Broadband intelligent event repository

• US 8,370,223 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Unkenholz, Douglas, Furlong, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US11/515,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32.01, 379/32.04, 705/26, 705/40, 705/53, 705/16, 705/34, 709/224, 709/229
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A broadband intelligent event repository may be provided. The broadband intelligent repository may allow a cross processing life cycle phase view of an event. In addition, the broadband intelligent repository may provide for the ability to associate all recordings associated with a given event. Furthermore, the broadband intelligent repository may provide the ability to view events as they morph through the various phases of the processing life cycle. The events may occur at elements within a data network. The data network may be configured to provide at least one of the following services: voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services.

Claims

1. A method to provide links within a data repository, the method comprising:

storing in the data repository a broadband usage event;

assigning a first key to the broadband usage event in the data repository;

storing in the data repository a rated network datum;

assigning a second key to the rated network datum in the data repository;

storing in the data repository a billed network datum;

assigning a third key to the billed network datum in the data repository;

creating a first link between the first key assigned to the broadband usage event and the second key assigned to the rated network datum;

creating a second link between the second key assigned to the rated network datum and the third key assigned to the billed network datum;

receiving a request for broadband usage information corresponding to the billed network datum after the billed network datum has been generated;

in response to the request, using a processor and the second link to determine that the rated network datum is associated with the billed network datum;

using the processor and the first link to further determine that the broadband usage event is associated with the rated network datum; and

retrieving the broadband usage event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadband usage event is associated with a data network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data network is to provide at least one of the following services:

voice-over-internet protocol communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising saving data corresponding to the broadband usage event occurring at an element within the data network to a raw network database included in the data repository.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

formatting the data corresponding to the broadband usage event occurring at the element within the data network; and

saving the formatted data corresponding to the broadband usage event occurring at the element within the data network to a formatted network database included in the data repository.

6. A system comprising:

a first memory;

a first processor in communication with the first memory, the first processor being programmed to;

receive broadband usage data from a data network, the broadband usage data corresponding to broadband usage events occurring at elements within the data network, the data network to provide at least one of the following services;

voice-over-internet protocol communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services, and

determine a billable event from the broadband usage data, the billable event corresponding to a portion of the broadband usage events occurring at the elements within the data network that are chargeable;

a second memory storage,

a second processor in communication with the second memory, the second processor being programmed to;

create rated network data from the billable events by associating a monetary amount to each of the billable events, and

generate billing data from the rated network data;

a third memory;

a third processor in communication with the third memory, the third processor being programmed to;

store the broadband usage data in the data repository;

assign a first key to the broadband usage data in the data repository;

store the rated network data in the data repository;

assign a second key to the rated network datum in the data repository;

store billed data in the data repository;

assign a third key to the billed data in the data repository;

create a first link between the first key assigned to the broadband usage data and the second key assigned to the rated network data;

create a second link between the second key assigned to the rated network data and the third key assigned to the billed data;

receive a request for broadband usage data corresponding to the billed data after the billed data has been generated;

in response to the request, use the second link to determine that the rated network data is associated with the billed data;

use the first link to further determine that the broadband usage data is associated with the rated network data; and

retrieve the broadband usage data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first processor is programmed to determine the billable events from the data by applying rules to the data.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second processor is programmed to create the rated network data from the billable events by applying billing information associated with billing plans corresponding to customers of the data network to the billable events.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the second processor is programmed to generate the billing data from the rated network data by changing a status associated with at least one of the billable records.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the first processor is further programmed to save the broadband usage data corresponding to the broadband usage events occurring at the elements within the data network to a raw network database included in the data repository.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the first processor is further programmed to save the billable events to a billable events database.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the second processor is further programmed to save the rated network data to a rated network database included in the data repository.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the first processor is further programmed to:

format the broadband usage data corresponding to the broadband usage events occurring at the elements within the data network; and

save the formatted broadband usage data corresponding to the broadband usage events occurring at the elements within the data network to a formatted network database included in the data repository.

14. A tangible computer-readable medium which stores instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

store a broadband usage event in a data repository;

assign a first key to the broadband usage event in the data repository;

store a rated network datum in a data repository;

assign a second key to the rated network datum in the data repository;

store a billed network datum in a data repository;

assign a third key to the billed network datum in the data repository;

create a first link between the first key assigned to the broadband usage event and the second key assigned to the rated network datum;

create a second link between the second key assigned to the rated network datum and the third key assigned to the billed network datum;

receive a request for broadband usage information corresponding to the billed network datum after the billed network datum has been generated;

in response to the request, use the second link to determine that the rated network datum is associated with the billed network datum;

use the first link to further determine that the broadband usage event is associated with the rated network datum; and

retrieve the broadband usage event.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

format data corresponding to the broadband usage event occurring at elements within a data network; and

save the formatted data corresponding to the events occurring at the elements within the data network to a formatted network database included in the data repository.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the broadband usage event is associated with a data network.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the data network is to provide at least one of the following services:

voice-over-internet protocol communications services, video services, Internet services, and e-mail services.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to save data corresponding to the broadband usage event occurring at elements within the data network to a raw network database included in the data repository.