred as owner). The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

[0002] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a message delivery system in a communication network. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for policy control function (PCF) based short messaging service (SMS) in a communication network.

DEFINITION

[0003] As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used to indicate otherwise.

[0004] The expression ‘Barring Area’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to an area where access to specific services or network functionalities may be restricted or barred for various reasons. These reasons could include network congestion management, security concerns, regulatory requirements, or service prioritization. For instance, in a high-traffic area, network operators might implement barring to limit access to non-essential services or to prioritize critical services like emergency calls. Barring Area refer to a geographical location where a specific type of communication or service is not available or is blocked, typically due to technical or operational limitations. The location may be an isolated area, a rural or remote region, or even a specific building or structure that interferes with the network's signal. Barring areas may be temporary or permanent, and there may be measures in place to address issues such as network congestion, service disruptions, and security breaches.

[0005] The expression ‘Non-Barring Area’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to an area where no such access restrictions are imposed, allowing mobile devices and users to access all available services and network functionalities without any limitations. Non-barring areas are typically regions where network capacity is sufficient to accommodate all users and services without the need for prioritization or restriction. Non-barring area does not experience any obstruction or interference in the network's transmission of data, such as physical barriers or congested routes. The non-barring area is characterized by high network performance, low latency, and high data transfer rates. Identifying non-barring areas is critical for network optimization and improving overall performance.

[0006] The expression ‘Tracking Area Code (TAC)’ used hereinafter in the specification refers to a unique identifier assigned to a group of base stations or cells within a certain geographical area. Mobile devices use the TAC to manage handovers between different cells as they move through the network.

[0007] The term “SMF” used hereinafter in the specification refers to session management function for collecting information related to packet data unit (PDU) session management from various network components in the 5G core network.

[0008] The term “PCF” used hereinafter in the specification refers to policy control function specifying policy rules for application and service data flow detection, gating, QoS, and flow-based charging to the SMF. [0009] The term “AMF” used hereinafter in the specification refers to access and access and mobility management function providing control plane network functions (NF) of the 5G core network.

[0010] The term “SMPP” used hereinafter in the specification refers to Short Message Peer to Peer protocol for providing a flexible data communications interface for transfer of short message data between a Message Centre, such as a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) and other messaging gateway.

[0011] The term “SMSC” used hereinafter in the specification refers to short message service centre providing services of a SMPP server.

[0012] The term “SMS” used hereinafter in the specification refers to short message/messaging service messages.

[0013] These definitions are in addition to those expressed in the art.

BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE

[0014] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0015] Communications networks such as fifth-generation (5G) networks provide various services to subscribers, such as calls, messages, and data. In general, the subscribers are connected to the communication network through a particular base station and enjoy the services. In some situations, a subscriber moves from a first area to a second area and still receives the needed services by way of handover from the base station in the first area to another base station in the second area. However, there are certain restricted areas, such as military areas, testing areas, examination areas, etc, wherein such services are completely barred to the subscribers. In such areas, the subscribers are left with no clue as to why they are not receiving their services.

[0016] Currently, there is no method to notify the subscribers on why their services are disconnected from the communication network.

[0017] There is, therefore, a need in the art to provide a method and a system that can overcome the shortcomings of the existing prior arts.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0018] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies are as listed herein below.

[0019] An object of the present disclosure is to provide short messaging service (SMS) messages in a barring area based on a rule engine.

[0020] An object of the present disclosure is to enable a policy control function (PCF) to interact with a short message service centre (SMSC) gateway Server over a short message peer to peer (SMPP) protocol interface.

[0021] An object of the present disclosure is to enable PCF to establish SMPP connection based on a SMPP enable flag.

[0022] An object of the present disclosure is to provide single SMS for a single packet data unit (PDU) session.

SUMMARY

[0023] The present disclosure discloses a system for transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon a current location of a user equipment. The system includes a session management function (SMF), a policy control function (PCF), and a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server. The session management function (SMF) is configured to receive session establishment request(s) from the user equipment via an access and mobility management function (AMF). The session management function (SMF) is configured to establish a plurality of packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the user equipment (UE) and a data network (DN) corresponding to a plurality of services and is further configured to generate at least one session update message for each established session. The policy control function (PCF) is configured to cooperate with the SMF to receive the at least one generated session update message for each established session and is further configured to determine a set of policy rules for the user corresponding to the current location for each established session. The PCF is configured to generate the at least one notification based on at least one determined policy rule for each established session. The SMSC gateway server is configured to cooperate with the PCF to receive the at least one notification and is further configured to transmit the at least one notification to the user.

