Content delivery session accounting for access/network service provider

An edge router operative in an Access/Network Service Provider (ANP) network, through which content is delivered from a Content Provider (CP) to user devices, the edge router comprising:

• a transceiver operative to implement an ANP interface and a packet data network (PDN) interface;
• a controller operative to control the transceiver;
• and
• a memory operatively connected to the controller and operative to store a plurality of data structures associated with a plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions, the plurality of data structures including a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses corresponding to a plurality of a CPs, a plurality of Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) values associated with the plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions, and a plurality of packet counts for the plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions;
• wherein the controller is operative to, responsive to determining that a source IP address of an incoming packet received via the PDN interface of the transceiver matches an IP address of a CP,
• determine if the incoming packet belongs to one of the plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions from the CP by comparing a DSCP value of the incoming packet to the plurality of DSCP values associated with the plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions from the CP;
• responsive to determining that the incoming packet does not belong to any of the plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions from the CP, the controller is further operative to initiate a new accounting session for a new content delivery session with an accounting server via the ANP interface, the new content delivery session and the new accounting session being associated with a new DSCP value that is different from the plurality DSCP values associated with the plurality of ongoing content delivery sessions;
• and
• responsive to determining that the incoming packet belongs to a first ongoing content delivery session from the CP, the controller is further operative to increment a packet count of an accounting session associated with the first ongoing content delivery session so that the ANP can charge the CP for delivery of content corresponding to a first DSCP value of the first ongoing content delivery session;
• wherein the controller is further operative to close the accounting session for the first ongoing content delivery session with the accounting server upon determining that the first ongoing content delivery session has terminated;
• and
• wherein the controller is further operative to start a timer upon initiating the accounting session for the first ongoing content delivery session;
• reset the timer each time the packet count for the first ongoing content delivery session is incremented;
• and
• determine that the first ongoing content delivery session has terminated when the timer reaches a predetermined value.