Offline charging for group communications using multimedia broadcast multicast service (mbms) delivery
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorsRanjan Sharma, Yigang Cai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for performing offline charging for group communications. One embodiment is an application server that identifies data for a group communication, identifies an encryption code assigned to the group, encrypts the data for the group communication using the encryption code, and initiates delivery of the encrypted data for the group communication to the group of mobile devices over an MBMS bearer. The application server collects charging information related to the group communication using MBMS delivery, formats the charging information into an offline charging communication, and transmits the offline charging communication to an offline charging system.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- an application server configured to control a group communication to a group of mobile devices using Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) delivery, the application server comprising:
- a controller configured to identify data for the group communication, to identify an encryption code assigned to the group, to encrypt the data for the group communication using the encryption code, and to initiate delivery of the encrypted data for the group communication to the group of mobile devices over an MBMS bearer;
- the controller is configured to collect charging information related to the group communication using MBMS delivery, to format the charging information into an offline charging communication, and to transmit the offline charging communication to an offline charging system.
A method for implementing offline charging for a group communication to a group of mobile devices using Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) delivery, the method comprising:
- identifying data at an application server for the group communication;
- identifying, at the application server, an encryption code assigned to the group;
- encrypting the data for the group communication using the encryption code;
- initiating, at the application server, delivery of the encrypted data for the group communication to the group of mobile devices over an MBMS bearer;
- collecting, at the application server, charging information related to the group communication using MBMS delivery;
- formatting the charging information into an offline charging communication;
- and
- transmitting the offline charging communication from the application server to an offline charging system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.