Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that notify end users of mobile devices of charging rate adjustments within a mobile network. A rate notification system receives bandwidth usage data for the mobile network, and identifies a region within the mobile network having a bandwidth usage that exceeds a threshold. The bandwidth usage is processed per media type (i.e., voice calls, text messages, etc) based on the bandwidth usage data. The rate notification system then identifies a mobile device located within the region, and identifies one or more contacts of the end user of the mobile device. The rate notification system then identifies an adjusted charging rate per contact per media type for this end user, and provides the adjusted charging rates to the end user of the mobile device.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for performing charging control to application-layer data. When a trigger condition is satisfied, a TDF transmits a first credit control request to an OCS, wherein the first credit control request includes a result of inspecting an application or application traffic by the TDF; the OCS determines charging control information for the application or application traffic based on the first credit control request to generate a credit control answer; the OCS transmits the credit control answer to the TDF. Compared with the prior art, in the present invention, the TDF detects an application or application traffic and provides the detection result to the OCS; the OCS determines charging control information to the application or application flow and returns it to the TDF, thereby realizing charging control to the application-layer data and improving the accuracy of the charging system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing location or time zone information updates during a VoLTE call session teardown are provided. In one aspect, a Network Element (NE) of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) transmits a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session end message to a subscriber User Equipment (UE) to teardown a VoLTE session. The NE generates (but does not send) an Accounting Charge Request (ACR) STOP message for the VoLTE session. The NE receives a SIP response message, and determines if it includes an update to the UE's last known User Location Information (ULI) or the UE's last known Time-Zone (TZ). The NE includes the any updates to the ULI or TZ in the generated ACR STOP message if included in the SIP response, and, transmits the ACR STOP message to an Offline Charging System (OFCS) of the telecommunications network using the Diameter Protocol.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating charging data records for commercial group-based messages broadcast by a telecommunications network to a group of subscribers are provided. In one aspect, a network element of a telecommunications network is configured to identify individual user devices that successfully received and processed a message that was broadcast over the telecommunications network to a target group of user devices. The identification of the particular devices in the target group of devices that successfully received and processed the broadcast message is used for generating sender based charging or sender-plus-receiver based charging data records for the subscribers of the telecommunication network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for switching radio resource allocation for User Equipment (UE) enabled for a device-to-device (D2D) communication. One embodiment is a base station that switches resource allocation between Mode 1, Mode 2, and a transition mode. For the transition mode, one or more parameters have a value in a range between a value specified in Mode 1 and a value specified in Mode 2 for the parameter(s). The base station detects movement of the UE from in-coverage of the base station to edge-of-coverage, and initiates switching of the resource allocation for the UE from Mode 1 to the transition mode. The base station then detects movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the base station to out-of-coverage, and initiates switching of the radio resource allocation for the UE from the transition mode to Mode 2.

Abstract: A user equipment determines a set of licensed and unlicensed frequency bands that are available for wireless communication. The user equipment selects a first subset of the set as targets for a handover involving at least one unlicensed frequency band and transmits information indicating the first subset. A base station receives information indicating a first subset of a set of licensed and unlicensed frequency bands. The first subset are targets for a handover of user equipment involving at least one unlicensed frequency band. The base station selects a second subset based on the first subset and transmits information indicating the second subset.

Abstract: Systems and methods that handle partial Charging Data Records (CDRs) for a session. An offline charging system includes a cluster of Charging Gateway Functions (CGF). A first CGF of the cluster receives a first Fully Qualified Partial CDR (FQPC) for a session, and stores FQPC data based on the first FQPC in a centralized storage module that is accessible by each of the CGFs in the cluster. A second CGF of the cluster receives a Reduced Partial CDR (RPC) for the session responsive to a failure of the first CGF, retrieves the FQPC data from the centralized storage module, and generates a second FQPC for the session based on the RPC and the FQPC data retrieved from the centralized storage module.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reporting stream loss in internet gateway devices. One embodiment comprises an internet gateway device for installation at a customer premises. The internet gateway device identifies a request to join an IP multicast stream identified by a group address, and monitors for packets directed to the group address. The internet gateway device detects a stream loss responsive to a failure to receive a packet directed to the group address during a time interval, and reports the stream loss for the group address to a management system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating charging data records for commercial group-based messages broadcast by a telecommunications network to a group of subscribers are provided. In one aspect, a network element of a telecommunications network is configured to identify individual user devices that successfully received and processed a message that was broadcast over the telecommunications network to a target group of user devices. The identification of the particular devices in the target group of devices that successfully received and processed the broadcast message is used for generating sender based charging or sender-plus-receiver based charging data records for the subscribers of the telecommunication network.

