Patent ID: 7944873
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of managing point-to-multipoint services in a mobile communication network, said method comprising: receiving from a mobile station a request for accessing a point-to-multipoint service, said request comprising a subscriber identifier of the subscriber placing the request and a point-to-multipoint service identifier of the point-to-multipoint service for which access is being requested, defining accounting information associating said subscriber identifier with said point-to-multipoint service identifier; storing said accounting information placing the subscriber in association with the identified point-to-multipoint service within a point-to-multipoint (PTM) service management entity; performing an access enabling procedure, and providing said accounting information to an accounting entity of said mobile communication network in which charging data for the point-to-multipoint service is provided considering a total number of subscribers who placed the request for accessing the point-to-multipoint service and a provider of the point-to-multipoint service, said accounting information identifying the subscriber who placed the request together with the point-to-multipoint service for which access was requested, wherein said charging data is used for billing the provider of the point-to-multipoint service depending on the number of the subscribers receiving the service.