# US 10,320,991 B2 · Policy and charging enforcement function apparatus, online charging apparatus, and online charging method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,991 B2 - Document ID: US10320991B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/809,645 - Filed: 2017-11-10 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-11 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Xiaoqian Chai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320991B2 ## CPC - H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system} - H04L 12/1407: {Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture} - H04M 15/09: {Third party charged communications} - H04M 15/64: {On-line charging system [OCS]} - H04M 15/785: {Reserving amount on the account} - H04M 15/8083: {involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts} - H04M 15/8214: {Data or packet based} - H04M 15/854: {Available credit} - H04M 17/20: {with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04M 15/8016: {based on quality of service [QoS]} - H04M 2215/0192: Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, an online charging apparatus, and an online charging method, where the online charging method includes receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), determining that a service data flow of a user equipment is a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor, determining, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow included in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging, and sending a credit control request including the rating group to the online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, comprising: a communications interface configured to receive a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF); and a processor coupled to the communications interface and configured to: determine, based on the PCC rule, that a service data flow of a user equipment comprises a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor; and determine, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow comprised in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging, the communications interface being further configured to: send a credit control request comprising the rating group to an online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow; and receive the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow from the online charging apparatus, and the processor being further configured to record use information of use of the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The PCEF apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the rating group, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The PCEF apparatus of claim 2, wherein the use information recorded by the processor corresponds to the rating group, and the communications interface being further configured to send a reporting message comprising the rating group and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The PCEF apparatus of claim 3, wherein the communications interface is further configured to: receive the reporting condition from the online charging apparatus, the reporting condition comprising that a quality of service (QoS) of the service data flow is changed; and send the reporting message to the online charging apparatus when the QoS of the service data flow is changed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The PCEF apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PCC rule further comprises a sponsor identity, and the processor being further configured to determine, based on the sponsor identity, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The PCEF apparatus of claim 5, wherein the PCC rule further comprises the sponsor identity and an application service provider identity, the use information recorded by the processor corresponding to the sponsor identity and the application service provider identity, and the communications interface being further configured to send a reporting message comprising the sponsor identity, the application service provider identity, and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The PCEF apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow comprises duration, and the processor being further configured to record a start time, an end time, and effective use duration of using the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow in a current reporting period. ### Claim 8 A charging method applied to a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, comprising: receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF); determining, based on the PCC rule, that a service data flow of a user equipment comprises a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor, determining, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow comprised in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging; sending a credit control request comprising the rating group to an online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow; receiving the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow from the online charging apparatus; and recording use information of use of the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The charging method of claim 8, further comprising determining, based on the rating group, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The charging method of claim 9, wherein the use information corresponds to the rating group, and the charging method further comprising sending a reporting message comprising the rating group and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The charging method of claim 10, further comprising: receiving the reporting condition from the online charging apparatus, the reporting condition comprising that a quality of service (QoS) of the service data flow is changed; and sending the reporting message to the online charging apparatus when the QoS of the service data flow is changed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The charging method of claim 8, wherein the PCC rule further comprises a sponsor identity, and the charging method further comprising determining, based on the sponsor identity, that the service data flow of the user equipment comprises the sponsor service data flow sponsored by the sponsor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The charging method of claim 12, wherein the PCC rule further comprises the sponsor identity and an application service provider identity, the use information corresponding to the sponsor identity and the application service provider identity, and the charging method further comprising sending a reporting message comprising the sponsor identity, the application service provider identity, and the use information to the online charging apparatus when a reporting condition is satisfied. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The charging method of claim 8, wherein the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow comprises duration, and the charging method further comprising recording a start time, an end time, and effective use duration of using the credit quota by the sponsor service data flow in a current reporting period. ### Claim 15 A charging method applied to an online charging apparatus, comprising: receiving a credit control request from a policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, the credit control request comprising a rating group; determining, based on the rating group comprised in the credit control request, that a service data flow of a user equipment comprises a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor when the rating group specifies the sponsor; allocating a credit quota to the sponsor service data flow according to the rating group; and sending the credit quota to the PCEF apparatus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The charging method of claim 15, wherein allocating the credit quota to the sponsor service data flow comprises allocating the credit quota to the sponsor service data flow according to a default quota type stored in the online charging apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The charging method of claim 15, wherein the credit control request comprises a quota type, and allocating the credit quota to the sponsor service data flow comprises allocating, according to the quota type comprised in the credit control request. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The charging method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: determining a reporting condition corresponding to the sponsor; and sending the reporting condition to the PCEF apparatus.