It is provided a method, comprising monitoring if one of an input payload for a subscription and an output payload from the subscription is delivered; incrementing a payload counter by if one of the input payload and the output payload is delivered; providing the payload counter and an identifier of the subscription to a charging system at at least one of a predefined time and a predefined event.

An aspect of the disclosed invention provides a network apparatus for a network function, the network apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the network apparatus to: in response to a request from a service consumer, determine a first network service function for providing services to the service consumer; determine an identity of a second network service function, wherein the second network service function is an alternative or backup network service function to provide the service to the service consumer; and provide the service consumer with the identity of the second network service function.

A method for billing in a wireless communication system, according to an embodiment, includes: transmitting billing data to an upper entity; determining whether the billing data has been normally transmitted; and executing a supplementary operation based on a result of the determining.

Provided are an information transmission method and apparatus, and a communication device. The method comprises: a first device entity acquiring header information of an Ethernet data packet from a second device entity, wherein the header information of the Ethernet data packet comprises first indication information, and the first indication information is used for indicating whether the header information of the Ethernet data packet includes a target information domain.

Methods and apparatus for implementing a service function chain of a mobile telecommunications network. A method for implementing a charging function in a service function chain of a mobile telecommunications network in which the service function chain includes a plurality of service functions in which each service function is configured to apply one or more services associated with a user packet traversing the service function chain towards a destination, and is configured to provide charging data related to the service function. A receiver receives collective charging data provided by the plurality of service functions, the collective charging data includes charging data for a plurality of services associated with a user packet. A charging controller controls charging for the plurality of services associated with the user packet based on the collective charging data.

A charging method, including sending, by a control plane gateway, a first charging trigger event to a user plane gateway, where the first charging trigger event triggering the user plane gateway to generate service usage information, generating, by the user plane gateway, the service usage information when the user plane gateway detects that the first charging trigger event occurs, sending, by the user plane gateway, the service usage information to the control plane gateway, generating, by the control plane gateway, a charging request according to the service usage information, and sending, by the control plane gateway, the charging request to a charging system. Offline charging during packet data network gateway (PGW) control and user (CU) separation is implemented.

Operations include determining billing for data being transmitted out of an Autonomous System (AS). An internal node in the AS determines billing for a packet transmitted out of the AS based at least on an egress path of the packet. The packet is received at the internal node in the AS The internal node selects an egress path of the packet based on one or more characteristics of the packet. The egress path is mapped directly or indirectly to a billing counter. The billing counter is incremented based on (a) the transmission of the packet on the overlay network to the egress gateway and (b) transmission of the packet out of the AS on the selected egress path.

Technology to respond to a termination reason of an accounting record via an improved charging component is disclosed. The disclosed subject matter can be backwards compatible to support responding to a conventional SIP BYE method and a conventional SIP CANCEL method. Additionally, the disclosed subject matter can respond to other SIP methods, empty reason-headers, etc. In an aspect, a reason-header can be forced into an accounting record based on received session termination information. In an embodiment, the reason-header can be determined to satisfy a rule related to acceptable reason-headers. Where the rule is determined to be unsatisfied, a query can be generated toward a device that supported the now terminated communication, wherein a response to the query can comprise another reason-header that can be determined to satisfy the rule. The accounting record can be updated based on the other reason-header and employed in generating a charging data record that can alter corresponding billing.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for charging in multi-connectivity systems. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes marking, by a first base station serving a user equipment, at least one packet to include a first indication indicating that the at least one packet was received directly at the first base station serving the user equipment; and marking, by the first base station, at least one other packet to include a second indication to indicate that the at least one other packet was received via a second base station also serving the user equipment. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

In order for charging SDT and MTC device trigger over control plane, there is provided a network node (40) that relays messages over a control plane (T5 and Tsp) between an MTC device (10) and an SCS (50). The network node (40) counts the number of messages successfully relayed, and generates a CDR in accordance with the counted number. The messages are SDT messages delivered from the MTC device (10) to the SCS (50), SDT messages delivered from the SCS (50) to the MTC device (10), or MTC device trigger messages delivered from the SCS (50) to the MTC device (10). The network node (40) transfers the CDR to an OCF (31) or a CDF (32).