Patent ID: 9185540
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. An apparatus configured to operate as a Serving Call Session Control Function, S-CSCF, within an IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, the apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to receive charging function information for a subscriber, the charging function information including a number of charging function profiles, each charging function profile defining one or more addresses of the one or more charging functions to be used for that charging function profile, each charging function profile specifying whether an IMS network element should send charging information for the subscriber to an offline charging function and whether an IMS network element should send charging information for the subscriber to an online charging function, wherein the charging function information further comprises, for each type of IMS network element, an indication as to which of the addresses the type of IMS network element should use to send charging information for the subscriber and an identification of the charging function profile that should be applied by an IMS network element of that type for the subscriber, and wherein the one or more addresses of an offline charging function and one or more addresses of an online charging function are included within the plurality of charging function profiles; a processor configured to generate messages distributing the charging function information to the IMS network elements providing services to the subscriber; and a transmitter configured to send the messages to the IMS network elements providing services to the subscriber.