Parallel computer network and method for telecommunications network simulation to route calls and continuously estimate call billing in real time

• US 7,050,813 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard S. Paiz
• Original Assignee: Richard S. Paiz
• Inventors: Paiz, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/926,446
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 455405-409, 455/426.1, 455/424, 455/428, 379/220.01, 379/114.01, 379/126
• US Class Current: 455/446
• 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 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/31 Distributed metering or calculation of charges
• 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 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/70 : Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 : Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 : Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/92 : Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13335 : Simulation, emulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

An expert system supercomputer that incorporates a plurality of independent nodes, or intelligent components, which work together in an organized and hierarchical manner to represent network platform components, the human resources of an organization, and consumer interactions with the plurality of concurrently working sovereign telecommunication organizations that form the system.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network system, a method for continuously analyzing, updating, monitoring, controlling, verifying, and validating interactions between subscribers and the system, the network system comprising multiple communication links meeting at a junction point describing the organization hierarchy of the network, the links in communication with lower tier and higher tier nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

organizing the computer nodes and data warehouses of the system to resemble the hierarchal structure of a worldwide telecommunication network and training the nodes to perform proactive management activities that assist human resources that monitor the organization;

gathering information from the computer nodes and data warehouses, the human resources of an organization, and live messages from the network;

providing a telecommunication network covering a plurality of geographical regions, each region comprised of a plurality of Local Access Transport Areas (LATAs), each LATA subdivided into a plurality of Number Plan Areas (NPA), each NPA controlling a plurality of NXX exchanges, and each NXX exchange controlling a plurality of central office (CO) switches;

integrating a parallel-distributed computer system into the telecommunication network to define a plurality of concurrently operating nodes distributed throughout the network in a hierarchical arrangement of tiered groups of nodes, a first tier group of said nodes strategically located within the network to monitor and control local traffic within a plurality of NXX and Wireless Cell Sites (XO) within a number plan area NPA, a second tier group strategically located within the network to monitor and control local long distance Telco and Wireless traffic within a LATA or a geographic region having multiple LATAs, and a third tier group of nodes strategically located to monitor and control long distance within one or more nations, and a fourth tier binding international traffic traveling through one or more continental regions of the world;

transforming said gathered information into a lingua franca standard gathered at said computer nodes and data warehouses to derive a virtual copy of the network in the form of an echo of all the packet traffic that is broadcast to the lower tiers of the hierarchy;

translating said gathered information and sending said information to the higher tier of said computers via a forward chaining node HQ (0 to

     11) Bitmap File until a summit tier HQ 12 is reached;

converting said vector trajectory into a corresponding node-to-node billing trajectory bitmap;

identifying, at each node of said billing trajectory bitmap, which of the plurality of call carrier billing entities within a call billing segment associated with the node are being used and the associated call carrier costs;

alerting each node along the billing trajectory bitmap to generate a respective billing call segment and to send the information to a corresponding call owner node upon receiving a network release message,

scanning and then parsing each message from the environment to determine whether the call is a billable call, and error, and whether wireless call roaming charges apply;

assigning a lowest common denominator node as a call owner;

manipulating a plurality of Call Detail Records (CDRs) reflecting the actual costs of billing call segments generated by the network;

comparing the billable call segments communicated to the assigned owner; and

communicating and then confirming, to each participating node of a transaction, a unique identifier number that Vector trajectory segment has been verified and validated;

differentiating billable call segments further comprises identifying a cost differential between billable segments cost communicated to said assigned call owner node and a corresponding billing segment cost contained in said message so that call owner must recalculate the billing entity and make the appropriate changes; and

propagating and disseminating environmental data derived from higher-tiered ones of said computers having the most recent instructions to all its subordinate tiers.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, after the step of identifying, the step of assigning ownership to a call based upon a hierarchy system, wherein the system assigns the node that is closest to a first call leg (leg A) unless the call is identified as an inbound call originating from another network, in which case the node closest to a second call leg (leg B) owner is used.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a vector CDR by a call owner, wherein the vector comprises a single version of the truth since the system has all the components required to create the billing entity.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, after the steps of identifying and assigning, the step of breaking down a call into a plurality of components and tandem routes to construct a complex call.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, after the step of identifying which tier is the call owner, the step of requesting each node that is monitoring a portion of the call trajectory to validate the segment that resides within their domain.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring and tracking, via said nodes, the activity of subscribers of competitor systems, and subsequently branding first and second legs (leg A and leg B) as belonging to a third party telecommunication entity that is sovereign and independent of the system and its organization.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning local wireless telephone calls to exchange nodes within a first tier group of said system.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning local long distance wireless telephone calls to LATA nodes within a second tier group of said system.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning long distance wireless telephone calls to national nodes within a third tier group of said system.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning international wireless telephone calls to continental nodes within a fourth tier group of said system.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning long distance roaming wireless telephone calls to national nodes within the third tier group of said system.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning Telco/Wireless local calls to NPA nodes within the first tier group of said system.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning hybrid local long distance and hybrid roaming local long distance telephone calls to LATA nodes within the second tier group of said system.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning hybrid long distance and hybrid roaming long distance telephone calls to national nodes within the third tier group of said system.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership further comprises assigning hybrid international telephone calls to continental nodes within the fourth tier group of said system.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps of establishing ownership further comprises assigning complex long distance telephone calls to national nodes within the third tier group of said system.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps of establishing ownership further comprises assigning complex international calls to continental nodes within the fourth tier group of said system.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps of establishing ownership further comprises assigning complex roaming calls to continental nodes within the fourth tier group of said system.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of creating Forward Chain Bitmap Environmental Data files wherein each node proactively monitors The environment and detects a significant change that is in turn updated to a parent node.