Synchronizing real-time and off-line accounts for communications
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsJoachim Wahlberg, Andreas Abrahamsson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Synchronization is provided between a real-time charging system (22) and an off-line billing system (24) of a communications network. The synchronization is facilitated by the real-time charging system (22) preparing a reporting record which includes information comprising: (1) an accumulated cost parameter associated with the event; (2) the real-time account balance, the real-time account balance reflecting the accumulated cost parameter; and (3) a transaction identifier associated with the event. The reporting record (40) is processed by the off-line billing system (24) so that the balances of a real-time account (34) and a off-line account (54) for a subscriber and be compared and, if necessary, adjusted, or other actions taken.
Claims23
A method of operating a communications network comprising:
- in a real-time charging system:
- maintaining a real-time account balance for a subscriber;
- for a communications event involving the subscriber, preparing a record for forwarding to an off-line billing system;
- in the record including information comprising:
- (1) an accumulated cost parameter associated with the event;
- (2) the real-time account balance, the real-time account balance reflecting the accumulated cost parameter;
- and (3) a transaction identifier associated with the event;
- at the billing system:
- maintaining an off-line account balance for the subscriber;
- upon receipt of the record, re-computing the off-line account balance for the subscriber to obtain a recomputed off-line balance for the subscriber which reflects the accumulated cost parameter;
- performing a comparison of the recomputed off-line account balance with the real-time account balance.
A node of a communications network comprising:
- a database configured to maintain a real-time account balance for a subscriber;
- a reporter unit configured, in conjunction with a communications event involving the subscriber, to prepare a record for forwarding to an off-line billing system, the record including information comprising:
- (1) an accumulated cost parameter associated with the event;
- (2) the real-time account balance, the real-time account balance reflecting the accumulated cost parameter;
- and (3) a transaction identifier associated with the event.
A node of a communications network comprising:
- a database configured to maintain an off-line account balance for a subscriber;
- a balance computer configured, upon receipt of a charging record, to re-compute the off-line account balance for the subscriber to obtain a recomputed off-line balance, the charging record including information comprising:
- (1) an accumulated cost parameter associated with a real-time communications event involving the subscriber;
- (2) a real-time account balance for the subscriber;
- and (3) a transaction identifier associated with the event;
- an account checker configured to perform a comparison of the recomputed off-line account balance with the real-time account balance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.