Charging Mechanisms for Ip Multimedia Services

• US 20080311883A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Terrill, Stephen, Dotti, Chiara, Bellora, Mauro, Wiss, Patrik, Munoz, Santiago
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/785 Reserving amount on the account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7277 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7295 Reserve amount, e.g. according to estimated costs for a typical communication duration or according to the estimated volume to be transferred
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method of reserving credit for a mobile subscriber in respect of an IP multimedia service. The method comprises, following initial registration of the subscriber to the IP Multimedia service but prior to invocation of an IP Multimedia service, using the early session establishment procedure to reserve a credit amount at a charging control node and to notify an IP Multimedia Serving Element of the credit reservation, whereupon, at invocation of said IP multimedia service, the IP Multimedia Serving Element is able to proceed immediately with the session establishment.

Claims

1. A method of reserving credit for a mobile subscriber in respect of an IP Multimedia service, the method comprising:

registering the mobile subscriber to the IP multimedia service;

utilizing early session establishment procedure for reserving a credit amount at a charging control node and for notifying an IP Multimedia Serving Element of the credit reservation; and

invoking the IP Multimedia service to proceed immediately with a session establishment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the early session establishment procedure comprises an exchange of messages—

between the IP Multimedia Serving Element and the charging control node using a DIAMETER based protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, the early session establishment procedure being triggered automatically following registration of the subscriber to the IP multimedia service.

4. The method according to claim 1, the early session establishment procedure being triggered by the subscriber activating an IP multimedia service.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the IP Multimedia service is a Push-to-talk over Cellular IP Multimedia service.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising, at one of the IP Multimedia Serving Element and the charging control node, estimating an amount of credit appropriate to the IP multimedia service.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subscriber is a prepaid subscriber and said charging control node is a prepaid system server located in the subscriber'"'"'s home network.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, at initiation of the IP multimedia session, performing a credit authorisation procedure between the IP multimedia Service Element and the charging control node based upon actual session conditions to establish a revised credit amount, and replacing or supplementing the estimated credit amount with the revised credit amount.

9. A method of operating an IP multimedia Serving Element arranged to facilitate access to an IP multimedia service by mobile subscribers, the method comprising:

following initial registration of a subscriber to the IP multimedia service, as part of an early session establishment procedure initiating a transaction with a charging control node to reserve a credit amount at the charging control node.

10. A method of operating a charging control node arranged to control subscriber access to IP multimedia services, the method comprising:

participating in an early session establishment procedure following initial registration of a subscriber to the IP Multimedia service but prior to invocation of the IP Multimedia service, the charging control node estimating an appropriate credit amount to be reserved for a future session.