Abstract:
System and method for facilitating consolidated billing within a converging telecommunications network. The system and method include and involve a network resource control facility communicating with and controlling a plurality of network resources within a merged telecommunications network to deliver at least one merged communications service. Each network resource is configured to provide a communications function and to generate corresponding billing data. The network resource control facility is configured to consolidate the billing data from at least one network resource from the plurality of network resources in real-time related to at least one telecommunications service provided within said telecommunications network to generate consolidated billing data. The system and method further include an interface facility which is accessible via a network connection and which is configured to access the network resource control facility to receive the consolidated billing data to produce a consolidated billing notice related to the telecommunications service(s) that are provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to systems and methods used to consolidate billing and accounting data and practices in converging telecommunications networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods used to receive billing information from disparate telecommunications devices which may be operated by a multitude of telecommunications vendors.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Today&#39;s telecommunications industry is a crowded one in which customers and service providers are being increasingly linked together via converging networks, such as in the case of converging voice and data networks. As such, a growing trend to make communications services available over publicly accessible networks such as the Internet increases the need for open, multi-vendor, multi-protocol networks and systems. Such a trend has been realized as result of the fact that service providers and others have found that closed, single-vendor, single-protocol networks are, difficult, if not impossible, to create and manage, are not scalable to meet future communications needs, and do not permit consumers to self-direct their communications needs.  
           [0005]    As the need for more and enhanced services to be provided via the Internet increases, for example, consumers of telecommunications services will demand greater numbers of customized services, such as enhanced video-conferencing, increased bandwidth, etc. Additionally, consumers requiring greater control of their services will require the ability to self-provision and direct the provision of services “on demand.” 
           [0006]    Currently, providing such on-demand and often customized services and network based solutions such as those to be provided via the Internet is prohibited both in terms of capability and cost. For example, a single network solution or service (e.g., enhanced bandwidth for specific network events, etc.) now requires the concerted cooperation of several telecommunication providers and may involve the operation and control of devices manufactured and controlled by a multitude of vendors, some of which may operate based on unique and, possibly, proprietary protocols. Such disparate systems and the network resources used to deliver network services ultimately may not interface with other telecommunications devices without requiring significant effort in terms of customization and configuration. And, then, if such services can ultimately be provisioned by pre-arranging vendor relationships and pre-configuring hardware and software solutions, consumers may face costs associated with such customized services that far out weigh any benefits.  
           [0007]    Another problem facing consumers and telecommunications providers alike, is the inability to provide consolidated billing and accounting information to facilitate purchasing and supplying of telecommunications services. Such problems are exacerbated when thought of in the context of converging networks where many different types of transport across many different network layers supporting voice and data applications may be custom-linked to service a particular customer need. While some vendors such as MCI/MCI WORLDCOM, INC. have offered “one” type billing systems wherein consolidated billing and accounting information related to a host of services (e.g., voice bandwidth, data bandwidth, cellular) purchased by a particular a customer is made available to that customer, such systems typically are single-vendor based, are directed to a single, particular customer, and merely refer to purchases of pre-configured service offerings. Such prior consolidated billing schemes offered no way of consolidating billing and accounting information related to one or more services that, in fact, are custom configured based on a particular customer&#39;s on-demand provisioning choices, etc.  
           [0008]    Thus, there exists a need to provide new and improved systems and methods to provision network resources in converging telecommunications networks such as converging voice and data networks to deliver merged, services based on customer needs on demand, and, thus, to consolidate billing and accounting data related to such merged services. To be viable such systems and methods must support legacy systems and integrate new technologies seamlessly so that consumers of telecommunications services can obtain a breadth of feature rich services and receive consolidated billing and accounting statements. Such systems and methods must support various network technologies, facilitate communications within multi-protocol networks, and permit consolidated billings and accounting schemes. And, such new and improved systems and methods must permit consumers of telecommunications services to self-provision and self-direct their telecommunications services from within easily usable interfaces such as Internet and web based interfaces that support communications service provision on demand.  
           [0009]    The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems and needs squarely and provides such new and improved systems and methods as described below.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention solves the aforementioned problems and provides new and improved systems and methods for integrating network resources within converging telecommunications networks to provision communications services and to consolidate billing data generated by disparate telecommunications devices. Such systems and methods are capable of enabling providers of services to link with other providers seamlessly to provide enhanced services over voice and data networks especially over publicly accessible networks such as the Internet. Consumers of telecommunications services will benefit from the present invention by obtaining greater control over their communications needs and, in particular, will gain the ability to self direct and self-provision the services they need, and the ability to receive consolidated billing notices and the like.  
           [0011]    The present invention solves the aforementioned problems and delivers the above-stated benefits by providing new and improved systems and methods for facilitating consolidated billing within a converging telecommunications network. The system and method include and involve a network resource control facility communicating with and controlling a plurality of network resources within a merged telecommunications network to deliver at least one merged communications service. Each network resource is configured to provide a communications function and to generate corresponding billing data. The network resource control facility is configured to consolidate the billing data from at least one network resource from the plurality of network resources in real-time related to at least one telecommunications service provided within said telecommunications network to generate consolidated billing data. The system and method further include an interface facility which is accessible via a network connection and which is configured to access the network resource control facility to receive the consolidated billing data to produce a consolidated billing notice related to the telecommunications service(s) that are provided.  
           [0012]    The present invention is discussed in detail below with regard to several attached drawing figures which are next described briefly. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURES  
       [0013]    The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, of which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system in which telecommunications services may be provisioned and in which consolidated billing and accounting data may be generated and collected based on customer requests received in real time and on-demand;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a data processing system that may be used to implement control systems, interfacing facilities, and database management facilities in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 2B is a screen shot of a user interface (UI) screen manifested as a Java Applet within a web browser application to facilitate telecommunications service provisioning in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention and, in particular, pre-paid calling card/PIN services such as batch processing maintenance related to activating whole batches of card accounts based on customer specifications established via a web connection and in real time;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2C is a database scheme/record format/structure configured to control the storage attributes of data collected in regard to the UI depicted in FIG. 2B;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2D is a screen shot of a consolidated billing notice provided within a web browser application in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a flowchart that illustrates salient operations and processes that may be carried out within the system shown in FIG. 1 to facilitate provisioning of and billing practices related to telecommunications services in real time and on-demand. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    The present invention is now discussed in detail with regard to the attached drawing figures which were briefly described above. Unless otherwise indicated, like parts and processes are referred to with like reference numerals.  
       Structural Aspects of the Present Invention  
       [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 1, depicted therein is a diagram of a system in which customers may access a merged telecommunication network to receive merged telecommunications services in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, system  100  includes a merged telecommunications network which may include at least portions of a global network, the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN), the Internet (and world wide web), etc. Moreover, system  100  may include vendor communications systems V 1  through V 6  (among others), wherein each vendor system may include switching systems, interactive voice response units, control facilities and database management facilities, interfacing facilities and a host of other telecommunications devices found in modern telecommunications networks and which may be accessed in merged telecommunications network  102  using a variety of modern communications protocols and device messaging schemes.  
         [0022]    In system  100 , a calling party such as calling party CP may utilize calling services through a central office  114  which is coupled to merged telecommunications network  102  to receive telecommunication services based upon communications functions provided by telecommunications devices such as those provided by vendors V 1 -V 6 . For example, a particular telecommunications service may include the operations of a router such as router  112  in the context of data based telecommunications services, voice response services, such as those provided by vendor V 5  via IVRU unit  108 , gateway services provided by gateway system  122  which is provided by vendor V 6 , etc. Moreover, telecommunications services may include voice calls which ultimately terminate at a called party such as CEDP party via central office  116 . Furthermore, customer systems C 1  and C 2  may incorporate multimedia telecommunications systems including computing platforms that facilitate multimedia communications via merged telecommunications network  102 . Such services may be provided via vendor systems V 1 , V 3  along with an Inter-Exchange Carrier system denoted by system IXC (denoted by phantom lines forming a box around a vendor network that includes interactive voice response unit (IVRU)  124  and a switching platform  126 ).  
         [0023]    Within system  100 , vendor V 3 , for example, is shown to include control facilities, database management facilities and an interfacing facility. The control facilities in conjunction with the database facilities and the interfacing facility, permit customers to custom configure (self-direct) telecommunications services on demand and in real time (e.g., during normal business operations) via couplings made automatically within the merged telecommunications network  102 . For example, interfacing facility IF vendor system V 3  may incorporate switching facilities  118 ,  119 , and  120  along with IVRU facilities  108  to provide a custom configured telecommunications service in real time. That is, each communications function provided by a particular telecommunications device or facility within system  100  may be treated as an inventory item within merged telecommunications network  102 , for example, to facilitate custom configuration of telecommunications services on demand and based on customer requirements. Accordingly, a customer such as customer C 2  may access merged telecommunications network  102  and ultimately, interfacing facility IF of vendor system V 3  to custom configure bandwidth allocation services on demand and in real time without the need to request such services in advance and via live operator intervention. Accordingly, customer C 2  may access an ISP system  110  to provide access to merged telecommunications network  102 , for example, to engage the operations of interfacing facility IF of vendor system V 3  in the abstract so that in the event that communications functions provided by disparate telecommunications devices are needed to fulfill a particular customer request, it then can be provisioned in the abstract without requiring the customer to specifically understand or be able to message to possibly disparate telecommunications devices. Furthermore, a customer requiring merged voice and data type communications services now may access a merged telecommunication network in consideration of the present invention to ultimately access IXC services, such as voice response and switching services provided IVRU facilities  124  and switching facilities  126  in combination with other services provided within merged telecommunications network  102  to provision enhanced telecommunications services on demand and in real time based upon specific customer specifications.  
