Abstract:
Methods, devices and apparatus are provided for differentiating operators in a wireless communications network. Information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a service is received, and corresponding operator information is provided from the configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service. A Base Station Controller (BSC)/Packet Control Function (PCF), and a device and system for differentiating operators in a network for performing the above functions is also provided.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2008/072938 filed on Nov. 4, 2008, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 200710166106.9, filed on Nov. 7, 2007, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to wireless communication technologies, and in particular, to a method, device, and system for differentiating operators in a network. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The telecom authority in some countries requires two operators to operate one wireless communication network jointly to ensure competition. For example, two operators operate a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network jointly. That is, in a CDMA network, two operators operate two different carrier frequencies, and the two operators share the parts of the system except the carrier frequency. The shared parts include: the Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Base Station Controller (BSC), Packet Control Function (PCF), Mobile Switching Center (MSC), and Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN). The MSC is applicable to Circuit Switched (CS) voice services. The BSC is applicable to CS voice services, and outputs an Assignment Complete message or a Layer-3 Call Management (CM) Service Request message that carries the CS voice service information to the MSC. The MSC creates charging information according to the CS voice service information sent by the BSC. The PCF is applicable to Packet Switched (PS) data services, and outputs the PS data service information to the PDSN. The PDSN supports the transmission of packet data to the Internet/Intranet, works as an interface between the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Packet Data Network (PDN), serves as a packet data access gateway, and creates PS data service charging information through the terminal user data recorded in the Packet Routing Function (PRF) and the A11-Registration Request message sent in the PCF. The terminal user enjoys the services of two carrier frequencies through the carrier frequencies operated by the two operators. 
     In practice, the BSC and the PCF may be combined into a BSC/PCF, or set separately. 
     When the terminal user enjoys the services of two carrier frequencies, the charging information generated by at least one of the MSC and the PDSN needs to be differentiated according to operations to facilitate charge settlement between the operators. However, in the existing CDMA protocol, the MSC or the PDSN is unable to differentiate the operator information of different operators in a network, and does not support separate charge settlement according to different operator information. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the present invention provides a method for differentiating operators in a network to identify different operator information in a network and to enable settlement between operators. 
     Another aspect of the present invention provides a device for differentiating operators in a network to identify different operator information in a network and to enable settlement between operators. 
     Further another aspect of the present invention provides a system for differentiating operators in a network to identify different operator information in a network and to enable settlement between operators. 
     Methods, devices and systems are provided for differentiating operators in a network in which mapping relations between frequency information and operator information can be preconfigured at the MSC and/or PDSN, in which case the BSC/PCF notifies the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a service to at least one of the MSC and the PDSN, and at least one of the MSC and the PDSN obtains the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information. If the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and sends the operator information to the MSC and/or PDSN. The MSC and/or the PDSN differentiates operators in a network, meets the requirement of settlement between operators, and implements frequency-specific operation of the system. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for differentiating operators in a network. The method includes receiving information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a service, and querying corresponding operator information from configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a base station controller/packet control function (“BSC/PCF”) includes an information receiving unit, configured to receive information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a service, and an information processing unit, configured to query corresponding operator information from configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service, where the frequency information is received by the information receiving unit. 
     A further aspect of the invention provides a device for differentiating operators in a network. The device includes an information receiving unit, configured to receive information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a service from a BSC/PCF, and send the information to an information processing unit. The information processing unit is configured to query corresponding operator information from the configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for differentiating operators in a network includes. The system includes a BSC/PCF, configured to: send received information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a CS voice service to an MSC, or query operator information from the configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service and send found operator information to the MSC; and 
     the MSC, configured to receive the operator information sent by the BSC/PCF, or query the operator information from the configured mapping relation between the frequency information and the operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service. 
     A system for differentiating operators in a network includes: 
     a BSC/PCF, configured to: send received information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a PS data service to a PDSN, or query operator information from the configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service and send found operator information to the PDSN; and 
     the PDSN, configured to receive the operator information sent by the BSC/PCF, or query the operator information from the configured mapping relation between the frequency information and the operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To illustrate the technical solution according to the embodiments of the present invention or in the prior art more clearly, the accompanying drawings for describing the embodiments or the prior art are introduced briefly below. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and persons of ordinary skill in the art can derive other drawings from the accompanying drawings without creative efforts. 
