System, method and computer program product for reading, correlating, processing, categorizing and aggregating events of any type

• US 20020038364A1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Published: 03/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Amdocs Ltd.
• Inventors: Schweitzer, Limor
• Granted Patent: US 6,931,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1425 involving dedicated fields in the data packet for billing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/96 Distributed calculation of charges, e.g. in different nodes like for mobiles between HLR and VLR, or between the terminal and the billing function

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for handling network accounting information. Initially, records indicative of network events are received from an input source. Next, action events are selected based on the input source. Such selected action events are then executed on the records for reading, correlating, processing, categorizing, and/or aggregating network accounting information associated with the records.

Claims

1. A method for handling network accounting information, comprising:

(a) receiving records indicative of network events from an input source;

(b) selecting action events based on the input source; and

(c) executing the selected action events on the records.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the action events include computer code for executing a process using the records.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, and further comprising the step of compiling the computer code prior to the execution thereof.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising the step of storing data associated with the records.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the data is stored in a table.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the table includes a plurality of rows each containing a plurality of columns each including data of a different type.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the data of each of the rows expires after a predetermined time period.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein an action event is executed to determine whether the data of each of the rows is deleted upon expiring.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein multiple action events are executed in parallel.

10. A computer program product for handling network accounting information, comprising:

(a) computer code for receiving records indicative of network events from an input source;

(b) computer code for selecting action events based on the input source; and

(c) computer code for executing the selected action events on the records.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the action events include computer code for executing a process using the records.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, and further comprising computer code for compiling the computer code prior to the execution thereof.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, and further comprising computer code for storing data associated with the records.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 13, wherein the data is stored in a table.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the table includes a plurality of rows each containing a plurality of columns each including data of a different type.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the data of each of the rows expires after a predetermined time period.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein an action event is executed to determine whether the data of each of the rows is deleted upon expiring.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein multiple action events are executed in parallel.

19. A system for handling network accounting information, comprising:

(a) logic for receiving records indicative of network events from an input source;

(b) logic for selecting action events based on the input source; and

(c) logic for executing the selected action events on the records.

20. A method for handling network accounting information, comprising:

(a) receiving records indicative of network events from an input source;

(b) storing data associated with the records in a table, wherein the table includes a plurality of rows each containing a plurality of columns each including data of a different type, the data of each of the rows expiring after a predetermined time period;

(c) selecting action events based on the input source; and

(d) executing the selected action events on the records;

(e) wherein at least one of the action events is executed to delete the data of each of the rows upon expiring.

21. A method for handling network accounting information of any type, comprising:

(a) reading configuration data which defines a table by specifying at least one field identifier and a timeout type and period, the configuration data further defining a plurality of input sources by specifying at least one parameter for each input source, the configuration data further defining a plurality of action events by specifying code capable of executing each action event;

(b) creating the table defined by the field identifier of the configuration data;

(c) initializing the input sources;

(d) loading event handlers with the code included with the configuration data;

(e) receiving records indicative of network events from the initialized input sources;

(f) storing the records in the table;

(g) selecting action events based on the input source associated with the received records;

(h) executing the selected action events on the records utilizing the event handlers; and

(i) deleting the records upon expiring in accordance with the timeout type and period of the configuration data;

(j) wherein at least one of the action events is executed to determine whether the data of each of the rows is deleted upon expiring.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the execution of the selected action events includes:

discarding records stored during the execution of previous action events, parsing the configuration data associated with the selected action events, and utilizing the parsed configuration data to repeat steps (b) through (d).

23. A data structure for handling network accounting information of any type, comprising:

(a) a configuration data object which defines a table by specifying at least one field identifier and a timeout type and period, the configuration data object further defining a plurality of input sources by specifying at least one parameter for each input source, the configuration data object further defining a plurality of action events by specifying code capable of executing each action event;

(b) wherein the configuration data object is adapted for being used to create the table defined by the field identifier of the configuration data object, initialize the input sources, and load event handlers with the code included with the configuration data object.