Testing computerized analysis of communication data

• US 9,313,340 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cawson, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Odom, Curtis
• Application Number:
  US14/693,395
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• 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: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

In testing a computerized analysis of communication data, a uniform random time interval is generated to provide an incremental value of time for each communication, between a plurality of communication devices via one or more intermediate transmission devices. For each communication, the identifier for the communication device originating that communication, the identifier for the communication device receiving that communication, and the identifiers for the intermediate transmission devices associated with the originating communication device and the receiving communication device are determined. A communication data set including the time value, the determined communication devices, and the determined intermediate transmission devices of each communication is produced and applied to the computerized analysis of communication data. One or more errors are determined in the computerized analysis based on processing of the communication data set.

Claims

1. A method of testing computerized analysis of communication data comprising:

generating a uniform random time interval to provide an incremental value of time for each communication in the communication data, wherein each communication occurs between a plurality of communication devices via one or more intermediate transmission devices;

determining for each communication;

an identifier for the communication device originating that communication based on a first random variable, a duration of that communication, and a first time interval between communications for the originating communication device;

an identifier for the communication device receiving that communication based on a deviation from the identifier for the originating communication device and the duration of that communication, wherein the deviation is based on a second random variable scaled by a group size of communication devices associated with the originating communication device for that communication;

an identifier for the intermediate transmission device associated with the originating communication device of that communication based on a first random variation from the identifier of the originating communication device; and

an identifier for the intermediate transmission device associated with the receiving communication device of that communication based on a second random variation from the identifier of the receiving communication device;

producing a communication data set including the time value, the determined communication devices, and the determined intermediate transmission devices of each communication;

applying the communication data set to the computerized analysis of communication data; and

determining one or more errors in the computerized analysis based on processing of the communication data set.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

randomly determining the identifiers and associated group sizes for the communication devices; and

assigning the identifiers to the intermediate transmission devices by;

generating geographic location information for each intermediate transmission device;

sorting the intermediate transmission devices based on the geographic location information; and

assigning the identifiers to the sorted intermediate transmission devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication data set includes generated call detail records, the communication devices include cellular telephones, and the intermediate transmission devices include cellular towers for transmitting cellular signals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifiers for the communication devices are associated with telephone numbers, and the identifiers for the intermediate transmission devices are associated with local area numbers and cellular identification components.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

randomly determining a type for each communication, and assigning a duration for each communication based on the type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining for each communication the identifier for the communication device originating that communication further comprises:

applying a function to the first random variable to produce a function result and applying the function result to a quantity of the communication devices to produce an initial identifier, and

applying the initial identifier to a ratio of a quantity of the intermediate transmission devices to a quantity of the communication devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining for each communication the identifier for the communication device receiving that communication further comprises:

applying the identifier of the communication device originating that communication to a ratio of a quantity of the intermediate transmission devices to a quantity of the communication devices to produce an applied result and combining the applied result with the second random variable having a variance of the associated group size.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein producing the communication data set further comprises:

converting the determined identifiers of the communication devices to the associated telephone numbers; and

converting the determined identifiers of the intermediate transmission devices to the associated local area numbers and cellular identification components.

9. A system for testing computerized analysis of communication data comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a uniform random time interval to provide an incremental value of time for each communication in the communication data, wherein each communication occurs between a plurality of communication devices via one or more intermediate transmission devices;

determine for each communication;

an identifier for the communication device originating that communication based on a first random variable, duration of that communication, and a first time interval between communications for the originating communication device;

an identifier for the communication device receiving that communication based on a deviation from the identifier for the originating communication device and the duration of that communication, wherein the deviation is based on a second random variable scaled by a group size of communication devices associated with the originating communication device for that communication;

an identifier for the intermediate transmission device associated with the originating communication device of that communication based on a first random variation from the identifier of the originating communication device; and

an identifier for the intermediate transmission device associated with the receiving communication device of that communication based on a second random variation from the identifier of the receiving communication device;

