CHARGING IN IMS NETWORKS FOR SESSIONS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN ACCESS NETWORKS

• US 20100287079A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, YuDong, Pei, Ke, Xu, Chunguang, Cai, Yigang
• Application Number:
  US12/808,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287079A1
• 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 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• 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 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

IMS networks and methods are disclosed for charging for a session of a dual mode device that is transferred (seamless handover) from a first access network to a second access network. When a session is transferred between access networks, multiple charging identifiers (e.g., ICID) are assigned to the session. One or more network elements in the IMS network identify both an original ICID and a handover ICID for the session, and insert the original and handover ICID in a charging message that is transmitted to a charging system. The charging system then inserts the original ICID and the handover ICID in a CDR for the session. When the session ends, the charging system may use the original ICID and the handover ICID to correlate multiple CDRs for the session. Thus, even if CDRs for the same session have different ICIDs, the charging system is able to correlate the CDRs.

Claims

1. An IMS network adapted to provide charging for a session of a dual mode device that is transferred from a first access network to a second access network, the IMS network comprising:

a charging system; and

a network element adapted to identify a triggering event for charging during the session, to identify a transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network, to identify a handover charging identifier assigned to the session over the second access network in addition to an original charging identifier assigned to the session over the first access network, to generate a charging message for the session and insert the handover charging identifier and the original charging identifier in the charging message, and to transmit the charging message to the charging system.

2. The IMS network of claim 1 wherein the network element is further adapted to:

insert a handover indicator in the charging message indicating the transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network.

3. The IMS network of claim 2 wherein the network element is further adapted to:

identify a timestamp of the transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network; and

insert the timestamp in the charging message.

4. The IMS network of claim 3 wherein the charging message comprises a Diameter charging message, and the network element is further adapted to:

insert the handover charging identifier in a first new attribute value pair (AVP) in the Diameter charging message;

insert the handover indicator in a second new attribute value pair (AVP) in the Diameter charging message; and

insert the timestamp in a third new attribute value pair (AVP) in the Diameter charging message.

5. The IMS network of claim 1 wherein the charging system is adapted to:

receive the charging message from the network element;

process the charging message to identify the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier; and

insert the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier in a Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session.

6. The IMS network of claim 5 wherein the charging system is further adapted to:

process the charging message to further identify additional handover information; and

insert the additional handover information in the CDR.

7. The IMS network of claim 6 wherein the additional handover information includes at least one of a handover timestamp and a handover indication.

8. The IMS network of claim 5 wherein the charging system is further adapted to:

process the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier in the CDR to identify other CDRs for the session having at least one of the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier;

correlate the CDRs for the session based on the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier; and

transmit the correlated CDRs to a billing system.

9. A method of providing charging for a session of a dual mode device that is transferred from a first access network to a second access network, the method comprising:

identifying a triggering event for charging during the session;

identifying a transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network;

identifying a handover charging identifier assigned to the session over the second access network in addition to an original charging identifier assigned to the session over the first access network;

generating a charging message for the session; and

inserting the handover charging identifier and the original charging identifier in the charging message.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

inserting a handover indicator in the charging message indicating the transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying a timestamp of the transfer of the session from the first access network to the second access network; and

inserting the timestamp in the charging message.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the charging message comprises a Diameter charging message, and the method further comprises:

inserting the handover charging identifier in a first new attribute value pair (AVP) in the Diameter charging message;

inserting the handover indicator in a second new attribute value pair (AVP) in the Diameter charging message; and

inserting the timestamp in a third new attribute value pair (AVP) in the Diameter charging message.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

processing the charging message to identify the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier; and

inserting the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier in a Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

processing the charging message to further identify additional handover information; and

inserting the additional handover information in the CDR.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the additional handover information includes at least one of a handover timestamp and a handover indication.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

processing the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier in the CDR to identify other CDRs for the session having at least one of the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier; and

correlating the CDRs for the session based on the original charging identifier and the handover charging identifier.

17. An IMS network adapted to provide charging for a session, the IMS network comprising:

a charging system; and

a network element adapted to receive signaling for a first leg of the session identified by a first charging identifier, to initiate a second leg of the session identified by a second charging identifier, to generate a charging message for the session responsive to a triggering event, to insert the first charging identifier and the second charging identifier in the charging message, and to transmit the charging message to the charging system.

18. The IMS network of claim 17 wherein the charging system is adapted to:

receive the charging message from the network element;

process the charging message to identify the first charging identifier and the second charging identifier; and

insert the first charging identifier and the second charging identifier in a Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session.

19. The IMS network of claim 18 wherein the charging system is further adapted to:

process the first charging identifier and the second charging identifier in the CDR to identify other CDRs for the session having at least one of the first charging identifier and the second charging identifier;

correlate the CDRs for the session based on the first charging identifier and the second charging identifier; and

transmit the correlated CDRs to a billing system.

20. The IMS network of claim 17 wherein the network element comprises a handover application server adapted to initiate the second leg of the session responsive to a dual mode device transferring the session from a first access network to a second access network.