Patent Abstract:
A method of identifying work at home users of a telecommunications network based on call detail records. The phone numbers of the work at home users are identified from call detail records that exhibit characteristics of work at home users. In one embodiment this involves selecting records describing calls to phone numbers of known Internet Service Providers; excluding records describing calls less than a predetermined length of time; excluding records containing originating numbers with records describing calls to an ISP that occur on weekends; and excluding records containing originating numbers with records describing calls to an ISP that occur outside normal business hours.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In modern switched telecommunications systems (in particular, modern PSTNs) it has become common practice to provide two related but separate network infrastructures: a bearer or transmission network for carrying end-user voice and data traffic, and a signaling network for controlling the setup and release of bearer channels through the bearer network in accordance with control signals transferred through the signaling network. In practice, such signaling networks comprise high-speed computers interconnected by signaling links, wherein procedures control the computers to provide a set of operational and signaling functions in accordance with a standardized protocol. One example of such a signaling protocol is the Common Channel Signaling System No. 7 (often referred to as SS7 or C7) that is being extensively deployed for control of telephone and other data transmission networks. 
     SS7 is a global standard for telecommunications defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). The standard defines the procedures and protocol by which network elements in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) exchange information over a digital signaling network to effect wireless (cellular) and wireline call setup, routing and control. The ITU definition of SS7 allows for national variants such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Bell Communications Research (Telcordia Technologies) standards used in North America and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standard used in Europe. 
     An SS7 network basically comprises various types of signaling points, namely, Signaling End Points (SEPs), for example an end office or local exchange, and Signaling Transfer Points (STPs) interconnected by signaling links. The SEPs typically comprise Signaling Switching Points (SSPs); Mobil Switching Centers (MSPs); and Service Control Points (SCPs). 
     The signaling information is passed over the signaling links in messages, which are called signal units (SUs). There are three types of SUs: message signal units (MSUs), link status signal units (LSSUs) and fill-in signal units (FISUs). The MSU is the workhorse in that signaling associated with call setup and tear down, database query and response, and SS7 management is carried by Message Signal Units (MSUs). 
     Many switches, including SS7 compliant switches, generate Call Detail Records (CDRs) which are data structures containing information about a call. CDRs are analyzed to provide information that can assist with service assurance, fulfillment and billing problems. 
     Non-SS7 switches generate CDRs by monitoring the actual call and typically have a vendor specified format. Know SS7 operations support systems (OSS systems), such as the AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES ACCESS7 system, extract data from the MSUs to generate Call detail Records (CDRs). Because the data collection is independent of the network elements, SS7 CDRs may be presented in a consistent format across various OSS systems. In fact, there is at least one serious attempt to standardize the format of SS7 CDRs. This interoperability, among other benefits, has spurred the growth of SS7 networks and has led to an increasing amount of traffic over SS7 networks. As the volume of CDRs increases, users seek to extract more and more useful information from the data contained in the CDRs. 
     The desire for advanced analysis of CDRs has lead to the creation of a class of systems, termed Business Intelligence systems (BI systems), such as the Agilent Technologies, Inc. acceSS7 Business Intelligence system, that provide enrichment and analytical studies on CDRs. Known BI systems analyze SS7 CDRs to provide a variety of information about the SS7 network, for example: identification of signaling problems, location of network problems, service assurance data, billing data, quality of service monitoring, regulatory monitoring, and verifying compliance of inter-carrier agreements regarding billing and service level. 
     The differentiator between competing OSS and BI systems is the ability of the system to reduce operating cost or generate revenue for the users, including Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) and Inter-exchange Carriers (IXCs). To date, most of the focus of development has been on identifying problems with the network and verifying billing data. The present inventors have identified method and apparatus for deriving marketing data from collected SS7 CDRs that allows the targeting of customers for new services. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An understanding of the present invention can be gained from the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a signaling network. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a Business Intelligence system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention adapted to identify work-at-home users. 
         FIG. 4  is a screen shot of a report produced using a method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
     The detailed description that follows is presented in terms of general procedures and symbolic representations of operations of data within a computer memory, associated computer processors, networks, and network devices. These procedure descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. As used herein the term “procedure” refers to a series of operations performed by a processor, be it a central processing unit of a computer, or a processing unit of a network device, and as such, encompasses such terms of art as: “software,” “objects,” “functions,” “subroutines” and “programs.” 
     The apparatus set forth in the present application may be specifically constructed for the required purposes or it may comprise a general-purpose computer or terminal selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. The procedures presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. In fact, many of the procedures described herein may be implemented on a general-purpose computing device. 
     The present invention, as described, can be implemented using AGILENT&#39;s ACCESS7 OSS system, BI system, and associated hardware. The ACCESS7 OSS system integrates with and monitors an SS7 network as described above. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that there exist other platforms and languages for creating software for performing the procedures outlined herein. Further, the present invention is useable with a variety of signaling systems. For example, the present invention can be implemented on any switched system that produces CDRs with the base data described herein. Those of ordinary skill in the art also recognize that the choice of the exact platform and language is often dictated by the specifics of the actual system constructed, such that what may work for one type of signaling system may not be efficient on another type of signaling system. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a signaling network  100 .  FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a Business Intelligence system (BI system)  200  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The structure illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and the method illustrated in  FIG. 3  emphasize certain features of the present invention while simplifying other features to aid in explanation. As such, the figures and associated discussion are to be regarded as illustrative and exemplary and not limiting as regards the invention described herein or the claims attached hereto. It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts that the apparatus, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and the methods of use thereof as described hereinafter with reference to  FIG. 3 , are intended to be representative of such structures and methods. Further, any given system may differ significantly from that shown, particularly in the details of construction and operation of such system, as still fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     The signaling network  100  supports an SS7 signaling protocol and comprises a wireless network terminating device such as PCS handset  102  coupled to a MSC  104 . The MSC  104  is capable of establishing a connection  106  with a SSP  108  and vice versa, the SSP  108  being coupled to a network-terminating device such as a telephone handset  110 . The details of such connection are outside the scope of the present invention and are omitted to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