         FIG. 1  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a system for differentiating operators in a network according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a system for differentiating operators in a network according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a BSC/PCF according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating an MSC according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to make the technical solution, objectives and merits of the present invention clearer, the present invention is hereinafter described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings and some exemplary embodiments. 
     For ease of description, the following description takes a CDMA 2000 system as an example. It is understandable that the present invention is applicable not only to the CDMA 2000, but also to the narrowband CDMA (Q-CDMA), wideband CDMA (W_CDMA), Time Division-Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA) and other wireless communication systems such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), WiMAX, and Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. In such systems, the message for carrying the operator-related information (including operator information or information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service) differs accordingly. In the embodiments of the present invention, the message name is suitable for application in the CDMA system. For application in the GSM system, the message name of the CS voice service is the same; for application in the WCDMA system, the message name is different from that in the embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments of the present invention, the BSC/PCF may be replaced with any access network device directly, and the MSC may be replaced with any suitable core network device. 
     In the embodiments of the present invention, if mapping relations between frequency information and operator information are preconfigured on at least one of the MSC and the PDSN, the BSC/PCF notifies the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a service to at least one of the MSC and the PDSN, and at least one of the MSC and the PDSN obtains the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information. In another embodiment of the present invention, if the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and sends the operator information to at least one of the MSC and the PDSN. 
     To fulfill the foregoing objectives, a system for differentiating operators in a network is put forward in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a system for differentiating operators in a network according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system includes a BSC/PCF  101  and an MSC  102 . 
     The BSC/PCF  101  is configured to: send received information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a CS voice service to the MSC  102 , or query operator information from the configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service and send the found operator information to the MSC  102 . 
     The MSC  102  is configured to receive the operator information sent by the BSC/PCF  101 , or query the operator information from the configured mapping relation between the frequency information and the operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service. 
     In practice, taking the CDMA network as an example, the system provided herein includes: 
     a BSC/PCF, configured to: receive information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a CS voice service, and notify the information to an MSC; or query operator information according to preconfigured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information and according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service, and notify the found operator information to the MSC; receive the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a PS data service, and notify the information to the PDSN through a PCF; or query the operator information according to the preconfigured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information and according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service, and notify the found operator information to the PDSN through the PCF; and 
     the MSC, configured to: receive the information sent by the BSC/PCF; and, if the received information is operator information, organize and output charging information according to the operator information; or, if the received information is the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service, query the operator information according to the preconfigured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and organize and output the charging information according to the found operator information. 
       FIG. 2  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating another system for differentiating operators in a network according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the system includes a BSC/PCF  201  and a PDSN  202 . 
     The BSC/PCF  201  is configured to: send received information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a PS data service to the PDSN  202 , or query operator information from the configured mapping relation between frequency information and operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service, and send found operator information to the PDSN  202 . 
     The PDSN  202  is configured to receive the operator information sent by the BSC/PCF  201 , or query the operator information from the configured mapping relation between the frequency information and the operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service. 
     In practice, taking the CDMA network as an example, the system provided herein includes: 
     a BSC/PCF, configured to: receive information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a PS data service, and notify the information to the PDSN through a PCF; or query operator information according to preconfigured mapping relations between frequency information and operator information and according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service, and send the found operator information to the PDSN through the PCF; and 
     the PDSN, configured to: receive the information sent by the BSC/PCF; and, if the received information is operator information, organize and output charging information according to the operator information; or, if the received information is the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service, query the operator information according to the preconfigured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and organize and output the charging information according to the found operator information. 
       FIG. 3  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a BSC/PCF provided according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The BSC/PCF includes: an information receiving unit  301 , an information processing unit  302 , and an information sending unit  303 . 
