Call charging notification
AssigneeMCI, Inc.
InventorAlan Bernard Johnston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An approach for providing charging information of a call established over a data network is disclosed. A communications system includes a user agent that initiates a call to another user agent according to an application layer protocol. The system also includes a network element that assists in establishing the call and forwards information indicating that the call is chargeable to the user agent. The present invention has particular applicability to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) IP (Internet Protocol) telephony services.
Claims30
A communication system for providing charging information of a call established over a data network, the system comprising:
- a user agent configured to initiate a call to another user agent according to an application layer protocol;
- and
- a network element configured to assist in establishing the call and to forward information indicating that the call is chargeable to the user agent.
A method for providing charging information of a call established over a data network, the method comprising:
- establishing a call between a user agent and another user agent according to an application layer protocol;
- and
- forwarding information indicating that the call is chargeable to the user agent.
A communication system for providing charging information of a call established over a data network, the system comprising:
- means for establishing a call between a user agent and another user agent according to an application layer protocol;
- and
- means for forwarding information indicating that the call is chargeable to the user agent.
A network apparatus for providing charging information of a call established over a data network, the apparatus comprising:
- a communications interface configured to receive a message from a user agent to establish a call to another user agent according to an application layer protocol;
- and
- a processor coupled to the communications interface and configured to instruct the communications interface to forward information indicating that the call is chargeable to the user agent.
A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing charging information of a call established over a data network, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
- establishing a call between a user agent and another user agent according to an application layer protocol;
- and
- forwarding information indicating that the call is chargeable to the user agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.