[0024] In an embodiment, the at least one notification is a short message service (SMS) notification.

[0025] In an embodiment, the plurality of services includes a video service, a voice service, and a data service.

[0026] In an embodiment, the current location of the user equipment either resides in a barring area or in a non-barring area.

[0027] In an embodiment, the SMF generates the at least one session update message upon detecting a change in the current location of the user equipment or upon receiving a triggering event.

[0028] In an embodiment, the triggering event is a UE Internet Protocol address (IP address) change (UE_IP_CH), a public land mobile network (PLMN) Change (PLMN_CH), and a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change (RAT_CH).

[0029] In an embodiment, the PCF communicates with the SMSC gateway server over a SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) interface. [0030] In an embodiment, the SMSC gateway server includes a primary SMSC gateway server and a secondary SMSC gateway server.

[0031] In an embodiment, the PCF is configured to communicate via the secondary SMSC gateway server if the primary SMSC gateway server is unavailable.

[0032] In an embodiment, the PCF is configured to resend the at least one notification over the SMPP interface until a successful delivery notification is not received from the SMSC gateway server or a finite number of resend counts is achieved.

[0033] In an embodiment, the UE is configured to control a number of notifications to be received for each session.

[0034] In an embodiment, the UE is configured to enable/disable receiving of the at least one notification from the PCF.

[0035] The present disclosure discloses a method of transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon a current location of a user equipment. The method includes receiving, by a session management function (SMF), session establishment request(s) from the user equipment via an access and mobility management function and establishing a plurality of packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the user equipment and a data network (DN) corresponding to a plurality of services. The method includes generating, by the SMF, at least one session update message for each established session. The method includes receiving, by a policy control function (PCF), the at least one generated session update message for each established session. The method includes determining, by the PCF, a set of policy rules for the user corresponding to the current location for each established session. The method includes generating, by the PCF, the at least one notification based on at least one determined policy rule for each established session. The method includes receiving, by a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server, the at least one notification and transmitting the at least one notification to the user. [0036] In an embodiment, the method further includes generating, by the SMF, the at least one session update message upon detecting a change in the current location of the user equipment or upon receiving a triggering event.

[0037] In an embodiment, the method further includes communicating, by the PCF, with the SMSC gateway server over a SMPP (Short Message Peer-to- Peer) interface.

[0038] In an embodiment, the method further includes communicating, by the PCF, to the user via a secondary SMSC gateway server if a primary SMSC gateway server is unavailable.

[0039] In an embodiment, the method further includes resending the at least one notification over the SMPP interface until a successful delivery notification is not received from the SMSC gateway server or a finite number of resend counts is achieved.

[0040] In an embodiment, the method further includes controlling a number of notifications to be received for each session by the user.

[0041] In an embodiment, the method further includes enabling/disabling of receiving of the at least one notification from the PCF by the user.

[0042] The present disclosure discloses a user equipment (UE) communicatively coupled with a policy control function (PCF). The coupling comprises steps of receiving a connection request, sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the PC, and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request. The PCF is configured to determine a set of policy rules for the UE corresponding to a current location of the UE and generates at least one notification in association with a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0043] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes the disclosure of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture of a system for transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon a current location of a user equipment, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a system for providing short message service (SMS) notification to the user, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates a signal flow diagram with messages communicated between a session management function (SMF) and a short message service centre gateway (SMSC-GW) server, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram depicting a method of transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon a current location of a user equipment, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0049] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

100 - System

102, 306 - User Equipment

104-1 - Access Point

106 - Network

108 - Access And Mobility Management Function

112 - Barring Area

114 - Session Management Function (SMF)

116 - Policy Control Function (PCF)

118 - Data Network (DN)

120 - Short Message Service Center (SMSC) Gateway Server

202 - One or more processor(s)

204 - Memory

206 - A Plurality of Interfaces

208 - Processing Engine

210 - Database

212 - Acquisition Unit

214 - SMPP Interface Unit

216 - Other Unit(S)

410 - External Storage Device

420 - Bus

430 - Main Memory

440 - Read Only Memory

450 - Mass Storage Device

460 - Communication Port

470 - Processor

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.

