Accounting information filtering method and apparatus

• US 20070127383A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Borella, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/295,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing

Abstract

A network element receives data intended for another destination and develops corresponding accounting information. This network element then process this accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide corresponding filtered accounting information. The network element then forwards this filtered accounting information to the target accounting information recipient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a network element;

receiving data intended for another destination;

developing accounting information corresponding to the data;

processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information;

forwarding the filtered accounting information to the target accounting information recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network element comprises at least one of:

a packet data serving node;

a wireless home agent;

a gateway general packet radio service support node;

an 802.11-family compatible access gateway;

a digital subscriber line access multiplier;

a remote access server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data for another destination comprises receiving data packets.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information comprises processing the accounting information with respect to at least one of:

a Network Access Identifier as corresponds to a source of the data;

a Network Access Identifier as corresponds to the another destination;

a domain identifier;

an International Mobile Station Identity;

an Electronic Serial Number;

a Mobile Equipment IDentifier;

a client device Internet Protocol address;

a Home Agent Internet Protocol address;

a Packet Control Function Internet Protocol address;

a base station identifier;

a service option;

a quality of service indicator.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information comprises processing the accounting information with respect to a plurality of filter criteria as correlates to the target accounting information recipient.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding the accounting information without filtering to another accounting information recipient other than the target accounting information recipient.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information further comprises:

processing the accounting information with respect to at least one first filter criterion as correlates to a first target accounting information recipient to provide first filtered accounting information;

processing the accounting information with respect to at least one second filter criterion as correlates to a second target accounting information recipient to provide second filtered accounting information.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein forwarding the filtered accounting information to the target accounting information recipient further comprises:

forwarding the first filtered accounting information to the first target accounting information recipient;

forwarding the second filtered accounting information to the second target accounting information recipient.

9. A network element comprising:

an incoming data interface;

a first memory operably coupled to the incoming data interface and having received data intended for another destination stored therein;

a data forwarder operably coupled to the memory;

a second memory having accounting information as corresponds to the received data stored therein;

a third memory having at least one accounting information filter criterion stored therein;

a fourth memory having filtered accounting information stored therein, which filtered accounting information comprises the accounting information as filtered with respect to the at least one accounting information filter criterion;

an accounting information recipient forwarding interface operably coupled to the fourth memory.

10. The network element of claim 9 wherein the network element comprises at least one of:

a packet data serving node;

a wireless home agent;

a gateway general packet radio service support node;

an 802.11-family compatible access gateway;

a digital subscriber line access multiplier;

a remote access server.

11. The network element of claim 9 wherein the received data comprises received data packets.

12. The network element of claim 9 wherein the least one accounting information filter criterion corresponds to at least one of:

a Network Access Identifier as corresponds to a source of the data;

a Network Access Identifier as corresponds to the another destination;

a domain identifier;

an International Mobile Station Identity;

an Electronic Serial Number;

a Mobile Equipment IDentifier;

a client device Internet Protocol address;

a Home Agent Internet Protocol address;

a Packet Control Function Internet Protocol address;

a base station identifier;

a service option;

a quality of service indicator.

13. The network element of claim 9 further comprising means operably coupled to the second, third, and fourth memory for processing the accounting information with respect to the at least one filter criterion to provide filtered accounting information

14. The network element of claim 13 wherein the means for processing the accounting information further comprises means for processing the accounting information with respect to a plurality of filter criteria as correlates to a target accounting information recipient.

15. The network element of claim 9 wherein the third memory has stored therein:

a first at least one accounting information filter criterion as corresponds to a first target accounting information recipient;

a second at least one accounting information filter criterion as corresponds to a second target accounting information recipient that is different than the first target accounting information recipient.

16. The network element of claim 15 further comprising a filter operably coupled to the second, third, and fourth memory and being configured and arranged to:

process the accounting information with respect to the first at least one filter criterion to provide first filtered accounting information;

process the accounting information with respect to the second at least one filter criterion to provide second filtered accounting information.

17. The network element of claim 16 wherein the accounting information recipient forwarding interface is configured and arranged to:

forward the first filtered accounting information to the first target accounting information recipient;

forward the second filtered accounting information to the second target accounting information recipient.

18. A method comprising:

at a network element that is coupled to at least a first accounting information recipient and a second accounting information recipient;

receiving data intended for another destination;

developing accounting information corresponding to the data;

providing the accounting information to the first accounting information recipient such that the first accounting information recipient has a substantially complete record of network element-based accounting information;

processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information;

forwarding the filtered accounting information to the second accounting information recipient such that the second accounting information recipient has a substantially incomplete record of network element-based accounting information;

forwarding the data to the another destination;

at the first accounting information recipient;

receiving the accounting information;

storing the accounting information;

at the second accounting information recipient;

receiving the filtered accounting information;

storing the filtered accounting information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information comprises processing the accounting information with respect to a plurality of filter criteria as correlates to the target accounting information recipient.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein processing the accounting information with respect to at least one filter criterion as correlates to a target accounting information recipient to provide filtered accounting information comprises processing the accounting information with respect to at least one of:

a Network Access Identifier as corresponds to a source of the data;

a Network Access Identifier as corresponds to the another destination;

a domain identifier;

an International Mobile Station Identity;

an Electronic Serial Number;

a Mobile Equipment IDentifier;

a client device Internet Protocol address;

a Home Agent Internet Protocol address;

a Packet Control Function Internet Protocol address;

a base station identifier;

a service option;

a quality of service indicator.