| 摘要 |
A cell format, an accounting device and a method for providing accounting information to a network for determining payment information between operators in the network. The cell format includes a data field including at least a portion of a data signal, a header field attached to the data field, the header field providing control information for processing the cell including a priority level field and an accounting field, wherein the accounting field indicates an entity that is to receive payment for the processing of the cell. The accounting bit is set to a first value to indicate that an entity on the ingress side of the network is to receive payment. The accounting bit is set to a first value to indicate that an entity on the egress side of the network is to receive payment. The entity is an Internet Service Operator. The first value includes a value of one. The accounting bits of each cell are counted along with the priority levels to determined whether an ingress side of the network is to compensate an egress side of the network or whether the egress side of the network is to compensate the ingress side of the network. The accounting device includes a reader for reading an accounting bit in a received cell, a counter for maintaining a record of cells containing an accounting bit and a controller, operatively coupled to the reader and counter, for incrementing the counter in response to the reader detecting the presence of an accounting bit in the received cell. The method includes the steps of detecting a value of an accounting bit in cells and collecting payment based upon the value of the accounting bit in the cells. |