         [0024]    Furthermore, the interfacing facilities provided by vendor V 3 , for example, permit telecommunications devices and facilities within merged telecommunications network  102  to transmit billing and accounting data related to the provision telecommunications services to a central or otherwise consolidated data facility such as data facility  104  which includes interfacing facilities, control facilities and database facilities, and to ultimately, provide such consolidated billing data to a customer for appropriate processing thereby. For example, in the event that extended or extra bandwidth is a telecommunications service to be provided within merged telecommunications network  102  at the request of a customer in real time, such extended bandwidth may require certain switching facilities, such as switching facility  118 , and switching facility  119 , to be including in the provision of that particular bandwidth telecommunications service. Accordingly, the present invention now permits switching system  118  and switching facility  119 , for example, to transmit billing data to a consolidated billing facility whereby billing data, possibly incorporating billing data generated by disparate telecommunications devices (e.g., devices communicating and messaging in accordance with disparate telecommunications protocols, etc.), communicating in accordance with disparate protocols and messaging schemes, to be consolidated and ultimately reported within a single or consolidated notice or message provided via merged telecommunication network  102 .  
         [0025]    The operations of interface facility IF within vendor system V 3 , are illustrated and described in detail in co-owned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/414,668, filed on Oct. 7, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference. Accordingly, the reader of this patent document should refer to the aforementioned co-owned, co-pending U.S. patent application for complete disclosure details related to the operations of interfacing facility IF in the context of provisioning and providing consolidated billing operations in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 2A, depicted therein is a block diagram of a computing system which may be used to implement control facilities, interfacing facilities and database management facilities as described above with regard to FIG. 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 2A depicts a data processing system DP which further includes a processor arrangement  202  including one or more processing elements, a data storage subsystem  204 , an  10  facility  206 . The arrangement of these structures shown with data processing system DP will be immediately understood by those skilled in the art.  
         [0027]    Data processing system DP is configured to receive and transmit data to and from network facilities, customer systems, vendor systems, etc. via modern telecommunications protocols including, but not limited to, those used in SS/7 out-of-band signaling systems, TCPIP protocols, H.323 communications protocols, and any other telecommunications protocols which may used to facilitate messaging between telecommunications devices in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0028]    Data storage subsystem  204  as shown within data processing system DP, will include internal and external messaging conversion mappings and translations, which may be used to convert device specific messages (external messages) generated by specific telecommunications devices within merged telecommunications network  102  (FIG. 1) into internal messages (IMs) which are device independent which may be used to consolidate application type data to including billing operation data etc. Data storage subsystem  204  may store and provide telecommunications device (TCD) inventory data about particular telecommunication devices in merged telecommunications network  102 . And, data storage subsystem  204  may including billing data generated based on service provisioning and, in particular, billing data generated by particular telecommunications devices within merged telecommunications network  102 .  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIG. 2B, depicted therein is a screen shot of a user interface (UI) screen manifested as a Java Applet within a web browser application (such as the NETSCAPE COMMUNICATOR v.4.x web browser) to facilitate telecommunications service provisioning in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention and, in particular, pre-paid calling card/PIN services such as batch processing related to activating whole batches of card accounts based on customer specifications established via a web connection and in real time. In particular, screen shot  250  includes a Java Applet based UI  252  that is configured to permit data entry by a user (a service customer) to engage in a telecommunications function such as batch maintenance related to whole batches of pre-paid communications accounts (e.g., calling cards, etc.). The data values collected and validated in accordance with UI  252  are used to drive the database operations performed at least in part within system  100  (FIG. 1) by database facilities DB. That is, client-based UI  252  is configured to drive back-end database management processing such as database propagation, queries, reporting, etc. The implementation of such back-end operations will be immediately understood by those skilled in the art after reviewing this patent document. Accordingly, the present invention now permits customers such as stores to custom purchase and acquire pre-paid communications accounts, etc. on-demand and through use of automated user interfaces which are accessible via the Internet and web.  
