A process of operating a wireless device and a wireless device operative for obtaining at least one of data usage or an amount of data usage available by a wireless access point with a processor. The process and device further connecting to the wireless access point and transferring data to and from the wireless access point with a transceiver and displaying on a display the at least one of data usage or an amount of data usage available by the wireless access point.

A method for monitoring and controlling session traffic usage, includes: receiving traffic usage increment information of a first session and a second session reported by a first PCF and a second PCF; accumulating a total traffic usage of the first session and the second session according to the received traffic usage increment information; determining whether a current total traffic usage reaches a threshold value of a total issued traffic usage; and sending the total traffic usage information of the first session and the second session to the first PCF and the second PCF in response to that the current total traffic usage reaches the threshold value of the total issued traffic usage, and in response to that the current total traffic usage does not reach the threshold value of the total issued traffic usage, repeating above steps.

A system for generating and applying a secure token in a resource distribution network is provided. For example, a headend system generates a time-based token based on a time duration specified for a meter. The time-based token indicates the time duration for the meter. The time-based token is further generated based on an identifier of the meter. The headend system transmits the time-based token to the meter via at least a mesh network. After receiving the time-based token, the meter validates the time-based token to determine that the time-based token is generated for the meter based on information related to the identifier of the meter. If the meter determines that the time-based token is valid, the meter connects premises associated with the meter to a resource distribution network for at least the time duration specified in the time-based token.

A system for generating and applying a secure token in a resource distribution network is provided. For example, a headend system generates a global token based on a time duration specified for multiple meters that are in communication with the headend system through at least a mesh network in a normal condition. The global token is associated with the time duration and is applicable to the multiple meters. The headend system causes the global token to be broadcast via a broadcast network. After receiving the global token, the meter verifies the global token and determines the time duration associated with the global token. The meter further connects premises associated with the meter to a resource distribution network for at least the time duration associated with the global token.

A system for generating and applying a secure token in a resource distribution network is provided. For example, a headend system generates a payment-based token based on a payment made for a meter. The payment-based token indicates a credit value to be applied to the meter. The credit value can range from a negative credit value limit and a positive credit value limit. The payment-based token is further generated based on a meter identifier. The headend system transmits the payment-based token to the meter via at least a mesh network. After receiving the payment-based token, the meter validates the payment-based token to determine that the payment-based token is generated for the meter. The meter further determines the balance associated with the meter based on the credit value specified in the payment-based token. Based on the balance, the meter connects or disconnects premises associated with the meter from a resource supply.

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in accordance with example embodiments in order to provide methods, apparatuses, and/or systems that reduce and/or eliminate network inefficiencies caused by the traffic profile associated with narrow band Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) devices and similar devices, by applying and optimizing protocols governing the allocation of network resources to such devices. In some example implementations, a serving gateway (SGW) and/or a packet data network gateway (PGW) is locally configured with a threshold set that includes limits on the permissible traffic associated with a NB-IoT device and/or a similar device over a given unit of time. To the extent that the traffic remains within such limits, generation of charging data records (CDRs) and signaling to an online charging server may be reduced or eliminated.

This application discloses a roaming charging method and apparatus. A blockchain network stores information related to roaming fee settlement, to reduce a possibility that the information related to roaming fee settlement is tampered with. In addition, a digital signature algorithm is used to sign roaming service statistics to generate an abstract, to further prevent the roaming service statistics from being tampered with. In this way, when a home carrier verifies a roaming account balance by using the roaming service statistics and a roaming charging rule, accuracy of a verification result can be ensured, and the home carrier can obtain an accurate roaming fee of a user.

Embodiments of this application disclose a charging management method, a user plane function entity, and a control plane function entity. The method includes: receiving, by a UP, a first usage reporting rule (URR) and a second URR sent by a CP, where the first URR is correlated with the second URR; when usage information on the UP reaches a threshold of the first URR, obtaining, by the UP, usage information corresponding to the first URR and usage information corresponding to a third URR correlated with the first URR; and sending, by the UP to the CP, the usage information corresponding to the first URR and the usage information corresponding to the third URR, so that the CP generates a charging data record based on the usage information corresponding to the first URR and the usage information corresponding to the third URR.

A method, computing system, and computer program product are provided. A processor of a computer system estimates an amount of bandwidth to be used to complete a transaction based on a usage history. Responsive to determining that the amount of the estimated bandwidth to be used exceeds a predefined threshold of an amount of available bandwidth and to determining that an account has any offers for additional bandwidth at no additional cost, the amount of available bandwidth is automatically recharged using at least some of the any offers until either the any offers are exhausted or the estimated amount of the bandwidth to be used would be less than the predefined threshold. When the estimated amount of the bandwidth to be used continues to exceed the predefined threshold, the bandwidth is automatically recharged using an advanced amount of bandwidth to increase a likelihood that the transaction will complete successfully.

An API management device includes: a reception unit configured to receive a selection of a charging condition when using an API; a receiver configured to receive a request for the API from the application; a transmitter configured to transmit a response according to the request to the application; and a history storage configured to store a history of the request for the API and the response for each of the applications that use the API. A charging management device includes: a charging condition storage configured to store the charging condition received by the reception unit for each of the applications that use the API when using the API; an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the history from the history storage; and a determination unit configured to determine a charge value for the application that uses the API based on the charging condition and the information on the history.