Dynamic Quota Allocation for Shared Telecom Balances

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Solution Overview

Problem

Telecommunication networks face challenges in managing quotas and shared balances due to increased complexity and demand, leading to difficulties in ensuring proper billing and providing adequate service levels while minimizing network traffic and revenue loss.

Innovation Solution

A server computing device dynamically allocates quotas by reclaiming active allocated quotas and updating shared account balances, using a processor to compute reclaimable quota sizes and prioritize quota reductions to prevent balance threshold breaches, ensuring efficient allocation and accurate billing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If quota allocation is increased to meet user demand, then service level is improved, but balance threshold breach risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice levelVSAvoidbalance threshold compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts quota allocations based on real-time balance thresholds and usage patterns. When a threshold is approached, the system automatically reclaims quota from active allocations and redistributes it, ensuring service continuity while maintaining compliance. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making quota management flexible rather than static.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes quota parameters (allocation sizes, validity periods, reclaimable portions) based on balance threshold conditions. By computing total reclaimable quota sizes and adjusting allocation parameters in real-time, the system maintains both high service levels and threshold compliance, transforming fixed parameters into adaptive variables.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If quota reclamation is performed frequently to prevent threshold breaches, then balance compliance is improved, but network traffic increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebalance threshold complianceVSAvoidnetwork traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic quota reclamation cycles rather than continuous adjustments. By evaluating balance thresholds at specific intervals and performing reclamation only when necessary, the system maintains compliance while minimizing unnecessary network traffic. This periodic approach balances reliability with energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from balance threshold monitoring to trigger quota reclamation only when needed. The feedback mechanism tracks balance levels and activates reclamation processes selectively, avoiding unnecessary network traffic while ensuring compliance. This feedback-driven approach optimizes the trade-off between reliability and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If quota allocation is made dynamic and adaptive, then service flexibility is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice flexibilityVSAvoidquota management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments quota management into distinct functional components: threshold monitoring, reclaimable quota computation, active allocation tracking, and redistribution logic. This segmentation makes the complex adaptive system manageable by dividing it into independent, well-defined modules that can be implemented and maintained separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces intermediary components (balance threshold monitors, quota computation modules) that mediate between user demand and quota allocation. These intermediaries simplify the overall system architecture by handling the complexity of dynamic adjustments in isolated, specialized components rather than throughout the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If minimum quota sizes are enforced for active allocations, then service quality is improved, but available quota for new allocations decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice qualityVSAvoidavailable quota

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system discards (reclaims) quota from active allocations that exceed minimum requirements and recovers it for new allocations. By selectively reclaiming only the excess portion above minimum quotas, the system maintains service quality for active users while freeing up sufficient quota for new allocations, resolving the quantity-quality trade-off.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS10200542B2System and method for dynamically allocating quota for shared balances in distributed telecommunications networks

Publication Date: 2019.02.05 OPENET TELECOM LTD

AI summary

Systems and computing devices may be configured to intelligently and dynamically allocate quotas for the access and use of a telecommunications network by consumers that use a shared account balance. A server computing device may be configured to intelligently allocate quota by determining an allocation time interval for allocating quota from a shared account balance, receiving a quota request message from a metering and gating component that includes information requesting allocation of a first quota to a first consumer associated with a shared account balance, determining a validity period for the first quota based on the determined allocation time interval, and allocating the first quota to the first consumer from the updated shared account balance so as to eliminate or reduce conflicts and discrepancies between different instances of the shared account balance.