# US 7,609,826 B2 · System and method for preparing telecommunications call record data for quantitative analysis

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- Number: US 7,609,826 B2
- Document ID: US7609826B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/186,513
- Filed: 2005-07-21
- Published: 2006-03-02
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2004-08-25
- Assignees: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Angela Shau-han Liu; Jeremy Y. Ho; William A. Samples; Allan T. Kerr; Michelle M. Tompkins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609826B2

## CPC

- H04M 15/41: {Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]}
- 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}
- H04M 15/04: Recording calls {, or communications} in printed, perforated or other permanent form
- H04M 15/43: {Billing software details}
- H04M 15/50: {for cross-charging network operators}
- H04M 15/58: {based on statistics of usage or network monitoring}
- 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
- H04M 2215/0188: Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
- H04M 2215/52: Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A system and method for processing gathered call data from a network monitoring system to prepare the call data for analyzing call routing across a network, not limited to call data associated with the transit portion of a call path. The system and method include correlating call data to form a correlated set, ordering the call data in the correlated set to form a compound CDR, and enriching the compound CDR by comparing CDRs within the compound CDR to each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for preparing call data for analysis comprising the steps of:
joining individual Call Detail Records (CDRs) from a correlated set of calls into a compound CDR;
enriching the compound CDR based on comparing fields of the individual CDRs;
ordering the individual CDRs that make up the enriched compound CDR by time;
marking the individual CDRs with correlation identifiers associated with the time order of the individual CDRs; and
saving the ordered, enriched compound CDR.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
ordering the individual CDRs by increased time according to IAM timestamp.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
identifying and marking an initial individual CDR; and
identifying and marking a final individual CDR.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
computing a total number of ordered CDRs in the compound CDR;
comparing the total number of ordered CDRs in the compound CDR with a preselected maximum number of CDRs; and
deleting from the total number of CDRs a number of ordered CDRs that is greater than the preselected maximum number of CDRs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
creating the correlated set of CDRs.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein said step of creating the correlated set (812) comprises the steps of:
determining originating CDRs and terminating CDRs;
determining whether the originating CDRs and the terminating CDRs are correlated;
obtaining correlated candidate pairs from the determined correlated CDRs;
establishing whether a correlated candidate pair of the obtained correlated candidate pairs is unique within the obtained correlated candidate pairs; and
adding the unique pair to the correlated set of CDRs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of determining the originating CDRs comprises the steps of:
obtaining a CDR;
determining whether a call associated with the CDR is leaving a monitored network (MN); and
determining whether a called party jurisdictional state associated with the CDR is in the MN.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 said step of determining the originating CDRs further comprises the step of:
determining if a called party jurisdiction Local Access Transport Area (LATA) and a called party number associated with the CDR are in the MN.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 said step of determining the originating CDRs further comprises the step of:
determining if a called party number associated with the CDR is ported into the MN.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:
marking the CDRs as originating CDRs if a called party number associated with the CDR is in the MN.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of obtaining the correlated candidate pairs comprises the steps of:
selecting a preselected CDR from the originating CDRs;
comparing the preselected CDR with an individual CDR from the compound CDR; and
determining whether a call associated with the preselected CDR and the individual CDR is entering the MN.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of obtaining the correlated candidate pairs comprises the step of:
determining whether a difference between a terminating CDR Initial Address Message (IAM) time and an originating CDR IAM time are within a preselected correlation window.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of obtaining the correlated candidate pairs comprises the step of:
determining whether a difference between an originating CDR Answer Message (ANM) time and a terminating CDR ANM time are within a preselected correlation window.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of obtaining the correlated candidate pairs comprises the step of:
determining whether a difference between a terminating CDR Release Message (REL) time and an originating CDR REL time are within a preselected correlation window.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of obtaining the correlated candidate pairs comprises the step of:
determining whether an originating called number is the same as a terminating called number.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said step of obtaining the correlated candidate pairs comprises the step of:
determining whether an originating redirect status is the same as a terminating redirect status.

### Claim 17

A system for processing Call Detail Records (CDRs) to save the CDRs for analyzing call routing comprising:
means for joining individual CDRs from a correlated set of calls into a compound CDR;
means for enriching said compound CDR based on comparing fields of said individual CDRs;
means for ordering said individual CDRs that make up said enriched compound CDR by time;
means for marking said ordered individual CDRs with correlation identifiers associated with the time order of the ordered individual CDRs; and
means for saving said ordered, enriched, compound CDR.

### Claim 18

A system for creating an enriched compound Call Detail Record (CDR) comprising:
means for identifying CDRs according to a correlation identifier from a correlated set;
means for sorting said CDRs in time order;
means for concatenating said sorted CDRs into a compound CDR; and
means for enriching said compound CDR.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 further comprising:
means for determining duplicate CDRs from said correlated set; and
means for removing said duplicate CDRs prior to executing said means for ordering.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein said means for enriching comprises:
means for comparing a first field associated with a first CDR in said correlated set to a last field associated with a last CDR in said correlated set.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein said means for enriching comprises:
means for computing a total number of CDRs in said correlated set.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein said means for enriching comprises:
means for flagging a missing CDR leg is said compound CDR.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein said means for enriching comprises:
means for flagging at least one arbitrage scenario in said compound CDR.