Method of capturing utilization charges

• US 20060072462A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bohme, Olaf, Reimer, Uve
• Application Number:
  US11/284,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072462A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing

Abstract

In order to capture utilization charges in a packet data transmission network, a recording is made of the charges that become payable during the course of a transmission session, when a threshold charge-total is reached. It is preferable if the value of the threshold charge-total varies depending on the data speed of the transmission session.

Claims

1. A method of capturing utilization charges in a packet data transmission network, which comprises:

acquiring data relating to charges for a transmission session during the transmission session;

calculating charges that become payable during the transmission session, the calculating of charges being based on a charge function being a monotonously increasing function of a data transmission volume; and

recording the calculated charges when the calculated charges exceed a threshold charge-total.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises varying a value of the threshold charge-total depending on a data speed of the transmission session.

3. The method according to claim 2, which comprises setting the threshold charge-total lower, the lower the data speed of the transmission session.

4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises, for transmission sessions with intermittent or interrupted data traffic, generating recordings before the threshold charge-total is reached if the data traffic is suspended.

5. The method according to claim 1, which comprises defining a variable threshold charge-total as a decreasing function of a time period measured from a last session start or from a last recording.

6. The method according to claim 5, which comprises calculating the monotonously increasing charge function in dependence on a data transmission volume since the last session start or the last recording, and effecting a recording if the charge function exceeds the variable threshold charge-total.

7. The method according to claim 5, which comprises measuring the data transmission volume in bits.

8. The method according to claim 5, which comprises measuring the data transmission volume in packets.

9. The method according to claim 5, which comprises calculating the data transmission volume from a volume of information transmitted and a number of packets transmitted.

10. The method according to claim 1, which comprises calculating the charges payable in a timed cycle.

11. The method according to claim 1, which comprises effecting a recording when an increase in the charge total exceeds a limit value.