Method, system and apparatus for accounting in network

• US 20080270274A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mo, Junxian, Chen, Weimin, Xiao, Jiaxing
• Application Number:
  US12/167,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270274A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/82 Criteria or parameters used for performing billing operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8235 Access based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/78 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/784 Access based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 Type of notification

Abstract

A method, a system and an apparatus for accounting in a network. The method includes: receiving accounting information; acquiring information of an access network; generating a bill containing the information of the access network according to the accounting information and the information of the access network; and the bill being used for performing charge settlement with an access network provider of the access network.

Claims

1. A method for accounting in a network, comprising:

receiving accounting information;

acquiring information of an access network;

generating a bill containing the information of the access network according to the accounting information and the information of the access network; and

the bill being used for performing charge settlement with an access network provider of the access network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the information of the access network comprises:

acquiring the information of the access network from an accounting message containing the information of the access network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information of the access network is carried in the accounting message;

or

the information of the access network is carried in a Usage Data Record (UDR) contained in the accounting message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when the information of the access network is carried in the accounting message, at least one of the information of the access network in the accounting message is carried by a property defined in Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) protocol or is carried by a Base Station Identity;

or

when the information of the access network is carried in the UDR, the information of the access network is carried by a Base Station Identity in the UDR.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the information of the access network comprises:

acquiring the information of the access network from an authentication server, the information of the access network being contained in an authentication message received by the authentication server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information of the access network in the authentication message is carried by a property defined in RADIUS protocol or is carried by a Base Station Identity.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the acquiring the information of the access network from the authentication server comprises:

acquiring the information of the access network according to a user identity in an accounting message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the information of the access network comprises:

receiving an accounting message, the accounting message comprising at least one of a Network Access Server identifier, a Network Access Server IP address and a Home Agent IP address; and

determining the information of the access network according to at least one of the Network Access Server identifier, the Network Access Server IP address and the Home Agent IP address.

9. A system for accounting in a network, comprising:

an accounting client, adapted to transmit accounting information; and

an accounting server, adapted to acquire information of an access network, and generate a bill containing the information of the access network according to the accounting information received from the accounting client and the information of the access network, the bill being used for performing charge settlement with an access network provider of the access network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the accounting client is further adapted to transmit the information of the access network.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an authentication point, adapted to transmit the information of the access network;

an authentication server, adapted to receiving the information of the access network, and transmit the information of the access network to the accounting server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the accounting server is further adapted to receive at least one of a Network Access Server identifier, a Network Access Server IP address and a Home Agent IP address, and acquire the information of the access network according to at least one of the Network Access Server identifier, the Network Access Server IP address and the Home Agent IP address.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the accounting client is further adapted to transmit at least one of the Network Access Server identifier, the Network Access Server IP address and the Home Agent IP address.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is an IP network or a communication network or a WiMAX network.

15. An accounting server, comprising:

an accounting receiver unit, adapted to receive accounting information; and

an bill generator unit, adapted to generating a bill according to the accounting information and information of an access network, the bill being used for performing charge settlement with an access network provider of the access network.

16. The accounting server of claim 15, wherein the accounting receiver unit is further adapted to receive the information of the access network transmitted by an accounting client.

17. The accounting server of claim 15, wherein the accounting receiver unit is further adapted to receive the information of the access network transmitted by an authentication server.

18. The accounting server of claim 15, further comprising:

an access network information configuration unit, adapted to receive at least one of a Network Access Server identifier, a Network Access Server IP address and a Home Agent IP address, and determine the information of the access network according to at least one of the Network Access Server identifier, the Network Access Server IP address and the Home Agent IP address.