Roaming and hand-off support for prepaid billing for wireless data networks

A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:

• a first-network-access device carrying on session activity for a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
• the first-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a first block of credits;
• the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
• the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the first block of credits;
• a second-network-access device requesting from the network-access-control device network access for the session activity of the wireless communication session after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area of the second-network access device;
• the second-network-access device establishing the session activity for the wireless communication session;
• the second-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a second block of credits;
• the second-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
• and
• the second-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the second block of credits.

A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:

• a first-network-access device carrying on session activity of a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
• the first-network-access device receiving from a network-access-control device a first block of credits;
• the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
• the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the first block of credits;
• a second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area;
• responsive to the second-network-access device establishing connectivity with the wireless mobile node, the first-network-access device tunneling the session activity and any remaining portion of the first block of credits to the second-network-access device;
• and
• the second-network-access device debiting the usage of the tunneled session activity from the tunneled remaining portion of the first block of credits.

A method for providing hand-offs for wireless prepaid services on a data network using prepaid billing, the method comprising:

• a first-network-access device carrying on session activity for a wireless communication session with a wireless mobile node within a first coverage area;
• the first-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a block of credits;
• the first-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
• the first-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the block of credits;
• a second-network-access device requesting from the network-access-control device network access to support a hand-off of the wireless communication session after the wireless mobile node moves into a second coverage area of the second-network access device;
• the second-network-access device establishing hand-off session activity for the wireless communication session;
• the network-access-control device retrieving from the first-network-access device at least some of the block of credits;
• the second-network-access device receiving from the network-access-control device a second block of credits;
• the second-network-access device periodically measuring usage of the session activity;
• and
• the second-network-access device debiting the usage of the session activity from the second block of credits.