[0051] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0052] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0053] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0054] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive like the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0055] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0056] The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be noted that the terms “mobile device”, “user equipment”, “user device”, “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the invention. These terms are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or imply any specific functionality or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for convenience and clarity of description. The invention is not limited to any particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

[0057] As used herein, an “electronic device”, or “portable electronic device”, or “user device” or “communication device” or “user equipment” or “device” refers to any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, and computing device. The user device is capable of receiving and/or transmitting one or parameters, performing function/s, communicating with other user devices, and transmitting data to the other user devices. The user equipment may have a processor, a display, a memory, a battery, and an input-means such as a hard keypad and/or a soft keypad. The user equipment may be capable of operating on any radio access technology including but not limited to IP-enabled communication, Zig Bee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, etc. For instance, the user equipment may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone, smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other device as may be obvious to a person skilled in the art for implementation of the features of the present disclosure.

[0058] Further, the user device may also comprise a “processor” or

“processing unit” includes processing unit, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. The processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor is a hardware processor.

[0059] As portable electronic devices and wireless technologies continue to improve and grow in popularity, the advancing wireless technologies for data transfer are also expected to evolve and replace the older generations of technologies. In the field of wireless data communications, the dynamic advancement of various generations of cellular technology is also seen. The development, in this respect, has been incremental in the order of second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and now fifth generation (5G), and more such generations are expected to continue in the forthcoming time.

[0060] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment, as well as other embodiments of the disclosure, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

[0061] The PCF (policy control function) provides support for the SMS delivery feature for internet-barring scenarios using a rule engine. The PCF establishes an SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) connection with the SMSC (Short Message Service Center) Gateway server (120) based on a flag isEnableSMPP”, to enable communication between them. During production, the PCF may receive multiple “SMPolicy Control update messages” due to the provisioning of policy control request triggers. Whenever this policy is triggered, the PCF sends "submit_sm" messages to the SMSC-GW, which may result in an increase in network traffic and multiple notifications delivered directly to user devices.

[0062] To ensure successful message delivery, it is required that the PCF should ensure that users/UE devices receive only one single SMS regarding the barring functionality during each session. Even if users move between barred and unbanned TACs (Tracking Area Codes), the PCF may configure to send the "submit_sm" message only once to the SMSC-GW until the PCF receives an "okay" response in the form of a "submit_sm_resp". After receiving a positive "submit_sm_resp", the PCF will no longer send any more " submi t_sm" messages for that particular session.

[0063] Therefore, the PCF will establish a reliable communication channel with the SMSC-GW to ensure that users receive a single notification regarding the barring functionality during each session, without causing network congestion or delivering multiple notifications to user devices.

[0064] The present disclosure is related to providing support for SMS delivery in areas where internet access is restricted by using a rule engine. In some cases, the PCF (Policy Control Function) interacts with an SMSC (Short Message Service Center) Gateway server through a SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) interface. At startup, the PCF establishes a connection with both the primary and secondary Gateway Servers. Messages are sent on the available connections, with priority given to the primary SMSC server. If the connections are established but requests are getting timed out, the PCF will disconnect from the SMSC server that is experiencing timeouts based on a configurable threshold. [0065] The various embodiments throughout the disclosure will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 1- FIG. 5.

[0066] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture of a system (100) for transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon current location of a user equipment, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, the system (100) includes a session management function (SMF) (114), a policy control function (PCF) (116), and a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server (120).

[0068] Referring to FIG. 1, the system (100) includes an access point or gNodeB (gNB) (104-1) serving a user equipment (UE) (102). The UE (102) may be connected to a data network (DN) (118) through a network (106). Further, the UE (102) may be within a barring area (112). In some embodiments, the UE (102) is configured to move between the barring area (112) and an unbarred (non-barring) area.

