Importance

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Abstract

A subscriber of a communications network is enabled to top-up an account for a multimedia service provided on the communications network while the service is being provided. Real-time prepaid charging may be applied to a multimedia service being provided to a subscriber of a communications network. Both a count and a time period may be determined from an account balance, and the number of information units exchanged during the service and the duration of the service may be compared against the count and time period, respectively. Further processing may be defined to be performed if either and/or both thresholds are reached. A subscriber of a communications network may be notified of a threshold amount of service being reached while the service is being provided using the same session as is being used to provide the service (in-band) or using a different session (out-of-band). Further, a subscriber may be notified of a threshold being reached using a Short Message Service (SMS) by sending an SMS message to the subscriber. A subscriber of a communications network may be enabled to top-up a service account while the service is being provided using the same session as is being used to provide the service (in-band) or using a different session (out-of-band). To notify the client that a threshold for a service has been reached and/or to enable the client to top-up, either in-band or out-of-band sessions may be used based on any of a number of factors, including a characteristic of the session in progress implementing the service, the capabilities of the user terminal, the capabilities of the application and application server providing the service, or any combination thereof. A session for providing a multimedia service may be implemented using a multimedia control protocol capable of controlling (e.g., initiating, maintaining and terminating) a session that includes the exchange of multimedia content, including audio, video, data or any combination thereof. For example, such protocol may be the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Service content transmitted from a server to a subscriber on the subscriber's user terminal may be buffered (e.g., cached) in a buffer while the subscriber is provided the opportunity to top-up the account. While the subscriber is being enabled to top-up a prepaid account for a service, a different billing method, for example, postpaid charging, may be applied for the service until the subscriber tops-up or until the opportunity to top-up has elapsed.

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First Claim