Method, means and a computer program product for managing online charging in a communications network

A system for online charging in a communication network, the system comprising:

• a receiving unit configured to received a service or identification request from a user;
• a determining unit configured to determine whether the service request relates to an access session, a media session or a service session, to determine if a type of charging model the operator wants to use in connection with the service request is an event based model, a volume based model, a time based model, a subscription based model or a combination of the models, and to determine which network element corresponding to the access session, the media session or the service session in the communication network is responsible for charging the service relating to the service request from the user, and
• a provisioning unit configured to provision identification rules to the network element that is determined to be responsible for providing the service relating to the service request from the user,
• wherein provisioning unit is further configured to update the rules when the access session, the media session and the service session interact with each other in a charging transaction relating to the service request from the user.

A method for setting identification criteria for online charging in communications networks, the method comprising:

• receiving charging rule management request from an operator, and
• provisioning the identification rules according to a charging model including at least one of the following aspects:
• which of the charging sessions including access/bearer, media and/or service sessions, the operator want to use for charging;
• what kind of charging model the operator want to use within each session, subscription based, volume based, time based, event based and/or combination of previous models;
• and
• which network element is responsible for charging of which services;
• wherein editing rules and taking into account if the charging of the service in one network element affect to the charging in at least one other network element.