System, device, and method of traffic detection

Abstract

A cellular traffic monitoring system includes: a Traffic Detection Function (TDF) module to monitor cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device, and to generate application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device; an application-based charging module to generate, based on the application detection output of said TDF module, application-based charging data related to said cellular subscriber device; a Policy Charging and Enforcement Function (PCEF) module to enforce one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to said cellular subscriber device; an SDF-based charging module to generate SDF-based charging data related to said cellular subscriber device; and a charging correlator module to identify a potential over-charging due to an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cellular traffic monitoring system comprising:
 a Traffic Detection Function (TDF) module to monitor cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device, and to generate application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device; 
 an application-based charging module to generate, based on the application detection output of said TDF module, application-based charging data related to said cellular subscriber device; 
 a Policy Charging and Enforcement Function (PCEF) module to enforce one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to said cellular subscriber device; 
 an SDF-based charging module to generate SDF-based charging data related to said cellular subscriber device; 
 a charging correlator module to identify a potential over-charging due to an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data, 
 wherein at least one of: said TDF module, said application-based charging module, said PCEF module, said SDF-based charging module, and said charging correlator module, is implemented by at least a hardware component. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an Application Detection and Control (ADC) module, associated with said TDF module, to generate an ADC rule indicating an identity of said application used by the cellular subscriber device; 
 wherein the PCEF module takes into account said ADC rule for generating SDF-based charging data. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to set a value of a Charging Method parameter indicating whether application-based charging or SDF-based charging is to be used in association with cellular traffic of said application used by said cellular subscriber device. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to set a value of a Measurement Method parameter indicating a method of measurement for charging to be used in association with cellular traffic of said application used by said cellular subscriber device, wherein said value of the Measurement Method parameter indicates to measure charging in accordance with a charging method selected from the group consisting of: 
 a charging method based on volume of transferred data, 
 a charging method based on duration of transferred transfer, 
 a charging method based on both duration and volume of transferred data, and 
 an event-based charging method. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to set a value of a Service Identifier Level Reporting parameter indicating whether separate usage reports are required to be generated for a current Service Identifier associated with said application used by said cellular subscriber device. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) set a value of a Service Identifier parameter identifying said application used by said cellular subscriber device, wherein said Service Identifier parameter and a rating group value is utilized via Multiple Services Credit Control (MSCC) per application for application-based charging. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to set a value of a Charging Key parameter indicating a charging tariff to be applied if SDF-based charging is to be performed. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Generic Tunneling Protocol (GTP) encapsulator to mark in downlink direction, within a GTP extension header, an application type associated with cellular traffic transferred in said downlink direction; 
 wherein the PCEF module comprises a reflective QoS module to determine, based on said GTP extension header, which cellular packets belong to said application type and to avoid double-counting of said cellular packets in both SDF-based charging and application-based charging. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking module to mark Internet Protocol (IP) headers of cellular packets that belong to said application used by the cellular subscriber device, as cellular packets that belong to said application; 
 wherein the PCEF module comprises a reflective QoS module to determine, based on said IP headers marked by said DSCP marking module, which cellular packets belong to said application and to avoid double-counting of said cellular packets in both SDF-based charging and application-based charging. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a charging method selector to selectively activate or deactivate an application-based charging module and an SDF-based charging module to prevent over-charging due to an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a packet count adjuster to adjust a count of cellular packets transferred to said cellular subscriber device, based on output generated by said charging correlator module, to prevent over-charging due to overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system utilizes a charging algorithm which assumes that the SDF is non-deducible from the detected application, regardless of whether or not the SDF is deducible from the detected application. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to generate a charging rule in accordance with subscriber data, and to send said charging rule to the TDF module; 
 wherein the TDF module is to apply said charging rule within an application-based charging operation. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to provide to the TDF module all downlink-direction SDFs that are covered by at least one Policy Charging and Control (PCC) rule; 
 wherein the TDF module is to enforce a bandwidth limitation in downlink direction for said downlink-direction SDFs. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein, if said downlink-direction SDFs belong to an application that requires reporting to a charging system, then the TDF module is (a) to obtain a usage monitoring report about usage of said downlink-direction SDFs, and (b) to utilize said usage monitoring report to prevent over-charging. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein, if said downlink-direction SDFs belong to an application that requires reporting to a charging system, then the PCRF is to adjust an Application Data and Control (ADC) rule for said application in downlink direction, to match an enforcement action defined in one or more PCC Rules for said SDFs belonging to said detected application. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , wherein, if said downlink-direction SDFs belong to an application that requires reporting to a charging system, then the TDF module is (a) to obtain Quality of Service (QoS) information about said downlink-direction SDFs, and (b) to transfer said QoS information about said downlink-direction SDFs to a charging system together with an application ID corresponding to said downlink-direction SDFs. 
     
     
       18. A method of cellular traffic monitoring, the method comprising:
 in a Traffic Detection Function (TDF) module, monitoring cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device, and generating application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device; 
 in an application-based charging module, generating, based on the application detection output of said TDF module, application-based charging data related to said cellular subscriber device; 
 in a Policy Charging and Enforcement Function (PCEF) module, enforcing one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to said cellular subscriber device; 
 in an SDF-based charging module, generating SDF-based charging data related to said cellular subscriber device; 
 in a charging correlator module, identifying a potential over-charging due to an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data. 
 
     
     
       19. An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processor, cause the apparatus to:
 generate application detection output indicative of an application used by a cellular subscriber device; 
 generate, based on the application detection output, application-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device; 
 enforce one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to the cellular subscriber device; 
 generate SDF-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device; and 
 identify a potential over-charging due to an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data. 
   
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:
 monitor cellular traffic associated with the cellular subscriber device.   
     
     
       21. An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processor, cause the apparatus to:
 monitor cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device; 
 based on the monitored cellular traffic, generate application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device; 
 enable application-based charging of the cellular subscriber device based on the application detection output and based on one or more application-based charging rules; 
 enforce one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to the cellular subscriber device; 
 generate SDF-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device; and 
 identify a potential over-charging due to an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data. 
   
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:
 establish a session with one or more of an online charging server configured to perform the application-based charging or an offline charging server configured to perform the application-based charging.   
     
     
       23. A method comprising:
 monitoring, by a computing device, cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device;   based on the monitored cellular traffic, generating application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device;   enforcing one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to the cellular subscriber device;   generating SDF-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device;   detecting an overlap between (i) application-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device and that is based on the application detection output, and (ii) the SDF-based charging data,   performing an enforcement action with regard to at least some packets, that are transported to or from the cellular subscriber device, based on the application detection output that is indicative of the application used by the cellular subscriber device,   wherein the enforcement action comprises switching off charging for the SDF-based charging data.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23,
 wherein the computing device is a wireless communication unit.   
     
     
       25. An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processor, cause the apparatus to:
 monitor cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device; 
 generate application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device; 
 generate, based on the application detection output, application-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device; 
 enforce one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to the cellular subscriber device; 
 generate SDF-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device; and 
 charge based on an overlap between the application-based charging data and the SDF-based charging data. 
   
     
     
       26. An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processor, cause the apparatus to:
 monitor cellular traffic associated with a cellular subscriber device; 
 generate application detection output indicative of an application used by the cellular subscriber device; 
 set a value of a parameter indicating which of one or more charging rules to apply; 
 enforce the one or more charging rules that are Service Data Flow (SDF) based and are related to the cellular subscriber device; 
 generate SDF-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device; and 
 identify a potential over-charging due to an overlap between the SDF-based charging data and application-based charging data related to the cellular subscriber device and based on the application detection output.