Split control and data plane architecture to enable rating group-level thresholds and triggers from charging function for offline charging

A system comprising:

• a session management function (SMF) implemented on a computing device, the SMF configured to support charging for a service in a network, and to perform accessing, from a policy control function implemented on a computing device, policy rules defining a rating group to be used for offline charging;
• and
• a charging function implemented on a computing device and configured to send charging data records related to service usage to a billing domain, wherein, while a protocol data unit (PDU) session for user equipment is being established in the network, and prior to service usage for the rating group in the PDU session:
• the SMF is configured to perform sending, to the charging function, a charging data request that establishes offline charging for the PDU session and that indicates the rating group, wherein the charging data request includes a multiple unit usage information element (IE) that has a rating group field to indicate the rating group, but that omits a used unit container IE normally used to report the service usage for billing;
• the charging function is configured to perform receiving the charging data request and, upon determining that the charging data request does not include service usage information, sending, to the SMF, a charging data response to include one or more triggers and thresholds for the rating group for chargeable events for the offline charging;
• and
• the SMF is configured to perform receiving, from the charging function, the charging data response.

Non-transitory computer readable media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

• at a session management function (SMF) implemented on a computing device and configured to support charging for a service in a network, accessing, from a policy control function implemented on a computing device, policy rules defining a rating group to be used for offline charging;
• and
• while a protocol data unit (PDU) session for user equipment is being established in the network, and prior to service usage for the rating group in the PDU session:
• at the SMF, sending, to a charging function implemented on a computing device and configured to send charging data records related to the service usage to a billing domain, a charging data request that establishes offline charging for the PDU session and that indicates the rating group without any service usage information for the rating group, wherein the charging data request includes a multiple unit usage information element (IE) that has a rating group field to indicate the rating group, but that omits a used unit container IE normally used to report the service usage for billing;
• at the charging function, receiving the charging data request and, upon determining that the charging data request does not include service usage information, sending, to the SMF, a charging data response to include one or more triggers and thresholds for the rating group for chargeable events for the offline charging;
• and
• at the SMF, receiving, from the charging function, the charging data response.