Methods supporting usage reporting rules with and without associated reporting rules and related network nodes

A method of operating a first core network (CN) node, the method comprising:

• receiving a session establishment request message from a second CN node, wherein the session establishment request message is provided to establish a session for a communication device, wherein the session establishment request message includes a first information element associated with a first application having a first application identifier (appID), the first information element including a first Usage Reporting Rule (URR) having a first URR Identifier and including first URR parameters associated with the first URR, and wherein the session establishment request message includes a second information element associated with a second application having a second appID, the second information element including a second URR having a second URR identifier without including second URR parameters associated with the second URR;
• receiving an application traffic packet from the communication device, wherein the application traffic packet is associated with the second application having the second appID;
• transmitting a session report request message to the second CN node responsive to receiving the application traffic packet associated with the second application having the second appID, wherein the session report request message includes the second URR identifier and the second appID;
• and
• receiving a session modification request message from the second CN node after transmitting the session report request message, wherein the session modification request message includes a third information element associated with the second application having the second appID, the third information element including a third URR having the second URR Identifier and including the second URR parameters associated with the third URR.

A method of operating a first core network (CN) node, the method comprising:

• receiving a policy request message from a second CN node;
• and
• transmitting a policy response message to the second CN node responsive to receiving the policy request message, wherein:
• the policy response message includes subscriber policy information for a communication device,
• the subscriber policy information includes a plurality of Policy Charging and Control (PCC) rules for the communication device corresponding to a plurality of applications used by the communication device,
• each of the plurality of applications has a respective application Identifier (appID),
• each of the PCC rules of the plurality of PCC rules is associated with a respective application of the plurality of applications and corresponding appID,
• the subscriber policy information includes an indication to enable at least one of Usage Reporting Rule (URR) optimization or Quality Enforcement Rule (QER) optimization for the PDU session,
• the first CN node is configured with a list of appIDs,
• a first information element is generated and the first information element comprises a first URR having a first URR identifier and including a first URR parameters associated with the first URR responsive to a first appID associated with a first PCC rule being included in the list of appIDs, and
• a second information element is generated and the second information element comprises a second URR having a second URR identifier without including a second URR parameters associated with the second URR responsive to a second appID associated with a second PCC rule being omitted from the list of appIDs.

A method of operating a first core network (CN) node, the method comprising:

• receiving a policy profile request message from a second CN node, wherein the policy profile request message includes a subscriber identifier associated with a communication device;
• and
• transmitting a policy profile response message to the second CN node responsive to receiving the policy profile request message, wherein;
• the policy profile response message includes subscriber profile information for the communication device,
• the subscriber profile information includes an indication to enable at least one of usage reporting rule (URR) optimization or Quality Enforcement Rule (QER) optimization,
• the first CN node is configured with a list of appIDs,
• a first information element is generated and the first information element comprises a first URR having a first URR identifier and including a first URR parameters associated with the first URR responsive to a first appID associated with a first PCC rule being included in the list of appIDs, and
• a second information element is generated and the second information element comprises a second URR having a second URR identifier without including a second URR parameters associated with the second URR responsive to a second appID associated with a second PCC rule being omitted from the list of appIDs.