Methods and nodes for maintaining a communication session for a subscriber

A method for granting credit units for maintaining a communication session for a subscriber in a network, the method being performed by an Online Charging Function, OCF, node, the method comprising:

• obtaining, from a Charging Trigger Function, CTF, node, a request for credit units corresponding to network resources for maintaining the communication session for the subscriber;
• determining an amount of additional credit units to be indicated to the CTF node;
• and
• providing a grant of the credit units as well as an advance credit indication of the additional credit units for the communication session to the CTF node, wherein the grant of the credit units is valid for one single request for credit units for the communication session, and wherein the advance credit indication pertains to grant of credit units for N≥1 additional such requests, and wherein the advance credit indication is for the CTF node to grant further network resources for maintaining the communication session for the subscriber when the OCF node is unavailable.

An Online Charging Function, OCF, node for granting credit units for maintaining a communication session for a subscriber in a network, the OCF node comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the OCF node to:

• obtain, from a Charging Trigger Function, CTF, node, a request for credit units corresponding to network resources for maintaining the communication session for the subscriber;
• determining an amount of additional credit units to be indicated to the CTF node;
• and
• provide a grant of the credit units as well as an advance credit indication of the additional credit units for the communication session to the CTF node, wherein the grant of the credit units is valid for one single request for credit units for the communication session, and wherein the advance credit indication pertains to grant of credit units for N≥1 additional such requests, and wherein the advance credit indication is for the CTF node to grant further network resources for maintaining the communication session for the subscriber when the OCF node is unavailable.