     The MSC  104  is coupled to a first STP  112  by a first A link  114  and a second STP  116  by a second A link  118 . The first STP  112  is coupled to the second STP  116  by a first C link  113  and, together, the first and second STPs  112 ,  116  constitute a first mated pair of STPs  120 . A first Agilent® acceSS7 Network Monitoring System (NMS) comprises a first secondary collector unit  122  and a first primary collector unit  115 . The first primary collector unit  115  is, although not essentially, co-located with the first STP  112  and coupled to first links (not shown) provided by the first STP  112  by a first number of electrical connections  117  corresponding to the first links. Similarly, although not essentially co-located, in this example the first secondary collector unit  122  is co-located with the second STP  116  and coupled to second links (not shown) provided by the second STP  116  by a second number of electrical connection  124  corresponding to the second links. 
     The first STP  112  is coupled to a third STP  126  by a first B link  128  and a fourth STP  130  by a second B link  132 . The second STP  116  is also coupled to the third STP  126  by a third B link  134  and the fourth STP  130  by a fourth B link  136 . The third STP  126  is coupled to the fourth STP  130  by a second C link  138  and, together, the third and fourth STPs  126 ,  130  constitute a second mated pair of STPs  140 . The third STP  126  is coupled to the SSP  108  by a third A link  146  and an SCP  148  by a fourth A link  150 . The fourth STP  130  is also coupled to the SSP  108  and the SCP  148 , but by a fifth A link  152  and a sixth A link  154 , respectively. 
     A second Agilent® acceSS7 NMS comprises a second primary collector unit  141  and a second secondary collector unit  142 . For the purposes of the present invention, the structure of the second primary collector  141  may be considered (although not always) identical to the structure of the first primary collector  115  and the structure of the second secondary collector  142  may be considered (although not always) identical to the structure of the first secondary collector  122 . The second primary collector unit  141 , although not essentially, is co-located with the third STP  126  and coupled to third links (not shown) provided by the third STP  126  by a third number of electrical connection  143  corresponding to the third links. Similarly, although not essentially co-located, in this example the second secondary collector unit  142  is co-located with the fourth STP  130  and coupled to fourth links (not shown) provided by the fourth STP  130  by a fourth number of electrical connection  144  corresponding to the fourth links. 
     The first and second primary collectors  115  and  141  are coupled to a wide area network (WAN)  156  through which connections to any number and variety of computing devices can be made. In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , two servers,  158  and  160 , are shown. Generally, the collectors  115 ,  122 ,  141 , and  142  collect data regarding messaging traffic on the SS7 network and create CDRs. Analysis of the CDRs can be performed by any number of capable units, for example the collectors  115 ,  122 ,  141 , and  142  along with any computing device connected to the WAN  156 , such as the servers  158  and  160 . 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a Business Intelligence (BI) system  200  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. While shown as a single logical entity, the BI system  200  may be physically distributed, or centralized, to any available storage and processor resources connected to the network. It may prove useful to distribute the functions of the BI system  200  among the first and second primary collectors  115  and  141  and at least one server, such as the server  158 . 
     The BI system  200  receives Call Detail Record (CDRs) from a CDR feed  202 . The CDR feed  202  is connected to a network (not shown), such as the SS 7  network shown in  FIG. 1 , via connection  201 . In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the CDR feed  202  is embodied in software and is programmable to configure, manage and control the collection and delivery of CDRs from the SS7 network. The CDR feed  202  can be configured to collect data from a single site, a number of sites or network-wide. 
     The CDR feed  202  feeds CDRs to one or more Data Management Components (DMC)  204 , where the data is stored. This DMC  204  provides data storage and management for CDRs delivered by the CDR Feed  202 . Using the Agilent Technologies&#39; ACCESS7 OSS as an example, the DMC  204  provides a consistent open interface for a wide range of acceSS7 Business Intelligence applications, enabling them to be designed independently of the underlying network infrastructure. While only a single DMC  204  is shown, it is fairly typically to set up a plurality of DMCs  204 . For example, it is not uncommon to assign an individual DMC  204  for each separate yet concurrent analysis tasks or for each business unit. DMCs are known by a variety of names, which varies by vendor, such as a data management center, data management system, management site, etc . . . The CDR feed  202  and the DMC  204  are known parts of the Agilent® acceSS7 and will not be described further. 
     Business Intelligence applications  206  and Real-Time Business Intelligence applications  208  are sets of procedures that turn raw data into business information. The Business Intelligence applications  206  sit on top of the DMC and process the CDR data in large batches, typically every 24 hours. However, some requirements can only be met with data available in real-time. In some cases this can be accomplished by reducing the batch collection time, to say five minutes. If true real-time is required, the Real-Time BI applications  208  are configured to accept a direct feed from the CDR Feed  202 . The BI applications  206  and Real-Time BI applications  208  output a variety of reports  210  and  212  respectively. The report varies with each application  206  and  208 , and based on the function thereof. Additionally, the BI applications  206  and Real-Time BI applications  208  may be provided with dedicated storage space  214 , for example of any of the servers  158 ,  160  connected to the network. 
     Currently, a wide variety of BI application and Real-Time BI applications are available from AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES. For example, an Interconnect Analysis application performs direct, accurate measurements of inter-carrier traffic, with measures of total calls and total MOU for each jurisdiction (e.g. local, toll, etc.). Bills and Rating Factors submitted by interconnecting carriers for jurisdictional reporting on originating, terminating and transit traffic can be validated and hard evidence provided with which to challenge estimates. ISP traffic can be identified and reported separately, which supports both separate rates for ISP traffic and the generation of data with which to build a case for ISP tariffs. Another BI application, the Call Performance Manager, provides detailed data on the call completion performance of interconnected carriers, including performance to specific destinations and services identified by leading digits. Yet another example is the Traffic Analysis application that provides detailed analysis of traffic flows between parts of the network with analysis by geographic region. 
     Of particular relevance to at least one embodiment of the present invention is the ISP Finder. The ISP finder is a BI application that identifies ISPs on a connected network and on interconnected networks by matching the call profile of every called number against the typical profile of ISPs. This data is currently used for network planning purposes by identifying a major source of network congestion. 
     An understanding of the type of data contained in a CDR may prove helpful to understand the present invention. Table 1 is an example of a CDR specification used by business intelligence applications associated with AGILENT&#39;s ACCESS7 OSS. 
     
