TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to wireless communication networks that use aggregated radio access and particularly relates to differentiating charging with respect to aggregated radio access.

BACKGROUND

The phrase “aggregated radio access” is used herein to denote cases where two or more different radio accesses are used to convey the user traffic between a wireless communication network and a user device. In turn, the phrase “radio access” does not connote a particular event or transmission, but rather is used as a noun to connote the way or means of communicative coupling between a wireless device and the communication network. The term “radio access” as used herein thus refers to the means by which the user device and the communication network are communicatively connected.

Merely by way of non-limiting example, an aggregated radio access is based on aggregating two or more carriers, where each such carrier comprises one or more waveforms that are modulated or otherwise manipulated to convey information. For example, a given aggregated radio access aggregates a first carrier as a first radio access together with a second carrier as a second radio access, and any one or more of the following distinctions apply: the first carrier is associated with a first Radio Access Technology, RAT, and the second carrier is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT; the first carrier is operated in a licensed radio spectrum associated with the wireless communication network and the second carrier is operated in an unlicensed spectrum; and the first carrier is owned or controlled by a first network operator and the second carrier is owned or controlled by a second network operator different than the first network operator.

The above scenarios map to any number of practical examples, such as the use of License Assisted Access, LAA, in the LTE context. LAA aggregates primary and secondary carriers together, to provide higher data rates or improved coverage to a wireless device. The primary carrier is operated in licensed spectrum associated with the LTE network and the secondary carrier is operated in unlicensed spectrum, e.g., in the unlicensed 2-5 GHz spectrum used by Wi-Fi networks and many other unlicensed devices and systems.

In another example, a cellular communication network provides connectivity between a wireless device and the Internet or another packet data network. The cellular communication network includes a Core Network, CN, portion that provides top-level packet routing to and from the wireless device, and a RAN portion that provides radio connectivity to the wireless device. In this scenario, the cellular network may use an aggregated radio access for serving the wireless device, where the RAN portion of the cellular network provides one radio access and a Wi-Fi Access Point, AP, provides another radio access.

Aggregated access allows, for example, user traffic to be split between two or more different radio accesses, e.g., between a radio link(s) provided by a cellular RAN and a radio link provided by a Wi-Fi AP. The Technical Reference TR 36.808 promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP, provides exemplary details for carrier aggregation in the context of networks based on the Long Term Evolution Advanced, LTE-Advanced, specifications.

SUMMARY

The teachings presented herein disclose example methods and apparatuses for differentiating charging with respect to an aggregated radio access. In this context, an “aggregated radio access” aggregates two or more different radio accesses, such as two or more different carriers, for conveying user traffic between a wireless communication network and a user device. The ability to discount charges, apply premium billing, or to otherwise track and bill usage at a granularity level below the aggregated radio access—i.e., on a per access basis—allows the involved network operator(s) to offer discounts, apply premium pricing, etc.

In an example embodiment, a method of operation in a control node configured for operation in a wireless communication network includes monitoring a division of user traffic in a user traffic flow for which an aggregated radio access is used. The aggregated radio access divides the user traffic between two or more different radio accesses used to convey the user traffic between the wireless communication network and a user device, and the method includes accumulating usage data reflecting the division while the user traffic flow is active, based on the monitoring, and transmitting the usage data to a further node in the wireless communication network, for use in differentiating charging with respect to the aggregated radio access.

In another example embodiment, a control node is configured for operation in a wireless communication network and includes one or more communication interfaces and processing circuitry operatively associated with the one or more communication interfaces. The one or more communication interfaces are configured to exchange signaling with a further node in the wireless communication network and the processing circuitry is configured to monitor a division of user traffic in a user traffic flow for which an aggregated radio access is used. As before, the aggregated radio access divides the user traffic between two or more different radio accesses used to convey the user traffic between the wireless communication network and a user device. The processing circuitry is further configured to accumulate usage data reflecting the division while the user traffic flow is active, based on the monitoring, and transmit the usage data to the further node, for use in differentiating charging with respect to the aggregated radio access.

In yet another example embodiment, a method of operation in a gateway node is configured for operation in a wireless communication network and includes determining that differentiated charging with respect to an aggregated radio access shall be used for a user traffic flow supported by the gateway node. The aggregated radio access divides user traffic comprising the user traffic flow between two or more different radio accesses connecting the wireless communication network to a user device associated with the user traffic flow. The method further includes receiving usage data accumulated by a control node associated with a Radio Access Network, RAN, portion of the wireless communication network, reflecting the division of the user traffic with respect to the aggregated radio access. Still further, the method includes generating a Charging Data Record, CDR, that differentiates usage with respect to the aggregated radio access, based on the usage data, and transmitting the CDR to a charging system node, for use in differentiated billing with respect to the aggregated radio access.

In a related, further embodiment, a gateway node is configured for operation in a wireless communication network. The gateway node includes one or more communication interfaces configured to exchange signaling with a control node associated with a RAN portion of the wireless communication network. Further, the gateway node includes processing circuitry that is operatively associated with the one or more communication interfaces. More particularly, the processing circuitry is configured to determine that differentiated charging with respect to an aggregated radio access shall be used for a user traffic flow supported by the gateway node, where the aggregated radio access divides user traffic comprising the user traffic flow between two or more different radio accesses connecting the wireless communication network to a user device associated with the user traffic flow. The processing circuitry is further configured to receive usage data accumulated by the control node, reflecting the division of the user traffic with respect to the aggregated radio access, generate a CDR that differentiates usage with respect to the aggregated radio access, based on the usage data, and transmit the CDR to a charging system node, via the one or more communication interfaces, for use in differentiated billing with respect to the aggregated radio access.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above features and advantages. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description, and upon viewing the accompanying drawings.

