Method and apparatus for processing billing transactions

• US 6,493,680 B2
• Filed: 02/19/1998
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CSG Systems Incorporated (CSG Systems International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CSG Systems Incorporated (CSG Systems International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cohen, Mark B., Williams, Craig G., Gollob, David J., Logan, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Thach H.
• Application Number:
  US09/026,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/34, 705/40, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A computer system and method for processing bills for a plurality of customers of a plurality of node systems within a larger system, each customer bill having a particular billing cycle, comprises a memory for storing a plurality of customer bill records containing raw data to be processed to generate a customer bill. The system also comprises a bill production initiator for waking up periodically and initiating a billing cycle for a plurality of the customer bill records stored in the memory. At least one bill production manager generates a plurality of processing group files containing at least one of the customer bill records stored in the memory such each processing group file has an efficient size and contains customer bill records having at least one common variable. At least one bill production worker processes the customer bill records from at least one of the processing groups.

Claims

1. A method of processing customer bills for a plurality of customers associated with a plurality of node systems, each customer bill having a billing cycle, the method comprising the steps of:

distributing the customer bill records to be processed into node groups based upon the node systems associated with the customers;

dividing the node groups into one or more sub-node groups, wherein the customer bill records distributed into each sub-node group share at least one common variable;

dividing the sub-node groups into processing groups, wherein the number of customer bill records distributed into each processing group is predetermined; and

processing the customer bills distributed into each processing group wherein at least two of the processing groups are processed in parallel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer bills are distributed into the sub-node groups based on franchise tax areas.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of monitoring the processing of a processing group and upon completion of the processing of a processing group, initiating processing of another processing group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the customer bills includes multiple phases.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising the step of indicating the initiation and completion of each of the phases of the processing step.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising the step of determining a point for restarting processing upon a failure to complete processing.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the processing phases include:

initiating the customer bill;

gathering product transactions for the customer bill;

gathering non-product transactions for the customer bill;

aging account information for the customer bill;

determining a collections status for the customer bill;

gathering messages for the customer bill; and

formatting the customer bill.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a current time for determining customer bill records to be processed; and

gathering the customer bill records to be processed, wherein the step of gathering customer bill records to be processed includes gathering customer bill records which have a billing cycle start time greater than the current time.

9. A computer system for processing bills for a plurality of customers associated with a plurality of node systems, each customer bill having a billing cycle, the system comprising:

means for distributing the customer bill records to be processed into node groups based upon the node systems associated with the customers;

means for dividing the node groups into one or more sub-node groups, wherein the customer bill records distributed into each sub-node group share at least one common variable;

means for dividing the sub-node groups into processing groups, wherein the number of customer bill records distributed into each processing group is predetermined; and

means for processing the customer bills distributed into each processing group wherein at least two of the processing groups are processed in parallel.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the customer bill records distributed into the sub-node groups share a common franchise tax area.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the means for processing inludes a plurality of processors processing at least two of the processing groups in parallel.

12. The computer system of claim 11 comprising:

means for monitoring at least one of the processors to detect the completion of the processing of the customer bills of a processing group; and

means for initiating processing of another processing group on the at least one processor.

13. The computer system of claim 9 comprising means for reprocessing a customer bill record which was not completed prior to a failure.

14. A computer system for processing bills for a plurality of customers associated with a plurality of node systems, each customer bill having a billing cycle, the system comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of customer bill records;

a bill production initiator for initiating a billing cycle for a plurality of the customer bill records stored in the memory;

at least one bill production manager for generating a plurality of processing group files containing at least one of the customer bill records stored in the memory such that each processing group file contains customer bill records having at least one common variable; and

at least two bill production workers for processing in parallel the customer bill records of at least two processing group files, wherein the number of customer bill records distributed in each processing group is predetermined.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the bill production initiator includes:

means for monitoring a current time; and

means for initiating processing for customer bill records having a billing cycle start time greater than the current time.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the bill production manager includes means for distributing the customer bill records into processing group files based upon the node systems associated with the customers.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the bill production manager includes means for distributing the customer bill record into processing group files based on the geographical locations of the customers.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the bill production manager includes means for distributing a predetermined number of the customer bill records into each processing group file.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined number of the customer bill records is equal to the number of customer bill records which may be processed in a predetermined amount of time.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined amount of time is approximately one hour.

21. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the bill production manager comprises means for distributing the customer bill records into processing group files based on franchise tax areas in which the customers are located.