     The information receiving unit  301  is configured to receive information about a frequency occupied by an air interface resource of a service from the outside, and send the information to the information processing unit  302 . 
     For example, the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service includes the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a CS voice service and the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a PS data service. 
     The information processing unit  302  is configured to: after the information receiving unit  302  receives the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service, send the information to the information sending unit; or query operator information according to configured mapping relations between frequency information and operator information and according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service, and send the found operator information to the information sending unit. 
     For the CS voice service, for example, if the service is in a CDMA 2000 system, the BSC adds one of the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource and the operator information to one of an Assignment Complete message and a CM Service Request message. For the PS data service, the BSC adds one of the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource and the operator information to an A9-Setup A8 message. The PCF receives the A9-Setup A8 message, and obtains one of the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource and the operator information from the A9-Setup A8 message, and adds such information to an A11-Registration Request message. 
     The BSC/PCF device further includes: 
     an information sending unit  303 , configured to receive information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service from the information processing unit  202  or receive the found operator information queried by the information processing unit  202 , and send the received information to at least one of the MSC and the PDSN. 
       FIG. 4  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a device for differentiating between operators in a network according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The device includes: an information receiving unit  401 , an information processing unit  402 , and a charging unit  403 . Supposing that the device is an MSC, the units of the device are described below. 
     The information receiving unit  401  is configured to: receive information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a CS voice service from a BSC/PCF or receive operator information, and send the received information to the information processing unit  402 . 
     For example, the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service includes the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a CS voice service and the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a PS data service. In a CDMA 2000 system, if the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service is the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a CS voice service, the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service or the operator information may be carried in an Assignment Complete message or a CM Service Request message. 
     The information processing unit  402  is configured to: receive the information sent by the information receiving unit  401 ; and, if the information sent by the information receiving unit  401  is the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a CS voice service, query the operator information according to preconfigured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information. 
     Therefore, the information processing unit  402  is further configured to organize and output charging information according to the found or received operator information. That is, in practice, the information processing unit is further configured to organize and output charging information to the charging unit according to the found or received operator information. 
     Accordingly, the device provided in this embodiment further includes a charging unit  403 , which is configured to receive the charging information output by the information processing unit  402  and perform charging. 
     The device for differentiating operators in a network in this embodiment may be an MSC or a PDSN. In practice, the PDSN structure is similar to the structure shown in  FIG. 3 . Unlike  FIG. 3 , the information receiving unit receives the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a PS data service or receives operator information, and other units perform operations according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service or operator information. 
     In the CDMA 2000 system, the CS voice service and the PS data service coexist. The MSC processes the CS voice service, and the PDSN processes the PS data service. Therefore, the method for differentiating operators in a network is different for both services, and is described below separately. 
     For the CS voice service, in the CS voice service process, the Assignment Complete message or a CM Service Request message sent by the BSC/PCF to the MSC carries operator information, and the operator information corresponding to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service is notified to the MSC so that the MSC can output the charging information according to the operator information. 
       FIG. 5  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are preconfigured at the MSC, and the method includes the following contents 
     Block  501 : In the CS voice service process, the BSC/PCF notifies the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service to the MSC. 
     For example, the BSC/PCF adds the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service to one of an Assignment Complete message and a CM Service Request message, and sends the message carrying the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service to the MSC. 
     Block  502 : The MSC queries the corresponding operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service and the preconfigured mapping relations between frequency information and operator information. 
     In this block, after the MSC obtains the corresponding operator information, different operators in a network can be differentiated. In the subsequent process, the charge is settled for different operators according to the operator information, and the process proceeds to block  503 . 
     Block  503 : The MSC finds the operator information, and organizes and outputs the charging information according to the found operator information. 
     For example, the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information may be configured at the BSC/PCF, and the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service and the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and adds the operator information to an Assignment Complete message or a CM Service Request message. 
       FIG. 6  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the BSC/PCF, and the method includes the following contents. 
     Block  601 : In the CS voice service process, the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service and the configured mapping relations between frequency information and operator information. 
     Block  602 : The BSC/PCF sends the found operator information to the MSC. 
     In this block, the BSC/PCF adds the found operator information to an Assignment Complete message or a CM Service Request message. 
     Block  603 : The MSC organizes and outputs the charging information according to the operator information. 
     For example, the MSC organizes and outputs the charging information according to the operator information carried in the Assignment Complete message or CM Service Request message. 
     In the foregoing embodiment, if the mapping relations between frequency information and operator information are configured at the MSC, the BSC/PCF notifies the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service to the MSC, and the MSC obtains the operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and organizes and outputs the charging information; or if the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF queries the operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the CS voice service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and sends the operator information to the MSC, and the MSC organizes and outputs the charging information. In this way, the operators in a network are differentiated from one another, and the CS voice service charging information can be output according to different operator information. 
     The foregoing description takes the CS voice service as an example. For the PS data service, in the PS data service process, the operator information is added to the A11-Registration Request message sent by the BSC/PCF to the PDSN, and the PDSN receives the A11-Registration Request message and outputs the PS data service charging information according to the carried operator information, as detailed below: 
       FIG. 7  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating operators in a network according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the BSC/PCF adds the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service to the A11-Registration Request message, and sends the A11-Registration Request message to the PDSN; and the PDSN outputs the charging information according to the frequency information. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the PDSN, and the process includes the following contents. 
     Block  701 : In the PS data service process, the BSC/PCF notifies the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service to the PDSN. 
     For example, the BSC/PCF adds the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service to an A11-Registration Request message, and sends the A11-Registration Request message to the PDSN. 
     Block  702 : The PDSN queries the corresponding operator information according to the received information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service and the configured mapping relations between frequency information and operator information; 
     Block  703 : The PDSN finds the operator information, and organizes and outputs the charging information according to the found operator information. 
     In practice, the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information may be configured at the BSC/PCF, and the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service and the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and adds the operator information to the A11-Registration Request message. 
       FIG. 8  is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a method for differentiating between operators in a network according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the BSC/PCF, and the process includes the following contents. 
     Block  801 : In the PS data service process, the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the PS data service and the configured mapping relations between frequency information and operator information. 
     Block  802 : The BSC/PCF notifies the found operator information to the PDSN. 
     For example, the BSC/PCF adds the found operator information to the A11-Registration Request message and sends the A11-Registration Request message to the PDSN. 
     Block  803 : The PDSN organizes and outputs the charging information according to the operator information. 
     For example, the operator information is carried in an A11-Registration Request message. 
     In the above embodiment, if the mapping relations between frequency information and operator information are configured on at least one of the MSC and the PDSN, the BSC/PCF notifies the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of a service to at least one of the MSC and the PDSN, and at least one of the MSC and the PDSN obtains the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and organizes and outputs the charging information; or if the mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information are configured at the BSC/PCF, the BSC/PCF queries the corresponding operator information according to the information about the frequency occupied by the air interface resource of the service as well as the configured mapping relations between the frequency information and the operator information, and sends the operator information to at least one of the MSC and the PDSN, and at least one of the MSC and the PDSN organizes and outputs the charging information. At least one of the MSC and the PDSN differentiates operators in a network, and implements frequency-specific operation of the system. 
     The word “receive” herein refers to obtaining information from other modules actively or receiving information sent by other modules. 
     It is understandable to those skilled in the art that the accompanying drawings are for illustrating the exemplary embodiments only, and the modules or flowcharts in the accompanying drawings are not mandatory. 
     In addition, the modules in the apparatuses in the embodiments of the present invention may be distributed in the apparatuses in the way described herein, or distributed in other ways, for example, in one or more other apparatuses. The modules in the foregoing embodiments may be combined into one, or split into several submodules. 
     The serial number of the embodiments given above is for clear description only, and does not represent the order of preference. 
     Some of the blocks involved in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by software. The software program may be stored in a readable storage medium such as a hard disk or a Compact Disk (CD). 
     Detailed above are the objectives, technical solution and merits of the present invention. Although the invention has been described through several exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to such embodiments. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.