Control of time limit triggers for offline charging

A method operable in a network element of a communication network that serves an active session for User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

• detecting expiry of a time limit for triggering an interim accounting request to an offline charging system during the active session;
• identifying a data usage by the UE during the time limit;
• determining if the data usage by the UE during the time limit exceeds a threshold;
• sending the interim accounting request from the network element to the offline charging system responsive to expiry of the time limit if the data usage exceeds the threshold;
• and
• preventing the interim accounting request from being sent to the offline charging system responsive to expiry of the time limit if the data usage does not exceed the threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores program instructions for providing offline charging in a network element of a communication network that serves an active session for User Equipment (UE), the program instructions, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

• detect expiry of a time limit for triggering an interim accounting request to an offline charging system during the active session;
• identify a data usage by the UE during the time limit;
• determine if the data usage by the UE during the time limit exceeds a threshold;
• send the interim accounting request to the offline charging system responsive to expiry of the time limit if the data usage exceeds the threshold;
• and
• stop the interim accounting request from being sent to the offline charging system responsive to expiry of the time limit if the data usage does not exceed the threshold.