METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BILLING TRANSACTIONS

• US 20010009002A1
• Filed: 02/19/1998
• Published: 07/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSG Systems Incorporated (CSG Systems International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CSG Systems Incorporated (CSG Systems International Incorporated)
• Inventors: LOGAN, JAMES R., WILLIAMS, CRAIG G., COHEN, MARK B., GOLLOB, DAVID J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,493,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A computer system and method for processing bills for a plurality of customers of a plurality of node systems within a larger system, each customer bill having a particular billing cycle, comprises a memory for storing a plurality of customer bill records containing raw data to be processed to generate a customer bill. The system also comprises a bill production initiator for waking up periodically and initiating a billing cycle for a plurality of the customer bill records stored in the memory. At least one bill production manager generates a plurality of processing group files containing at least one of the customer bill records stored in the memory such each processing group file has an efficient size and contains customer bill records having at least one common variable. At least one bill production worker processes the customer bill records from at least one of the processing groups.

Claims

1. A method for processing bills for a plurality of customers of a plurality of node systems within a larger system, each customer bill having a particular billing cycle, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a current time and date;

gathering all customer bill records to be processed;

distributing the customer bill records into node groups based upon the node system associated with the customer;

dividing the node groups into one or more sub-node groups, wherein the each customer bill record distributed into each sub-node group shares at least one common variable;

dividing the sub-node groups into processing groups, wherein the number of customer bill records distributed into each processing group is predetermined; and

processing the bills from each processing group.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein all of the customer bills are distributed into the sub-node groups based on a franchise tax area.

3. The method of

claim 1

further comprising the steps of processing a plurality of the processing groups in parallel on a plurality of processors.

4. The method of

claim 3

further comprising the steps of monitoring the processors and upon completion of one of the processing groups on the processors initiating another processing group on that processor which just completed.

5. The method of

claim 1

wherein the processing step comprises multiple phases.

6. The method of

claim 5

further comprising the step of indicating the initiation and completion of each of the phases of the processing step.

7. The method of

claim 6

further comprising the step of determining a restarting point for processing upon a failure to complete processing.

8. The method of

claim 5

wherein the processing phases comprise the steps of:

initiating the customer bill;

gathering product transactions for the customer bill;

gathering non-product transactions for the customer bill;

aging account information for the customer bill;

determining a collections status for the customer bill;

gathering messages for the customer bill; and

formatting the customer bill.

9. The method of

claim 1

wherein the step of gathering all customer bill records to be processed comprises gathering all customer bill records having a billing cycle begin date and time greater than the current time.

10. A computer system for processing bills for a plurality of customers of a plurality of node systems within a larger system, each customer bill having a particular billing cycle, comprising:

means for monitoring a current time and date;

means for generating a file containing customer bill records to be processed;

means for distributing the customer bills records into node groups based upon the node system associated with the customer;

means for dividing the node groups into one or more sub-node groups, wherein each customer bill distributed into each sub-node group shares at least one common variable,

means for dividing the sub-node groups into processing groups, wherein the number of customer bills records distributed into each processing group is predetermined, and

processor means for processing the customer bill records from at least one of the processing group files.

11. The computer system of

claim 10

wherein all of the customer bills are distributed into the sub-node groups share a common franchise tax area.

12. The computer system of

claim 10

wherein the processor means comprises a plurality of processors operating in parallel.

13. The computer system of

claim 12

further comprising:

means for monitoring the processors to detect the completion of one of the processing group files on the processors; and

means for initiating another processing group file on the processor which just completed.

14. The computer system of

claim 10

comprising means for reprocessing a customer bill record which was not completed prior to a failure.

15. A computer system for processing bills for a plurality of customers of a plurality of node systems within a larger system, each customer bill having a particular billing cycle, comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of customer bill;

a bill production initiator means for waking up periodically and initiating a billing cycle for a plurality of the customer bill records stored in the memory means;

at least one bill production manager means for generating a plurality of processing group files containing at least one of the customer bills records stored in the memory means such each processing group file has an efficient size and contains customer bill records having at least one common variable; and

at least one bill production worker means for processing the customer bill records from at least one of the processing groups.

16. The computer system of

claim 15

wherein the bill production initiator means further comprises:

means for monitoring a current time and date; and

means for initiating the billing cycle for customer bill records having a billing cycle begin date and time greater than the current time and date.

17. The computer system of

claim 15

wherein the bill production manager means comprises means for distributing the customer bills records into processing group files based upon the node system associated with the customer.

18. The computer system of

claim 17

wherein the bill production manager means further comprises means for distributing the customer bill records into processing group files based on a geographical location of the customer.

19. The computer system of

claim 18

wherein the bill production manager means further comprises means for distributing a predetermined number of the customer bill records into each processing group file.

20. The computer system of

claim 15

wherein the bill production manager means comprises means for distributing a predetermined number of the customer bill records into each processing group file.

21. The computer system of

claim 20

wherein the predetermined number of customer bill records is determined to be equal to the number of customer bill records which may be processed in a predetermined amount of time.

22. The computer system of

claim 21

wherein the predetermined amount of time is about one hour.

23. The computer system of

claim 15

wherein the bill production manager means comprises means for distributing the customer bill records into processing group files based on a franchise tax area in which the customer is located.