Configurable rating system for a telecommunications service provider

• US 20070201642A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture SPA (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Cesarini, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8278 Event based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2006 Fixed telephone network, e.g. POTS, ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7806 Time based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/788 Event based

Abstract

A configurable rating system provides the flexibility to define rating tariffs based on any number of input parameters, such as a service identifier, origin number, destination number, event type, or other parameter. At the same time, the configurable rating system simplifies the definition, debugging, and assignment of rating parameters which ultimately determine the calculated usage event rating. The configurable rating system implements a database table driven approach which may replace any number of custom rating functions with a single rating function which determines the appropriate charge amount regardless of the telecommunications product or service.

Claims

1. A configurable rating system for a telecommunications service provider, the configurable rating system comprising:

a rating database comprising;

a master index table comprising a first mapping record which establishes a first rating table set applicable for a first master input parameter set;

multiple rating tables establishing the first rating table set;

memory comprising;

data record parameters which report a usage event, including an event magnitude and an origin identifier; and

a rating determination program operable to determine a charge amount for the usage event, the rating determination program comprising instructions which;

determine a product identifier using at least one of the data record parameters;

index at least the product identifier into the master index table to identify the first rating table set;

execute a sequence of searches through the first rating table set using at least some of the data record parameters and rating attributes obtained from the rating tables, to obtain a unit price for the usage event; and

determine the charge amount based on the unit price and the event magnitude; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the rating database which executes the rating determination program.

2. The configurable rating system of claim 1, where the first rating table set is applicable to multiple different telecommunications products or services.

3. The configurable rating system of claim 1, where:

the rating attributes comprise an origin cost code rating attribute;

the first rating attribute table set comprises an origin cost code rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the origin identifier into the origin cost code rating table to obtain the origin cost code rating attribute.

4. The configurable rating system of claim 3, where:

the rating attributes further comprise a destination cost code rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise a destination identifier;

the first rating table set further comprises a destination cost code rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the destination identifier into the destination cost code rating table to obtain the destination cost code rating attribute.

5. The configurable rating system of claim 4, where:

the rating attributes further comprise a cost band rating attribute;

the first rating table set further comprises a cost band rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the origin cost code rating attribute and the destination cost code rating attribute into the cost band rating table to obtain the cost band rating attribute.

6. The configurable rating system of claim 1:

where the rating attributes comprise a time band rating attribute and a cost band rating attribute;

the first rating table set comprises a usage charge rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the time band rating attribute and the cost band rating attribute into the usage charge rating table to obtain the unit price.

7. The configurable rating system of claim 1, where:

the rating attributes comprise a daily time band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event start time and an event end time;

the first rating table set comprises a daily time band rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the event start time and the event end time into the daily time band rating table to obtain the daily time band rating attribute.

8. The configurable rating system of claim 7, where:

the rating attributes comprise a weekly time band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event day;

the first rating table set further comprises a weekly time band rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the event day into the weekly time band rating table to obtain the weekly time band rating attribute.

9. The configurable rating system of claim 8, where:

the rating attributes comprise a yearly time band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event date;

the first rating table set comprises a yearly time band rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the event date into the yearly time band rating table to obtain the yearly time band rating attribute.

10. The configurable rating system of claim 9, where:

the rating attributes comprise an identified time band rating attribute;

the first rating table set comprises an identified time band rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the daily time band rating attribute and the weekly time band rating attribute into the identified time band rating table to obtain the identified time band rating attribute.

11. The configurable rating system of claim 10, where the rating determination program further comprises instructions which:

override the identified time band rating attribute when the yearly time band rating attribute indicates a ‘

Holiday’

.

12. The configurable rating system of claim 1, where:

the rating attributes comprise a time band rating attribute and a cost band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event type;

the first rating table set comprises a usage charge rating table; and

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the time band rating attribute, the cost band rating attribute, the event type, and the product identifier into the usage charge rating table to obtain the unit price.