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Field Name 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 CDR_DATE 
                 The date that the CDR was loaded into the repository. 
               
               
                 CDR_ID 
                 A sequence numbers for the CDR. This can be used 
               
               
                   
                 to link this table row to a row in another table. This is 
               
               
                   
                 useful for enriching a CDR with rating information, 
               
               
                   
                 etc. 
               
               
                 DMC_ID 
                 Each Data Management Center (DMC) in the world 
               
               
                   
                 has an identifier that is encrypted in the product 
               
               
                   
                 activation license. Tagging a CDR with this identifier 
               
               
                   
                 allows the originating DMC to be determined in 
               
               
                   
                 situations where data is handed off between DMC 
               
               
                   
                 systems. 
               
               
                 PARTITION_ID 
                 Each Oracle partition has an identifier. This field is 
               
               
                   
                 used primarily to bin CDRs into the correct partition 
               
               
                   
                 and has little user value. 
               
               
                 STUDY_ID 
                 A sequence number for a specific acceSS7 filter 
               
               
                   
                 configuration over a specified period of time. 
               
               
                   
                 Tagging a CDR with this identifier allows the 
               
               
                   
                 determination of the exact acceSS7 configuration 
               
               
                   
                 (filters, links...) that caused this CDR to be collected. 
               
               
                 CLASS_ID 
                 The acceSS7 class ID that is associated with this 
               
               
                   
                 CDR. 
               
               
                 SITE_ID 
                 Specifies the acceSS7 site number that collected this 
               
               
                   
                 CDR. 
               
               
                 TIMEZONE 
                 Specifies the time zone upon which all times in the 
               
               
                   
                 CDR are based. 
               
               
                 INCOMPLETE_FLG 
                 A flag that specifies that acceSS7, was not able to 
               
               
                   
                 completely populate the CDR. 
               
               
                 CALL_IN_PROGRESS_FLG 
                 A flag that specifies a call that is still in progress. 
               