[0069] In an embodiment, the UE (102) may be referred to as a user device or computing device. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the terms “user device(s),” “computing device(s),” and “UE” may be used interchangeably throughout the disclosure. In an embodiment, the UE (102) may include, but are not limited to, a handheld wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, a phablet device, and so on), a wearable computer device (e.g., a head-mounted display computer device, a head-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, and so on), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or another type of portable computer, a media playing device, a portable gaming system, and/or any other type of device with wireless communication capabilities, and the like. In an embodiment, the UE (102) may include, but are not limited to, any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or an equipment, or a combination of one or more of the above devices such as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other computing device, wherein the user device (102) may include one or more in-built or externally coupled accessories including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as camera, audio aid, a microphone, a keyboard, and input devices for receiving input from a user such as touch pad, touch enabled screen, electronic pen, and the like. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the user devices or UEs (102) may not be restricted to the mentioned devices and various other devices may be used.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 1, the UE (102) may communicate with the DN (118) through the network (106). In an embodiment, the network (106) may include at least one of a non-standalone (NSA) 5G network, a standalone 5G network, or the like. The network (106) may enable the UE (102) to communicate with other user devices and/or with the DN (118). As such, the network (106) may enable the UE (102) to communicate with other UE (102) via a wired or wireless network. The network (106) may include a wireless card or some other transceiver connection to facilitate this communication. In an exemplary embodiment, the network (106) may incorporate one or more of a plurality of standard or proprietary protocols, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or the like. In another embodiment, the network (106) may be implemented as, or include any of a variety of different communication technologies such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the like.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 1, the network (106) may include one or more network slices enabling the connection of the UE (102) with the DN (118). The network slice may include one or more modules for enabling session establishment between the UE (102) and the DN (118). The modules may include, an AMF (108), a SMF (114), and a PCF (116). The PCF (116) may perform policy control function and may facilitate SMS services to the UE (102) when the UE (102) enters into a barring area (112). In some embodiments, the SMS services may be provided to the UE (102) as the UE (102) moves between the barred (112) and unbarred areas. [0072] The session management function (SMF) (114) is configured to receive session establishment request(s) from the user equipment (UE) (102) via an access and mobility management function (AMF) (108). The session management function (SMF) (114) is configured to establish a plurality of packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the UE and a data network (DN) corresponding to a plurality of services. The session management function (SMF) (114) is further configured to generate at least one session update message for each established session. In an example, the plurality of services includes a video service, a voice service, and a data service. The SMF (114) generates the at least one session update message upon detecting a change in the current location of the user equipment or upon receiving a triggering event. For example, the triggering event is a UE Internet Protocol address (IP address) change (UE_IP_CH), a public land mobile network (PEMN) change (PLMN_CH), and a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change (RAT_CH).

[0073] In an operative aspect, during the setup of a PDU session, the SMF (114) has several responsibilities. Firstly, the SMF (114) needs to choose an appropriate user plane function (UPF) based on factors such as the load, geographic location, and PDU session type. Secondly, the SMF (114) is responsible for selecting an appropriate Policy Control Function (PCF) (116) to provide the policy for the PDU session. The selection criteria for the PCF (116) depends on the data network name used by the PDU session, as well as other configured information. Thirdly, the SMF (114) requests subscription information from the Unified Data Management (UDM) function during the setup of the PDU Session. The SMF (114) also provides support for interfacing with both the Online Charging System (OCS) and Offline Charging System (OFCS) network charging systems.

[0074] The policy control function (PCF) (116) is configured to cooperate with the SMF (114) to receive the at least one generated session update message for each established session. On receiving the session update message, the PCF (116) is configured to determine a set of policy rules for the user corresponding to the current location for each established session. In an example, the current location of the user equipment either residing in a barring area or in a non-barring area. [0075] The PCF (116) is configured to generate the at least one notification based on at least one determined policy rule for each established session. In an example, the at least one notification is a short message service (SMS) notification. The PCF (116) is configured to enforce the received policy rules to control the bandwidth, the quality of service (QoS), and/or other characteristics of the data that is to be communicated between the data network and the user equipment. The PCF (116) may also coordinate, allocate, add, remove, and/or adjust various resources (e.g., network resources, subscriber resources, etc.) based on the received policy rules.

[0076] The SMSC gateway server (120) is configured to cooperate with the PCF to receive the at least one notification. The PCF (116) communicates with the SMSC gateway server (120) over a SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) interface. The SMSC gateway server (120) is further configured to transmit received the at least one notification to the user equipment. In an aspect, the SMSC gateway server (120) includes a primary SMSC gateway server and a secondary SMSC gateway server. If the primary SMSC gateway server is unavailable, the PCF (116) is configured to communicate via the secondary SMSC gateway server.

[0077] In an aspect, the PCF (116) is configured to resend the at least one notification over the SMPP interface until a successful delivery notification is not received from the SMSC gateway server (120). In an example, the PCF (116) is configured to resend the at least one notification up to a finite number of resend counts is achieved.

[0078] In an operative aspect, the UE is configured to control the number of notifications received for each session. The UE is configured to enable/disable receiving at least one notification from the PCF (116).

