Methods, systems and computer program products for synchronizing records in billing and service databases

• US 7,552,123 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newman, Stephen P., Pasko, Barbara, Bowen, Karen H., Wade, Amy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi; Diane
• Application Number:
  US10/640,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 705/34, 705/39, 705/40, 705/8, 705/35, 705/36, 705/37, 709/227, 715/753, 379/9, 379/9.02, 379/9.03, 379/29.01, 379/201.05, 379/201.12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Service and billing databases can be synchronized by accessing first data of a selected type in the billing database including billing data associated with network services provided to subscribers of the network to provide billing data that includes selected billing data of the selected type. Second data of the selected type is accessed in the service database including service data associated with maintaining the services to the subscriber to provide selected service data of the selected type. The service database is modified to include selected billing data that is present in the selected billing data and absent from the selected service data. The service database is modified to remove selected service data that is absent from the selected billing data.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing data in service and billing databases, the method comprising:

accessing, using a computer processor, first data of a selected type in a billing database including billing data associated with network services provided to subscribers of the network to provide billing data that includes selected billing data of the selected type;

accessing second data of the selected type in a service database including service data associated with maintaining the services to the subscriber to provide selected service data of the selected type;

modifying the service database to include selected billing data when the selected billing data is absent from the selected service data; and

modifying the service database to remove selected service data when the selected service data is absent from the selected billing data to synchronize the service and billing databases, wherein the service database comprises at least one of a Loop Maintenance and Operations System (LMOS), a Network Services Database (NSDB), a Trunk Information Record Keeping System (TIRKS), and a Work Force Administration/Control System (WFA/C); and

wherein the billing database comprises at least one of a Carrier Access Billing System (CABS), a Customer Record Information System (CRIS), and a combination of the CABS and CRIS.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the steps of modifying the service database to include selected billing data and modifying the service database to remove selected service data are preceded by:

comparing the selected billing data to the selected service data to determine the selected billing data to be included in the service database and to determine the selected service data to be removed from the service database.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the comparing comprises comparing the selected billing data to the selected service data using a database manager computer program.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

avoiding modifying the billing database.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

avoiding modifying the service database to include billing data of a type other than the selected type included in the billing database that is absent from the service database.

6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising:

avoiding modifying the service database to remove billing data of a type other than the selected type absent from the billing database.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the selected type comprises at least one of a circuit identifier and a Universal Service Order Code (USOC).

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the selected type is associated with a service provided to the subscriber that is included in the billing database and the service database.

9. A method of synchronizing data in service and billing databases, the method comprising:

determining a selected type of data to be synchronized in a billing database that includes billing data associated with network services provided to subscribers of the network and at least one service data base that each include service data associated with maintaining the services to the subscriber;

querying, using a computer processor, the billing database for first data of the selected type to provide billing data that includes selected billing data of the selected type;

querying the service database for second data of the selected type to provide selected service data of the selected type;

comparing the selected billing data to the selected service data to determine the selected billing data to be included in the service database and to determine the selected service data to be removed from the service database;

including the selected billing data that is absent from the selected service data in the service database;

removing the selected service data that is absent from the selected billing data from the service database;

avoiding modifying the billing database; and

avoiding modifying the service database to include billing data of a type other than the selected type included in the billing database that is absent from the service database to synchronize the service and billing databases, wherein the service database comprises at least one of a Loop Maintenance and Operations System (LMOS), a Network Services Database (NSDB), a Trunk Information Record Keeping System (TIRKS), and a Work Force Administration/Control System (WFA/C); and

wherein the billing database comprises at least one of a Carrier Access Billing System (CABS), a Customer Record Information System (CRIS), and a combination of the CABS and CRIS.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the comparing comprises comparing the selected billing data to the selected service data using a database manager computer program.

11. A method according to claim 9 further comprising:

avoiding modifying the service database to remove billing data of a type other than the selected type absent from the billing database.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the selected type comprises at least one of a circuit identifier and a Universal Service Order Code (USOC).

13. A system for synchronizing data in service and billing databases, the system comprising:

computer processor means for determining a selected type of data to be synchronized in a billing database that includes billing data associated with network services provided to subscribers of the network and at least one service data base that each include service data associated with maintaining the services to the subscriber;

computer processor means for querying the billing database for first data of the selected type to provide billing data that includes selected billing data of the selected type;

computer processor means for querying the service database for second data of the selected type to provide selected service data of the selected type;

computer processor means for comparing the selected billing data to the selected service data to determine the selected billing data to be included in the service database and to determine the selected service data to be removed from the service database;

computer processor means for including the selected billing data that is absent from the selected service data in the service database;

computer processor means for removing the selected service data that is absent from the selected billing data from the service database;

computer processor means for avoiding modifying the billing database; and

computer processor means for avoiding modifying the service database to include billing data of a type other than the selected type included in the billing database that is absent from the service database to synchronize the service and billing databases, wherein the service database comprises at least one of a Loop Maintenance and Operations System (LMOS), a Network Services Database (NSDB), a Trunk Information Record Keeping System (TIRKS), and a Work Force Administration/Control System (WFAIC); and

wherein the billing database comprises at least one of a Carrier Access Billing System (CABS), a Customer Record Information System (CRIS), and a combination of the CABS and CRIS.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the means for comparing comprises means for comparing the selected billing data to the selected service data using a database manager computer program.

15. A system according to claim 13 further comprising:

means for avoiding modifying the service database to remove billing data of a type other than the selected type absent from the billing database.

16. A system according to claim 13 wherein the selected type comprises at least one of a circuit identifier and a Universal Service Order Code (USOC).

17. A computer program product, executed by a computer processor, for synchronizing data in service and billing databases comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to access first data of a selected type in a billing database including billing data associated with network services provided to subscribers of the network to provide billing data that includes selected billing data of the selected type;

computer readable program code configured to access second data of the selected type in a service database including service data associated with maintaining the services to the subscriber to provide selected service data of the selected type;

computer readable program code configured to modify the service database to include selected billing data when the selected billing data is and absent from the selected service data; and

computer readable program code configured to modify the service database to remove selected service data when the selected service data is absent from the selected billing data to synchronize the service and billing databases, wherein the service database comprises at least one of a Loop Maintenance and Operations System (LMOS), a Network Services Database (NSDB), a Trunk Information Record Keeping System (TIRKS), and a Work Force Administration/Control System (WFA/C); and

wherein the billing database comprises at least one of a Carrier Access Billing System (CABS), a Customer Record Information System (CRIS), and a combination of the CABS and CRIS.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to compare the selected billing data to the selected service data to determine the selected billing data to be included in the service database and to determine the selected service data to be removed from the service database.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18 wherein the computer readable program code configured to compare comprises computer readable program code configured to compare the selected billing data to the selected service data using a database manager computer program.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to avoid modifying the billing database.

21. A computer program product according to claim 17 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to avoid modifying the service database to include billing data of a type other than the selected type included in the billing database that is absent from the service database.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to avoid modifying the service database to remove billing data of a type other than the selected type absent from the billing database.

23. A computer program product according to claim 17 wherein the selected type comprises at least one of a circuit identifier and a Universal Service Order Code (USOC).

24. A computer program product according to claim 17 wherein the selected type is associated with a service provided to the subscriber that is included in the billing database and the service database.