# US 7,610,037 B2 · Charging in communication networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,037 B2 - Document ID: US7610037B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/625,909 - Filed: 2003-07-24 - Published: 2004-11-18 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-05-13 - Assignees: Nokia Corporation - Inventors: Marco Stura; Gabor Bajko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610037B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04M 15/00: Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP} - H04M 2215/204: UMTS; GPRS - H04M 2215/32: Involving wireless systems - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract This invention relates to a method for supporting a communication session of an user equipment, by means of a communication system that includes at least one entity between the user equipment and a node with which the user equipment is arranged to establish a session, the method including the steps of establishing a session between the user equipment and the node via the at least one entity, putting the session on hold, reserving resources for the session while the session is on hold, and resuming the session and distributing charging information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: putting, in response to an invitation message, on hold a communication session between a user equipment associated with a first access network and a node of a communication system via a second network and at least one entity of said communication system between said user equipment and said node, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported on the communication session between the user equipment and the node, the communication session established based on a session initiation protocol (SIP) and session data protocol (SDP); reserving resources for said session while said session is on hold; communicating a charging identifier from a node of said first access network to a first node of said second network; and resuming, in response to sending another invitation message and when the resources have been reserved, said communication session with the another message indicating an active session from said user equipment by which said charging identifier for the first access network is forwarded from said first node of the second network to a second node of the second network, wherein the first access network is different from the second network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining if charging information is provided during establishment of said session and carrying out the putting of the session on hold to the resuming of said session only when it has been determined that the charging information has not been provided. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the establishment of said session comprises using session initiation protocol for said session. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method claim as claimed in claim 3, wherein the establishing of said session comprises establishing a session wherein said charging identifier is sent in an invite message. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the establishment of said session comprises operating at least part of said communication system in accordance with universal mobile telecommunications system standard. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the establishment of the session comprises establishing a session wherein said at least one entity comprises a gateway general packet radio service support node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the establishment of said session comprises establishing a session wherein said at least one entity comprises a proxy call session control function, and wherein said node of the first access network is a gateway general packet radio service node, and said first node of the second access network is a proxy call session control function. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said communicating of the charging identifier from the gateway general radio packet service node to the proxy call session control function comprises including said charging identifier in a common open policy service message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the establishment of said session comprises establishing a session wherein said at least one entity comprises a policy decision function, and wherein said node of the first access network is a gateway general packet radio service node and said first node of the second network is a policy decision function. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said communicating of the charging identifier from the gateway general radio packet service node to the policy decision function comprises including said charging identifier in a common open policy service message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the establishment of said session comprises establishing a session wherein said at least one entity comprises a proxy call session control function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the establishment of said session comprises establishing a session wherein said at least one entity comprises a policy decision function. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining if charging information is provided during a modifying of said session and carrying out the puffing of the session on hold to the resuming of said session only when it has been determined that the charging information has not been provided. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: configuring said charging identifier to comprise at least a general packet radio service charging identifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as claimed claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the charging identifier for the first access network comprises forwarding the charging identifier for the first access network provided in a charging vector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the forwarding of the charging identifier for the first access network comprises forwarding the charging identifier for the first access network in a charging vector, wherein said charging vector comprises a p-charging vector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said node of the communications system comprises a user agent server. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said node of the communications system comprises user equipment. ### Claim 19 A system, comprising: a user equipment associated with a first access network, wherein the system is configured to support a communication session between said user equipment and a node of the system via a second network, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported by at least one of the user equipment and the node, wherein the system is configured to put, in response to an invitation message, the communication session on hold, reserve resources for said communication session while said communication session is on hold, communicate a charging identifier from a node of said first access network to a first node of said second network, and resume, when the resources have been reserved, said communication session with another invitation message indicating an active session from said user equipment by which said charging identifier is forwarded from said first node of the second network to a second node of the second network; and wherein the first access network is different from the second network. ### Claim 20 A system, comprising: at least one entity means between user equipment associated with a first access network and a node with which the user equipment is configured to establish a session via a second network; placement means for putting, in response to an invitation message, the session on hold, the session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the session when the preconditions are not supported on the session between the user equipment and the node, the session established based on a session initiation protocol (SIP) and session data protocol (SDP); reserving means for reserving resources for said session while said session is on hold; communicating means for communicating a charging identifier from a node of said first access network to first node of said second network; and resuming means for resuming said session with another invitation message indicating an active session from said user equipment by which said charging identifier for the first access network is forwarded from said first node of said second network to a second node of the second network, wherein the first access network is different from the second network. ### Claim 21 A method, comprising: receiving at a first node of a second network from a node of a first access network a charging identifier for said first access network for a communication session put, in response to an invitation massage, on hold between a user equipment associated with said first access network and a node of a communication system via said second network, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported on the communication session, the communication session established based on a session initiation protocol (SIP) and session data protocol (SDP); and in response to receiving at said first node of said second network from said user equipment another invitation message from said user equipment indicating an active session, forwarding said another invitation message from said first node of the second network to a second node of the second access network together with said charging identifier for said first access network, wherein the first access network is different from the second network. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said charging identifier comprises a general packet radio service charging identifier. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method as claimed claim 21, wherein the forwarding of the charging identifier for the first access network comprises forwarding the charging identifier for the first access network provided in a charging vector. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said charging vector comprises a p-charging vector. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said node of the first access network is a gateway general packet radio service node, and said first node of the second access network is a proxy call session control function. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said receiving of the charging identifier for said first access network from the gateway general radio packet service node at the proxy call session control function comprises receiving said charging identifier in a common open policy service message. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said node of the first access network is a gateway general packet radio service node and said first node of the second network is a policy decision function. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said receiving of the charging identifier for the first access network from the gateway general radio packet service node at the policy decision function comprises receiving said charging identifier in a common open policy service message. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said node of the first access network is a gateway general packet radio service node and said first node of the second network is a policy decision function. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said receiver is configured to receive said charging identifier for the first access network from the gateway general radio packet service node at the policy decision function in a common open policy service message. ### Claim 31 An apparatus, comprising: a receiver configured to receive at a first node of a second network from a node of a first access network a charging identifier for said first access network for a communication session put, in response to an invitation message, on hold between a user equipment associated with said first access network and a node of a communication system via said second network, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported on the communication session, the communication session established based on a session initiation protocol (SIP) and session data protocol (SDP); and a forwarder, configured to, in response to receiving at said first node of said second network from said user equipment another invitation message from said user equipment indicating an active session, forwarding said another invitation message from said first node of the second network to a second node of the second access network together with said charging identifier for said first access network, wherein the first access network is different from the second network. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein said charging identifier comprises a general packet radio service charging identifier. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the forwarder is configured to forward the charging identifier for the first access network in a charging vector. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein said charging vector comprises a p-charging vector. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein said node of the first access network is a gateway general packet radio service node, and said first node of the second access network is a proxy call session control function. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said receiver is configured to receive said charging identifier for said first access network from the gateway general radio packet service node at the proxy call session control function in a common open policy service message.