[0079] Referring to FIG. 1, the PCF (116) is configured to support the SMS delivery feature for internet-barring scenarios using the rule engine. In some embodiments, the PCF (116) is configured to interact with a SMSC Gateway server (120) over an SMPP interface. The PCF (116) is configured to establish SMPP connection based on a flag - isEnableSMPP. Although, in an example, a flag is used as a means to establish SMPP connection, in examples, other implementations such as using data tags, metadata, data labels, etc. can be contemplated herein. Further, in an embodiment, multiple SMPolicyControl update messages may come to PCF (116) due to provisioning of policy control request triggers and whenever this policy is triggered, PCF (116) sends “submit sm” messages to the SMSC-GW, resulting in an increase in network traffic and multiple notifications delivered directly to user devices.

[0080] In an embodiment, the PCF (116) provides one single SMS regarding barring functionality during each session i.e., the UE (102) receives a single SMS for a single PDU session. In some embodiments, during a PDU session, the PCF (116) is configured to send one submit_sm message to the SMSC-GW until an okay response in the form of “submit sm resp” is received. Further, if the PCF (116) received a positive submit_sm response, PCF (116) may no longer submit any more 'Submit_sm' messages for the particular PDU session. The table 1 below shows various test case scenarios when the UE (102) moves between the barring area and the unbarring area.

Table 1

[0081] Although FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of the system (100), in other embodiments, the network architecture may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional functional components than depicted in FIG. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the system (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the system (100).

[0082] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation (200) of the system (100) for providing SMS based on the rule engine, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 2, the system (100) may include one or more processor(s) (202). The one or more processor(s) (202) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, edge or fog microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that process data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) (202) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (204) of the system (100). The memory (204) may be configured to store one or more computer- readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over a network service. The memory (204) may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as Random-Access Memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as Electrically Erasable Programmable Readonly Memory (EPROM), flash memory, and the like.

[0084] In an embodiment, the system (100) may include an interface(s) (206). The interface(s) (206) may comprise a variety of interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input and output devices, referred to as input/output (VO) devices, storage devices, and the like. The interface(s) (206) may facilitate communication for the system (100). The interface(s) (206) may also provide a communication pathway for one or more components of the system (100). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, processing uniVmodule(s) (208) and a database (210). [0085] The processing unit/module(s) (208) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing module(s) (208). In examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing module(s) (208) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processing unit(s) (208) may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing unit(s) (208). In such examples, the system (100) may include the machine -readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing unit(s) (208) may be implemented by electronic circuitry. In an aspect, the database (210) may comprise data that may be either stored or generated as a result of functionalities implemented by any of the components of the processor (202) or the processing units (208).

[0086] In an embodiment, the processing unit (208) may include one or more units/modules such as, but not limited to, an acquisition unit (212), a SMPP interface unit (214), and other unit(s) (216).

[0087] Referring to FIG. 2, the database (210) is configured to store one or more flag conditions associated with the barring (112) areas in the communication network (100).

[0088] A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary block diagram (200) may be modular and flexible to accommodate any kind of changes in the system (100).

[0089] FIG. 3 illustrates a signal flow diagram (300) with messages communicated between the SMF (114) entity and the short message service centre gate way (SMSC-GW) (SMSC gateway server), in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 3, a message flow between the SMF (114) and the SMPP-GW through the PCF (116). The PCF (116) includes the rule engine providing SMS services to the UE (306) when the UE is in the barring area (barred area) (302). The PCF (116) also provides SMS services when the UE moves from the barred area (302) to the unbarred area (304) and vice versa such that single SMS is provided for a single PDU session.

[0091] In some embodiments, a new flag feature gives users control over SMS notifications by enabling them to choose whether they want to receive one SMS notification on each session or be notified every time the policy is triggered. Thereby providing seamless flexibility to end users. The SMPP interface may be implemented in the PCF (116) with no adverse effect on the performance of PCF (116), both in functional and non-functional scenarios.

[0092] In some embodiments, the PCF (116) is configured to support multiple PDU sessions of common data network name (DNN) - subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) combination. For each session, PCF (116) is configured to initiate a SMS notification trigger towards SMSC gateway server (120) if the SMS policy condition met. A system operator is configured to configure the DNN information using the convenient and straightforward comma- separated format and may be modified in real time.

