System and method for determining data usage in a converged charging system

A device comprising:

• one or more memories to store instructions;
• and
• one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:
• receive a first message, wherein the first message includes a first identifier associated with a subscriber and a second identifier associated with a first service being used by the subscriber, and wherein the first service is charged using an online charging system;
• determine whether a period of time before a new billing cycle associated with the subscriber begins is less than a threshold period of time;
• transmit a second message, wherein the second message indicates a first time period in which to report data usage associated with the first service and a second time period in which to report data usage associated with one or more second services, wherein the one or more second services are charged using an offline charging system, and wherein, when the period of time before the new billing cycle associated with the subscriber begins is less than the threshold period of time, when transmitting the second message, the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions to:
• transmit a time at which the new billing cycle begins for the one or more second services, and
• transmit a trigger to separate the second data usage information into data usage prior to the time at which the new billing cycle begins and data usage after the time at which the new billing cycle begins;
• receive first data usage information associated with the first service when the first time period has expired;
• receive second data usage information associated with the one or more second services when the second time period has expired;
• and
• process the first data usage information and the second data usage information.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to:

• receive a first message, wherein the first message includes a first identifier associated with a subscriber and a second identifier associated with a first service being used by the subscriber, and wherein the first service is charged using an online charging system;
• determine whether a period of time before a new billing cycle associated with the subscriber begins is less than a threshold period of time;
• transmit a second message, wherein the second message indicates a first time period in which to report data usage associated with the first service and a second time period in which to report data usage associated with one or more second services, wherein the one or more second services are charged using an offline charging system, and wherein, when the period of time before the new billing cycle associated with the subscriber begins is less than the threshold period of time, the one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to transmit the second message include one or more instruction to cause the at least one processor to:
• transmit a time at which the new billing cycle begins for the one or more second services, and
• transmit a trigger to separate the second data usage information into data usage prior to the time at which the new billing cycle begins and data usage after the time at which the new billing cycle begins;
• receive first data usage information associated with the first service when the first time period has expired;
• receive second data usage information associated with the one or more second services when the second time period has expired;
• and
• process the first data usage information and the second data usage information.