Quality of service for a video streaming service

A method for operating a network node for use as a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, in a Policy Charging Control architecture of a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a receiver from a Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, a notification indicating that a video service has started for streaming video content to a User Equipment, UE, of a user;
• determining, by a quality determiner, a first Quality of Service, QoS, setting for streaming the video service to the UE;
• transmitting, by a transmitter, first QoS setting data identifying the first QoS setting to the PCEF;
• receiving, by the receiver, a further notification from the PCEF indicating that the video service has reached a particular stage,
• wherein the particular stage of the video service is at least one of the end of a buffering phase and the beginning of a playout phase;
• determining, by the quality determiner and in response to the further notification, a second QoS setting specifying a lower QoS than the first QoS setting and for streaming the video service after the particular stage;
• and
• transmitting, by the transmitter, second QoS setting data identifying the second QoS setting to the PCEF.

A network node for use as a Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, in a Policy Charging Control architecture of a telecommunications system, the network node comprising:

• a video service monitor configured to determine whether a video service has started for streaming video content to a User Equipment, UE, of a user;
• a transmitter configured to transmit to a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, a notification indicating that the video service has started;
• a receiver configured to receive from the PCRF first Quality of Service, QoS, setting data identifying a first QoS setting for streaming the video service to the UE;
• a quality assigner configured to assign the first QoS setting to the video service;
• the video service monitor being further configured to monitor video content packets downloaded to the UE from a video server during the video service, and to detect that the video service has reached a particular stage;
• the transmitter being further configured to transmit a further notification to the PCRF indicating that the particular stage has been reached,
• wherein the particular stage of the video service is at least one of the end of a buffering phase and the beginning of a playout phase;
• the receiver being further configured to receive, from the PCRF, second QoS setting data identifying a second QoS setting that specifies a lower QoS than the first QoS setting;
• and
• the quality assigner being configured to assign a QoS setting that corresponds to the received second QoS setting data to the video service.

A method for operating a network node for use as a Policy Control Enforcement Function, PCEF, in a Policy Charging Control architecture of a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

• determining, by a video service monitor, whether a video service has started for streaming video content to a User Equipment, UE, of a user;
• transmitting, by a transmitter to a Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF, a notification indicating that the video service has started;
• receiving, by a receiver from the PCRF, first Quality of Service, QoS, setting data identifying a first QoS setting for streaming the video service to the UE;
• assigning, by a quality assigner, the first QoS setting to the video service;
• monitoring, by the video service monitor, video content packets downloaded to the UE from a video server during the video service;
• detecting, by the video service monitor, that the video service has reached a particular stage,
• transmitting, by the transmitter to the PCRF, a further notification indicating that the particular stage has been reached,
• wherein the particular stage of the video service is at least one of the end of a buffering phase and the beginning of a playout phase;
• receiving, by the receiver from the PCRF, second QoS setting data identifying a second QoS setting that specifies a lower QoS than the first QoS setting;
• and
• assigning, by the quality assigner, a QoS setting that corresponds to the received second QoS setting data to the video service.