Charging for roaming users in IMS networks

1. A communication network, comprising:

a visited IMS network adapted to provide service for a roaming user, the visited IMS network comprising:

a visited charging data system; and

a visited network element adapted to receive a first signaling message for a session from the roaming user, to assign a visited charging identifier for the session, to insert the visited charging identifier in the first signaling message, and to transmit the first signaling message to a home IMS network for the roaming user;

the visited network element further adapted to receive a second signaling message for the session from a home network element in the home IMS network, to process the second signaling message to identify a home charging identifier assigned to the session in the home IMS network and to identify additional home network charging information for the session, to generate a visited charging message for the session, to insert the home charging identifier, the visited charging identifier, and the additional home network charging information in the visited charging message, and to transmit the visited charging message to the visited charging data system;

the visited charging data system is adapted to receive the visited charging message from the visited network element, to process the visited charging message to identify the home charging identifier, the visited charging identifier, and the additional home network charging information for the session, to generate a visited Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session, to insert the home charging identifier, the visited charging identifier, and the additional home network charging information in the visited CDR, and to transmit the visited CDR to a visited billing system.

2. The communication network of claim 1 wherein:

the second signaling message comprises a SIP signaling message; and

the visited network element is further adapted to process a P-Charging-Vector in the SIP signaling message to identify the home charging identifier assigned to the session in the home IMS network.

3. The communication network of claim 1 further comprising:

the home IMS network comprising:

a home charging data system; and

the home network element adapted to assign the home charging identifier for the session, to insert the home charging identifier in the second signaling message, and to transmit the second signaling message to the visited IMS network.

4. The communication network of claim 3 wherein:

the home network element is further adapted to receive the first signaling message for the session from the visited network element, to process the first signaling message to identify the visited charging identifier assigned to the session in the visited IMS network, to generate a home charging message for the session, to insert the visited charging identifier and the home charging identifier in the home charging message, and to transmit the home charging message to the home charging data system.

5. The communication network of claim 4 wherein:

the home charging data system is adapted to receive the home charging message from the home network element, to process the home charging message to identify the visited charging identifier and the home charging identifier, to generate a home Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session, to insert the visited charging identifier and the home charging identifier in the home CDR, and to transmit the home CDR to a home billing system.

6. The communication network of claim 5 wherein:

the visited network element is further adapted to identify additional visited network charging information for the session, and to insert the additional visited network charging information in the first signaling message;

the home network element is further adapted to process the first signaling message from the visited network element to identify the additional visited network charging information for the session, and to insert the additional visited network charging information in the home charging message; and

the home charging data system is further adapted to process the home charging message to identify the additional visited network charging information for the session, and to insert the additional visited network charging information in the home CDR.

7. A method of sharing charging information between a home IMS network of a user and a visited IMS network that is providing service for the user that is roaming, the method comprising:

receiving a first signaling message for a session in a visited network element of the visited IMS network from the roaming user;

assigning a visited charging identifier for the session;

inserting the visited charging identifier in the first signaling message;

transmitting the first signaling message to the home IMS network;

receiving a second signaling message for the session from a home network element in the home IMS network;

processing the second signaling message to identify a home charging identifier assigned to the session in the home IMS network, and to identify additional home network charging information for the session;

generating a visited charging message for the session;

inserting the home charging identifier, the visited charging identifier, and the additional home network charging information in the visited charging message;

transmitting the visited charging message to a visited charging data system in the visited IMS network;

processing the visited charging message in the visited charging data system to identify the home charging identifier, the visited charging identifier, and the additional home network charging information;

generating a visited Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session;

inserting the home charging identifier, the visited charging identifier, and the additional home network charging information in the visited CDR; and

transmitting the visited CDR to a visited billing system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the second signaling message comprises a SIP signaling message, the method further comprising:

processing a P-Charging-Vector in the SIP signaling message to identify the home charging identifier assigned to the session in the home IMS network.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

assigning the home charging identifier for the session in the home network element;

inserting the home charging identifier in the second signaling message; and

transmitting the second signaling message to the visited IMS network.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving the first signaling message for the session in the home network element from the visited network element;

processing the first signaling message to identify the visited charging identifier assigned to the session in the visited IMS network;

generating a home charging message for the session;

inserting the visited charging identifier and the home charging identifier in the home charging message; and

transmitting the home charging message to a home charging data system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving the home charging message in the home charging data system;

processing the home charging message to identify the visited charging identifier and the home charging identifier;

generating a home Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session;

inserting the visited charging identifier and the home charging identifier in the home CDR; and

transmitting the home CDR to a home billing system.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying additional visited network charging information for the session in the visited network element;

inserting the additional visited network charging information in the first signaling message;

transmitting the first signaling message from the visited network element to the home network element;

processing the first signaling message in the home network element to identify the additional visited network charging information for the session;

inserting the additional visited network charging information in the home charging message;

transmitting the home charging message from the home network element to the home charging data system;

processing the home charging message in the home charging data system to identify the additional visited network charging information for the session;

inserting the additional visited network charging information in the home CDR; and

transmitting the home CDR to a home billing system.