Patent ID: 7089304
Filing Date: 2006-08-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In a computer network that comprises one or more servers providing one or more services to at least one client, and wherein the at least one client accesses the one or more services through the one or more servers during a plurality of sessions created in response to a login request from the at least one client, with at least some of the plurality of sessions occurring simultaneously, and wherein access to the one or more services during a particular session includes at least one of a charged time portion and a free time portion, a method of tracking the at least one client usage of the one or more services during each session the method comprising acts of: receiving at one of the one or more servers one or more metering packets from the at least one client, each of the one or more metering packets being generated at the at least one client and each metering packet being used at the at least one client to store data for tracking usage of one or more services during each session, and each metering packet comprising a data structure for storing the following data: