Apparatus and method for an event rating engine

• US 6,199,047 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CSG Systems Incorporated (CSG Systems International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CSG Systems Incorporated (CSG Systems International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Mitchell W., Dimino, James, Bell, Brigham, Bones, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, JOHN L
• Application Number:
  US09/001,991
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/32, 705/412, 705/400, 705/401, 705/402, 705/409, 702/186, 702/187, 702/188, 702/179, 702/180, 702/181, 364/528.26, 364/828.3, 379/114, 379/112, 379/207
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• 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 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• 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 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• 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

An event rating engine can be configured for a particular task and is logically decoupled from a rating database when a usage event is rated. The rating engine obtains rating rules from a rating database. The rating database includes rating rules that include rating business rules by usage type along with rate tables containing the current rate values. A rating domain server is coupled to the rating database interface to the rating rules. A rating editor coupled to the rating domain server and provides an interface to the rating domain server. At initialization, the rating engine downloads a set of rating rules from the rating database and interprets the rating rules to form an independent and autonomous rating process that can rate a usage event while being logically decoupled from the rating database during the rating process.

Claims

1. An event rating engine, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, an executable file being stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the executable file representing a predetermined set of rating rules stored in a rating database; and

an I/O device coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor, in response to a signal from the I/O device indicating a usage event to be processed, executes the executable file stored in the memory to process the usage event, the processor and memory being logically decoupled from the rating database when the usage event is processed.

2. The event rating engine according to claim 1, further comprising a rating domain server coupled to the processor.

3. The event rating engine according to claim 2, wherein the rating database is coupled to the rating domain server.

4. The event rating engine according to claim 2, further comprising a rating editor coupled to the rating domain server.

5. The event rating engine according to claim 1, further comprising a rating supervisor coupled to the processor.

6. The event rating engine according to claim 1, further comprising a queue manager coupled to the processor via the I/O device.

7. The event rating engine according to claim 6, further comprising at least one network element coupled to the queue manager.

8. The event rating engine according to claim 6, further comprising an event manager coupled to the queue manager.

9. The event rating engine according to claim 8, further comprising an event repository coupled to the event manager.

10. The event rating engine according to claim 6, further comprising at least one service agent coupled to the queue manager.

11. The event rating engine according to claim 10, further comprising a customer database coupled to the at least one service agent.

12. The event rating engine according to claim 5, further comprising a rating monitor coupled to the rating supervisor.

13. The event rating engine according to claim 7, wherein the at least one network element is coupled to the queue manager via a mediator.

14. The event rating engine according to claim 1, wherein the usage event includes one of a telephony event, a cable service event and a utility event.

15. A method for rating a usage event, comprising the steps of:

downloading a predetermined set of rating rules as an executable file to a storage device, the predetermined set of rating rules being stored in a rating database,

receiving a usage event;

executing, in a processor coupled to the storage device, the executable file to determine a procedure associated with the usage event and perform the procedure on the usage event; and

outputting a result of the processed usage event;

wherein the step of executing the executable file occurs when the rating database is logically decoupled from the processor and the storage device.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of executing the executable file to determine a procedure further includes the steps of;

defining a decision tree, the decision tree having at least one discrete decision branch and at least one scalar branch; and

evaluating a discrete decision branch and a scalar decision branch to determine the procedure.

17. An event rating engine, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, an executable file being stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the executable file representing a predetermined set of rating rules stored in a rating database;

an I/O device coupled to the processor, wherein the processor, in response to a signal from the I/O device indicating a usage event to be processed, executes the executable file stored in the memory to process the usage event, the processor and memory being logically decoupled from the rating database when the usage event is processed;

a rating supervisor coupled to the processor; and

a rating monitor coupled to the rating supervisor.