US 12,261,707 B2
Method, apparatus and system of charging for a data flow in SDN network
Zhi Wang, Shanghai (CN); Hui Han, Shanghai (CN); Yigang Cai, Naperville, IL (US); and Qiaobin Lai, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to Alcatel Lucent, Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
Appl. No. 15/554,113
Filed by Alcatel Lucent, Boulogne-Billancourt (FR)
PCT Filed Jan. 26, 2016, PCT No. PCT/IB2016/000265
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 28, 2017,
PCT Pub. No. WO2016/139533, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 9, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 201510097275.6 (CN), filed on Mar. 4, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2018/0270074 A1, Sep. 20, 2018
Int. Cl. H04L 12/14 (2024.01); H04M 15/00 (2024.01)
CPC H04L 12/1489 (2013.01) [H04L 12/1407 (2013.01); H04M 15/66 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of performing charging control for a data flow at a software defined network (SDN) control device, the method comprising:
a. determining, by at least one processor of the SDN control device, a monetary charging plan for a user and a corresponding routing path for a data flow for the user, wherein the monetary charging plan is associated with a network condition-related rate of a respective SDN service device, of a plurality of SDN service devices, in the corresponding routing path, the network condition-related rate being a dynamically variable monetary rate tariff depending on a criterion of a network condition including subscriber profile information and an applicable network related state, the determining including selecting the respective SDN service device associated with a lowest-cost tariff for the user; and
b. selecting, by the at least one processor, the monetary charging plan for the respective SDN service device, such that the respective SDN service device charges the data flow, the selecting including sending the monetary charging plan to the respective SDN service device and configuring the respective SDN service device so that the respective SDN service device implements the corresponding routing path.