Revenue assurance tool

• US 7,720,759 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Senthil, Kim, Ailene, Deshong, Elizabeth, Lim, Marie Jennifer, Fine, Jack, LeGro, Euly
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi; Hani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shaikh; Mohammad Z
• Application Number:
  US11/756,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 42
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A system assures revenue reconciliation of customer billing and vendor settlements for multimedia services, including voice over IP, provided through a network. The system includes a data repository configured to store a plurality of tables, each table including data collected from a plurality of network elements in the network and relating to at least one of customer usage, mediation, customer billing and vendor settlement. The system also includes a processor configured to execute an alert rule based on data retrieved from at least one table stored in the data repository. The alert rule includes a comparison between the at least one table and at least one other table of the plurality of tables. The processor triggers an alert associated with the alert rule when a corresponding alert rule threshold is exceeded based on the comparison, and initiates reporting of the triggered alert.

Claims

1. A system for reconciling revenue discrepancies relating to customer billing and vendor settlements for multimedia services provided by a plurality of different vendors through a network, the system comprising:

an alert rule component repository configured to store alert rule components needed for the creation of alert rules in configuration tables, wherein a system user interactively creates at least one alert rule and at least one corresponding alert rule threshold by selecting alert rule components from the configuration tables, the alert rule having at least two set-up options including a tracking alert rule option and a trending alert rule option, and the alert rule threshold having at least three set-up options including a key-level threshold option that applies only to a specific set of key values, a default option that applies to all data, and a multiple alert threshold option;

a data repository configured to store a plurality of data tables, each data table including data collected from a plurality of network elements in the network and relating to vendor settlement and at least one of customer usage, mediation and customer billing; and

a processor configured to execute the at least one alert rule based on data retrieved from at least one data table of the plurality of data tables stored in the data repository, the at least one alert rule comprising a comparison between the at least one data table and at least one other data table of the plurality of tables;

wherein the processor triggers an alert associated with the at least one alert rule when the corresponding alert rule threshold associated with a revenue discrepancy is exceeded based on the comparison, and initiates reporting of the triggered alert, and

wherein the alert is triggered based on one of four user-selectable trigger options, including (1) when a variance is within a high boundary and a low boundary of the threshold, (2) when a variance is less than or equal to a high boundary of the threshold, (3) when a variance is greater than or equal to the low boundary of the threshold, and (4) when a variance is equal to a high boundary of a threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking alert rule option includes creating a tracking alert rule that monitors end-to-end data stream accuracy across different multimedia service functions, and the trending alert rule option includes creating a trending alert rule that monitors the behavior of a specific data component with a set period of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein reporting of the triggered alert comprises sending a notice identifying the at least one alert rule.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein sending the notice comprises at least one of paging or sending an email to a service provider.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein sending the notice comprises posting the notice in a web page report, accessible to a service provider.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple alert threshold option comprises three separate thresholds, including a high level alert threshold, a medium level alert threshold and a low level alert threshold, wherein each of the three thresholds has a different user selectable response due to the triggered alert.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the triggered alert indicates that a customer billing does not match a vendor settlement.

8. A method of revenue discrepancy reconciliation of customer billing and vendor settlements for multimedia services provided by a plurality of different vendors through a service network, the method comprising:

creating at least one alert rule and at least one corresponding alert rule threshold, by a user interactively selecting alert rule components from configuration tables stored in an alert rule component repository, the alert rule having at least two setup options including a tracking alert rule option and a trending alert rule option, and the alert rule threshold having at least three set-up options including a key-level threshold option that applies only to a specific set of key values, a default option that applies to all data, and a multiple alert threshold option;

executing the at least one alert rule;

applying the executed alert rule to data stored in a plurality of data tables in a data repository;

determining, by a processor, whether the executed alert rule threshold has been exceeded based on application of the executed alert rule, an alert associated with the rule being triggered when the threshold value has been exceeded; and

reporting when the alert has been triggered, indicating a possible revenue discrepancy,

wherein the alert is triggered based on one of four user-selectable trigger options, including (1) when a variance is within a high boundary and a low boundary of the threshold, (2) when a variance is less than or equal to a high boundary of the threshold, (3) when a variance is greater than or equal to the low boundary of the threshold, and (4) when a variance is equal to a high boundary of a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tracking alert rule option includes creating a tracking alert rule that monitors end-to-end data stream accuracy across different multimedia service functions, and the trending alert rule option includes creating a trending alert rule that monitors the behavior of a specific data component with a set period of time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein reporting when the executed alert rule has been triggered comprises sending a notice identifying the triggered alert.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the notice comprises at least one of paging or sending an email to a service provider.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the notice comprises posting the notice in a web page report, accessible to a service provider.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the revenue discrepancy comprises at least one of a revenue leakage, a data anomaly, a system defect, or an input error.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the executed alert rule comprises comparing raw pay per view usage data to billing and error data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the executed alert rule threshold comprises a difference in comparison of the raw pay per view usage data with the billing and error data of less than one percent.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the multiple alert threshold option comprises three separate thresholds, including a high level alert threshold, a medium level alert threshold and a low level alert threshold, wherein each of the three thresholds has a different system user selectable response due to the triggered alert.

17. A computer readable medium that stores a program, executable by a computer, for reconciling revenue discrepancies relating to customer usage and billing for voice over IP services provided through a service network, the computer readable medium comprising:

a creating code segment for enabling creation of at least one alert rule and at least one corresponding alert rule threshold, by a user interactively selecting alert rule components from configuration tables stored in an alert rule component repository, the alert rule having at least two setup options including a tracking alert rule option and a trending alert rule option, and the alert rule threshold having at least three set-up options including a key-level threshold option that applies only to a specific set of key values, a default option that applies to all data, and a multiple alert threshold option;

an executing code segment for executing the at least one alert rule;

a determining code segment for determining whether the at least one threshold value has been exceeded based on application of the at least one alert rule, an alert associated with the at least one alert rule being triggered when the at least one threshold value has been exceeded; and

a reporting code segment for causing a report to be generated when the alert has been triggered, indicating a possible revenue discrepancy

wherein the alert is triggered based on one of four user-selectable trigger options, including (1) when a variance is within a high boundary and a low boundary of the threshold, (2) when a variance is less than or equal to a high boundary of the threshold, (3) when a variance is greater than or equal to the low boundary of the threshold, and (4) when a variance is equal to a high boundary of a threshold.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the tracking alert rule option includes creating a tracking alert rule that monitors end-to-end data stream accuracy across different multimedia service functions, and the trending alert rule option includes creating a trending alert rule that monitors the behavior of a specific data component with a set period of time.