Content for TS 32.281 Word version: 18.0.0

3.1 Definitions 3.2 Symbols 3.3 Abbreviations 4.1 High level Announcement aspects 4.2 Announcement in IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture
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1 Scope p. 5

During any phase of a voice or video call, the Online Charging System (OCS) or Converged Charging System (CCS)may need to deliver billing/charging in-session notifications to the end user via announcements as part of the rating, balance management and billing process. For example, the CCS/OCS may need to inform the user about usage states, threshold crossings, offer statuses, reason for call rejection, alerts about low balances, etc.

Such notifications can be delivered pre-, mid- or post-call.

The Announcement service in the present document provides announcement capabilities for use in a Diameter based online or converged charging session. The CCS/OCS is able to specify that a given announcement be played to a call party in order to deliver charging/billing related notifications.

2 References p. 6

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.
For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.

[2] - [19] Void.

[20]

TS 32.260: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) charging".

[21] - [29] Void.

[30]

TS 32.270: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) charging".

[31] - [44] Void.

[45]

TS 32.290: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; 5G system; Services, operations and procedures of charging using Service Based Interface (SBI)".

[46]

TS 32.291: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; 5G system; Charging service, stage 3".

[47] - [49] Void.

[50]

TS 32.299: "Telecommunication management; Charging management; Diameter charging application".

[51] - [99] Void.

[100]

TR 21.905: "Vocabulary for 3GPP Specifications".

[101]

TS 22.115: "Service aspects; Charging and billing".

[102] - [203] Void.

[204]

TS 24.229: "IP multimedia call control protocol based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Session Description Protocol (SDP); Stage 3".

[205] - [243] Void.

[244]

TS 24.628: "Common Basic Communication procedures using IP Multimedia (IM) Core Network (CN) subsystem; Protocol specification".

[245] - [299] Void.

[300] - [402] Void.

3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations p. 7

3.1 Definitions p. 7

For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in TR 21.905 and the following apply. A term defined in the present document takes precedence over the definition of the same term, if any, in TR 21.905.

Credit-Control:

mechanism which directly interacts in real-time with an account and controls or monitors the charges, related to the service usage. Credit-Control is a process of: checking if credit is available, credit reservation, deduction of credit from the end user account when service is completed and refunding of reserved credit not used.

Credit-Control:

online charging:

charging mechanism where charging information can affect, in real-time, the service rendered and therefore a direct interaction of the charging mechanism with bearer/session/service control is required.

Online Charging System:

the entity that performs real-time Credit-Control. Its functionality includes transaction handling, rating, online correlation and management of subscriber accounts/balances.

3.2 Symbols p. 7

For the purposes of the present document, the following symbols apply:

Symbol format

Reference Point between an AS and an MRFC for media control.

ISC

Reference Point between a CSCF and an Application Server and between a CSCF and an MRB.

Reference Point between an MRFC and an MRFP.

Reference Point between an CSCF and an MRFC.

Mr'

Reference Point between an AS and an MRFC for session control.

Online Charging Reference Point between an AS, MRFC or the IMS-GWF and the OCS

3.3 Abbreviations p. 7

For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations given in TR 21.905 and the following apply.

An abbreviation defined in the present document takes precedence over the definition of the same abbreviation, if any, in TR 21.905.

Application Server

CCA

Credit-Control-Answer

CCR

Credit-Control-Request

CSCF

Call Session Control Function (I-Interrogating; P-Proxy; and S-Serving)

DCCA

Diameter Credit-Control Application

IMS-GWF

IMS Gateway Function

ISC

IMS Service Control

MMTel

MultiMedia Telephony

MRB

Media Resource Broker

MRFC

Media Resource Function Controller

MRFP

Multimedia Resource Function Processor

OCS

Online Charging System

SIP

Session Initiation Protocol

User Equipment

4 Architecture considerations p. 8

4.1 High level Announcement aspects p. 8

Each technology to which the Announcement service is applied will utilize a technology-specific special resource function to play announcement media. Each of the architectures described in this clause utilizes the common Announcement service specified in this document.

4.2 Announcement in IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture p. 8

The MRFC/MRFP are resources of the IMS that provide support for bearer related services such as announcements. Collectively, the MRFC/MRFP is known as the Media Resource Function. The architecture of MRF is shown in Figure 4.2.1.

Copy of original 3GPP image for 3GPP TS 32.281, Fig. 4.2.1: Architecture of Media Resource Function in IMS

Figure 4.2.1: Architecture of Media Resource Function in IMS
(⇒ copy of original 3GPP image)

In the IMS online and converged charging architecture specified in TS 32.260, both the AS and the IMS-GWF interfaces the CHF/OCS. Either the AS or the IMS-GWF may utilize the Announcement service specified in this document.