US 2011/0009089 A1 · Method, system and apparatus of charging for group mode service

Abstract

A charging method for group mode service relating to the group mode service in communication networks is disclosed, the method includes: sending, an initial accounting request to a charging system in response to receiving a service request for establishing a group session from a client, to enable the charging system account at an initial rate; and initiating an interim accounting request to the charging system to enable the charging system account at a rate corresponding to the current group scale in response to detecting that group scale is changed according to a preset threshold for the number of group users. The present invention also provides the corresponding application server and group mode service's underlying system. By using the present invention to charge the group mode service, the charging interaction between the application server and the charging system is substantially reduced, and the network system resource consumed is reduced.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of charging for a group mode service, comprising:

sending, by an application server, an initial accounting request to a charging system after the application server receives a service request for establishing a group session from a client, to enable the charging system account at an initial rate;
counting, by the application server, the number of online group users within the group session after receiving a session joining request or a session leaving request initiated by a group user;
and
determining whether a group scale is changed according to a preset threshold for the number of group users, and when the group scale is changed, initiating an interim accounting request carrying information on the number of group users to the charging system to enable the charging system account at a rate corresponding to the number of the group users.

1 more element

An application server, comprising a group mode service functional unit, wherein the application server further comprises:

a group scale determining unit, adapted to count a number of online group users in the current session after receiving session joining request or a session leaving request from a group user, and determine a current group scale according to the number of online users in a group session;
and
a group scale change determining unit, adapted to determine whether the group scale is changed according to a preset threshold for the number of group users;
and
an accounting requesting unit, adapted to send an initial accounting request to a charging system according to a service request for establishing a group session initiated by a client, and initiate an interim accounting request, which carries information on the number of online group users, to enable the charging system account at a rate corresponding to the number of the online group users when the group scale is changed.

2 more elements

A system for realizing a group mode service, comprising:

an application server, adapted to realize a group mode service, send an initial accounting request according to a service request for establishing a group session initiated by a client, count the number of online group users within the group session after receiving a session joining request or a session leaving request initiated by a group user, determine whether the group scale is changed according to a preset threshold for the number of online users in a group, and initiate an interim accounting request, which carries information on the number of online group users, to enable the charging system account at a rate corresponding to the number of the online group users when it is determined that the group scale is changed;
and
a charging system, adapted to receive the initial accounting request or interim accounting request initiated by the application server, resolve the information on the number of online group users carried in the interim accounting request, determine an initial rate according to the initial accounting request, determine a corresponding accounting rate according to the resolved information on the number of online group users, and perform accounting at the determined initial rate or corresponding accounting rate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method, system and apparatus of charging for group mode service

Life of this patent

Method, system and apparatus of charging for group mode service

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14