Prepaid Management System Data Balance Accuracy via Online Charging Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in accurately managing data balances for wireless communication devices, as the prepaid management system may not reflect the actual data usage in real-time, leading to inconsistencies in user account information.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves a packet data network gateway receiving a balance query from a wireless communication device, transferring data usage information to an online charging server, and then transferring aggregated data information to a prepaid management system, which generates an updated balance, ensuring accurate data balance representation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the prepaid management system updates balance information periodically, then the system complexity is reduced, but the data balance information becomes outdated and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the online charging server proactively send data usage information to the prepaid management system before the user actually consumes the data. This allows the prepaid management system to update balance information in advance, ensuring accuracy when users query their balances without requiring continuous real-time monitoring. The system pre-calculates and transmits usage data, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the online charging server continuously monitors data usage and provides updates to the prepaid management system. When the gateway receives a balance query, it triggers a feedback loop that retrieves current usage information from the online charging server and updates the prepaid management system accordingly. This feedback ensures data accuracy while maintaining system complexity at acceptable levels by only activating updates when necessary.
2Loss of time
If the system queries the prepaid management system immediately for balance information, then the response time is reduced, but the information may be outdated and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the online charging server send data usage information to the prepaid management system in advance, before the user queries their balance. This pre-update mechanism ensures that when the gateway queries the prepaid management system, the information is already current and accurate, eliminating the need to wait for updates while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary that receives balance queries from users and coordinates with the online charging server to obtain accurate usage information. Instead of the user directly querying an outdated prepaid management system, the gateway mediates by retrieving fresh data from the online charging server and facilitating an updated query, thus resolving the conflict between response time and accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the online charging server monitors data connections in real-time, then data usage accuracy is improved, but the system complexity and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The online charging server performs preliminary monitoring and calculation of data usage, preparing the information in advance before it is needed by the prepaid management system. This pre-processing approach allows the server to maintain accurate real-time monitoring while organizing data in a way that reduces the processing burden on other system components, effectively managing the complexity-accuracy trade-off.
Solution Approach 2:
The online charging server autonomously monitors data connections and generates usage information without requiring continuous intervention from other system components. It self-manages the complex real-time monitoring task, then provides processed results to the prepaid management system on demand. This self-service approach concentrates complexity in one component that is designed to handle it, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining accuracy.
4Measurement precision
If the prepaid management system stores detailed usage information, then data accuracy is improved, but the storage requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential aggregated data usage information from the detailed monitoring data and sends it to the prepaid management system. Instead of storing and processing all granular usage details, the system extracts the relevant summary information needed for balance calculations. This extraction reduces storage requirements while maintaining the accuracy needed for user balance information.
Solution Approach 2:
The online charging server performs preliminary aggregation of detailed usage information into summarized data before transmitting it to the prepaid management system. This pre-aggregation reduces the volume of data that needs to be stored and processed by the prepaid management system, lowering storage requirements while preserving the accuracy of balance information through proper aggregation of usage data.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and software for responding to data balance queries for a wireless device. In one example, a method of operating a communication system includes initiating a data balance query for a wireless device and transferring the query to a packet data network gateway. In response to the query, the packet data network gateway and an online charging server are configured to transfer data usage information to a prepaid management system. In turn, the prepaid management module is configured to update the account for the wireless device based on the data usage information, and provide a data balance response to the wireless device.