Patent ID: 7610396

Claim:
A method for measuring latency between a first device and a second device during a user data session, said first and second devices communicating in accordance with a communications specification, said method comprising: transmitting, during a user data session between said first and second devices, a message from said second device to said first device, said message being in accordance with said communications specification, said communications specification associated with a mobile telephone network; during the user data session, receiving a response message from said first device, said response message being in accordance with said communications specification; computing, during the user data session, an elapsed time from transmission of said message to receipt of said response message to determine said latency at a per-user-per session level based on a round trip delay evidenced by the elapsed time, said latency being computed by a network management element of the mobile telephone network and comprising at least one of a first latency component and a second latency component; adding an accounting parameter field to a usage data record associated with the data session, the accounting parameter field comprising at least one of: an FMLT accounting parameter attribute associated with the first latency component and an FHLT accounting parameter attribute associated with the second latency component, wherein the first latency component represents a wireless access delay perceived by the network management element, and the second latency component represents an internet access delay between at least two network management elements, the usage data record provided by the communications specification, wherein the accounting parameter field extends the communications specification; recording said latency in the accounting parameter field, the usage data record capable of being stored in computer readable memory of a server, the server configured to determine data usage in connection with the user data session and; generating, by the server, a billing record for the user based on the latency recorded in the accounting parameter field for the user data session, the server processing the latency to bill the user based on a predetermined quality of service promised to the user.