Billing Service Database Synchronization via Selective Data Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Data in billing and service databases for communications networks often becomes unsynchronized due to modifications made during maintenance and repairs, leading to inaccuracies in service data.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for synchronizing selected data between billing and service databases by identifying and comparing specific types of data, such as Universal Service Order Codes, to ensure that only relevant data is updated in the service database, while avoiding changes to the billing database.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If service personnel modify data in the service database during maintenance and repairs, then service data can be updated and maintained, but data synchronization between billing and service databases deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice data maintenanceVSAvoiddata synchronization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automated feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor changes in the service database and automatically synchronize corresponding billing records. When service personnel modify service data, the system detects these changes and updates the billing database accordingly, ensuring ongoing synchronization without requiring manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes synchronization rules and data mapping relationships in advance between billing and service databases. These pre-configured relationships enable automatic coordination of data changes, allowing the system to prepare and execute synchronization actions before inconsistencies arise, thereby maintaining data integrity during service maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If manual synchronization methods are used between billing and service databases, then data consistency can be maintained, but time consumption and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidsynchronization time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service synchronization by automatically detecting, comparing, and updating data between billing and service databases without requiring manual intervention. The automated synchronization process continuously monitors data changes and performs necessary updates independently, eliminating time-consuming manual synchronization tasks while maintaining data consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous synchronization mechanisms that operate continuously or at predetermined intervals to maintain data consistency between databases. This continuous action ensures that any changes in service data are promptly reflected in billing records, eliminating the need for periodic manual synchronization and reducing overall time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If all data in both databases is synchronized, then complete data consistency is achieved, but unnecessary modifications and data loss risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidunnecessary modifications

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies selective synchronization by identifying and synchronizing only specific data fields and records that are relevant to service maintenance operations. Rather than synchronizing all data, the system focuses on local quality aspects such as service status, technical parameters, and maintenance records, thereby achieving necessary data consistency while avoiding unnecessary modifications to other data elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the data synchronization process into distinct modules that handle different data types and relationships separately. This segmentation allows the system to selectively synchronize specific data segments based on their importance and susceptibility to changes during service maintenance, preventing unnecessary modifications to stable or unrelated data while maintaining consistency where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS7552123B2Methods, systems and computer program products for synchronizing records in billing and service databases

Publication Date: 2009.06.23 BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION(US)

AI summary

Service and billing databases can be synchronized by accessing first data of a selected type in the billing database including billing data associated with network services provided to subscribers of the network to provide billing data that includes selected billing data of the selected type. Second data of the selected type is accessed in the service database including service data associated with maintaining the services to the subscriber to provide selected service data of the selected type. The service database is modified to include selected billing data that is present in the selected billing data and absent from the selected service data. The service database is modified to remove selected service data that is absent from the selected billing data.