Count Database Node for Real-Time Subscriber Usage Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Telecommunications operators face challenges in accurately managing and controlling network congestion and revenue analysis due to the coarse-grained, infrequent statistical reports on subscriber usage, which limits their ability to respond to rapid fluctuations in service demand.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with a count database node that generates real-time counts of active subscribers based on specific account attributes, allowing for dynamic rate adjustments and real-time congestion control, and enabling revenue-sharing models by providing real-time statistics across the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If statistical reports are generated infrequently (e.g., daily), then the system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision of subscriber usage data deteriorates and cannot capture rapid fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary counting mechanism that sits between the subscriber account database and the statistical reporting system. This intermediary maintains real-time counts of subscribers with specific attributes (campaign, community, offer) without requiring complex real-time analysis of all subscriber data. The counting mechanism acts as a mediator that pre-aggregates data, providing accurate real-time statistics to the reporting system while keeping overall system complexity manageable.
2Loss of information
If real-time counting of active subscribers is implemented, then the measurement precision and timeliness of usage data is improved, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the subscriber base into distinct groups based on specific attributes (campaign subscribers, community members, offer recipients). Instead of tracking every individual subscriber's activity in real-time, the system maintains separate counters for each segment. This segmentation allows the system to provide timely information about active subscriber counts for different groups without requiring complex real-time processing of all subscriber data individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing subscriber segments and their attributes before real-time counting begins. Subscriber accounts are pre-tagged with relevant attributes (campaign ID, community ID, offer ID) during provisioning. This preliminary classification enables the real-time counting mechanism to simply increment or decrement counters based on these pre-defined segments, rather than performing complex analysis during real-time operations.
3Productivity
If coarse-grained statistical reports are used, then the ease of operation is maintained and system complexity is low, but the productivity of revenue analysis and congestion control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where real-time counts of active subscribers are continuously provided to the reporting and analysis systems. This feedback loop enables operators to immediately see the impact of campaigns, offers, and community activities on subscriber engagement and revenue. The system automatically updates statistics as subscribers join or leave segments, providing continuous feedback without requiring manual data collection or complex analysis procedures, thus maintaining operational simplicity while dramatically improving analytical efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method by a count database node monitors content of subscriber accounts processed by an online charging system in a communication network for user equipment nodes. The method includes receiving by the count database node a plurality of data records. Each data record contains a subscriber identifier and an attribute to be provisioned for the subscriber. For each of the data records, the data record is sorted for storage in database structures maintained by the count database node based on the attribute of the data record. The method further includes determining a count value based on a number of the data records stored in the database structures maintained by the count database node containing an attribute defined by a query received by the count database node, and providing the count value from the count database node to another node.