Mechanism for tracking traffic statistics on a per packet basis to enable variable price billing

A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for generating variable price billing comprising the programming steps of

• receiving a packet of data associated with a session;
• extracting a packet header from said received packet of data;
• generating a key based on said extracted packet header to identify a statistics record associated with said session;
• and
• executing a per packet statistics update for said statistics record associated with said session.

A system, comprising:

• a gateway configured to provide access to the Internet for a customer, wherein said gateway comprises:
• a subsystem, wherein said subsystem comprises:
• a memory unit operable for storing a computer program operable for generating variable price billing;
• and
• a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises:
• circuitry operable for receiving a packet of data associated with a session;
• circuitry operable for extracting a packet header from said received packet of data;
• circuitry operable for generating a key based on said extracted packet header to identify a statistics record associated with said session;
• and
• circuitry operable for executing a per packet statistics update for said statistics record associated with said session.