IP Library › Granted Patent US 12707236
Granted Patent B2
US 12707236 · App. 18/344,051 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Charging method, apparatus, and system

Inventors: Yishan Xu (Shanghai, CN); Hualin Zhu (Shanghai, CN); Haoren Zhu (Shanghai, CN); Yu Zhou (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
H04W4/24H04M15/58H04M15/67
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12707236
App. No.
18/344,051
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first network element or an access network device determines, based on identification information of one or more terminals on which a first operation is performed and type information of the first operation, quantity information of the first operation that is performed, and the first network element sends charging information including the type information and the quantity information to a charging function network element.

Claims (50)

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first device, charging related information of at least one second device from the at least one second device;

obtaining, by the first device, charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device, wherein the charging information indicates identification information of one or more terminals on which a first operation is performed, quantity information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed, operation type information corresponding to the first operation, an accumulated quantity of operation times that corresponds to the first operation, an operation performing frequency, a frequency for performing the first operation, an amount of signaling exchanged in a process of performing the first operation, and an operation requester that performs the first operation; and

sending, by the first device, the charging information; and

wherein determining, by the first device, the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device comprises:

de-duplicating, by the first device, identification information or quantity information of terminals on which the first operation is repeatedly performed in the charging related information of the at least one second device, to obtain de-duplicated charging related information of the at least one second device, and using the de-duplicated charging related information of the at least one second device as the charging information.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining, by the first device, the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device comprises:

obtaining, by the first device, the charging information according to a charging rule.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein

the charging rule indicates to obtain the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device; or

the charging rule indicates to obtain one or more of the following information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device:

the identification information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed, the quantity information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed, the accumulated quantity of operation times that corresponds to the first operation, information about the operation requester, the operation type information, the amount of signaling exchanged in the operation process, the operation performing frequency, the frequency for performing the first operation, and a time of obtaining the charging information.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the identification information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed comprises identification information of terminals that are not de-duplicated; and

the quantity information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed comprises quantity information of terminals that are not de-duplicated.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the charging related information of the at least one second device is obtained according to a charging rule or is obtained based on charging related information received by the at least one second device from at least one third device.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein

the third device is a tag reader.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises a tag reader.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first device supports a charging trigger function, and sending, by the first device, the charging information comprises:

sending, by the first device, the charging information to a charging function device.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein sending, by the first device, the charging information comprises:

sending, by the first device, the charging information to a charging function device by using a device supporting a charging trigger function, wherein the device supporting the charging trigger function comprises an access network device, a control plane device, or a user plane device.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first device is a tag reader, a mobility management device, a user plane device, or a session management device.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises a user plane device.

12 . A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor, wherein

the at least one processor is configured to read instructions from at least one memory and run the instructions, and running the instructions causes the at least one processor to:

receive charging related information of at least one second device from the at least one second device;

obtain charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device, wherein the charging information indicates identification information of one or more terminals on which a first operation is performed, quantity information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed, operation type information corresponding to the first operation, an accumulated quantity of operation times that corresponds to the first operation, an operation performing frequency, a frequency for performing the first operation, an amount of signaling exchanged in a process of performing the first operation, and an operation requester that performs the first operation; and

send the charging information; and

wherein determining the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device comprises:

de-duplicating identification information or quantity information of terminals on which the first operation is repeatedly performed in the charging related information of the at least one second device, to obtain de-duplicated charging related information of the at least one second device, and using the de-duplicated charging related information of the at least one second device as the charging information.

13 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein obtaining the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device comprises:

obtaining the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device according to a charging rule.

14 . The communication apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein:

the charging rule indicates to obtain the charging information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device; or

the charging rule indicates to obtain one or more of the following information based on the charging related information of the at least one second device:

the identification information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed, the quantity information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed, the accumulated quantity of operation times that corresponds to the first operation, information about the operation requester, the operation type information, the amount of signaling exchanged in the operation process, the operation performing frequency, the frequency for performing the first operation, and a time of obtaining the charging information.

15 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

the identification information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed comprises identification information of terminals that are not de-duplicated; and

the quantity information of the one or more terminals on which the first operation is performed comprises quantity information of terminals that are not de-duplicated.

16 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the charging related information of the at least one second device is obtained according to a charging rule.

17 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

the communication apparatus supports a charging trigger function, and sending the charging information comprises sending the charging information to a charging function device.

18 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the charging related information of the at least one second device is obtained based on charging related information received by the at least one second device from at least one third device.

19 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

the communication apparatus is a tag reader or a mobility management device.

20 . The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

the communication apparatus is a user plane device, or a session management device.