Patent ID: 8265244

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving a first message from a user equipment, the first message comprising one of a multimedia call setup and a call modification initiation request, a split charging offer request, and a first split charging ratio; processing the first message; determining whether a network element of an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem accepted and approved the service usage for allowing a group of users to negotiate which user will be charged for each component of a system; alerting a user of one of the multimedia call setup and the call modification initiation request, the split charging offer request, and the first split charging ratio; processing a user response to one of the multimedia call setup and the call modification initiation request, the split charging offer request, and the first split charging ratio from the user; and transmitting a second message to the user equipment, wherein the second message indicates whether the user accepts one of the multimedia call setup and the call modification initiation request, whether the user accepts the split charging offer request or the user increases or decreases the first split charging ratio.