Patent ID: 8126428

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a packet switched network comprising an accounting server, and a deep packet inspection (“DPI”) platform, the packet switched network being configured to provide an accounting interface between the accounting server and the DPI platform; and a radio access network coupled to the packet switched network by a gateway node, the radio access network being configured to provide wireless access to the packet switched network to a plurality of mobile stations, the packet switched network comprising a first data interface between the gateway node and the DPI platform, the DPI platform comprising a DPI function configured to examine data packets received from the gateway node over the first data interface and to detect accounting triggers in the data packets examined, the DPI platform further comprising an accounting client function configured to transmit accounting messages based on the accounting triggers detected to the accounting server over the accounting interface, the accounting server being configured to receive the accounting messages transmitted over the accounting interface and generate billing information based on the accounting messages received.