Bill Generation Symbols for Charge Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face difficulty in correlating charges between different sections of a bill due to unclear categorization and subcategorization of services, especially in multi-service provider scenarios where various charges appear without distinct identifiers.
Innovation Solution
Generating bills with unique symbols associated with each charge category, placed in proximity to their corresponding subcategories, to facilitate easy identification of charges belonging to specific categories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If detailed charge breakdowns are provided across multiple sections, then billing completeness is improved, but consumer understanding deteriorates due to difficulty in correlating charges between sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual symbols (analogous to color changes in TRIZ) by placing distinctive icons next to charge category names in the summary section and corresponding subcategory names in the detailed breakdown section. This visual coding system allows consumers to quickly identify and correlate related charges across different bill sections without having to read and interpret text descriptions, thereby maintaining billing completeness while significantly improving consumer understanding.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple services and accounts are consolidated on a single bill, then billing consolidation is improved, but charge identification deteriorates due to lack of distinct identifiers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns unique visual symbols to each charge category (e.g., different icons for voice, data, messaging services). These symbols appear next to category names in the summary and corresponding subcategory names in the detailed breakdown, enabling consumers to easily distinguish and identify charges from different services and accounts even when consolidated on a single bill.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual symbols act as intermediaries between the complex multi-service billing structure and the consumer. By placing these symbolic markers next to charge category names and their corresponding subcategories, the symbols mediate the connection between summary and detailed sections, making it easier for consumers to navigate and understand consolidated billing information.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for identifying charges on a bill are provided. Each charge category is assigned an associated symbol. The associated symbol appears in proximity to the corresponding charge category on the bill. If a charge category includes charge subcategories, the symbol can also appear on the bill in proximity to the charge subcategory.