Method and system for enabling charging of non-charging controlled services
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorStefan Karlsson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for charging control of service usage in an electronic communications system. An invocation of charging control is received from a service client for service usage by a user. Charging related data and rules checked for the user and it is determined whether the session should be charging controlled. In case of a non charging controlled session, a response message is returned to the charging client, indicating that the session is not charging controlled and that the service usage is to be reported at the end-of-session. A report of usage is received—from the client—including information of the usage consumed during the session at the end-of-session.
Claims7
A method for charging control of service usage in an electronic communications system, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first invocation of charging control from a client for service usage by a user;
- determining whether the session should be charging controlled based on one or more of char related data and rules for the user;
- in case of a session free of charge, returning a response message to the client, indicating that the session is free of charge and that the service usage is to be reported at the end-of-session;
- receiving, from the client at the end-of-session a final invocation of charging control, the final invocation including a report of usage including information of the usage consumed during the session;
- and
- analyzing the information and sending an acknowledgement to the client.
A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon:
- computer program code configured, when said program is loaded, to make the computer execute a process comprising:
- receiving a first invocation of charging control from a client for service usage by a user;
- determining whether the session should be charging controlled based on one or more of charging related data and rules for the user;
- in case of a session free of charge, returning a response message to the client, indicating that the session is free of charge and that the service usage is to be reported at the end-of-session;
- receiving, from the client at the end-of-session, a final invocation of charging control, the final invocation including a report of usage including information of the usage consumed during the session;
- and
- analyzing the information and sending an acknowledgement to the client.
A programmable apparatus for charging control of service usage in an electronic communications system configured to:
- invoke charging control of a toll free session from a server;
- receive a specific result code from the server including information that the service usage is to be reported at the end-of-session;
- determine the final usage at the end-of-session;
- send a final invocation of charging control to the server including a report with information of the total usage consumed during the full session at the end-of-session;
- and
- receiving an acknowledgement from the server.
A programmable apparatus for charging control of service usage in an electronic communications system configured to:
- receive a first invocation of charging control from a client;
- determine whether the session is toll free based on charging related data and rules for the client;
- in case of a toll free session, return a specific result code to the client, including information for the client that the service usage is to be reported at the end-of-session;
- receive, from the client at the end-of-session, a final invocation of charging control including a report with information of the total usage consumed during the full session;
- and
- analyze the information and send an acknowledgement the client.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.