               
                 CALL_TIMEOUT_FLG 
                 A flag that specifies that an acceSS7 timeout 
               
               
                   
                 occurred before all parts of a call were collected. 
               
               
                 REPEATING_CALL_IN_PROGRESS —   
               
               
                 FLG 
               
               
                 FORCED_DELIVERY_FLG 
               
               
                 OPC_1 
                 The 1st component of the originating point code. 
               
               
                 OPC_2 
                 The 2nd component of the originating point code. 
               
               
                 OPC_3 
                 The 3rd component of the originating point code. 
               
               
                 DPC_1 
                 The 1st component of the destination point code. 
               
               
                 DPC_2 
                 The 2nd component of the destination point code. 
               
               
                 DPC_3 
                 The 3rd component of the destination point code. 
               
               
                 CALLING_NUMPLAN 
               
               
                 CALLING_NPA 
                 The NPA component of the calling number. 
               
               
                 CALLING_NXX 
                 The NXX component of the calling number. 
               
               
                 CALLING_LINE 
                 The LINE component of the calling number. 
               
               
                 CALLING_INT_NUM 
                 The entire calling number if the number is thought to 
               
               
                   
                 be international. 
               
               
                 CALLING_PARTY_CAT_CD 
               
               
                 CALLED_NPA 
                 The NPA component of the called number. 
               
               
                 CALLED_NXX 
                 The NXX component of the called number. 
               
               
                 CALLED_LINE 
                 The LINE component of the called number. 
               
               
                 CALLED_INT_NUM 
                 The entire called number if the number is thought to 
               
               
                   
                 be international. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_NPA 
                 The NPA component of the charge number. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_NXX 
                 The NXX component of the charge number. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_LINE 
                 The LINE component of the charge number. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_INT_NUM 
                 The entire charge number if the number is thought to 
               
               
                   
                 be international. 
               
               
                 CALLED_NUMPLAN 
               
               
                 IAM_DATE_TIME 
                 The initial address message date/timestamp (nearest 
               
               
                   
                 second). 
               
               
                 IAM_MILLISEC 
                 The initial address message timestamp (milliseconds 
               
               
                   
                 component). 
               
               
                 ANM_DATE_TIME 
                 The answer message date/timestamp (nearest 
               
               
                   
                 second). 
               
               
                 ANM_MILLISEC 
                 The answer message timestamp (milliseconds 
               
               
                   
                 component). 
               
               
                 REL_DATE_TIME 
                 The release message date/timestamp (nearest second). 
               
               
                 REL_MILLISEC 
                 The release message timestamp (milliseconds 
               
               
                   
                 component). 
               
               
                 EXM_DATE_TIME 
                 The exit message date/timestamp (nearest second). 
               
               
                 EXM_MILLISEC 
                 The exit message timestamp (milliseconds 
               
               
                   
                 component). 
               
               
                 ACM_DATE_TIME 
                 The address completes message date/timestamp 
               
               
                   
                 (nearest second). 
               
               
                 ACM_MILLISEC 
                 The address completes message timestamp 
               
               
                   
                 (milliseconds component). 
               
               
                 RLC_DATE_TIME 
                 The release-clear message date/timestamp (nearest 
               
               
                   
                 second). 
               
               
                 RLC_MILLISEC 
                 The release-clear message timestamp (milliseconds 
               
               
                   
                 component). 
               
               
                 IAM_REL_DUR 
                 Time duration between IAM and REL messages 
               
               
                   
                 (seconds). 
               
               
                 IAM_REL_CCS 
                 Time duration between IAM and REL messages 
               
               
                   
                 (CCS). 
               
               
                 ANM_REL_DUR 
                 Time duration between ANM and REL messages 
               
               
                   
                 (seconds). 
               
               
                 ANM_REL_CCS 
                 Time duration between ANM and REL messages 
               
               
                   
                 (CCS). 
               
               
                 CALLING_NATR_ADDR_CD 
                 Acronym describing the context of the calling 
               
               
                   
                 number derived from the calling nature of address 
               
               
                   
                 indicator. 
               
               
                 CALLING_NATR_ADDR_IND 
                 Raw calling nature of address indicator. 
               
               
                 CALLING_EVEN_ODD_FLG 
                 Even/odd number of address signals for calling 
               
               
                   
                 number. 
               
               
                 CALLED_NATR_ADDR_CD 
                 Acronym describing the context of the called number 
               
               
                   
                 derived from the called nature of address indicator. 
               
               
                 CALLED_NATR_ADDR_IND 
                 Raw called nature of address indicator. 
               
               
                 CALLED_EVEN_ODD_FLG 
                 Even/odd number of address signals for called 
               
               
                   
                 number. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_NATR_ADDR_CD 
                 Acronym describing the context of the charge 
               
               
                   
                 number derived from the charge nature of address 
               
               
                   
                 indicator. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_NATR_ADDR_IND 
                 Raw charge nature of address indicator. 
               
