Method and apparatus for providing charging status information to subscriber of communication service

An apparatus for providing charging status information to a subscriber of a communication service, comprising:

• a charging collection function (CCF) subsystem configured to receive a current accounting request (ACR) from a network element (NE) of a communication network, the communication network associated with a service provider, the current ACR associated with a post-paid communication service provided to a subscriber by the service provider via the NE in conjunction with a communication session, the subscriber subject to a rate plan with the service provider that applies different billing rates for different usage levels of the post-paid communication service over a periodic billing cycle, the current ACR including an incremental volume parameter indicating consumed usage of the post-paid communication service for the communication session since a previous ACR, wherein the CCF subsystem is configured to convert the current ACR to a current credit control request (CCR) during a current billing cycle, the current CCR including an incremental usage parameter representing the incremental volume parameter and indicating the consumed usage of the post-paid communication service for the communication session since a previous CCR, wherein the current ACR is compatible with an offline charging interface protocol for charging system communications and the current CCR is compatible with an online charging interface protocol for charging system communications;
• and
• a quota monitoring function (QMF) subsystem in operative communication with the CCF subsystem, wherein the CCF subsystem is configured to send the current CCR to the QMF subsystem, wherein the QMF subsystem is configured to add the consumed usage associated with the incremental volume parameter of the current CCR to a previously consumed amount of the post-paid communication service used by the subscriber during the current billing cycle to form a total consumed amount, wherein the QMF subsystem is configured to compare the total consumed amount to a threshold value associated with a quota value for a first usage level of the post-paid communication service during the current billing cycle.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing first program instructions that, when executed by a first computer, cause a corresponding computer-controlled charging collection function (CCF) subsystem in a charging system to perform at least a first portion of a method for providing charging status information to a subscriber of a communication service, the first portion of the method comprising:

• converting a current accounting request (ACR) received from a network element (NE) of a communication network at a CCF subsystem of a charging system to a current credit control request (CCR), the communication network associated with a service provider, the current ACR associated with a post-paid communication service provided to a subscriber by the service provider via the NE in conjunction with a communication session, the subscriber subject to a rate plan with the service provider that applies different billing rates for different usage levels of the post-paid communication service over a periodic billing cycle, the current ACR including an incremental volume parameter indicating consumed usage of the post-paid communication service for the communication session since a previous ACR, the current CCR including an incremental usage parameter representing the incremental volume parameter and indicating the consumed usage of the post-paid communication service for the communication session since a previous CCR, wherein the current ACR is converted to the current CCR during a current billing cycle, wherein the current ACR is compatible with an offline charging interface protocol for charging system communications and the current CCR is compatible with an online charging interface protocol for charging system communications;
• and
• sending the current CCR from the CCF subsystem to a quota monitoring function (QMF) subsystem of the charging system.