Patent ID: 7962120
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of charging for a telecommunications session on an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network from a calling customer to a called customer comprising the steps of: storing charge allocation data for allocating telecommunications charges to ones of a plurality of different accounts of said calling customer in a home subscriber server (HSS); transmitting from said IMS for serving said telecommunications session to said HSS information regarding said telecommunications session in said IMS network; accessing said HSS to obtain the calling customer charge allocation data; transmitting from said HSS to a charging data function unit, for allocating charges for said telecommunications session to specified ones of a plurality of different accounts of said calling customer, said information regarding said telecommunications session and said charge allocation data; in said charging data function unit, allocating charges for said telecommunications session to ones of said plurality of accounts in accordance with said charge allocation data; transmitting the allocated charging data from said charging data function unit to a charging gateway function; said charging gateway function for routing said allocated charging data to a telecommunications billing system for accumulating billing charges for ones of said plurality of accounts for said calling customer or to a financial network for routing said charging data to ones of a plurality of financial institutions.