CDF Request ID Insertion for Duplicate CDR Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

In offline charging systems, re-transmitted accounting requests can lead to duplicate charging information in Charging Data Records (CDRs), resulting in potential double billing for end users due to the inability to accurately reconcile charging data across multiple CDFs.

Innovation Solution

The system enhances Charging Data Functions (CDFs) to identify and mark re-transmitted accounting requests within CDRs by inserting request identifiers and content information, allowing a reconciliation system to remove duplicate charging data, thereby preventing double billing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If re-transmitted accounting requests are processed without identification, then system reliability is improved through automatic retry mechanisms, but duplicate charging information is generated in CDRs leading to potential double billing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidduplicate charging information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of re-transmitted accounting requests by checking the T-bit flag before processing. This advance detection prevents duplicate charging information from being generated in the first place, rather than detecting and correcting duplicates after they are created

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A reconciliation device is introduced as an intermediary component that receives CDRs from multiple CDFs, identifies duplicate charging information using the request ID and content information fields, and removes duplicates before final billing. This mediator resolves the conflict between reliable re-transmission and duplicate prevention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If request identifiers and content information are inserted into CDR fields, then duplicate charging information can be identified and removed, but device complexity increases due to extended CDR fields and reconciliation processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveduplicate charging information identificationVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The solution segments the CDR structure by adding specific extended fields (request ID field and content information field) rather than redesigning the entire CDR structure. This targeted segmentation allows duplicate identification while minimizing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reconciliation device serves as a specialized intermediary that handles the complex task of duplicate detection and removal. By isolating this complex processing in a dedicated component rather than distributing it across all CDFs, the overall system complexity is managed more effectively

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9883052B2Systems and methods for avoiding double accounting upon session failover

Publication Date: 2018.01.30 NOKIA OF AMERICA CORP

AI summary

Systems, methods, and software that perform offline charging. One embodiment comprises a Charging Data Function (CDF) of an Offline Charging System (OFCS). The CDF receives accounting requests for a session from a Charging Trigger Function (CTF), and generates an incomplete Charging Data Record (CDR) for the session based on the accounting requests. The CDF identifies request identifiers (ID) assigned to the accounting requests used to generate the first incomplete CDR, and inserts the request IDs in the incomplete CDR. The CDF determines whether one or more of the accounting requests used to generate the incomplete CDR were indicated as a re-transmitted accounting request by the CTF, and inserts content information for the re-transmitted accounting request(s) in the incomplete CDR.