Patent ID: 7174155

Claim:
A method for charging in communication system, the method comprising the steps of: initiating a set-up procedure for a communication between a first station and a second station, the first station being associated with a first communication system and the second station being associated with a second communications system, the communication using chargeable resources of the first communication system and the second communication system, at least one of said communication systems providing wireless communication services; triggering in a charging function provided in one of the communication systems a first procedure for obtaining a first charging component for the communications, the first charging component being associated with the first communication system and determined based on a first charging model; triggering in the charging function a second procedure for obtaining a second charging component for the communications, the second charging component being associated with the second communication system and determined based on a second charging model; obtaining the respective first and second charging components by simultaneously processing in the charging function information associated with the communications in the first and second communication systems based on the first and second charging models; obtaining a total charge by combining the first and second charging components; and decreasing a prepaid balance during the communications based on the total charge.