Patent ID: 7693510

Claim:
A method of controlling communication between user terminals using a telecommunications network, the method comprising: providing a real-time charging control system for controlling usage of network resources; during such usage; providing a group communications control node configured to control group communications sessions involving more than two participants, each participant using a different one of the user terminals; and providing an interface between the group communications control node and the real-time charging control system, the interface being configured to allow the group communications control node to transmit charging control signals relating to a group communications session to the real-time charging control system, wherein the interface includes an intermediate circuit switching node which receives signals from the group communications control node and transmits signals to the real-time charging control node, and wherein the intermediate circuit switching node is arranged to process the received signals and to determine, based on the processing, at least one of the content and format of messages to transmit to the real-time charging control node.