               
                 CHARGE_EVEN_ODD_FLG 
                 Even/odd number of address signals for charge 
               
               
                   
                 number. 
               
               
                 ORIG_LINE_CD 
                 Represents toll class of service for the call. 
               
               
                 CARRIER_ID_CD 
                 Identifies the carrier selected by the caller. 
               
               
                 CARRIER_SELECT_CD 
                 Identifies how the caller selected a carrier. 
               
               
                 TCIC 
                 Trunk circuit identification code. 
               
               
                 JURISDICTION 
                 Numerical data indicating the geographic origination 
               
               
                   
                 of the call. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_CHARGE_CD 
                 Backward charge indicator for called party. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_CALLED_STAT_CD 
                 Backward called party&#39;s status indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_CALLED_CAT_CD 
                 Backward called party&#39;s category indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_END_TO_END_CD 
                 Backward end-to-end method indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_INTERWORK_FLG 
                 Backward interworking indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_IAM_SEG_FLG 
                 Backward IAM segmentation indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_ISUP_FLG 
                 Backward ISDN user part indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_HOLDING_FLG 
                 Backward holding indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_ISDN_ACCESS_FLG 
                 Backward ISDN access indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_ECHO_CNTL_FLG 
                 Backward echo control device indicator. 
               
               
                 BACKWD_SCCP_CD 
                 Backward SCCP method indicator. 
               
               
                 RELEASE_CAUSE_CD 
                 Indicates the reason for releasing a specific 
               
               
                   
                 connection. Note CDRs are generated for failed calls 
               
               
                   
                 as well as successful calls. 
               
               
                 RELEASE_LOC_CD 
                 Indicates where the release was initiated. 
               
               
                 TRANSIT_NETWORK_CD 
                 Indicates the long distance carrier or transit network 
               
               
                   
                 to be used to carry this call. This is used whenever 
               
               
                   
                 the call is an inter-LATA call or international call. 
               
               
                 ORIG_CALLED_NUMPLAN 
               
               
                 ORIG_CALLED_NPA 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the NPA component of the number of the 
               
               
                   
                 party that initiated the redirection. 
               
               
                 ORIG_CALLED_NXX 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the NXX component of the number of the 
               
               
                   
                 party that initiated the redirection. 
               
               
                 ORIG_CALLED_LINE 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the LINE component of the number of the 
               
               
                   
                 party that initiated the redirection. 
               
               
                 ORIG_CALLED_INT_NUM 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the entire number of the party that initiated 
               
               
                   
                 the redirection if this number is thought to be 
               
               
                   
                 international. 
               
               
                 ORIG_CALLED_NATR_ADDR_IND 
                 Raw original called number nature of address 
               
               
                   
                 indicator. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_NPA 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the NPA component of the number to 
               
               
                   
                 which the called number is to be redirected. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_NXX 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the NXX component of the number to 
               
               
                   
                 which the called number is to be redirected. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_LINE 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the LINE component of the number to 
               
               
                   
                 which the called number is to be redirected. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_INT_NUM 
                 Used when call redirecting (forwarding) occurs. 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the number to which the called number is 
               
               
                   
                 to be redirected if this number is thought to be 
               
               
                   
                 international. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_NATR_ADDR_IND 
                 Raw redirecting number nature of address indicator. 
               
               
                 ORIG_REDIRECT_REASON_CD 
                 Indicates the reason the original redirection occurred. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_REASON_CD 
                 Indicates the reason for subsequent redirection. 
               
               
                 REDIRECT_COUNT 
                 Indicates the number of redirections that have 
               
               
                   
                 occurred. 
               
               
                 FORWD_IN_INT_CALL_FLG 
                 Forward incoming international call indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_END_TO_END_CD 
                 Forward end-to-end method indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_INTERWORK_FLG 
                 Forward interworking indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_IAM_SEG —   
                 FLG Forward IAM segmentation indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_ISUP_FLG 
                 Forward ISDN user part indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_ISUP_PREF_CD 
                 Forward ISDN user part preference indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_ISDN_ACCESS —   
                 FLG Forward ISDN access indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_SCCP_CD 
                 Forward SCCP method indicator. 
               
               
                 FORWD_PORTED_NUM_FLG 
                 Forward ported number translation indicator. 
               
               
                 LRN_NPA 
                 Used with Local Number Portability (LNP). Indicates 
               
               
                   
                 the NPA component of the local routing number. 
               
               
                 LRN_NXX 
                 Used with Local Number Portability (LNP). Indicates 
               
               
                   
                 the NXX component of the local routing number. 
               
               
                 LRN_LINE 
                 Used with Local Number Portability (LNP). Indicates 
               
               
                   
                 the LINE component of the local routing number. 
               