produce a communication data set including the time value, the determined communication devices, and the determined intermediate transmission devices of each communication;

apply the communication data set to the computerized analysis of communication data; and

determine one or more errors in the computerized analysis based on processing of the communication data set.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

randomly determine the identifiers and associated group sizes for the communication devices; and

assign the identifiers to the intermediate transmission devices by;

generating geographic location information for each intermediate transmission device;

sorting the intermediate transmission devices based on the geographic location information; and

assigning the identifiers to the sorted intermediate transmission devices.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

randomly determine a type for each communication; and

assign a duration for each communication based on the type.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor, in determining for each communication the identifier for the communication device originating that communication, is further configured to:

apply a function to the first random variable to produce a function result and apply the function result to a quantity of the communication devices to produce an initial identifier; and

apply the initial identifier to a ratio of a quantity of the intermediate transmission devices to a quantity of the communication devices.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor, in determining for each communication the identifier for the communication device receiving that communication, is further configured to:

apply the identifier of the communication device originating that communication to a ratio of a quantity of the intermediate transmission devices to a quantity of the communication devices to produce an applied result and combine the applied result with the second random variable having a variance of the associated group size.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the identifiers for the communication devices are associated with telephone numbers, the identifiers for the intermediate transmission devices are associated with local area numbers and cellular identification components, and the processor, in producing the communication data set, is further configured to:

convert the determined identifiers of the communication devices to the associated telephone numbers; and

convert the determined identifiers of the intermediate transmission devices to the associated local area numbers and cellular identification components.

15. A computer program product for testing computerized analysis of communication data, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon, the computer-readable program code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

generate a uniform random time interval to provide an incremental value of time for each communication in the communication data, wherein each communication occurs between a plurality of communication devices via one or more intermediate transmission devices;

determine for each communication;

an identifier for the communication device originating that communication based on a first random variable, duration of that communication, and a first time interval between communications for the originating communication device;

an identifier for the communication device receiving that communication based on a deviation from the identifier for the originating communication device and the duration of that communication, wherein the deviation is based on a second random variable scaled by a group size of communication devices associated with the originating communication device for that communication;

an identifier for the intermediate transmission device associated with the originating communication device of that communication based on a first random variation from the identifier of the originating communication device; and

an identifier for the intermediate transmission device associated with the receiving communication device of that communication based on a second random variation from the identifier of the receiving communication device;

produce a communication data set including the time value, the determined communication devices, and the determined intermediate transmission devices of each communication;

apply the communication data set to the computerized analysis of communication data; and

determine one or more errors in the computerized analysis based on processing of the communication data set.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code is further configured to cause the processor to:

randomly determine the identifiers and associated group sizes for the communication devices; and

assign the identifiers to the intermediate transmission devices by;

generating geographic location information for each intermediate transmission device;

sorting the intermediate transmission devices based on the geographic location information; and

assigning the identifiers to the sorted intermediate transmission devices.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code is further configured to cause the processor to:

randomly determine a type for each communication; and

assign a duration for each communication based on the type.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code that causes the processor to determine for each communication the identifier for the communication device originating that communication is further configured to cause the processor to:

apply a function to the first random variable to produce a function result and apply the function result to a quantity of the communication devices to produce an initial identifier; and

apply the initial identifier to a ratio of a quantity of the intermediate transmission devices to a quantity of the communication devices.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code that causes the processor to determine for each communication the identifier for the communication device receiving that communication is further configured to cause the processor to:

apply the identifier of the communication device originating that communication to a ratio of a quantity of the intermediate transmission devices to a quantity of the communication devices to produce an applied result and combine the applied result with the second random variable having a variance of the associated group size.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the identifiers for the communication devices are associated with telephone numbers, the identifiers for the intermediate transmission devices are associated with local area numbers and cellular identification components, and the computer-readable program code that causes the processor to produce the communication data set, is further configured to:

convert the determined identifiers of the communication devices to the associated telephone numbers; and

convert the determined identifiers of the intermediate transmission devices to the associated local area numbers and cellular identification components.