Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a service processing method, a PCRF, and a system. The method performed by the PCRF includes: obtaining service information of a service, where the service information includes a service identity; obtaining, according to user information and the service information, information indicating that the service requires QoS guarantee, and service chain information; when determining, according to the service chain information, that a network resource occupied by the service may be changed, sending the service identity and the information indicating that the service requires the QoS guarantee to a value-added service processor; receiving target service information, returned by the value-added service processor, of the service corresponding to the service identity; generating a first control policy according to the target service information; and sending the first control policy to a PCEF, so that the PCEF reserves a first network resource according to the first control policy.

A node of a charging system associated with a communication network grants a charging request, with the response including a granted quota of units for authorizing consumption of the involved communication service by a user device, along with an indication of whether the granted quota applies on an immediate basis or on a deferred basis. For example, the response indicates whether quota management is active for the involved communication service, with the granted quota applying immediately to consumption of the service if quota management is active and applying on a deferred basis if quota management is inactive. Providing a granted quota while quota management is inactive offers several advantages, such as proactively providing individual charging sessions with granted units of service consumption that may be used subsequently, upon quota management becoming active, thereby avoiding the “flood” of charging session requests that would otherwise be generated upon quota management becoming active.

A method of communicating over a plurality of network slices concurrently. The method comprises building a distributed ledger by a network slice registrar function (NSRF) application executing on a computer, where the distributed ledger records an association between a first network slice allocated to a user equipment (UE) and a second network slice allocated to the UE, providing information about the association of the UE to the first network slice and the second network slice by the NSRF application to a network slice selector function (NSSF), establishing a first communication link between the UE and a first call end point via the first network slice by a first user plane function (UPF) and establishing a second communication link between the UE and a second call end point via the second network slice by a second UPF based on the information provided by the NSRF application to the NSSF.

Device group partitions and a settlement platform are provided. In some embodiments, device group partitions (e.g., partitions of devices based on associated device groups) are provided. In some embodiments, a settlement platform service is provided. In some embodiments, a settlement platform service is provided for partitioned devices. In some embodiments, collecting device generated service usage information for one or more devices in wireless communication on a wireless network; and aggregating the device generated service usage information for a settlement platform for the one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network is provided. In some embodiments, a settlement platform implements a service billing allocation and/or a service/transactional revenue share among one or more partners. In some embodiments, service usage information includes micro-CDRs, which are used for CDR mediation or reconciliation that provides for service usage accounting on any device activity that is desired. In some embodiments, each device activity that is desired to be associated with a billing event is assigned a micro-CDR transaction code, and a service processor of the device is programmed to account for that activity associated with that transaction code. In some embodiments, a service processor executing on a wireless communications device periodically reports (e.g., during each heartbeat or based on any other periodic, push, and/or pull communication technique(s)) micro-CDR usage measures to, for example, a service controller or some other network element for CDR mediation or reconciliation.

A traffic shaping circuit regulates packets transferred by a transmission resource into a network (e.g., a network on a chip) on behalf of a client. The packet transfers are selectively enabled or disabled based on a current budget value. The budget value is modified based on a packet-transfer cost in response to transferring a packet into the network. The rate of packet transfers into the network is monitored. A cost-adjustment signal is generated based on the rate of packet transfers. The packet-transfer cost is modified in response to the cost-adjustment signal for accounting for a subsequent-packet transfer into the network. The cost-adjustment signal may indicate an increase or decrease of the packet-transfer cost and/or a budget limit, both of which are read from a cost table comprising records ordered based on respective packet-transfer cost values. The packet-transfer cost and/or a budget limit are configurable.

Device Assisted Services (DAS) for protecting network capacity is provided. In some embodiments, DAS for protecting network capacity includes monitoring a network service usage activity of the communications device in network communication; classifying the network service usage activity for differential network access control for protecting network capacity; and associating the network service usage activity with a network service usage control policy based on a classification of the network service usage activity to facilitate differential network access control for protecting network capacity.

Device group partitions and a settlement platform are provided. In some embodiments, device group partitions (e.g., partitions of devices based on associated device groups) are provided. In some embodiments, a settlement platform service is provided. In some embodiments, a settlement platform service is provided for partitioned devices. In some embodiments, collecting device generated service usage information for one or more devices in wireless communication on a wireless network; and aggregating the device generated service usage information for a settlement platform for the one or more devices in wireless communication on the wireless network is provided. In some embodiments, a settlement platform implements a service billing allocation and/or a service/transactional revenue share among one or more partners. In some embodiments, service usage information includes micro-CDRs, which are used for CDR mediation or reconciliation that provides for service usage accounting on any device activity that is desired. In some embodiments, each device activity that is desired to be associated with a billing event is assigned a micro-CDR transaction code, and a service processor of the device is programmed to account for that activity associated with that transaction code. In some embodiments, a service processor executing on a wireless communications device periodically reports (e.g., during each heartbeat or based on any other periodic, push, and/or pull communication technique(s)) micro-CDR usage measures to, for example, a service controller or some other network element for CDR mediation or reconciliation.

A system and method of performing automated reconciliation of devices and features in telecom expense management systems prior to running programs to optimize expense relative to usage or procuring new lines. The reconciliation accessing and carrier systems and devices and using enterprise configurable rules and live data from end point management systems. The system ensures accurate and up to date data is available for processing by downstream robotic process automation systems that perform the procurement/modification of plans and devices.

A 5G network may support path switch mechanisms from a direct path to an indirect path to the network, and vice versa. Methods and systems are disclosed for performing the path switching process.

Systems, methods, and software of managing bandwidth allocated to User Equipment (UE). In one embodiment, a bandwidth management system collects cell load information for a plurality of cells within a Radio Access Network (RAN), and processes the cell load information to determine a cell load status for each of the cells. The system performs bandwidth throttling for the UE by determining a location of the UE, identifying the cell load status for one or more cells in a region of the RAN corresponding with the location of the UE, determining whether the region of the RAN is overloaded based on the cell load status, and controlling a downgrade of bandwidth allocated to the UE in the RAN responsive to a determination that the region is overloaded.