US 9,077,821 B2Granted

Maximizing end-user's quality of experience within a mobile data plan

AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)

InventorsMiguel Angel Pallares Lopez, Stuart Clark, Pablo Molinero Fernandez, Miguel Angel Muñoz De La Torre Alonso

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Abstract

Currently existing mechanisms to optimize the quality of experience (QoE) in accordance with user data plans are rather based on user self-managed usage of his mobile user data plan with, for example, help from external applications which continuously evaluate the limits reached. There is thus a need for deployment of intelligence in the network, in order to avoid abrupt downgrades in the QoE for subscribers that go over the monthly quota of their data plan. To overcome these problems, or at least to mitigate them, an embodiment of the present invention provides for an optimization of the user's quota by gradually reducing the required bandwidth for the content that the user requests. This is achieved by a method which takes into account the consumed/remaining volumes in the user data plan as well as the user browsing habits, and which provides context enrichment to content providers to enable taking decisions.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of a policy and charging rules function server, hereinafter PCRF server, of a telecommunications network having a traffic detection function device, hereinafter TDF device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user identifier at a network interface unit of the PCRF server for a user session;
obtaining through the network interface unit remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier on user session and services sessions basis;
submitting through the network interface unit of the PCRF server the remaining quota and subscriber habits on user session and services sessions basis for the user identifier to the TDF device;
receiving at the network interface unit of the PCRF server usage monitoring information for the user session and for a particular service session from the TDF device;
using the usage monitoring information to re-calculate with a processing unit of the PCRF server a new remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier, wherein the recalculation of subscriber habits takes into account a last time the user identifier connected to the network;
sending from the network interface unit the new remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier to the TDF device;
and
upon receiving an indication of session termination, updating values of remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier to be used for a subsequent user session for the user identifier.

5 more elements

A method of a traffic detection function device, hereinafter TDF device, of a telecommunications network having a policy and charging rules function server, hereinafter PCRF server, and a content delivery server, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a network interface unit of the TDF device a remaining quota and subscriber habits on user session and services sessions basis for a user session identified by a user identifier;
storing the remaining quota and subscriber habits on user session and services sessions basis for the user identifier in a memory of the TDF device;
detecting a particular service session for the user identifier by a processing unit of the TDF device;
determining by the processing unit of the TDF device the remaining quota for the user session and for the particular service session;
sending from the network interface unit of the TDF device the remaining quota and the subscriber habits to the content delivery server;
monitoring with the processing unit of the TDF device traffic for the user session and for the particular service session;
providing a usage monitoring information for the user session and for the particular service session to the PCRF server;
receiving at the network interface unit updated remaining quota and updated subscriber habits for the user identifier recalculated by the PCRF server, wherein the updated subscriber habits take into account a last time the user identifier connected to the network;
and
storing the updated remaining quota and updated subscriber habits for the user identifier in the memory of the TDF device.

7 more elements

A policy and charging rules function server, hereinafter PCRF server, of a telecommunications network having a traffic detection function device, hereinafter TDF device, the PCRF server comprising:

a network interface unit of the PCRF server which receives a user identifier for a user session and obtains remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier on user session and services sessions basis, the network interface unit submitting the remaining quota and subscriber habits on user session and services sessions basis for the user identifier to the TDF device;
the network interface unit receiving usage monitoring information for the user session and for a particular service session from the TDF device;
and
a processing unit of the PCRF server re-calculating a new remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier using the usage monitoring information, wherein the recalculation of subscriber habits takes into account a last time the user identifier connected to the network, the network interface unit sending the new remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier to the TDF device;
and upon receiving an indication of session termination, the processing unit updating values of remaining quota and subscriber habits for the user identifier to be used for a subsequent user session for the user identifier.

2 more elements

A traffic detection function device, hereinafter TDF device, of a telecommunications network having a policy and charging rules function server, hereinafter PCRF server, and a content delivery server, the TDF device comprises:

a network interface unit of the TDF device which receives a remaining quota and subscriber habits on user session and services sessions basis for a user session identified by a user identifier;
a memory of the TDF device which stores the remaining quota and subscriber habits on user session and services sessions basis for the user identifier;
a processing unit of the TDF device which detects a particular service session for the user identifier and determines the remaining quota for the user session and for the particular service session;
the network interface unit sends the remaining quota and the subscriber habits to the content delivery server;
the processing unit monitoring traffic for the user session and for the particular service session;
the network interface unit provides usage monitoring information for the user session and for the particular service session to the PCRF server, and receives updated remaining quota and updated subscriber habits for the user identifier recalculated by the PCRF server, wherein the updated subscriber habits take into account a last time the user identifier connected to the network;
and
the memory of the TDF device stores the updated remaining quota and updated subscriber habits for the user identifier.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/728,253Filed 27 Dec 2012
Published: US 2014/0187195 A13 Jul 2014
Granted: 7 Jul 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04M 15/885
Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure: limit per application
H04L 12/1407
Architecture for metering, charging or billing: policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
H04L 12/1432
Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA]…:…
H04M 15/66
Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless…: policy…