Pre-biller in internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) charging gateway function (CGF)
View Patent ↗This invention relates to apparatus and a method for assembling and coordinating call data records from a plurality of network elements of an Internet Protocol Multimedia System call to generate charging information. A pre-biller stores an integrated charging record and accesses a rating engine to obtain the charging information to complete a charging data record. Advantageously, the information from a plurality of network elements is integrated into a combined charging data record.
1. In a telecommunications network, apparatus for performing the processing of online and offline billed telecommunications calls, comprising:
means, responsive to receipt of a telecommunications call session, involving a plurality of network elements, for building up a plurality of charging data records that are missing call cost data;
means, responsive to said building up a plurality of charging data records, for sending said charging data records to a charge gateway function for providing said missing call cost data;
said charging gateway function for transmitting charging data records including said missing call cost data to a billing system;
said charging gateway function comprising a pre-billing module, and a charge data record routing and filtering module, and a charging data record correlation function;
said charging data record correlation function for assembling all charging data records pertaining to one call into a single charging data record;
said routing and filtering module for determining whether rating information is needed and for requesting said pre-billing module to request said rating information;
said pre-billing module for requesting rating information from a rating engine and for completing said charging data record in response to receipt of said rating information;
said routing and filtering module for routing completed charging data records to appropriate files of a billing system.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
means for routing charging data to an application server for assembling immediate charges.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said rating engine is in said billing system.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an online charging system for generating pre-pay and post-pay charging records in real time;
said charging gateway function further for transmitting charging data records to an on-line charging system.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said rating engine is in said online charging system.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said rating engine is a stand-alone unit.