17916886. Method and Apparatus for Service Charging in a Communication Network simplified abstract (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ))
Method and Apparatus for Service Charging in a Communication Network
Organization Name
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
Inventor(s)
Nicklas Andersson of Lyckeby (SE)
Peter Skarphagen of Lyckeby (SE)
Jenny Österling of Ronneby (SE)
Method and Apparatus for Service Charging in a Communication Network - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17916886 titled 'Method and Apparatus for Service Charging in a Communication Network
Simplified Explanation
The patent application describes a method to reduce signaling overhead and storage requirements in charging operations for service consumption in a communication network.
- The method uses a bifurcated approach to structure and access data containers for controlling and tracking service consumption by individual users.
- A parent data container holds common consumption control information applicable to all users, while individual child data containers hold user-specific consumption-tracking information.
- This approach reduces signaling overhead by avoiding the need to access child data containers for operations involving only the consumption control information.
- It also reduces storage requirements by eliminating redundant inclusion of common information in the child data containers.
Potential Applications
- Communication networks
- Service providers
- Billing systems
Problems Solved
- Reducing signaling overhead in charging operations
- Minimizing memory or storage requirements
- Streamlining data container structure and access
Benefits
- Reduced signaling overhead
- Lower memory or storage requirements
- Efficient data container structure
- Streamlined charging operations
Original Abstract Submitted
Charging operations carried out in relation to service consumption by users of a communication network reduce signaling overhead and memory or storage requirements by adopting a bifurcated approach to structuring and accessing the data containers used for controlling and tracking service consumption by individual users commonly governed by the same consumption control information. With bifurcation, a parent data container holds the common consumption control information commonly applicable to each user, while an individual child data container for each user holds consumption-tracking information specific to the user. The approach reduces signaling overhead inasmuch as operations involving only the consumption control information need not retrieve or access the child data containers, and the approach reduces overall storage requirements by eliminating redundant inclusion of the common information in the child data containers.