               
                 LRN_INT_NUM 
                 Used with Local Number Portability (LNP). 
               
               
                   
                 Identifies the local routing number if this number is 
               
               
                   
                 thought to be international. 
               
               
                 GAP_NPA 
                 Indicates the NPA component of the Generic Address 
               
               
                   
                 Parameter (GAP) number. When LNP is provided, 
               
               
                   
                 the GAP provides the actual dialed digits for a ported 
               
               
                   
                 number. 
               
               
                 GAP_NXX 
                 Indicates the NXX component of the Generic 
               
               
                   
                 Address Parameter (GAP) number. When LNP is 
               
               
                   
                 provided, the GAP provides the actual dialed digits 
               
               
                   
                 for a ported number. 
               
               
                 GAP_LINE 
                 Indicates the LINE component of the Generic 
               
               
                   
                 Address Parameter (GAP) number. When LNP is 
               
               
                   
                 provided, the GAP provides the actual dialed digits 
               
               
                   
                 for a ported number. 
               
               
                 GAP_INT_NUM 
                 Indicates the Generic Address Parameter (GAP) 
               
               
                   
                 number if the number is thought to be international. 
               
               
                   
                 When LNP is provided, the GAP provides the actual 
               
               
                   
                 dialed digits for a ported number. 
               
               
                 GAP_TYPE_OF_ADDR_IND 
                 Indicates the type of address contained in the Generic 
               
               
                   
                 Address Parameter (GAP). 
               
               
                 GAP_NATR_OF_ADDR_IND 
                 Raw Generic Address Parameter (GAP) nature of 
               
               
                   
                 address indicator. 
               
               
                 OUT_TRUNK_GROUP_NUM 
                 Outgoing trunk group number. 
               
               
                 SERVICE_CODE_CD 
                 Service code assigned by the North American 
               
               
                   
                 Numbering Plan Administration. Can be used to 
               
               
                   
                 identify a specific type of service. 
               
               
                 CIP_SEQ_NUM 
                 This is a number assigned sequentially from 0 for 
               
               
                   
                 each CDR pertaining to the same leg of the same call. 
               
               
                   
                 For example, if RCIP/CIP CDRs are configured, the 
               
               
                   
                 first CIP CDR has a sequence number of 0, the first 
               
               
                   
                 RCIP CDR has a sequence number of 1, the second 
               
               
                   
                 RCIP CDR has a sequence number of 2 and so on. 
               
               
                   
                 With CIP CDRs, but no RCIP CDRs, the CIP CDR 
               
               
                   
                 has a sequence number of 0 and the final CDR a 
               
               
                   
                 sequence number of 1. With no CIP CDRs at all, the 
               
               
                   
                 final CDR has a sequence number of 0. 
               
               
                 CIP_CORRELATION_ID 
                 This is an identifier which is the same for all CIP 
               
               
                   
                 CDRs which apply to the same leg of the same call 
               
               
                   
                 (and different from all other CIP CDRs) 
               
               
                 CIP_START_TIME 
                 The start time of the period covered by this call in 
               
               
                   
                 progress CDR (accurate to 1 second) 
               
               
                 CIP_START_MILLISEC 
                 The milliseconds portion of the CIP_START_TIME 
               
               
                 CIP_END_TIME 
                 The end time of the period covered by this call in 
               
               
                   
                 progress CDR (accurate to 1 second) 
               
               
                 CIP_END_MILLISEC 
                 The milliseconds portion of the CIP_END_TIME 
               
               
                 CORRELATION_ID 
                 Sequences number for a correlated set of CDRs. 
               
               
                   
                 Given a CDR that is a member of a correlated set, 
               
               
                   
                 this can be used to find the other members of the 
               
               
                   
                 correlated set. 
               
               
                 CORRELATION_DUPLICATE_FLG 
                 This flag indicates that this CDR is thought to be 
               
               
                   
                 identical to another CDR within the set of CDRs to 
               
               
                   
                 be correlated. 
               
               
                 CORRELATABLE_FLG 
                 This flag indicates that this CDR is thought to be 
               
               
                   
                 complete enough to be included in the correlation 
               
               
                   
                 processing. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLING_NPA 
                 Contains the CALLING_NPA to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLING_NXX 
                 Contains the CALLING_NXX to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLING_LINE 
                 Contains the CALLING_LINE to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLING_INT_NUM 
                 Contains the calling digits to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process in the event they are thought to be 
               
               
                   
                 an international number. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLED_NPA 
                 Contains the CALLED_NPA to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLED_NXX 
                 Contains the CALLED_NPX to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLED_LINE 
                 Contains the CALLED_LINE to be used in the 
               
               
                   
                 correlation process. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 ENRICHED_CALLED_INT_NUM 
                 Contains the called digits to be used in the correlation 
               
               
                   
                 process in the event they are thought to be an 
               
               
                   
                 international number. Local number portability, 
               
               
                   
                 number completion, etc can influence the contents of 
               
               
                   
                 this column. 
               
