Patent ID: 7689203

Claim:
A method for implementing roaming charging, comprising the steps of: configuring a proxy Charging Rule Function (CRF) in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), wherein the proxy CRF is used for interchanging charging related information with the CRF in another PLMN; providing information for selecting charging rules for the proxy CRF in the currently visited PLMN; forwarding, by the proxy CRF, the information for selecting the charging rules to a terminal's home CRF, wherein the terminal is using bearer resources or packet data services in the currently visited PLMN; selecting, by the terminal's home CRF, charging rules according to the received information; and providing, by the terminal's home CRF, the charging rules for a Traffic Plane Function (TPF) which collects charging information according to the charging rules, wherein: configuring the proxy CRF in the PLMN comprises: configuring a proxy CRF for the TPF and/or an Application Function (AF) in the terminal's currently visited PLMN, wherein the proxy CRF is used for interchanging charging related information with the CRF in other PLMN; if it is determined according to a terminal identifier that the terminal's home PLMN is the terminal's currently visited PLMN, providing the terminal's home CRF with the information for selecting the charging rules; and if it is determined according to a terminal identifier that the terminal's home PLMN is not the terminal's currently visited PLMN, providing the proxy CRF with the information for selecting the charging rules.