[0093] At step 308, the PCF (116) is configured to establish a 'virtual connection' with the SMPP-GW. To establish the 'virtual connection’, the PCF (116) is configured to send either a bind-transmitter request or a bind-receiver request. If a bind transmitter request is sent, the SMSC receives the request and receives messages originating from the PCF (116). If the bind receiver request is sent, the SMPP-GW will forward messages to the PCF (116). In response, the PCF (116) is configured to receive a response from the SMPP-GW. [0094] At step 310, the PCF (116) is configured to receive a message (SM Policy control_create request) from the SMF (114). In response to the received message, the PCF (116) is configured to transmit a response (SM Policy control_create response) to the SMF (114). In some embodiments, if an SMS policy is triggered, PCF (116) is configured to first check if there has been a successful notification received for that session. If so, the PCF (116) will send another submit_sm message over SMPP to its destination - the SMSC-GW. This saves resources on both ends as no additional messages are sent. On the other hand, if no such information exists, PCF (116) is configured to go ahead and send out “submit_sm” request to the SMSC-GW (step 312).

[0095] At step 314, the SMF (114) generates at least one session update message (SM Policy control_update request) upon detecting a change in the current location of the user equipment or on receiving the triggering event. In an embodiment, the triggering event is a UE Internet Protocol address (IP address) change (UE_IP_CH), a public land mobile network (PLMN) Change (PLMN_CH), and a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change (RAT_CH). If after sending off the first packet - if any SMPolicy Control Update messages come through during its delivery period — an additional submission won't be initiated by PCF (116) (step 316). At step 318, the PCF (116) is configured to transmit a SMPolicyControl Response message to the SMF (114).

[0096] If submit_sm requests fail to receive a positive response or time out, PCF (116) may make another attempt in the next SMPolicyControl Update message. In an aspect, the PCF (116) is configured to try to transmit the information towards the SMSC-GW until the PCF (116) receives a Submit_sm_resp from the SMSC-GW (step 320). In an example, the Submit_sm_resp includes an ok reply. The retry number can be adjusted from 0 to some finite maximum amount in two different configurable options; one dealing with timeout and the other on not- ok/error replies. When timeouts occur, it's best to avoid retrying excessive numbers of times as the peer node may not respond, or the network could be unstable. In an example embodiment, the system operator may configure re-try numbers on both options based on the production environment.

[0097] At step 322, the SMF (114) generates at least one session update message (SM Policy control_update request) upon detecting a change in the current location of the user equipment or on receiving the triggering event. The PCF (116) is configured to transmit the SMPolicy Control Response message to the SMF (114). At step 324, the PCF (116) is configured to check whether at least one notification has been sent to the user for the same session. If at least one notification has been sent, then PCF (116) will not initiate additional submission (step 326).

[0098] In some embodiments, if the "isEnableSMPP" flag is disabled and a PDU session has been established with enforced barring policies, during the particular PDU session, the SMPP flags turns back ON, PCF (116) may send submit_sm request according to the configured SMS policy after receiving next SMPolicy Control Update messages from the SMF (114).

[0099] In some embodiments, the PCF (116) is equipped with the policy engine that may trigger an SMS notification when its policy conditions are met. For example, the SMS messages are triggered based on PCF_SMPolicy Control service operation messages rather than Npcf_AMPolicyControl service operation messages.

[00100] A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that these are mere examples, and in no way, limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[00101] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary computer system (400) in which or with which embodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized. As shown in FIG. 4, the computer system (400) may include an external storage device (410), a bus (420), a main memory (430), a read-only memory (440), a mass storage device (450), communication port(s) (460), and a processor (470). A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system (400) may include more than one processor and communication ports. The processor (470) may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port(s) (460) may be any of an RS -232 port for use with a modembased dialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. The communication port(s) (460) may be chosen depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system (400) connects. The main memory (430) may be random access memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. The read-only memory (440) may be any static storage device(s) including, but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information e.g., start-up or basic input/output system (BIOS) instructions for the processor (470). The mass storage device (450) may be any current or future mass storage solution, which may be used to store information and/or instructions.

[00102] The bus (420) communicatively couples the processor (470) with the other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (420) can be, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCLX) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), universal serial bus (USB), or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects the processor (470) to the computer system (400).

[00103] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g. a display, keyboard, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to the bus (420) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system (400). Other operator and administrative interfaces may be provided through network connections connected through the communication port(s) (460). In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system (400) limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[00104] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as limitation.