Abstract: The network element collects, within a time window, charging information of a plurality of user equipments belonging to a same group, aggregates the charging information to obtain a charging aggregation result, and sends the charging aggregation result to a corresponding device in said system. The charging system receives a plurality of pieces of aggregated charging information and time windows sent by a network element in the system, wherein each piece of charging information respectively corresponds to one of the time windows, and aggregates the plurality of pieces of aggregated charging information based on the time windows and the group(s) and/or sub-group(s) to which the user equipments belong, to generate charging data record(s), wherein the time windows and the user equipments correspond to the plurality of pieces of aggregated charging information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering emergency broadcast messages. One embodiment is User Equipment (UE) that store rules for filtering emergency broadcast messages. The UE receives an emergency broadcast message over a paging channel of a mobile network, identifies a class indicator assigned to the emergency broadcast message, selects one of the rules based on the class indicator assigned to the emergency broadcast message, and determines whether the emergency broadcast message is authorized for presentation on the UE based on the rule. The UE then ignores the emergency broadcast message responsive to a determination that the emergency broadcast message is not authorized for presentation.

Abstract: A mobile unit preselects candidate femtocells for handover. The mobile unit reports candidate femtocells and associated measurement data to the network. The network analyzes the preselected candidate femtocells and provides a list of handover femtocells for the mobile unit to use. This list can be the same or different than the preselected list.

Abstract: A charging session identifier is transmitted over an interface between a first base station and a second base station in response to initiation of a handover of a call session between the first and second base stations. The first and second base stations operate according to different radio access technologies. The first base station transmits first charging information collected by the first base station for the call session and second charging information collected by the second base station for the call session to a network charging system using the identifier.

Abstract: A base station determines whether a mobile unit should handoff based upon the battery level and battery drain of the mobile unit battery. The battery level and battery drain are sent from the mobile unit to the base station. The base station uses this information to determine whether the mobile unit should power up or power down LTE-U or WiFi radio connections and services. In addition, this information allows the base station to determine whether the mobile unit should handoff between LTE-L and LTE-U base stations, in order to control power consumption of the mobile unit and prolong the battery life of the mobile unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reporting spam detected in a communication network. Entities in the network detect that an electronic message comprises spam, and generate a spam report for the electronic message. The spam report is in a format that is enhanced with newly-defined fields. A spam center in the network receives the spam reports from the entities, and processes the spam reports to generate spam rules for detecting spam in electronic messages transported over the communication network. The spam center then selectively distributes the spam rules to one or more of the entities of the communication network based on an analysis of the spam reports. The entities may then use the spam rules to detect spam in other electronic messages that are transported over the communication network.

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.

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.

Abstract: Centralized charging systems and methods are disclosed for providing offline charging and online charging for a plurality of network elements. The centralized charging system is implemented in a communication network between the network elements and offline/online charging systems. A network element interface of the centralized charging system receives charging request messages from CTFs in the network elements. An accounting data forwarding function processes charging data in the charging request messages to determine if offline or online charging is invoked for the services. For offline charging, the accounting data forwarding function generates offline accounting request messages that include the charging data. For online charging, the accounting data forwarding function generates online accounting request messages that include the charging data.

Abstract: An LTE subscriber database pushes a registration notification to a SMSC or IP-SM-GW when subscriber registers/deregisters to LTE. The subscriber registration information is stored in local database. Thus, MT SMS may be delivered to a registered subscriber without querying the subscriber database each time for registration information. An exemplary apparatus includes an interface for receiving a registration status message for a mobile device over a broadband network, a subscriber database, and a control system for storing subscriber information in response to receipt of the registration status message and forwarding a notification of subscriber registration status including subscriber registration information to a first network device when the mobile device registers or deregisters to the broadband data network.

Abstract: Communication networks and methods are disclosed for performing Quality of Service (QoS) throttling for mobile devices. One embodiment comprises a network element that serves a mobile device for data services. The network element includes a control system that monitors usage of the mobile device that is accessing the data services. The network element further includes a policy system that identifies that the usage of the mobile device reaches a usage threshold, and determines a reduced QoS responsive to reaching the usage threshold. The control system then downgrades the QoS provided to the mobile device for data services based on the reduced QoS. The policy system may further send a notification to the mobile device that the QoS is reduced.