Flow Manager Billing in Peer-to-Peer Network Transactions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In complex data networking architectures, network equipment often fails to accurately bill end users in peer-to-peer transactions, leading to incorrect association of transactions and revenue loss for service providers due to inefficient management of communication sessions and data flows.
Innovation Solution
A method employing a client services packet gateway and flow manager element to associate packets with session objects for each user, enabling proper billing by determining whether to use the source or destination IP address based on the interface, and utilizing a multiprocessor architecture for efficient processing, ensuring both users are charged in peer-to-peer transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If network equipment uses traditional billing methods in peer-to-peer transactions, then the system structure remains simple, but billing accuracy deteriorates and revenue is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the billing process by creating separate session objects for each end user in peer-to-peer transactions. The flow manager element divides packet processing into individual user sessions, allowing independent billing records to be generated for each participant. This segmentation enables accurate billing of both users without requiring complex inter-user correlation logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-associating session objects with end users before transactions occur. The flow manager element maintains ready-made session objects that are immediately available for billing purposes, eliminating the need for complex real-time analysis during transaction processing. This preparatory structuring enables accurate billing without increasing operational complexity.
2Reliability
If network equipment processes multiple user sessions with multiple queries to external databases, then billing completeness is improved, but processing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the billing processing for multiple users by using a single query to an external database that returns billing information for both end users involved in a peer-to-peer transaction. The flow manager element consolidates what would traditionally require separate database queries into one unified query, maintaining complete billing coverage while significantly improving processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing a single database query mechanism that serves multiple billing purposes simultaneously. The external database is queried once to provide billing information for both participants in a peer-to-peer transaction, making the query system multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate queries for each user.
3Reliability
If network equipment uses incorrect data association methods, then device operation remains simple, but billing reliability deteriorates and transactions are misassociated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the data association method dependent on the specific interface through which packets are received. The flow manager element uses different association rules for different interfaces (e.g., using source IP for one interface type and destination IP for another), ensuring accurate transaction association for each local context without requiring a single complex global association rule.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for billing end users in a peer-to-peer transaction in a network environment is provided that includes a client services packet gateway operable to communicate with a first end user and a second end user in order to facilitate the peer-to-peer transaction and a flow manager element operable to receive one or more packets of the peer-to-peer transaction from one or more interfaces, such that the interface is a subscriber interface or a network interface. The flow manager is further operable to associate a first session object with the first user and associate a second session object with the second user.