Charging in communication networks

• US RE45,738 E1
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bajko, Gabor, Stura, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JUSTIN YE
• Application Number:
  US14/508,417
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for supporting a communication session of an user equipment, by means of a communication system that includes at least one entity between the user equipment and a node with which the user equipment is arranged to establish a session, the method including the steps of establishing a session between the user equipment and the node via the at least one entity, putting the session on hold, reserving resources for the session while the session is on hold, and resuming the session and distributing charging information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, from a user equipment, an invitation message to put on hold a communication session, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported by the user equipment, the communication session established based on at least one of a session initiation protocol and a session data protocol;

reserving resources, at the user equipment, for the communication session while the communication session is on hold; and

resuming, based on another invitation message, the communication session, the another invitation message representing at least one of a confirmation that the resources have been reserved and a charging identifier for the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the charging identifier is provided during an establishment of the communication session and proceeding with putting of the communication session on hold to the resuming of the communication session only when it has been determined that the charging identifier has not been provided.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the establishment of the communication session comprises operating in accordance with universal mobile telecommunications system standard.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the establishment of the communication session includes at least one entity comprising a gateway general packet radio service support node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the charging identifier is provided during a modifying of the communication session and proceeding with putting of the communication session on hold to the resuming of the communication session only when it has been determined that the charging identifier has not been provided.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the charging identifier to comprise at least a general packet radio service charging identifier.

7. The method as claimed claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding of the charging identifier for a first access network, the charging identifier provided in a charging vector.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the forwarding of the charging identifier for the first access network comprises forwarding the charging identifier for the first access network in the charging vector, wherein the charging vector comprises a p-charging vector.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a user equipment configured to

send, from a user equipment, an invitation message to put on hold a communication session, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve resources for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported by the user equipment, the communication session established based on at least one of a session initiation protocol and a session data protocol;

reserve resources, at the user equipment, for the communication session while the communication session is on hold; and

resume, based on another invitation message, the communication session, the another invitation message representing at least one of a confirmation that the resources have been reserved and a charging identifier for the communication session.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is further configured to determine if the charging identifier is provided during an establishment of the communication session and proceeding with putting of the communication session on hold to the resuming of the communication session only when it has been determined that the charging identifier has not been provided.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the establishment of the communication session comprises operating in accordance with universal mobile telecommunications system standard.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the establishment of the communication session includes at least one entity comprising a gateway general packet radio service support node.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is further configured to determine if the charging identifier is provided during a modifying of the communication session and proceeding with putting of the communication session on hold to the resuming of the communication session only when it has been determined that the charging identifier has not been provided.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the charging identifier is further configured to comprise at least a general packet radio service charging identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the charging identifier is provided in a charging vector.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the charging vector comprises a p-charging vector.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, at a second user equipment from a first user equipment, an invitation message indicating at least one media stream of a communication session is inactive, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve at least one resource for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported by the first user equipment, the communication session established based on at least one of a session initiation protocol and a session data protocol;

reserving, at the second user equipment, the at least one resource for the communication session while the at least one media session of the communication session is inactive; and

receiving, at the second user equipment from the first user equipment, another invitation message indicating the at least one media stream of the communication session is set to active, the another invitation message representing at least one of a confirmation that the at least one resource has been reserved and a charging identifier for the communication session.

18. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one processor, the at least one memory, and the computer program code configured to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive, at the apparatus from a first user equipment, an invitation message indicating at least one media stream of a communication session is inactive, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve at least one resource for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported by the first user equipment, the communication session established based on at least one of a session initiation protocol and a session data protocol;

reserve, at the apparatus, the at least one resource for the communication session while the at least one media session of the communication session is inactive; and

receive, at the apparatus from the first user equipment, another invitation message indicating the at least one media stream of the communication session is set to active, the another invitation message representing at least one of a confirmation that the at least one resource has been reserved and a charging identifier for the communication session.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform at least the following:

receive, at a second user equipment from a first user equipment, an invitation message indicating at least one media stream of a communication session is inactive, the communication session established without preconditions to reserve at least one resource for the communication session when the preconditions are not supported by the first user equipment, the communication session established based on at least one of a session initiation protocol and a session data protocol;

reserve, at the second user equipment, the at least one resource for the communication session while the at least one media session of the communication session is inactive; and

receive, at the second user equipment from the first user equipment, another invitation message indicating the at least one media stream of the communication session is set to active, the another invitation message representing at least one of a confirmation that the at least one resource has been reserved and a charging identifier for the communication session.