[00105] In an exemplary aspect, the present disclosure discloses a UE communicatively coupled with a PCF. The coupling process involves the following steps: the PCF (system) receives a connection request from an external device, such as a personal computer (PC), or UE. Second, the PCF sends an acknowledgment to the UE, confirming that the connection request has been received and will be processed. Finally, the PCF transmits multiple signals in response to the connection request, establishing a connection between the UE and the system.

[00106] Additionally, the PCF plays a crucial role in managing the connection. It is designed to determine a set of policy rules for the UE based on its current location. These policy rules dictate how the connection should be managed, such as which services are allowed, and which are not.

[00107] Moreover, the PCF generates at least one notification in association with a SMSC gateway server. This notification serves to inform the SMSC that a user has connected to the network and that the PCF has established policy rules for that user. The SMSC can then use this information to manage any SMS messages that are sent or received by the user.

[00108] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram depicting a method (500) of transmitting at least one notification to the user based upon the current location of the UE, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[00109] At step 502, the session management function (SMF) (114) receives session establishment request(s) from the user equipment via an access and mobility management function and establishes a plurality of packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the user equipment and a data network (DN) corresponding to a plurality of services. For example, the plurality of services includes a video service, a voice service, and a data service.

[00110] At step 504, the SMF (114) generates at least one session update message for each established session. The SMF (114) generates the at least one session update message upon detecting a change in the current location of the user equipment or upon receiving a triggering event. In an example, the triggering event is a UE Internet Protocol address (IP address) change (UE_IP_CH), a public land mobile network (PLMN) Change (PLMN_CH), and a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change (RAT_CH).

[00111] At step 506, the policy control function (PCF) (116) receives the at least one generated session update message for each established session.

[00112] At step 508, the PCF (116) determines a set of policy rules for the user corresponding to the current location for each established session. In an example, the current location of the user equipment either residing in a barring area or in a non-barring area. In an example, for each area, the PCF (116) stores a different set of policies. In an aspect, the policy may include how to generate the notification message, and a total number of the notification messages to be sent over a single session.

[00113] At step 510, the PCF (116) generates the at least one notification based on at least one determined policy rule for each established session. In an embodiment, the method further includes communicating by the PCF (116), with the SMSC gateway server (120) over an SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) interface. During the start-up process, PCF (116) is configured to initiate connections with both the primary and secondary SMSC gateway servers. Once the connections are established, PCF (116) is configured to prioritize the primary SMSC gateway server for sending messages on the available connections. However, in case of timeouts during message sending, PCF (116) is configured to disconnect from the SMSC server from which it is getting timeouts. The timeout threshold is configurable and can be set accordingly by a network operator. This ensures that the connection is maintained with the SMSC server that can respond to the requests in a timely manner. By disconnecting from the problematic server, PCF (116) can avoid delays and ensure that the messages are delivered efficiently.

[00114] At step 512, the short message service center (SMSC) gateway server (120) receives at least one notification and transmits it to the user. In an embodiment, step 512 further includes communicating, by the PCF (116), to the user via a secondary SMSC gateway server if a primary SMSC gateway server is unavailable.

[00115] In an embodiment, the method further includes resending at least one notification over the SMPP interface until a successful notification delivery is not received from the SMSC gateway server (120) or a finite number of resends is achieved.

[00116] The present disclosure is configured to provide a new flag feature that enables the users to control SMS notifications - enabling them to choose whether they receive one SMS notification on each session or are notified every time the policy is triggered. Seamless flexibility can provide to end user. During production, PCF (116) can receive multiple update messages triggered by policy control requests. Whenever a policy is triggered, PCF sends messages to the SMSC- GW, which increases network traffic and results in multiple notifications being delivered directly to user devices. The system (100) enables the PCF to generate one notification message for on session thereby avoiding generating message in bulk and utilizing the resources efficiently.

[00117] The method and system of the present disclosure may be implemented in a number of ways. For example, the methods and systems of the present disclosure may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of software, hardware, and firmware. The above-described order for the steps of the method is for illustration only, and the steps of the method of the present disclosure are not limited to the order specifically described above unless specifically stated otherwise. Further, in some embodiments, the present disclosure may also be embodied as programs recorded in a recording medium, the programs including machine-readable instructions for implementing the methods according to the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure also covers a recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to the present disclosure.

[00118] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is determined by the claims that follow. The present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments, versions, or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present disclosure when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[00119] The present disclosure provides short messaging service (SMS) messages in a barring area based on a rule engine.

