Broadband intelligent event repository

• US 20070208851A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Furlong, Daniel, Unkenholz, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A broadband intelligent event repository may be provided. The broadband intelligent repository may allow a cross processing life cycle phase view of an event. In addition, the broadband intelligent repository may provide for the ability to associate all recordings associated with a given event. Furthermore, the broadband intelligent repository may provide the ability to view events as they morph through the various phases of the processing life cycle. The events may occur at elements within a data network. The data network may be configured to provide at least one of the following services: voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services.

Claims

1. A method for providing a links within a data repository, the method comprising:

assigning keys to each record retained within the data repository;

based upon the assigned keys, creating links configured to allow multiple records within the data repository associated with a given event to be related; and

based upon the assigned keys, configuring the created links to allow tracking of events as the events proceed through a usage processing life cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events comprises configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events associated with a data network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events comprises configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events associated with elements within a data network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events comprises configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events associated with a data network configured to provide at least one of the following services:

voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving data corresponding to the events occurring at elements within the data network to a raw network database included in the data repository.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting data corresponding to the events occurring at elements within a data network; and

saving the formatted data corresponding to the events occurring at the elements within the data network to a formatted network database included in the data repository.

7. A system for providing a data repository, the system comprising:

a usage collection and mediation processor comprising;

a first memory storage, and

a first processing unit coupled to the first memory storage, wherein the first processing unit is operative to;

receive data from a data network, the data corresponding to events occurring at elements within the data network wherein the data network is configured to provide at least one of the following services;

voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services, and

determine billable events from the data, the billable events corresponding to a portion of the events occurring at the elements within the data network that are chargeable; and

a rating processor comprising;

a second memory storage, and

a second processing unit coupled to the second memory storage, wherein the second processing unit is operative to;

create billable records from the billable events by associating a monetary amount to each of the billable events, and

generate a bill from the billable records.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first processing unit being operative to determine the billable events from the data comprises the first processing unit being operative to apply business rules to the data to produce the billable events.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second processing unit being operative to create the billable records from the billable events comprises the second processing unit being operative to use billing information associated with billing plans corresponding to customers of the data network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the second processing unit being operative to generate the bill from the billable records comprises the second processing unit being operative to change a status associated with at least one of the billable records.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first processing unit is further operative to save the data corresponding to the events occurring at the elements within the data network to a raw network database included in the data repository.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first processing unit is further operative to save the billable events to a billable events database.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the second processing unit is further operative to save the rated billable events to a rated network database included in the data repository.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the first processing unit is further operative to:

format the data corresponding to the events occurring at the elements within the data network; and

save the formatted data corresponding to the events occurring at the elements within the data network to a formatted network database included in the data repository.

15. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a data repository, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

assigning keys to each record retained within the data repository;

based upon the assigned keys, creating links configured to allow multiple records associated with a given event to be related; and

based upon the assigned keys, configuring the created links to allow tracking of events as the events proceed through a usage processing life cycle.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events comprises configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events associated with a data network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events comprises configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events associated with elements within a data network.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events comprises configuring the created links to allow tracking of the events associated with a data network configured to provide at least one of the following services:

voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising saving data corresponding to the events occurring at elements within the data network to a raw network database included in the data repository.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

formatting data corresponding to the events occurring at elements within a data network; and

saving the formatted data corresponding to the events occurring at the elements within the data network to a formatted network database included in the data repository.