Patent ID: 8712374
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for providing charging status information to a subscriber of a communication service, comprising: receiving a current accounting request (ACR) from a network element (NE) of a communication network at a charging collection function (CCF) subsystem of a charging system, the communication network associated with a service provider, the current ACR associated with a post-paid communication service provided to a subscriber by the service provider via the NE in conjunction with a communication session, the subscriber subject to a rate plan with the service provider that applies different billing rates for different usage levels of the post-paid communication service over a periodic billing cycle, the current ACR including an incremental volume parameter indicating consumed usage of the post-paid communication service for the communication session since a previous ACR; converting the current ACR to a current credit control request (CCR) during a current billing cycle, the current CCR including an incremental usage parameter representing the incremental volume parameter and indicating the consumed usage of the post-paid communication service for the communication session since a previous CCR, wherein the current ACR is compatible with an offline charging interface protocol for charging system communications and the current CCR is compatible with an online charging interface protocol for charging system communications; sending the current CCR from the CCF subsystem to a quota monitoring function (QMF) subsystem of the charging system; adding the consumed usage associated with the incremental volume parameter of the current CCR to a previously consumed amount of the post-paid communication service used by the subscriber during the current billing cycle to form a total consumed amount; and comparing the total consumed amount to a first threshold value associated with a first quota value for a first usage level of the post-paid communication service during the current billing cycle.