Method and system for processing records of events during use of a communications system

• US 7,356,806 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Porter, Kelvin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US10/798,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-300, 712/241, 712/218, 717/130, 717/145
• US Class Current: 717/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• 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 15/41 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/775 Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• 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 2215/0164 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 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• 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 2215/7277 : Account specifications on parallel communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7833 : Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13036 : Serial/parallel conversion, parallel bit transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 : Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP

Abstract

In a communications network that provides services to a plurality of users, events occurring during service processing are accumulated in an event record and sent to a record processor to perform post-processing, such as assessing charges to be billed to users of the network. Each service processing node in the communications network accumulates event records, bundles them with instructions as to how they are be processed, and dispatches them to one or more record processors. Before being sent to a record processor, an event record is augmented with instructions describing how to perform processing upon the events in the event record. The record processors are general-purpose processors and the instructions for post-processing are carried within the event records themselves. Post-processors are no longer required to be dedicated to a particular purpose such as billing computation. Furthermore, deployment of post-processing function is more timely and can be integrated with deployment of service processing functions to network service processors.

Claims

1. A record processor for processing an interpretable file generated by a communications system, the interpretable file comprising at least one recorded service processing event representing service processing activity that has transpired in the communications system and comprising at least one instruction for processing the recorded service processing event, the record processor comprising:

at least one general-purpose processing environment comprising at least one memory space; and

at least one interpreter that receives and parses an interpretable file generated by a communications system, loads the instruction into the memory space, and processes the recorded service processing event in the interpretable file by executing the instruction loaded in the general-purpose processing environment.

2. The record processor of claim 1 further comprising a persistently stored library of instructions and data needed for processing the recorded service processing event.

3. The record processor of claim 2 wherein the instruction obtained from the interpretable file is uploaded into the persistently stored library.

4. The record processor of claim 2 wherein the instruction is selectively uploaded into the persistently stored library responsive to an indicator within the interpretable file.

5. A record processor for processing an executable file created by a communications system to represent at least one service processing event indicating service processing activity that has occurred in the communications system, the record processor comprising a general-purpose execution environment into which the executable file is loaded and executed to accomplish processing of the service processing event.

6. A method for processing of an executable file created by a communications network in the course of service processing, wherein the executable file comprises at least one service processing event and at least one instruction for processing the service processing event, the method comprising:

receiving the executable file from the communications network;

loading the executable file into an execution environment; and

executing the executable file to accomplish processing of the service processing event using the instruction.

7. A record processor coupled to a communications network for processing an interpretable file generated by the communications network, the interpretable file comprising at least one service processing event recorded during service processing of the communications network and at least one instruction for processing the service processing event, the record processor comprising:

at least one general-purpose processing environment comprising at least one memory space; and

at least one interpreter coupled to the processing environment, wherein the interpreter receives and parses the interpretable file, loads the instruction into the memory space, and processes the service processing event in the interpretable file by executing the instruction loaded in the memory space.

8. The record processor of claim 7 further comprising a persistently stored library coupled to the interpreter, wherein the library is a repository for retaining the instruction whereby the instruction may be retrieved as needed for subsequent processing of service processing events.

9. The record processor of claim 8 wherein the instruction obtained from the interpretable file is uploaded into the library.

10. The record processor of claim 8 wherein the instruction is selectively uploaded into the library responsive to an indicator within the interpretable file.

11. A method for processing an event record created by a communications network in the course of performing service processing, wherein the event record comprises at least one service processing event and at least one instruction for processing the service processing event, the method comprising:

receiving the event record from the communications network;

loading the instruction from the event record into an execution environment; and

executing the instruction to accomplish processing of the service processing event.

12. A method, in a record processor including a storage and wherein the record processor processes a recorded service processing event from a communications network, for obtaining an instruction for processing of the service processing event, the method comprising:

receiving from the communications network an interpretable file comprising the instruction for processing the service processing event;

extracting the instruction from the interpretable file;

storing the instruction in the storage of the record processor;

retrieving the instruction from the storage of the record processor; and

applying the instruction to process the service processing event.

13. A method of processing a record of events recorded during use of a communications network comprising:

generating a plurality of event records;

bundling one or more of said plurality of event records according to a policy to create an event collection;

generating an interpretable file comprising at least one instruction for processing at least one of the event records;

receiving the interpretable file at a service processor;

extracting the instructions from the interpretable file;

storing the instructions in a storage in the record processor;

retrieving the instructions from the storage of the record processor; and

applying the instructions to process the recorded events.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein said step of generating an interpretable file comprises:

receiving the event collection at a code-let builder; and

generating a code-let comprising at least one instruction for processing at least one of the event records.

15. A method of processing a record of one or more events recorded during use of a communications network comprising:

generating an event record;

generating an interpretable file comprising at least one instruction for processing the event record;

receiving the interpretable file at a service processor;

extracting the instruction from the interpretable file;

storing the instruction in a storage in the record processor;

retrieving the instruction from the storage of the record processor; and

applying the instruction to process the event record.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of generating an interpretable file comprises:

receiving the event record at a code-let builder; and

generating a code-let comprising at least one instruction for processing the event record.

17. A service processor for controlling a communications network to provide services to users coupled to the network, the service processor comprising:

at least one session processor that executes service logic related to at least one communication session and that generates at least one session processing event record pertaining to the communication session; and

at least one code-let builder that builds a code-let comprising the session processing event record and at least one instruction pertaining to how the session processing event record is to be processed by a record processor.

18. The service processor of claim 17 further comprising:

at least one dispatcher for sending the code-let to the record processor as an interpretable file.

19. The service processor of claim 17 further comprising:

at least one event bundler coupled to the session processor that receives the session processing event record and provides a collection of event records, including the session processing event record, to the code-let builder.

20. A method for providing service processing records from a communication service processor to a record processor comprising:

receiving at least one service processing record from the communication service processor, the service processing record relating to an action that has been performed by the communication service processor;

receiving at least one instruction from the communication service processor pertaining to how the service processing record is to be processed by the record processor; and

sending to the record processor, to service processing record and to instruction.