Systems and methods for communicating from an integration platform to a billing unit

• US 20020138427A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Trivedi, Prakash A.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• 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 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 : Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 : by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 : Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 : Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 : in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 : in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 : Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 : Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 : Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 : Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 : at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 : Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• 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 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 : Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 : for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 : for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 : using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 : for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 : for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 : based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8207 : Time based data metric aspects, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 : Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 : composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 : Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 : On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2013 : Fixed data network, e.g. PDN, ATM, B-ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 : VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 : Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 : Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7813 : Time based data, e.g. VoIP or circuit switched packet data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/782 : Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 : Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 : Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 : Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 : Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0078 : Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 : where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

An operational support system includes an integration platform and a billing system. The integration platform receives user-entered information and generates an event based on the user-entered information. The integration platform publishes the event on a channel subscribed to by a connector associated with the billing system. The connector transforms the event information to a format compatible with the billing system and forwards the event to a channel that is associated with a data storage system. The connector establishes communication with the billing system and downloads the information to the billing system in response to a message indicating that the data storage system received the event information.

Claims

1. A method for conununicating from a first system to a billing system, the method comprising:

receiving user-entered information at the first system;

sending, by the first system, event information to a channel, the event information being based on the user-entered information and the channel being subscribed to by a first connector associated with the billing system;

receiving, by the first connector, the event information;

transforming the event information to a format compatible with the billing system;

publishing the event information to a channel subscribed to by a second connector associated with a database system;

sending, by the database system, an indication that the database system received the event information;

receiving the indication by the first connector;

establishing, by the first connector, communications with the billing system; and

downloading the transformed event information to the billing system.

2. The method of claim 1, fuirther comprising:

writing the transformed event information to a database associated with the billing system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending order-related information, after writing the transformed event information, from the billing system to the first connector; and

forwarding the order-related information to the database system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the order-related information comprises a service identifier, the method further comprising:

storing the service identifier in the database system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling the billing system to not download the transformed event information if the indication is not received by the first connector.

6. The method of claim 1, fturther comprising:

queuing the transformed event information if the first connector is unable to establish communications with the billing system; and

periodically attempting to establish communications with the billing system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating an alarm if communications with the billing system are not established after a predetermined period of time or after a predetermined number of attempts.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-entered information comprises information associated with at least one of account management, order management, service management and bill presentation and the establishing communications with the billing system includes:

establishing communications using remote method invocation over Internet interORB protocol.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of sequences of instructions, said sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

monitor an input channel for data associated with at least one of adding, deleting and modifying information stored in a billing system;

receive the data associated with at least one of adding, deleting and modifying information stored in the billing system;

format the data based on a type associated with the received data;

forward the data to an operational data storage system;

receive an indication that the operational data storage system received the data;

establish, in response to receiving the indication, communications with the billing system; and

download the formatted data to the billing system.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, including further instructions for causing the processor to:

receive order-related information from the billing system; and

forward the order-related information to the operational data storage system.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the order-related information comprises a service identifier.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, including further instructions for causing the processor to:

queue the formatted data if the indication is not received.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, including fu~rther instructions for causing the processor to:

queue the formatted data if communications with the billing system are not established; and

periodically attempt to establish communications with the billing system.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, including further instructions for causing the processor to:

generate an alarm if communications with the billing system are not established after a predetermined number of attempts or after a predetermined period of time.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the data associated with at least one of adding, deleting and modifying information stored in the billing system comprises information associated with at least one of account management, order management, service management and bill presentation and when establishing communications with the billing system, the instructions cause the processor to:

establish communications using remote method invocation over Internet interORB protocol.

17. The support system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive order-related information from the billing system, and

forward the order-related information to the operational data storage system.

18. The support system of claim 17, wherein the order-related information comprises a service identifier associated with a service to which a user wishes to subscribe.

19. The support system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

queue the event if communications with the billing system cannot be established, and

periodically attempt to establish communications with the billing system.

20. The support system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate an alarm if communications with the billing system are not established after a predetermined period of time or after a predetermined number of attempts.

21. The support system of claim 16, wherein the user-entered information comprises information associated with at least one of account management, order management, service management and bill presentation and when establishing communications with the billing system, the processor is configured to:

establish communications using remote method invocation over Internet interORB protocol.

16. A support system, comprising:

a memory configured to store an application program to integrate a number of hardware platforms; and

a processor configured to execute the application program and;

receive input data,

output event information associated with the input data to a channel subscribed to by a first connector associated with a billing system,

transform the data into an appropriate format for the billing system based on a type associated with the input data,

forward the data to an operational data storage system,

receive an indication that the operational data storage system received the data,

establish communications with the billing system, in response to receiving the indication, and

download the transformed data to the billing system.

22. A software-based connector for communicating between an integration platform and a billing system using remote method invocation over Internet inter-ORB protocol (RMI over IIOP), the connector comprising:

a transformer module configured to;

receive input information associated with a request for information from the billing system,

identify an opcode corresponding to the request, and

format the request to include the identified opcode; and

a client module configured to;

establish communications with the billing system,

transmit the formatted request to the billing system, and

receive information from the billing system in response to the request.

23. The software-based connector of claim 22, wherein the transformer module is further configured to:

receive event information associated with at least one of a request to change a plan associated with a service or a request for a new service,

transform the event information into an appropriate format, and

output information associated with the received event information to a channel subscribed to by a connector associated with at least one other system.

24. The software-based connector of claim 23, wherein the at least one other system comprises an operational data storage system and the client module is further configured to:

receive a message from the operational data storage system when the operational data storage system has received the information,

establish communications with the billing system in response to receiving the message, and

download the transformed event information to the billing system.

25. The software-based connector of claim 24, wherein the client module is further configured to:

queue the transformed event information if communications with the billing system cannot be established, and

periodically attempt to establish communications with the billing system.

26. The software-based connector of claim 22, wherein the received input information comprises at least one of a request for account information associated with a customer, a request for charge information associated with a customer and a request for service information associated with a customer.

27. The software-based connector of claim 23, wherein the event information comprises information associated with at least one of account management, order management, service management and bill presentation.