1. A method for accounting, comprising:
detecting, by an AAA client, a notification of the change of QoS of a session;
obtaining, by the AAA client, the accounting information of the session; and,
reporting, by the AAA client, the accounting information to an accounting processing unit of a AAA server; wherein,
the accounting information is capable of implementing an accounting operation for a user of the session by the accounting processing unit.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user of the session is a prepaid user; and the implementing the accounting operation comprises:
settling, by the accounting processing unit, a cost according to the old QoS; and,
deriving, by the accounting processing unit, a new tariff of the session from new QoS, calculating a new quota according to the new tariff; and,
sending, by the accounting processing unit, the new quota to the AAA client.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the accounting information comprises one or more as follow:
old QoS, a session duration of the session with old QoS, a data volume of the session with old QoS, and new QoS.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user of the session is a postpaid user; and the accounting operation comprises:
saving, by the accounting processing unit, the accounting information; and,
returning, by the accounting processing unit, a response message to the AAA client.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the accounting information comprises:
old QoS, a session duration and data volume of the session with old QoS.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the session is a data channel or a traffic flow.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is applicable in a Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access system.
8. A system for accounting, comprising an AAA client and an accounting processing unit; wherein
the AAA client comprises a QoS change detection unit and an accounting information unit; wherein,
the QoS change detection unit is adapted to detect a message received by the AAA client during a session and send an initiation instruction to the accounting information unit as detecting a QoS change notification; and,
the accounting information unit is adapted to obtain and save accounting information as receiving the initiation instruction; wherein,
the accounting processing unit is adapted to receive the accounting information sent by the AAA client and implement an accounting operation for the session.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the accounting processing unit comprises:
a prepaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to settle a cost according to the accounting information, derive a tariff from new QoS, calculate a new quota according to the tariff and send the new quota to the AAA client.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the accounting processing unit comprises:
a postpaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to save the accounting information and return a response message to the AAA client.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the accounting processing unit comprises:
a prepaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to settle a cost according to the accounting information, derive a tariff from new QoS, calculate a new quota according to the tariff and send the new quota to the AAA client; and,
a postpaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to save the accounting information and return a response message to the AAA client.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the AAA client is located in a mobile station.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the AAA client is located in a base station.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the AAA client is an individual network element.
15. The system of claim 8, wherein the accounting processing unit is located in an AAA server.
16. A client device, comprising a Quality of Service (QoS) change detection unit and an accounting information unit; wherein
the QoS change detection unit is adapted to detect a message received by the AAA client during a session and send an initiation instruction to the accounting information unit as detecting a QoS change notification; and
the accounting information unit is adapted to obtain and save the accounting information as receiving the initiation command.
17. A device for accounting processing, comprising:
a prepaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to settle a cost according to accounting information, derive a tariff from new QoS, calculate a new quota according to the tariff and send the new quota to an AAA client.
18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:
a postpaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to save accounting information and return a response message to the AAA client.
19. A device for accounting processing, comprising:
a postpaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to save accounting information and return a response message to an AAA client.
20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:
a prepaid service accounting processing unit, adapted to settle a cost according to accounting information, derive a tariff from new QoS, calculate a new quota according to the tariff and send the new quota to the AAA client.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and a feed network configured to feed signals to andor receive signals from the antenna elements, wherein the feed network includes a multi-bladed wiper-type phase shifter including:
i. two or more conductive strips positioned about a pivot point, at least one of the conductive strips including at least one of: meander sections and notched sections, wherein the at least one of meander sections and notched sections provides increased electrical length having an electrical length greater than the electrical length of a simple conductive strip of the same physical length;
ii. a wiper configured to pivot about the pivot point and having a first blade extending in a first direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips and a second blade extending in a second direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips; and
iii. an input line configured to couple with the wiper near the pivot point;
wherein the wiper is configured to pivot about the pivot point so as to vary the path lengths from the input line to antenna elements connected to the conductive strips;
and wherein an antenna element having a first maximum phase shift is connected to a first conductive strip and another antenna element having a second maximum phase shift opposite to the first maximum phase shift is connected to a second conductive strip.
2. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input line includes a first annular coupling region for coupling to the wiper, positioned around the pivot point.
3. An antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein the phase difference between at least one pair of antenna elements is substantially determined by a path difference created by the position of the wiper with respect to the central coupling region.