[00120] The present disclosure enables a policy control function (PCF) to interact with a short message service centre (SMSC) gateway Server over a short message peer to peer (SMPP) protocol interface.

[00121] The present disclosure enables the PCF to establish SMPP connection based on a SMPP enable flag.

[00122] The present disclosure provides single SMS for a single packet data unit (PDU) session.

Claims

1. A system (100) for transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon a current location of a user equipment (UE) (102), the system (100) comprising: a session management function (SMF) (114) configured to receive session establishment request(s) from the UE (102) via an access and mobility management function (AMF) (108) and establish a plurality of packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the UE (102) and a data network (DN) (118) corresponding to a plurality of services, and is further configured to generate at least one session update message for each established session; a policy control function (PCF) (116) configured to cooperate with the SMF to receive the at least one generated session update message for each established session and is further configured to: determine a set of policy rules for the user corresponding to the current location for each established session; and generate the at least one notification based on the determined set of policy rules; and a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server (120) configured to cooperate with the PCF (116) to receive the at least one notification and is further configured to transmit the at least one notification to the UE.

2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one notification is a short message service (SMS) notification.

3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of services includes a video service, a voice service, and a data service.

4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current location of the UE (102) either resides in a barring area or in a non-barring area.

5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the SMF (114) generates the at least one session update message upon detecting a change in the current location of the UE (102) or upon receiving a triggering event.

6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the triggering event is a UE Internet Protocol address (IP address) change (UE_IP_CH), a public land mobile network (PLMN) change (PLMN_CH), and a Radio Access Technology (RAT) change (RAT_CH).

7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PCF (116) communicates with the SMSC gateway server (120) over a SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) interface.

8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the SMSC gateway server (120) includes a primary SMSC gateway server and a secondary SMSC gateway server.

9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the PCF (116) is configured to communicate via the secondary SMSC gateway server if the primary SMSC gateway server is unavailable.

10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PCF (116) is configured to resend the at least one notification over the SMPP interface until a successful delivery notification is not received from the SMSC gateway server (120) or a finite number of resend counts is achieved.

11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of notifications to be received for each session is configured through the UE.

12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to enable/disable receiving of the at least one notification from the PCF (116).

13. A method (500) of transmitting at least one notification to a user based upon a current location associated with a user equipment UE (102), the method comprising: receiving (502), by a session management function (SMF) (114), session establishment request(s) from the UE (102) via an access and mobility management function (108) and establishing a plurality of packet data unit (PDU) sessions between the UE (102) and a data network (DN) corresponding to a plurality of services; generating (504), by the SMF (114), at least one session update message for each established session; receiving (506), by a policy control function (PCF) (116), the at least one generated session update message for each established session; determining (508), by the PCF (116), a set of policy rules for the user corresponding to the current location for each established session; generating (510), by the PCF (116), the at least one notification based on at least one determined policy rule for each established session; and receiving (512), by a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server (120), the at least one notification and transmitting the at least one notification to the UE.

14. The method (500) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising generating, by the SMF (114), the at least one session update message on detecting a change in the current location of the UE (102) or on receiving a triggering event.

15. The method (500) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising communicating, by the PCF (116), with the SMSC gateway server (120) over a SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) interface.

16. The method (500) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising communicating, by the PCF (116), to the user via a secondary SMSC gateway server if a primary SMSC gateway server is unavailable.

17. The method (500) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising resending the at least one notification over the SMPP interface until a successful delivery notification is not received from the SMSC gateway server or a finite number of resend counts is achieved.

18. The method (500) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising controlling a number of notifications to be received for each session through the UE.

19. The method (500) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising enabling/disabling of receiving of the at least one notification from the PCF (116) by the user.

20. A user equipment (UE) (102) communicatively coupled with a policy control function (PCF) (116), the coupling comprises steps of: receiving a connection request; sending an acknowledgment of the connection request to the PCF (116); and transmitting a plurality of signals in response to the connection request, wherein the PCF (116) is configured to determine a set of policy rules for the UE (102) corresponding to a current location of the UE (102) and generates at least one notification in association with a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server (120) as claimed in claim 1.

21. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive, from a session management function (SMF) (114), at least one generated session update message for each established session; determine a set of policy rules for a user corresponding to a current location for each established session; generate at least one notification based on at least one determined policy rule for each established session; and receive, by a short message service center (SMSC) gateway server (120), the at least one notification and transmitting the at least one notification to the UE.