Generalized statistics engine for telephone network

• US 5,768,352 A
• Filed: 05/10/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Elliott, Isaac K., Campbell, Mark A., Terpstra, Richard D., Richards, James H., Catalano, Phillip, Uttormark, Timothy F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/438,918
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/13-15, 379/34, 379/10, 379/111-115, 379/121, 379/201, 379/207, 379/219, 379/220
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• 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 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

Data incorporated in call detail records (CDR), obtained from network switches, are subjected to processing by a statistics engine which maintains separate counts for CDR events relating to certain calls, such as 800 number and 900 number calls. Such events, such as attempted calls, completed calls, and duration, form statistics for network users. Compilation of statistics may be done for different services, such as total summary counts and counts by originating area code. In case of 800 numbers, the statistical counts for the various services are compiled in accordance with the 800 number or 900 number called. When a network user decides to change the statistical services required, this is easily accomplished by changing the rules for interrogating the CDR data, as opposed to the prior art approach of changing programming coding.

Claims

1. In a telephone network, a system for selectively obtaining telephone network call statistics, comprising:

a distributed processor serving as a generalized statistics engine and including;

a receive node receiving call detail records (CDRS) generated by an originating network element, for executing a first process that unbundles individual CDRs from received buffers, and a second process that checks each unbundled CDR against a look up table stored in a database for selecting the CDRs to be tracked by the system, the second process further obtaining preselected statistical network events from the database to be updated for each tracked CDR;

a branch node for receiving decisional rules from the database and counting the preselected statistical network events for each tracked CDR;

a shipping node for formatting the count of each preselected statistical network event into a preselected message format;

a corporate node for signaling the end of a statistical acquisition cycle for the receive node; and

server means for receiving the statistical count information in the preselected message format and making the count of each preselected statistical network event available to downstream users.

2. A system for selectively obtaining telephone network call statistics, comprising:

means for creating buffers for call detail records (CDRs) from an originating switch of the telephone network;

a distributed processor serving as a generalized statistics engine and including;

a receive node receiving the buffers, for executing a first process that unbundles individual CDRs from the buffers, and a second process that checks each unbundled CDR against a look up table stored in a database for selecting the CDRs to be tracked by the system, the second process further obtaining from the database, preselected statistical network events to be updated for each tracked CDR;

a branch node for receiving decisional rules from the database and counting the preselected statistical network events for each tracked CDR;

a shipping node for formatting the count of each preselected statistical network event into a preselected message format;

a corporate node for signaling the end of a statistical acquisition cycle for the receive node; and

server means for receiving the count of each preselected statistical network event in the preselected message format and making the count information available to downstream users.

3. The system in claim 2, further comprising an adjunct processor connecting the originating switch to the means for creating buffers, for storing CDRs generated by the originating switch.

4. The system in claim 2, further comprising a data access point (DAP) for providing the originating switch with network routing information for each call handled by the telephone network.

5. A system for selectively obtaining telephone network call statistics, comprising:

a service control manager (SCM) for conveying routing information, regarding virtual phone numbers, to a data access point (DAP);

means for creating buffers for call detail records (CDRs) from an originating switch of the telephone network;

a distributed processor serving as a generalized statistics engine and including;

a receive node receiving the buffers, for executing a first process that unbundles individual CDRs from received buffers, and a second process that checks each unbundled CDR against a look up table stored in a database for selecting the CDRs to be tracked by the system, the second process further obtaining from the database, preselected statistical network events to be updated for each tracked CDR;

a branch node for receiving decisional rules from the database and counting the preselected statistical network events for each tracked call;

a shipping node for formatting the count of each preselected statistical network events into a preselected message format;

a corporate node having a first process for signaling the end of a statistical acquisition cycle for the receive node, the SCM further providing predetermined enhanced data, absent from unbundled CDRs, to the corporate node during a second process thereof;

means for transferring updated enhanced data to the database where it is further distributed to the receive node; and

server means for receiving the count of each preselected statistical network event in the preselected message format and making the count available to downstream users.