Abstract: Charging operations carried out in relation to service consumption by users of a communication network reduce signaling overhead and memory or storage requirements by adopting a bifurcated approach to structuring and accessing the data containers used for controlling and tracking service consumption by individual users commonly governed by the same consumption control information. With bifurcation, a parent data container holds the common consumption control information commonly applicable to each user, while an individual child data container for each user holds consumption-tracking information specific to the user. The approach reduces signaling overhead inasmuch as operations involving only the consumption control information need not retrieve or access the child data containers, and the approach reduces overall storage requirements by eliminating redundant inclusion of the common information in the child data containers.

Abstract: Charging interval authorizations according to the techniques disclosed herein provide for credit reservation and charging of whole charging intervals across two or more credit containers(36) in or linked to a subscriber account (34), without the need for redefining the charging interval size, even where the types of credit units differ between or among the credit containers (36) used to authorize the charging interval. Among the various advantages, the disclosed techniques preserve the original charging interval size, which may be defined for reasons of signaling efficiency, while simultaneously allowing the reservation or consumption of credit units from credit containers (36) having insufficient remaining credit for authorization of the full charging interval.

Abstract: A method for product provisioning includes: evaluating each entity of a product based on one or more criteria to determine if the product can be populated in a database as a globally updateable product; if the product has been determined to be eligible for being populated in the database as a globally updateable product then performing the following steps: determining, for each entity of the product, eligibility for the entity to be a global entity; generating a global entity instance for each eligible entity of the product; saving the global entity instance for each eligible entity of the product; generating a default entity instance for each ineligible entity; saving each default entity instance in the database; and if the product has been determined to be ineligible for being populated in the database as a globally updateable product then instantiating and populating the product in the database as a local product.

Abstract: A method for product provisioning includes: evaluating each entity of a product based on one or more criteria to determine if the product can be populated in a database as a globally updateable product; if the product has been determined to be eligible for being populated in the database as a globally updateable product then performing the following steps: determining, for each entity of the product, eligibility for the entity to be a global entity; generating a global entity instance for each eligible entity of the product; saving the global entity instance for each eligible entity of the product; generating a default entity instance for each ineligible entity; saving each default entity instance in the database; and if the product has been determined to be ineligible

Abstract: According to one aspect of the teachings herein, a method and apparatus provide for dynamic, service-triggered provisioning of products, for use in authorizing product-related services to subscribers in a communication network. This approach obviates the need to pre-provision products to cover the possible usage of such services by eligible subscribers, which in turn means that the subscriber database memory requirements are reduced to the extent that the database does not need to hold potentially large numbers of pre-provisioned products. In an example embodiment, the number of products needed to cover an initial usage quota is speculatively generated responsive to a charging trigger and service to the involved subscriber is authorized using those speculatively generated products. Unused products are deleted and new products are generated as needed, to cover continued or subsequent usage of the service by the subscriber.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the teachings herein, a method and apparatus provide for dynamic, service-triggered provisioning of products, for use in authorizing product-related services to subscribers in a communication network. This approach obviates the need to pre-provision products to cover the possible usage of such services by eligible subscribers, which in turn means that the subscriber database memory requirements are reduced to the extent that the database does not need to hold potentially large numbers of pre-provisioned products. In an example embodiment, the number of products needed to cover an initial usage quota is speculatively generated responsive to a charging trigger and service to the involved subscriber is authorized using those speculatively generated products. Unused products are deleted and new products are generated as needed, to cover continued or subsequent usage of the service by the subscriber.