13. The configurable rating system of claim 1, where:

the rating attributes comprise a time band rating attribute and a cost band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event type and an event sub-type;

the first rating table set comprises a usage charge rating table;

the instructions which execute the sequence of searches comprise instructions which index the time band rating attribute, the cost band rating attribute, the event type, the event sub-type, and the product identifier into the usage charge rating table to obtain the unit price and a unit scale; and

the instructions which determine the charge amount comprise instructions which determine the charge amount according to;

Charge Amount=(Unit Price*Event Magnitude)/(Unit Scale)

14. A method for rating a telecommunications usage event, the method comprising:

establishing a master index table comprising a first mapping record which

establishes a first rating table set applicable for a first master input parameter set;

establishing rating tables included in the first rating table set;

storing in a memory data record parameters which report a usage event, including an event magnitude and an origin identifier;

determining a product identifier using at least one of the data record parameters;

indexing at least the product identifier into the master index table to identify the first rating table set;

executing a sequence of searches through the first rating table set using at least some of the data record parameters and rating attributes obtained from the rating tables, to obtain a unit price for the usage event; and

determining the charge amount based on the unit price and the event magnitude.

15. The method of claim 14, where:

the rating attributes comprise an origin cost code rating attribute;

the first rating table set comprises an origin cost code rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the origin identifier into the origin cost code rating table to obtain the origin cost code rating attribute.

16. The method of claim 15, where:

the rating attributes further comprise a destination cost code rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise a destination identifier;

the first rating table set further comprises a destination cost code rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the destination identifier into the destination cost code rating table to obtain the destination cost code rating attribute.

17. The method of claim 16, where:

the rating attributes further comprise a cost band rating attribute;

the first rating table set further comprises a cost band rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the origin cost code rating attribute and the destination cost code rating attribute into the cost band rating table to obtain the cost band rating attribute.

18. The method of claim 14:

where the rating attributes comprise a time band rating attribute and a cost band rating attribute;

the first rating table set comprises a usage charge rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the time band rating attribute and the cost band rating attribute into the usage charge rating able to obtain the unit price.

19. The method of claim 14, where:

the rating attributes comprise a daily time band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event start time and an event end time;

the first rating table set comprises a daily time band rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the event start time and the event end time into the daily time band rating table to obtain the daily time band rating attribute.

20. The method of claim 19, where:

the rating attributes comprise a weekly time band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event day;

the first rating table set further comprises a weekly time band rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the event day into the weekly time band rating table to obtain the weekly time band rating attribute.

21. The method of claim 20, where:

the rating attributes comprise a yearly time band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event date;

the first rating table set comprises a yearly time band rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the event date into the yearly time band rating table to obtain the yearly time band rating attribute.

22. The method of claim 21, where:

the rating attributes comprise an identified time band rating attribute;

the first rating table set comprises an identified time band rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the daily time band rating attribute and the weekly time band rating attribute into the identified time band rating table to obtain the identified time band rating attribute.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

overriding the identified time band rating attribute when the yearly time band rating attribute indicates a ‘

Holiday’

.

24. The method of claim 14, where:

the rating attributes comprise a time band rating attribute and a cost band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event type;

the first rating table set comprises a usage charge rating table; and

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the time band rating attribute, the cost band rating attribute, the event type, and the product identifier into the usage charge rating table to obtain the unit price.

25. The method of claim 14, where:

the rating attributes comprise a time band rating attribute and a cost band rating attribute;

the data record parameters further comprise an event type and an event sub-type;

the first rating table set comprises a usage charge rating table;

executing a sequence of searches includes indexing the time band rating attribute, the cost band rating attribute, the event type, the event sub-type, and the product identifier into the usage charge rating table to obtain the unit price and a unit scale; and

further comprising;

determining the charge amount according to;

Charge Amount=(Unit Price*Unit Scale)/(Event Magnitude).