Embodiments of this application provide a charging method. The method includes that a session management function determines, a data flow within a protocol data unit, PDU, session and a charging key corresponding to the data flow within the PDU session, wherein a plurality of user plane functions are involved in the PDU session. For each of the plurality of user plane functions, the session management function sends to an online charging system, a quota request for a charging key without available quota for the UPF.

A network device stores overload handling criteria for a real-time credit management system of a wireless core network. The network device monitors for overload conditions based on the overload handling criteria and determines, based on the monitoring, that a potential overload condition exists. The network device receives a first credit control request for a user device, determines a standard resource quota that is responsive to the first credit control request, and allocates an increased resource quota, over the standard resource quota, for the first credit control request. The increased resource quota is based on the potential overload condition and the overload handling criteria. The increased resource quota may prevent the system from reaching a complete overload condition, may reduce overall message traffic, and may provide time for manual or autonomous recovery from the circumstance that caused the potential overload condition.

A network device stores overload handling criteria for a real-time credit management system of a wireless core network. The network device monitors for overload conditions based on the overload handling criteria and determines, based on the monitoring, that a potential overload condition exists. The network device receives a first credit control request for a user device, determines a standard resource quota that is responsive to the first credit control request, and allocates an increased resource quota, over the standard resource quota, for the first credit control request. The increased resource quota is based on the potential overload condition and the overload handling criteria. The increased resource quota may prevent the system from reaching a complete overload condition, may reduce overall message traffic, and may provide time for manual or autonomous recovery from the circumstance that caused the potential overload condition.

Methods, systems, a computer program and a computer program product for providing service authorization to a Charging Client function which comprises associating one or more charging modifier actions with a user account, each charging modifier actions having an action start time and defining a charging modifier parameter and receiving a service authorization request indicating a request for service reservation from a charging client. A validity time period for the service reservation is determined; one or more of the associated charging modifier actions having the action start time within the determined validity time period is identified; the identified one or more associated charging modifier actions are executed to activate the charging modifiers for the user account and a service authorization response indicating a service reservation to the charging client is sent, the service reservation based on at least one of the activated charging modifiers.

A policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) apparatus, an online charging apparatus, and an online charging method, where the online charging method includes receiving a policy and charging control (PCC) rule from a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), determining that a service data flow of a user equipment is a sponsor service data flow sponsored by a sponsor, determining, based on a rating group of the sponsor service data flow included in the PCC rule, whether the PCEF apparatus has a credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow when the sponsor service data flow uses online charging, and sending a credit control request including the rating group to the online charging apparatus when the PCEF apparatus does not have the credit quota available to the sponsor service data flow.

A charging method applied to a network architecture in which network control and data flow forwarding are separated. The method includes receiving, by a control plane (CP) entity, a charging rule delivered by a policy and charging rules function PCRF entity, generating, by the CP, a user plane UP entity reporting policy based on the charging rule, requesting, by the CP from an online charging system OCS, a quota required by a rating group in the charging rule; receiving, by the CP, a quota delivered by the OCS, and generating UP quota information based on the quota; and delivering, by the CP, the generated UP reporting policy and the generated UP quota information to the UP.

A charging method includes: determining, by a control plane function entity (CP), that a data flow that is transmitted by user equipment (UE) on a first data session needs to be migrated to a second data session; charging, by the CP, the data flow on the first UP through a first charging session between the CP and a charging system; obtaining, by the CP, charging information of the data flow before the migration that is counted by the first UP; and determining, by the CP, a quota that is used for the data flow after the migration is necessary to be delivered to the second UP, and delivering the quota to the second UP, thereby charging a service data flow of a user in a case of migration between user planes.

The present solution relates to an improved system and method for reducing traffic flow between the customer's client device, network, and the charging system. The methods and systems described herein can provide a predictive rating buffer between the network and the charging system. The predictive rating buffer can receive, from the online charging solution, data about services to be provided to a client device. The predictive rating buffer can generate primary allocation balances for the client device. Network grants can be made to the client device by the primary allocation balances. If a primary allocation balance is exhausted, an incoming grant can be granted from a contingency allocation balance.

In a 5.sup.th-Generation (5G) cellular communication network, charging customers for data usage is performed by a network function referred to as a charging function (CHF). A session management function (SMF) of the network repeatedly sends update requests to reserve additional data for a data session. If the CHF is not available and the SMF does not receive a response to an update message, the SMF continues to assign data for the data session, even though it has not received authorization to do so from the CHF. When the CHF becomes available, the SMF sends a request to start a second data session to continue the data connection that was previously supported by the original data session. This request specifies the amount of data that was used in the original data session without being confirmed by the CHF, allowing the CHF to account for this data usage.

Various communication systems may benefit from appropriate prioritization of users and/or devices. For example, wireless communication systems may benefit from multi-subscription network prioritization, such as systems for prioritizing subscribers with multiple subscriptions that are using fewer devices than they have subscriptions. A method can include determining that a device is associated with a plurality of subscriptions. The method can also include determining at least one related device is not in use, wherein the at least one related device is associated with same plurality of subscriptions. The method can further include assigning a higher priority to the device based on the determinations that the device has the plurality of associated subscriptions and has at least one related device not in use.