Nortel Networks Corporation

Mary Barnes

Haseeb Akhtar

Emad A Qaddoura

Akram M Hosain

An accounting framework is provided for a communications system having a plurality of service providers, including cellular service providers and/or data network service providers, e.g., Internet service providers. Accounting units containing accounting information are exchanged between service providers to allow the service providers to charge for usage of services. The accounting units have a predetermined format to allow them to be exchanged between different service providers. Each accounting unit includes a plurality of fields, including a service type field, a usage of radio interface field, a usage of a visited or external network field, a usage of mobility management field, a quality of service field, a usage of a packet data protocol field, and other fields. Users may be charged for services based on these fields.

Accounting method and apparatus for communications network

A network, system and method for merging a packet service such as GPRS with a mobile IP is disclosed. The GPRS network includes a first base station for providing wireless access to a mobile node, a GPRS support node (GSN) connected to the base station, and a security gateway for connecting the GPRS network to a second network that may use mobile IP. The GSN is capable of creating an IP tunnel connecting it to the second network through the security gateway. The GSN is also capable of handling mobile IP specific messaging and converting the wireless access to mobile IP specific messaging.

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Flower Mound, TX, United States of America

Mary Barnes