Patent ID: 8228791
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for communicating data packets over packet networks owned by different communications carriers, said method comprising: storing, in a first packet network, billing rate information including a real-time content rate and a non-real-time content rate for communicating data packets over at least two other packet networks; storing credit information for communicating data packets for each of the at least two other packet networks; responsive to a determination that a credit is available for communicating the data packets over one or more of the at least two other packet networks, determining over which of the at least two other packet networks to communicate the data packets based on the credit information and communicating the data packets over a determined packet network based on the credit information; and responsive to a determination that the credit is not available for communicating the data packets over one or more of the at least two other packet networks, determining over which of the at least two other packet networks to communicate data packets based on a lowest billing rate for communicating the data packets and communicating the data packets over a packet network determined to have the lowest billing rate for communicating the data packets.