4. An antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein the wiper includes a second annular coupling region for coupling to the first annular coupling region.
5. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 including N antenna elements connected to the phase shifter and arranged in phase shift order from the first antenna element to the Nth antenna element, the first antenna element being the antenna element having the first maximum phase shift and the Nth antenna element being the antenna element having the second maximum phase shift; and wherein the first and (N\u22121)th antenna elements are connected to the first conductive strip, and the second and Nth antenna elements are connected to the second conductive strip.
6. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elements of each pair of adjacent antenna elements are connected to different conductive strips.
7. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wiper is a two-bladed wiper and the first and second conductive strips are positioned on opposite sides of the pivot point.
8. An antenna as claimed in claim 7 including third and fourth conductive strips positioned such that the first blade couples with the first and third conductive strips and the second blade couples with the second and fourth conductive strips.
9. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conductive strips include one or more substantially circular arcs.
10. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wiper includes one or more increased electrical length conductive sections having an electrical length greater than the electrical length of a simple conductive strip of the same physical dimensions.
11. An antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the phase shifter includes an output line connected to the input line, such that the phase of an antenna element connected to the output line is independent of the wiper angle.
12. An antenna as claimed in claim 1, being a cellular communications antenna.
13. A multi-bladed wiper-type phase shifter including:
i. two or more conductive strips positioned about a pivot point, at least one of the conductive strips including at least one of: meander sections and notched sections, wherein the at least one of meander sections and notched sections provides increased electrical length having an electrical length greater than the electrical length of a simple conductive strip of the same physical length;
ii. a wiper configured to pivot about the pivot point and having a first blade extending in a first direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips and a second blade extending in a second direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips;
iii. an input line configured to couple with the wiper near the pivot point; and
iv. a plurality of output ports on the conductive strips for connection of antenna elements to the phase shifter, the output ports including:
a) a first output port on a first conductive strip providing a first maximum phase shift; and
b) a second output port on a second conductive strip providing a second maximum phase shift opposite to the first maximum phase shift;
wherein the wiper is configured to pivot about the pivot point so as to vary the path lengths from the input line to the output ports.
14. A multi-bladed wiper-type phase shifter as claimed in claim 13 wherein the input line includes a first annular coupling region for coupling to the wiper, positioned around the pivot point and the phase difference between at least one pair of output ports is substantially determined by a path difference created by the position of the wiper with respect to the central coupling region.
15. A multi-bladed wiper-type phase shifter as claimed in claim 13 wherein the output ports of each pair of output ports which are adjacent in phase order are connected to different conductive strips.
16. An antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and a feed network configured to feed signals to andor receive signals from the antenna elements, wherein the feed network includes a multi-bladed wiper-type phase shifter including:
i. two or more conductive strips positioned about a pivot point, at least one of the conductive strips including at least one of: meander sections and notched sections, wherein the at least one of meander sections and notched sections provides increased electrical length having an electrical length greater than the electrical length of a simple conductive strip of the same physical length;
ii. a wiper configured to pivot about the pivot point and having a first blade extending in a first direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips and a second blade extending in a second direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips;
iii. an input line configured to couple with the wiper near the pivot point; wherein the wiper is configured to pivot about the pivot point so as to vary the path lengths from the input line to antenna elements connected to the conductive strips, and
wherein the elements of each pair of adjacent antenna elements are connected to different conductive strips.
17. An antenna including a plurality of antenna elements and a feed network configured to feed signals to andor receive signals from the antenna elements, wherein the feed network includes a multi-bladed wiper-type phase shifter including:
i. two or more conductive strips positioned about a pivot point, at least one of the conductive strips including at least one of: meander sections and notched sections, wherein the at least one of meander sections and notched sections provides increased electrical length having an electrical length greater than the electrical length of a simple conductive strip of the same physical length;
ii. a wiper configured to pivot about the pivot point and having a first blade extending in a first direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips and a second blade extending in a second direction for coupling with one or more of the conductive strips;
iii. an annular central coupling region around the pivot point for coupling an input line to the wiper;
wherein the wiper is configured to pivot about the pivot point so as to vary the path lengths from the input line to antenna elements connected to the conductive strips, and wherein the phase difference between at least one pair of elements is substantially determined by a path difference created by the position of the wiper with respect to the central coupling region.
18. An antenna as claimed in claim 17 wherein a substantially linear phase distribution is provided across the antenna elements.