Patent ID: 9559973
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A communication system comprising: a wireless link node device comprising: a wireless interface that enables communications over a wireless communication link; a utilization monitor, operatively coupled to the wireless interface, that monitors utilization of bandwidth on the wireless communication link and generates bandwidth utilization information associated with the wireless communication link, and a monitor interface, operatively coupled to the utilization monitor, that provides access to the bandwidth utilization information, at least one of the wireless interface, the utilization monitor, and the monitor interface being implemented using hardware, firmware, components which execute software, or a combination thereof; and a management system, the management system comprising: a monitor interface that enables access to the bandwidth utilization information from the wireless link node; a utilization information collector, operatively coupled to the monitor interface, that collects the bandwidth utilization information for the wireless communication link from the wireless link node; and a utilization information processor that processes the collected bandwidth utilization information to determine usage charges to be assessed to a customer for usage of bandwidth on the wireless communication link.