               
                 CORRELATION_CONFIDENCE 
                 This parameter indicates the degree of confidence 
               
               
                   
                 associated with the correlation of this CDR with other 
               
               
                   
                 CDRs. This is a bit-wise parameter where each bit 
               
               
                   
                 has a specific meaning. 
               
               
                 CROSS_CORRELATION_ID 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The term call detail record (CDR) refers to any electronic record of the details of a call including, for example, originating number (NPA/NXX), terminating number (NPA/NXX), time, duration, etc . . . What constitutes a CDR varies by vendor and customer. 
     Even within a single OSS family, different applications, such as billing, fraud detection, and business intelligence may direct the formation of CDRs with varying content. Further, there are several efforts at formulating standards from CDR content, such as ANSI standard TIA/EIA-124 Revision D for CDR content for wireless applications. The applicability of the present invention will remain regardless of the nomenclature, content and format of the electronic record that may vary from vendor to vendor and system to system. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the BI system  200  is improved by the addition of a new BI application (or modification to an existing BI application), which preferably operates in non-real-time (e.g. batch) mode, but may be operated in real-time mode. The new BI application identifies users of the network having certain characteristics that identify them as a certain type of user, for example a work-at-home user. It is to be understood, that while this embodiment of the present invention is being described as being integrated with the BI system  200 , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present invention can be implemented as a stand-alone system. Further, while the present invention is described with respect to the use of CDRs, any data feed with the appropriate information may be utilized. 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention adapted to identify work-at-home users. In particular the method described in  FIG. 3  is suitable for identifying work-at-homers that use dial-up ISPs. This can be potential valuable information for LECs that may wish to target such users with advertisements for other services such as DSL or a second line. 
     The method starts in step  300 . In step  302 , a set of ISP numbers is selected. This allows the requester to limit the subsequent report to a select number of ISPs. All ISPs on a network, or connected networks, can be identified using, for example, the ISP finder BI application discussed hereinabove available from Agilent Technologies, Inc. The set of ISP numbers can be limited to one or more ISPs of interest, or can be based on the NPA/NXX of the ISP or any other relevant factor. Of course, all identified ISPs can be selected. 
     Next, in step  304 , the set of available CDRs is filtered based on the ISP numbers in the set. The output is a set of CDRs having CALLED_NPA, CALLED_NXX, and CALLED_LINE corresponding to one of the ISP numbers in the set. In step  306 , the remaining CDRs are filtered to remove those with call origination times (using for example IAM_DATE_TIME) outside of normal business hours, such as 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. In step  308 , the remaining CDRs are filtered to identify those with a connect time of more than 4 hours (for example, the IAM_REL_DUR value which represent the difference between the release time and the call time). 
     Subsequently, in step  310 , the CDRs remaining after the filters in steps  304  through  308  are analyzed to generate an exclusion list containing the calling numbers (i.e. CALLING_NPA; CALLING_NXX; and CALLING_LINE) that had connection time on the weekend. In step  312 , the remaining CDRs are compared with the exclusion list and the CDR having originating numbers on the exclusion list are filtered out to leave those CDRs representing calls during business hours of greater than 4 hours to an identified ISP where the calling party did not connect on the weekend to the ISPs. Finally in step  314 , by extracting the calling numbers from the remaining CDRs and eliminating duplicate entries a list of exclusive calling numbers is generated. This list of exclusive numbers may then be presented in a report to the requestor. The method end in step  316   
     TABLE 2 contains a procedure comprising a series of SQL commands that can produce a report in accordance with the example shown in  FIG. 3 . The commands in TABLE 2 take all daily CDR in a BI system and filters the lists to all local ISP terminated calls that have full 10-digit calling party number information. Then, it further filters the list such as only calls with connect time greater than 4 hours are included. 
     
       
         
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 SET ARRAY 100 
               
               
                   
                 SET ECHO OFF 
               
               
                   
                 SET FEED OFF 
               
               
                   
                 SET FLU OFF 
               
               
                   
                 SET HEA OFF 
               
               
                   
                 SET LIN 32767 
               
               
                   
                 SET PAGES 0 
               
               
                   
                 SET TERM OFF 
               
               
                   
                 SET TRIMS ON 
               
               
                   
                 SET VER OFF 
               
               
                   
                 DEF parallelism = 8 
               
               
                   
                 DEF tabspacename = ‘STUDY’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF tabname = &amp; 1. 
               
               
                   
                 DEF mmdd = &amp;2. 
               
