A network control method relates to the communications field, includes receiving, by a controller, a packet forwarded by a forwarder, detecting, by the controller, a status of a virtual currency identifier of the packet, querying, by the controller according to a user identifier in the packet, whether the user has permission to improve service quality when the status of the virtual currency identifier of the packet indicates that a user is willing to pay virtual currency to raise a network priority, and raising, by the controller, the network priority of the user, starting charging, and sending a network priority of the user to the forwarder when the user has the permission to improve the service quality such that the forwarder forwards a packet of the user according to the network priority of the user.

In a cellular system having both 4.sup.th-Generation (4G) and 5.sup.th-Generation (5G) cellular networks, cellular device sends a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE message to initiate a voice call. The message is received and acted upon by a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Cellular devices that support 5G services are configured to include an information element (IE) in the SIP INVITE message to indicate support for 5G services. When responding to a SIP INVITE message, the P-CSCF determines whether the SIP INVITE message includes such an IE. If the SIP INVITE message contains an IE indicating 5G support, the P-CSCF sends an Authorization Authentication Request (AAR) message to a 5G Policy Control Function (PCF) to initiate a 5G dedicated bearer. Otherwise, the P-CSCF sends the AAR to a 4G Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to initiate a 4G dedicated bearer.

An Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) device and method are described herein for utilizing client data usage information when consuming digital content from an ABR server. In one embodiment, the ABR device is configured to: (i) transmit, to the ABR server, a request for a digital content; (ii) receive, from the ABR server, a manifest associated with the digital content; (iii) select a bit rate from the manifest; (iv) obtain a data threshold (T); (v) obtain data usage information; (vi) compare the data usage information to the data threshold (T); (vii) choose a final bit rate from the manifest based on the comparison result; and (viii) receive, from the ABR server, all segments of the digital content at the final bit rate.

The present invention relates to computer implemented processes affected through a set of computer operations stored in a memory device and executed using a hardware processor. The embodiments disclosed herein comprise methods as well a computer hardware system comprising a hardware processor capable of executing the method steps. The computer operations facilitate processes for automating the creation of call flows and the instantaneous routing of calls within a wireless network operating over a Diameter protocol or a Diameter protocol extension. The call flows are generated by reading metadata stored in a finite state machine, which is required to be kept by the Diameter protocol standards.

A method permitting the control of the service quality and/or service fees of telecommunication services in which several service nodes are involved. During the initiation and/or implementation of a communication service, an exchange of signaling data occurs between a communications terminal and at least two service nodes which are involved in the communication service. The control node detects whether the service data transmitted by the at least two service nodes relate to the very same communication service. Then the control node selects service data from the transmitted service data and uses these service data for controlling the service quality and/or service fees.

The techniques for metering Video over LTE (ViLTE) data usage may ensure data consumption by subscribers are in line with their recurring service plans. A request to establish a video bearer between a mobile telecommunication network and a user device for a multimedia call may be received at a policy engine of a mobile telecommunication network. Subsequently, information that indicates a connection type used by the user device to connect to the mobile telecommunication network may be retrieved from a gateway of the network. The video bearer for a video over wireless local area network call of the user device may be established without ViLTE data usage metering in response to the user device having a WLAN connection type. However, the video bearer for a ViLTE call may be established with ViLTE data usage metering in response to the user device having a LTE connection type.

Systems and methods are provided for processing messages in an Offline Charging System (OFCS) of a communications services provider. A front-end distributor unit receives Diameter messages from a Charging Trigger Function (CTF) and distributes the Diameter messages to Charging Data Function (CDF) units of the OFCS. The distributor unit receives Diameter response messages from CDFs and calculates performance metrics based on the distributed messages and their responses. The distributor unit computes revised distribution weights used for distributing new Diameter messages for new Diameter sessions to the CDF units based on the measured metrics, thus adjusting the distribution pattern of the Diameter messages based on estimated workload conditions at the CDFs.

A method and an apparatus can include a system processor control and a system controller. The system controller can retrieve data from at least one database, the data including information associated with at least one of subscribers, multimedia content, and customer premises equipment. The system processor can formulate an input dataset from the retrieved data, perform nonlinear manifold clustering on the input dataset to formulate clusters, and determine a recommendation of multimedia content, the recommendation of multimedia content being based on a metric distance between a subscriber and a multimedia content. The system controller can transmit, to a customer premises equipment of the subscriber, the recommendation of multimedia content.

Disclosed is a method and system that may help to expedite initiation of a packet-based real-time media session such as a VoIP session. Per the disclosure, the initial uplink grant that a base station provides to a UE in response to an access request may be an extent of uplink resources sufficient to carry just a radio-link-layer connection request. But when a UE is going to initiate a packet-based real-time media session, the UE may send a particular type of access request that is indicative of the plan to initiate a packet-based real-time media session, and responsive to the access request being of that particular type, the base station may then instead provide an initial grant of a greater extent of uplink resources sufficient to carry from the UE not only the radio-link-layer connection request but also a session initiation request (e.g., SIP INVITE) for the packet-based real-time media session.

There is provided mechanisms for establishing a communication session with a local serving network. A method is performed by a terminal device. The method comprises obtaining an indication of traffic to be communicated. The traffic is associated with a traffic descriptor. The method comprises selecting a URSP rule for the traffic to be communicated in a communication session with the local serving network. The URSP rule is selected in accordance with the traffic descriptor and in accordance with a validity condition for the communication session. The validity condition at least pertains to network support for IMS in the local serving network. The method comprises establishing a communication session with the local serving network for communicating the traffic according to the selected URSP rule.