Interim Billing for IMS Network Sessions
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Solution Overview
Problem
IMS networks face challenges in billing for long duration sessions, where consolidated CDRs are not generated until the session ends, leading to delayed billing and potential revenue loss due to system failures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a charging system that performs aggregation and correlation of partial CDRs during the session using an aggregation/correlation timer, generating interim consolidated CDRs which can be billed before the session ends, ensuring timely revenue recognition even for sessions extending beyond billing periods or experiencing system failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If consolidated CDRs are generated only after session termination, then billing accuracy is ensured, but billing timing is delayed and revenue loss occurs during extended sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary aggregation of partial CDRs during the session using an aggregation timer, generating interim consolidated CDRs before the session terminates. This allows billing to occur during the session rather than waiting for termination, resolving the delay in billing timing while maintaining revenue capture reliability through periodic interim billing cycles.
2Productivity
If aggregation and correlation are performed only at session end, then system complexity is reduced, but billing for long duration sessions is delayed beyond billing periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic aggregation and correlation operations triggered by an aggregation timer during the session. Instead of performing these operations only once at session termination, the system executes them periodically to generate interim consolidated CDRs, enabling billing within billing periods while maintaining manageable system complexity through configured periodic intervals.
3Reliability
If partial CDRs are accumulated until session end, then data completeness is improved, but revenue loss occurs during system failures in long duration sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary aggregation of partial CDRs during the session using an aggregation timer, generating interim consolidated CDRs before the session terminates. This allows billing to occur during the session rather than waiting for termination, resolving the delay in billing timing while maintaining revenue capture reliability through periodic interim billing cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors session status and triggers aggregation operations based on timer expiration, creating a feedback mechanism that ensures periodic billing attempts. This feedback loop maintains revenue capture by attempting to bill at regular intervals during the session, reducing the risk of complete revenue loss due to system failures.
Data Source
AI summary
Charging systems and associated methods are disclosed that provide interim billing for a session in an IMS network. The charging system includes a charging data system that receives accounting messages from network elements serving the session in the IMS network, and generates partial CDRs for each network element based on the accounting messages. The charging data system also sets an aggregation/correlation timer. Responsive to an expiration of the aggregation/correlation timer, the charging data system aggregates the partial CDRs for each network element to generate an aggregated CDR for each network element. The charging system further includes a charging gateway system that, in further response to the expiration of the aggregation/correlation timer, correlates the aggregated CDRs to generate an interim consolidated CDR for the session, and transmits the interim consolidated CDR to a billing system. The billing system may then provide interim billing for the session based on the interim consolidated CDR.