QoS control in PCRF based on usage and time of day

1. A Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node for a 3GPP-compliant packet data network, the PCRF node configured to:

receive from a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF), a subscriber usage level on a usage report handler, wherein the usage report handler monitors a monitoring key, the monitoring key corresponding to a type of subscriber usage, at least one threshold amount of usage, and a policy to be applied if the subscriber's usage exceeds the threshold;

monitor the usage of the subscriber by adding the amount of usage to a record of an accumulated usage of the subscriber in a usage recorder that updates and stores in a subscriber record, the subscriber's accumulated usage based on the monitoring key corresponding to the subscriber usage, wherein the subscriber's record includes a set of monitoring keys;

determine a current time period;

authorize a Quality of Service (QoS) for the subscriber based at least on the usage of the subscriber and the current time period a policy engine that applies the policy of a monitoring key if the subscriber's usage has exceeded the at least one threshold of the monitoring key; and

transmit an authorization message indicating the QoS that the network should provide to the subscriber.

2. The PCRF node of claim 1 , wherein said authorized QoS is restricted if said usage of the subscriber exceeds a threshold.

3. The PCRF node of claim 2 , wherein said authorized QoS is determined by a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule set.

4. The PCRF node of claim 3 , wherein said authorized QoS is communicated to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF).

5. The PCRF node of claim 4 , further comprising a reauthorization scheduler that determines that a session must be reauthorized based on a change in current time period, wherein the PCRF reauthorizes the session by determining a new QoS based on the current time period.

6. The PCRF node of claim 5 , wherein said authorization message comprises a Re-Authorization Request (RAR) message.

7. A method at a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node for authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for a wireless subscriber, the method comprising steps of:

receiving from a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF), a subscriber usage level;

monitoring a monitoring key, the monitoring key corresponding to a type of subscriber usage, at least one threshold amount of usage, and a policy to be applied if the subscriber's usage exceeds the threshold;

monitoring the usage of the subscriber by adding the amount of usage to a record of an accumulated usage of the subscriber;

updating and storing in a subscriber record, the subscriber's accumulated usage based on the monitoring key corresponding to the subscriber usage, wherein the subscriber's record includes a set of monitoring keys;

applying the policy of a monitoring key if the subscriber's usage has exceeded the at least one threshold of the monitoring key;

determining a current time period;

authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for the subscriber based at least on the usage of the subscriber and the current time period; and

transmitting an authorization message indicating the QoS that the network should provide to the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said authorized QoS is restricted if said usage of the subscriber exceeds a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said authorized QoS is determined by a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rule set.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said authorized QoS is communicated to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said determining step determines that a session must be reauthorized based on a change in current time period, wherein the PCRF reauthorizes the session by determining a new QoS based on the current time period.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said authorization message comprises a Re-Authorization Request (RAR) message.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving from a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF), a subscriber usage level;

instructions for monitoring a monitoring key, the monitoring key corresponding to a type of subscriber usage, at least one threshold amount of usage, and a policy to be applied if the subscriber's usage exceeds the threshold;

instructions for monitoring the usage of the subscriber by adding the amount of usage to a record of an accumulated usage of the subscriber;

instructions for updating and storing in a subscriber record, the subscriber's accumulated usage based on the monitoring key corresponding to the subscriber usage, wherein the subscriber's record includes a set of monitoring keys;

instructions for applying the policy of a monitoring key if the subscriber's usage has exceeded the at least one threshold of the monitoring key;

instructions for determining a current time period;

instructions for authorizing a Quality of Service (QoS) for the subscriber based at least on the usage of the subscriber and the current time period; and

instructions for transmitting an authorization message indicating the QoS that the network should provide to the subscriber.