# US 2022/0045874 A1 · Charging processing method and system, and related device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0045874 A1 - Document ID: US20220045874A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/502,009 - Filed: 2021-10-14 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-19 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co.,Ltd. - Inventors: Xiaoqian Chai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045874A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/14: Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework - H04L 12/1403: {Architecture for metering, charging or billing} - H04L 5/0055: {Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK (for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861)} - H04M 15/64: {On-line charging system [OCS]} - H04M 15/65: {Off-line charging system} - H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system} - H04M 15/70: {Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges} - H04M 15/73: {Validating charges} - H04M 15/74: {Backing up} - H04M 15/853: {Calculate maximum communication time or volume} - H04M 15/854: {Available credit} - H04M 15/856: {Unsuccessful event} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A charging processing method includes: when a charging processing device for a user service is unavailable, storing charging data of the user service during the failure period, where the charging data includes charging data that is not sent or charging data that is not processed; and after it is determined that a charging processing device for the user service transitioned from “unavailable” to “available”, sending a charging request message that includes the charging data during the failure period to the available charging processing device, so that the available charging processing device performs charging processing on the charging data before a charging processing device transitioned to “available”. In this method, when the charging processing device or a network is faulty, interruption of the user service can be avoided, and a loss caused for an operator can be avoided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A charging method, performed by a charging trigger device, wherein the method comprises: determining that a charging processing device for a user service transitioned from “unavailable” to “available”; and sending a first charging request message for the user service to the available charging processing device, wherein the first charging request message comprises at least one of first charging data or first information of the user service; wherein the first charging data comprises charging data that is not sent or charging data that is not processed because a charging processing device for the user service was unavailable, wherein the charging data that is not sent is charging data that is not sent by the charging trigger device to a charging processing device, and the charging data that is not processed is charging data for which the charging trigger device does not receive a charging processing result from a charging processing device; and the first information indicates that a reason for reporting the first charging request message is that a charging processing device for the user service transitioned to “available”. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein before the sending the first charging request message to the available charging processing device, the method further comprises: determining that a charging processing device for the user service is unavailable; and obtaining the first charging request message based on a second charging request message, wherein the second charging request message comprises a charging request message that is not sent or a charging request message for which no response is received because a charging processing device for the user service was unavailable, wherein the charging request message that is not sent is a charging request message that is not sent by the charging trigger device to a charging processing device, and the charging request message for which no response is received is a charging request message for which the charging trigger device does not receive a charging response message from a charging processing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the second charging request message comprises usage data of the user service and a corresponding quota indicator, and either the first charging data in the obtained first charging request message comprises the usage data and the quota indicator, or the first charging data in the obtained first charging request message comprises the usage data and the first charging data indicates that the usage data is usage data without a quota. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the first charging request message comprises the first charging data of the user service, the first charging request message further comprises third information, and the third information is used to determine that the first charging data is retransmitted data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein before the sending the first charging request message to the available charging processing device, the method further comprises: determining that a charging processing device for the user service is unavailable; obtaining usage data of the user service; and obtaining the first charging request message based on the usage data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein a charging mode of the user service is online charging, and the method further comprises: performing an online charging operation on the user service to obtain the usage data, wherein the first charging data in the obtained first charging request message comprises the usage data and a quota indicator; or a charging mode of the user service is offline charging, and the method further comprises: performing an offline charging operation on the user service to obtain the usage data, wherein the first charging data in the obtained first charging request message comprises the usage data, and the first charging data indicates that the usage data is usage data without a quota. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein before the sending the first charging request message to the available charging processing device, the method further comprises: obtaining a fault processing policy, wherein the fault processing policy indicates the charging trigger device to send, after a charging processing device for the user service transitions from “unavailable” to “available”, the first charging request message for the user service to the available charging processing device; and the obtaining a fault processing policy comprises: reading the fault processing policy from local configuration information; or receiving the fault processing policy from the charging processing device; or receiving the fault processing policy from a policy control function PCF device. ### Claim 8 A charging method, performed by a charging processing device, wherein the method comprises: receiving a first charging request message for a user service from a charging trigger device, wherein the first charging request message comprises at least one of first charging data or first information of the user service; and performing charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message; wherein the first charging data comprises charging data that is not sent or charging data that is not processed because a charging processing device for the user service was unavailable, wherein the charging data that is not sent is charging data that is not sent by the charging trigger device to a charging processing device, and the charging data that is not processed is charging data for which the charging trigger device does not receive a charging processing result from a charging processing device; and the first information indicates that a reason for reporting the first charging request message is that a charging processing device for the user service transitioned to “available”. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first charging request message comprises the first charging data, the first charging request message further comprises second information, and the second information indicates that the first charging request message comprises the first charging data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first charging data in the first charging request message comprises usage data of the user service, the first charging data indicates that the usage data is usage data without a quota, and the performing charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message comprises: determining that a first charging data record corresponding to the user service does not exist in the charging processing device; and creating the first charging data record based on the first charging request message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first charging data in the first charging request message comprises usage data of the user service, the first charging data indicates that the usage data is usage data without a quota, and after the receiving a first charging request message from a charging trigger device, the method further comprises: releasing a service unit quota corresponding to the usage data and existing in the charging processing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first charging data in the first charging request message comprises usage data of the user service and a quota indicator, and the performing charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message comprises: determining that a service unit quota corresponding to the usage data does not exist in the charging processing device; and performing deduction processing on a user account based on the usage data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first charging request message is a charging resource update request message or a charging resource deletion request message, the first charging request message further comprises a charging resource identifier, and the performing charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message further comprises: when a charging resource corresponding to the charging resource identifier does not exist in the charging processing device, creating the charging resource based on the first charging request message. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein before the performing charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message, the method further comprises: determining that the first charging data in the first charging request message is not retransmitted charging data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first charging request message is a charging resource creation request message, the first charging data comprises service information of the user service, and the performing charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message further comprises: determining, based on the service information of the user service, whether a charging resource corresponding to the first charging data exists in the charging processing device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein it is determined that the charging resource corresponding to the first charging data exists in the charging processing device, and the method further comprises: generating a charging response message, wherein the charging response message comprises an identifier of the charging resource corresponding to the first charging data and existing in the charging processing device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein before the receiving a first charging request message, the method further comprises: sending a fault processing policy to the charging trigger device, wherein the fault processing policy is used to indicate the charging trigger device to send, after a charging processing device for the user service transitioned from “unavailable” to “available”, the first charging request message for the user service to the available charging processing device. ### Claim 18 A charging processing device, comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a program, and wherein the program, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the charging processing device to: receive a first charging request message for a user service from a charging trigger device, wherein the first charging request message comprises at least one of first charging data or first information of the user service; and perform charging processing on the user service based on the first charging request message; wherein the first charging data comprises charging data that is not sent or charging data that is not processed because a charging processing device for the user service was unavailable, wherein the charging data that is not sent is charging data that is not sent by the charging trigger device to a charging processing device, and the charging data that is not processed is charging data for which the charging trigger device does not receive a charging processing result from a charging processing device; and the first information indicates that a reason for reporting the first charging request message is that a charging processing device for the user service transitioned to “available”. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The charging processing device according to claim 18, wherein the first charging request message comprises the first charging data, the first charging request message further comprises second information, and the second information indicates that the first charging request message comprises the first charging data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The charging processing device according to claim 18, wherein the first charging data in the first charging request message comprises usage data of the user service, and the first charging data indicates that the usage data is usage data without a quota, the program further causes the charging processing device to: determine that a first charging data record corresponding to the user service does not exist in the charging processing device; and create the first charging data record based on the first charging request message.