Patent ID: 8145514

Claim:
An IMS network comprising: a plurality of network nodes adapted to generate charging information including call measurement data associated with one or more calls provided by a service provider; a charging system operated by a charging element equipment vendor and adapted to receive and process the charging information from the network nodes to derive charging element loading information, the charging system including: a monitoring element adapted to compare the loading information to one or more charging element loading thresholds specified by thresholds predefined by the vendor; an alerting element adapted to generate alerts/reports to the equipment vendor upon occurrence of specified overloads relative to the vendor thresholds; and a capacity control element operated by the vendor and adapted, upon receiving the alerts/reports, exercise control of the one or more charging element associated with the specified overloads or collecting revenue relative thereto; and wherein the service provider employs one or more charging element from the equipment vendor to provide the one or more IMS calls and the equipment vendor does not provide the one or more IMS calls.