         [0030]    Referring now to FIG. 2C, depicted therein is a database scheme/record format/structure configured to control the storage attributes of data collected in regard to the UI depicted in FIG. 2B. For example, the data field identified as “Original Balance” as shown in UI  252  (FIG. 2B), is shown as a data item stored within the format shown in FIG. 2C. Those skilled in the art of programming and database operations will immediately understand the storage aspects of the data items referred to in UI  252  and the actual back-end data—storage features of the database structure shown in FIG. 2C.  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIG. 2D, depicted therein is a screen shot of a consolidated billing notice provided within a web browser application in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, screen shot  260  is a web page provided via a web connection which includes a consolidated billing notice  262  for a fictitious customer NETFOUR CORP. As show, consolidated billing notice  262  includes data related to actual prepaid account usage by customers of NETFOUR CORP. Within consolidated billing notice  262  are billing lines that correspond to billing data generated by at least one telecommunications device (e.g., database facilities like or similar to database facilities DB, IVRU units, switches, etc.) in system  100  (FIG. 1).  
       Operational Aspects of the Present Invention  
       [0032]    The structural aspects of the present invention as described above and which are used to facilitate provisioning of telecommunication services in real time and the consolidated billing operations related to such provisions telecommunications services, are designed and configured in accordance with present to operate together. The operations necessary to carry out such functions and features are next described with reference to FIG. 3.  
         [0033]    Referring now to FIG. 3, depicted therein is a flow chart that illustrates the operations that may be carried out within system  100  to facilitate the provisioning and corresponding consolidated billing operations related to such provisioning of customer configured telecommunications services provided in real time and in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present. In particular, processing and operations start at step S 3 - 1  and immediately proceed to step S 3 - 2 . At step S 2 , a determination will be made as to what network/communication services are to be provided based upon a customer specifications.  
         [0034]    Next, as step S 3 - 3 , interfacing facilities (IF) along with control facilities and database facilities as shown within system  100  identify the network resources and in particular, the specific telecommunications devices within merged telecommunications network  102 , to be configured and controlled to provision the services specified by the customer.  
         [0035]    Next, at step S 34 , interfacing facilities (IF) along with control facilities and database facilities as shown within system  100  will configure the network resources via corresponding messaging (e.g., generation of device-specific messages that are used to control and provision devices within a network system) identified at step S 3 - 3  in real time and based on customer specifications.  
         [0036]    Next, at step S 3 - 5 , the services which are custom configured and specified by the customer will be provisioned.  
         [0037]    Next, at step S 3 - 6 , billing data will be collected from the configured and controlled network resources (e.g., the specific devices and facilities within merged telecommunications network used to provision the desired services), and in particular, the specific telecommunications devices used to provision the services specified by the customer. Such billing data will often be device specific type billing data which may transmitted to a central billing facility such as billing facility  104  which may operated by vendor V 3  as shown in system  100 . Once such consolidated billing data is collected, the same may be manipulated in a consolidated format such as via common database operations—which operate upon data stored within common tables regardless of the originating data source. The present invention, via use of interfacing facilities IF, permit such common data collection via translations of device specific messages (e.g., external messages) into internal messages which may include device related operations, data operations, etc.  
         [0038]    Next, at step S 3 - 7 , consolidated billing data will be generated based upon, the data collected during processes illustrated at step S 3 - 6 . Such consolidated data may include consolidated table, queries, etc. Any type of data structure which may be used to provide a common data messaging interface may be used within the context of the present invention.  
         [0039]    Processes and operations ends at step S 3 - 8 .  
         [0040]    An additional step, step, S 3 - 9 , may be added to the processes and operations illustrated within FIG. 3 to point out that a customer may access interface facility IF within system  100  to carryout the processes illustrated within the flow chart shown in FIG. 3. Such access may occur via a customer system and a network connection such as one which accesses a global network like or similar to the Internet and WWW. Such access may occur via customer system C 2  which may be linked to the merged telecommunication network  102  via the Internet.  
         [0041]    To facilitate the operations of step S 3 - 7 , the following computer program listing identifies Java programming language constructs that may be used to implement a UI applet such as one similar or like UI  252  (FIG. 2B). Those skilled in the art will immediately understand the constructs identified in the following computer listing after reviewing the same: 
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
 
         [0042]    The computer listing provided above is merely exemplary of the features and attributes of the present invention as discussed above. Other embodiments and structures may used to achieve the functionality now provided by the present invention.  
         [0043]    Thus, having fully described the present invention by way of example with reference to the attached drawing figures, it will be readily appreciated that many changes and modifications may be made to the invention and to any of the exemplary embodiments shown and/or described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.