Qos control in pcrf based on usage and time of day

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node and a method for authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for a wireless subscriber based on subscriber usage and time-of-day for a 3GPP-compliant packet data network

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node for a 3GPP-compliant packet data network, the PCRF node configured to:
 receive from a PCEF, a subscriber usage level;   monitor the usage of the subscriber by adding the amount of usage to a record of an accumulated usage of the subscriber;   identify a block of time within a day;   authorize a Quality of Service (QoS) for the subscriber based at least on the usage of the subscriber and block of time within a day; and   transmit an authorization message indicating the QoS that the network should provide to the subscriber.   
     
     
         2 . The PCRF node of  claim 1 , wherein said authorized QoS is restricted if said usage of the subscriber exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The PCRF node of  claim 2 , wherein said authorized QoS is determined by a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule set. 
     
     
         4 . The PCRF node of  claim 3 , wherein said authorized QoS is communicated to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF). 
     
     
         5 . The PCRF node of  claim 4 , further comprising a reauthorization scheduler that determines that a session must be reauthorized based on a change in the block of time within a day, wherein the PCRF reauthorizes the session by determining a new QoS based on the block of time within a day. 
     
     
         6 . The PCRF node of  claim 5 , wherein said authorization message comprises a Re-Authorization Request (RAR) message. 
     
     
         7 . The PCRF node of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a usage report handler, wherein the usage report handler monitors a monitoring key, the monitoring key corresponding to a type of subscriber usage, at least one threshold amount of usage, and a policy to be applied if the subscriber's usage exceeds the threshold;   a usage recorder that updates and stores in a subscriber record, the subscriber's accumulated usage based on the monitoring key corresponding to the subscriber usage, wherein the subscriber's record includes a set of monitoring keys; and   a policy engine that applies the policy of a monitoring key if the subscriber's usage has exceeded the at least one threshold of the monitoring key.   
     
     
         8 . A method at a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node for authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for a wireless subscriber, the method comprising steps of:
 receiving from a PCEF, a subscriber usage level;   monitoring the usage of the subscriber by adding the amount of usage to a record of an accumulated usage of the subscriber;   identifying a block of time within a day;   authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for the subscriber based at least on the usage of the subscriber and the block of time within a day; and   transmitting an authorization message indicating the QoS that the network should provide to the subscriber.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said authorized QoS is restricted if said usage of the subscriber exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said authorized QoS is determined by a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule set. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said authorized QoS is communicated to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said determining step determines that a session must be reauthorized based on a change in the block of time within a day, wherein the PCRF reauthorizes the session by determining a new QoS based on the block of time within a day. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said authorization message comprises a Re-Authorization Request (RAR) message. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising steps of:
 monitoring a monitoring key, the monitoring key corresponding to a type of subscriber usage, at least one threshold amount of usage, and a policy to be applied if the subscriber's usage exceeds the threshold;   updating and storing in a subscriber record, the subscriber's accumulated usage based on the monitoring key corresponding to the subscriber usage, wherein the subscriber's record includes a set of monitoring keys; and   applying the policy of a monitoring key if the subscriber's usage has exceeded the at least one threshold of the monitoring key.   
     
     
         15 . A machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:
 instructions for receiving from a PCEF, a subscriber usage level;   instructions for monitoring the usage of the subscriber by adding the amount of usage to a record of an accumulated usage of the subscriber;   instructions for determining a block of time within a day;   instructions for authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for the subscriber based at least on the usage of the subscriber and the block of time within a day; and   instructions for transmitting an authorization message indicating the QoS that the network should provide to the subscriber.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein said authorized QoS is restricted if said usage of the subscriber exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein said authorized QoS is determined by a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule set. 
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein said authorized QoS is communicated to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF). 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein said determining step determines that a session must be reauthorized based on a change in the block of time within a day, wherein the PCRF reauthorizes the session by determining a new QoS based on the block of time within a day. 
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein said authorization message comprises a Re-Authorization Request (RAR) message.