               
                   
                 DEF tmp_tab_1 = ‘jh_wah_&amp;&amp;mmdd._1’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF tmp_tab_2 = ‘jh_wah_&amp;&amp;mmdd._2’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF tmp_tab_3 = ‘jh_wah_&amp;&amp;mmdd._3’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF spool_file_1 = ‘wah_s1.txt’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF spool_file_2 = ‘wah_s2.txt’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF spool_file_3 = ‘wah_s3.txt’ 
               
               
                   
                 DEF outfile = ‘wah_&amp;&amp;mmdd.txt’ 
               
               
                   
                 ALTER SESSION ENABLE PARALLEL DML; 
               
               
                   
                 ALTER SESSION SET optimizer_mode   = all_rows; 
               
               
                   
                 ALTER SESSION SET sort_area_size   = 104857600; 
               
               
                   
                 ALTER SESSION SET sort_area_retained_size = 104857600; 
               
               
                   
                 DROP TABLE &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_1.; 
               
             
          
           
               
                 spool &amp;&amp;spool_file_1. 
               
               
                 CREATE TABLE &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_1. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PARALLEL (DEGREE &amp;&amp;parallelism.) NOLOGGING PCTFREE 0 PCTUSED 
               
             
          
           
               
                 99 TABLESPACE &amp;&amp;tabspacename. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 STORAGE (INITIAL 1M NEXT 1M PCTINCREASE 0 MAXEXTENTS 
               
             
          
           
               
                 UNLIMITED) AS 
               
               
                 SELECT /*+ PARALLEL (&amp;tabname.,&amp;&amp;parallelism.) */ 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 TO_CHAR(iam_date_time,‘D’) dotw, 
               
               
                   
                 TO_CHAR(iam_date_time,‘HH24’) hr, 
               
               
                   
                 ‘(‘∥enriched_calling_npa∥’)’∥enriched_calling_nxx∥‘-’∥enriched_calling_line cgpn, 
               
               
                   
                 ia_called_state cd_st, 
               
               
                   
                 ia_carrier_code ocn, 
               
               
                   
                 ia_tgsn tgsn, 
               
               
                   
                 anm_rel_dur/60 mou 
               
             
          
           
               
                 FROM 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 &amp;tabname., tsdbi_dba.line_specific_current 
               
             
          
           
               
                 WHERE 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 enriched_called_npa∥enriched_called_nxx∥enriched_called_line=line_number 
               
             
          
           
               
                 AND 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 ia_call_category IN (‘LOC’,‘1S2LOC’,‘2S2LOC’,‘2S1LOC’) AND 
               
               
                   
                 length(enriched_calling_npa∥enriched_calling_nxx∥enriched_calling_line) = 10; 
               
             
          
           
               
                 spool &amp;&amp;spool_file_2. 
               
               
                 INSERT /*+ PARALLEL (&amp;&amp;tmp_tab_2.,&amp;&amp;parallelism.) */ INTO &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_2. 
               
               
                 SELECT /*+ PARALLEL (&amp;&amp;tmp_tab_1.,&amp;&amp;parallelism.) */ 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 dotw, 
               
               
                   
                 hr, 
               
               
                   
                 cgpn, 
               
               
                   
                 cd_st, 
               
               
                   
                 ocn, 
               
               
                   
                 tgsn, 
               
               
                   
                 count(mou), 
               
               
                   
                 sum(mou) 
               
             
          
           
               
                 FROM 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_1. 
               
             
          
           
               
                 HAVING 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 avg(mou) &gt; 3600 
               
             
          
           
               
                 GROUP BY 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 dotw, hr, cgpn, cd_st, ocn, tgsn; 
               
             
          
           
               
                 spool off 
               
               
                 DROP TABLE &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_1.; 
               
               
                 --DROP TABLE &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_2.; 
               
               
                 --DROP TABLE &amp;&amp;tmp_tab_3.; 
               
               
                 EXIT 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       FIG. 4  is a screen shot of a report produced using a method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The report shown in  FIG. 4  is but one example of a report that could be produced in accordance with the described embodiment of the present invention. In particular the report in  FIG. 4  shows the calling number, the date and time of the call, along with the minutes of use. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the report shown in  FIG. 4  can be produced in a variety of manners, including the use of the CRYSTAL REPORTS software package. 
     Although a few variations of the preferred embodiment of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the described invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. For example, while the discussion herein has focused on the analysis of CDRs, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that other data structures may be substituted, such as Correlated Call Records (CCRs) that combine of two or more CDRs representing the same call. Also, the terms applied to the various data structures and procedures do not represent any particular data structure or procedure. In particular, the present discussion was presented in the context of AGILENT&#39;s ACCESS7 and adopts the nomenclature thereof. However, the present invention is applicable to other systems, which may use different nomenclature to describe similar structures and to which the present invention may be equally applied. Further, the described procedures may also be modified to account for process flows other than the described process flow used by the AGILENT&#39;s ACCESS7 OSS.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7