System and Method for Processing Settlement Information in a Network Environment Including IMS

• US 20090129396A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Allen, Andrew, Buckley, Adrian, Bakker, Jan John-Luc
• Application Number:
  US12/273,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129396A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1425 involving dedicated fields in the data packet for billing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem

Abstract

A scheme for processing charging information in a network environment including an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. A component is provided for including a suitable a Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type with respect to identifying a settlement information payload for transferring in a communication protocol message to a recipient disposed in the network environment. An indicator is provided for identifying at least one version with which a body part of the communication protocol message containing the settlement information payload is compatible.

Claims

1. A network node operable in a network environment including an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, said network node comprising:

a component configured to include a suitable a Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type with respect to identifying a settlement information payload for transferring in a communication protocol message to a recipient disposed in said network environment; and

a component configured to include an indicator for identifying at least one version with which a body part of said communication protocol message containing said settlement information payload is compatible, wherein said body part can exist in multiple versions.

2. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said settlement information payload is a charging information payload.

3. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said settlement information payload is a cost information payload.

4. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said settlement information payload is an Advice of Charge (AoC) information payload.

5. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said MIME type comprises “

application/vnd.etsi.sci+xml”

MIME type.

6. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said recipient comprises a Charge Determination Point (CDP) disposed in said network environment.

7. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication protocol message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message and further wherein said body part comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document.

8. The network node as recited in claim 7, wherein said indicator comprises a schema version parameter operable to determine an XML schema for validating said XML document.

9. The network node as recited in claim 7, wherein said indicator is provided in an Accept header field associated with said SIP message.

10. The network node as recited in claim 7, wherein said indicator is provided in a Content-Type header field associated with said SIP message.

11. The network node as recited in claim 1, wherein said indicator comprises a schema version parameter that is adapted to be coded in at least one of:

one or more digits, one or more alphanumeric characters, and one or more textual strings.

12. A method operable with a network node for processing charging information in a network environment including an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, said method comprising:

including a suitable a Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type with respect to identifying a settlement information payload for transferring in a communication protocol message to a recipient disposed in said network environment; and

providing an indicator for identifying at least one version with which a body part of said communication protocol message containing said settlement information payload is compatible, wherein said body part can exist in multiple versions.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said settlement information payload is a charging information payload.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said settlement information payload is a cost information payload.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said settlement information payload is an Advice of Charge (AoC) information payload.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said MIME type comprises “

application/vnd.etsi.sci+xml”

MIME type.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said recipient comprises a Charge Determination Point (CDP) disposed in said network environment.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said communication protocol message comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message and further wherein said body part comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said indicator comprises a schema version parameter operable to identify an XML schema for validating said XML document.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said indicator comprises a schema version parameter operable to identify an XML schema used for generating said XML document.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said indicator is provided in an Accept header field associated with said SIP message.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said indicator is provided in a Content-Type header field associated with said SIP message.

23. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said indicator comprises a schema version parameter that is adapted to be coded in at least one of:

one or more digits, one or more alphanumeric characters, and one or more textual strings.

24. A computer-accessible medium having a set of instructions which when executed by a processing entity operate to facilitate processing of charging information in a network environment including an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, said computer-accessible medium comprising:

instructions for including a suitable a Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type with respect to identifying a settlement information payload for transferring in a communication protocol message to a recipient disposed in said network environment; and

instructions for providing an indicator for identifying at least one version with which a body part of said communication protocol message containing said settlement information payload is compatible, wherein said body part can exist in multiple versions.