Methods and systems for call detail record generation for billing systems

• US 9,723,153 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Affirmed Networks, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: To, Philip, Garg, Deepak, Kappla, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US15/148,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• 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 15/41 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 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/725 by the operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/771 per terminal or location, e.g. mobile device with multiple directory numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8278 Event based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8358 Dynamic change of the length or frequency of the notification interval
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/857 Cumulative charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method for generating Call Detail Records (CDR) to optimize network usage notifications to a mobile device subscriber. The system and method can include a billing system module that determines CDR generation parameters for the mobile device subscriber based on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage, including increasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage relative to a predetermined quota is high and/or decreasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage relative to the predetermined quota is low. The CDR generation parameters can be applied to control CDR generation for the mobile device subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of generating Call Detail Records (CDR) to optimize network usage notifications to a mobile device subscriber, the method comprising:

determining, by a billing system module, CDR generation parameters for the mobile device subscriber based on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage, wherein determining the CDR generation parameters includes at least one of increasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage relative to a predetermined quota is high and decreasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage relative to the predetermined quota is low;

transmitting, by the billing system module, the CDR generation parameters to a Policy Charging and Enforcement Function (PCEF) module; and

applying, by a PCEF module, the received CDR generation parameters to control CDR generation for the mobile device subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the CDR generation parameters applied by the PCEF module is based on at least one of a predetermined time threshold and a predetermined data volume threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the CDR generation parameters, by the billing system module, includes at least one of increasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage reaches a first predetermined percentage of a network usage limit on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan and decreasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s usage is below a second predetermined percentage of the network usage limit on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the CDR generation parameters, by the billing system module, includes adjusting the CDR generation parameters based on a count of a number of members participating in the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the CDR generation parameters, by the billing system module, includes adjusting the CDR generation parameters based on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s past network usage behavior.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the CDR generation parameters, by the billing system module, includes adjusting the CDR generation parameters based on a billing cycle of the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan and independent of the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage, wherein a higher number of CDRs are generated at the end of the billing cycle than at the beginning of the billing cycle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing system module includes a database for storing information about the mobile device subscriber, the information including at least one of current and historical network usage for the mobile device subscriber and mobile device network plan information for call and data usage limits for the mobile device subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device subscriber includes one of an individual mobile device subscriber, a group of mobile device subscribers that are part of a shared mobile device network plan and a group of mobile device subscribers that subscribe to the same mobile device network plan and have similar network usage characteristics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device subscriber has multiple mobile devices registered under a single mobile device network plan, and the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage is based on the multiple mobile devices'"'"' network usage.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) module, information about current network usage by the mobile device subscriber to the billing system module.

11. A system for generating Call Detail Records (CDR) for a mobile device subscriber to optimize network usage notifications to a mobile device subscriber, the system comprising:

a billing system module that is configured to;

determine CDR generation parameters for the mobile device subscriber based on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage, wherein the CDR generation parameters includes at least one of increasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage relative to a predetermined quota is high and decreasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage relative to the predetermined quota is low; and

transmit the CDR generation parameters to a Policy Charging and Enforcement Function (PCEF) module; and

the PCEF module that is coupled to the billing system module and is configured to apply the received CDR generation parameters to control CDR generation for the mobile device subscriber.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the PCEF module is configured to apply the CDR generation parameters based on at least one of a predetermined time threshold and a predetermined data volume threshold.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the billing system module is configured to determine the CDR generation parameters based on at least one of increasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage reaches a first predetermined percentage of a network usage limit on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan and decreasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s usage is below a second predetermined percentage of the network usage limit on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the billing system module is configured to determine the CDR generation parameters, by adjusting the CDR generation parameters based on a count of a number of members participating in the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the billing system module is configured to determine the CDR generation parameters based on the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s past network usage behavior.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the billing system module is configured to determine the CDR generation parameters, by adjusting the CDR generation parameters based on at least one of a billing cycle of the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s mobile device network plan and independent of the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage, wherein a higher number of CDRs are generated at the end of the billing cycle than at the beginning of the billing cycle.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the billing system module includes a database for storing information about a mobile device subscriber, the information including at least one of current and historical network usage for the mobile device subscriber and mobile device network plan information for call and data usage limits for the mobile device subscriber.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device subscriber includes one of an individual mobile device subscriber, a group of mobile device subscribers that are part of a shared mobile device network plan, and a group of mobile device subscribers that subscribe to the same mobile network plan and have similar network usage characteristics.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device subscriber has multiple mobile devices registered under a single mobile device network plan, and the mobile device subscriber'"'"'s network usage is based on the multiple mobile devices'"'"' network usage.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) module configured to transmit information about current network usage by the mobile device subscriber to the billing system module.