A Policy Enforcement Function such as PCEF or TDF is configured to receive from a Policy Controller such as PCRF, over an interface such as Gx or Sd interface, a command related to a User Equipment UE, the command referring to a Sponsoring Context Identifier, Sponsoring Context ID, the Sponsoring Context ID serving as an identifier of a Sponsoring Context to be applied to application-related data traffic to be sponsored for the UE, the Sponsoring Context providing a list of data flows to be sponsored.

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.

The present invention faces the issue of a user ignoring an alternative second service usable instead of a first service that the user is using, and which is a service subscribed by the user. To solve this issue, the present invention provides for associating a first service identifier and a second service identifier with a same service category at a subscription repository; upon detecting at a policy enforcer the first service is used by the user, notifying a policy controller of the first service identifier; obtaining, by the policy controller from the subscription repository, the second service identifier associated with the same service category as the first service identifier; offering the user, either directly from the policy controller or via the policy enforcer, to accept using the second service instead of the used first service; and, upon user accepting to use the second service, enforcing control rules for the second service at the policy enforcer.

A method of establishing a paid connection between multi-platforms, where a transmitting end application is installed in a transmitting end apparatus of a sharing source and a receiving end application is installed in a receiving end apparatus of a sharing target. When establishing a connection, the transmitting end application/receiving end application confirms whether a unique ID of the receiving end apparatus/transmitting end apparatus exists in an exception list, and confirms whether the receiving end application/transmitting end apparatus makes payment based on an operating system used by the transmitting end apparatus/receiving end application, in order to determine establishing a limited or an unlimited connection between the transmitting end apparatus and the receiving end apparatus. Thus, the method assures that either the transmitting end application or the receiving end application is a paid version, a user complies with an application license agreement by using the exception list and the right of application developers is protected.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for modifying a network service of a requesting network member. A request, received from the requesting member, can include an identification of a sponsoring network member for a requested network service modification. A group can be generated and associated with the requesting member and with the sponsoring member. The group may also include a group policy referencing the requested network service modification. The sponsoring member can be provided with an activation key for activating the network service modification and a first network policy can be applied to the requesting member and a second network policy can be applied to the sponsoring member.

The present invention relates to a method, packet data network gateway (PGW), and server in a mobile communication system and device for controlling charging in a mobile communication system. The method by a PGW in a mobile communication system includes identifying data usage information associated with a specific service for a terminal, determining whether the data usage information satisfies a predetermined condition, and transmitting a notification message including the data usage information if the data usage information satisfies the predetermined condition, to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) entity. The data usage information is used to display a message in the terminal.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for modifying a network service of a requesting network member. A request, received from the requesting member, can include an identification of a sponsoring network member for a requested network service modification. A group can be generated and associated with the requesting member and with the sponsoring member. The group may also include a group policy referencing the requested network service modification. The sponsoring member can be provided with an activation key for activating the network service modification and a first network policy can be applied to the requesting member and a second network policy can be applied to the sponsoring member.

An exemplary method includes a subsidized access management system detecting a request provided by an access device associated with a user to access network content by way of a secure connection within a network provided by a network service provider, the network content associated with a content provider and maintained by a content provider system, determining that a data usage charge for access by the user to the network content by way of the secure connection within the network is subsidized by the content provider in accordance with a subsidized access arrangement between the content provider and the network service provider, and providing the user with subsidized access to the network content by way of the secure connection within the network in accordance with a rule set associated with the subsidized access arrangement. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

A technique for operating a mobile station as wireless local-area network [WLAN] gateway. The mobile station is provided with a gateway application to control the following operations: activating (3-0) the WLAN means as a WLAN base station capable of communicating with at least one WLAN terminal over a WLAN network; creating a network identifier (3-2, 3-4) for the WLAN base station; assigning (3-8, 3-10) an internet protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal; resolving domain name service [DNS] queries (3-12 . . . 3-18) in cooperation with an external DNS service system; assigning at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application; and tunneling internet traffic (3-30 . . . 3-36) between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection.

A system and method for automatically negotiating Internet access between a user and one of a plurality of Internet connection providers. Users can buy or bid for Internet bandwidth, for example, through a server or website or by direct communications with an Internet access point such as, for example, a WIFI access point.