Rating Request Generation for Convergent Charging Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems require explicit triggers for creating recurring charges and resetting counters, which can be manual and inefficient, especially in convergent charging scenarios where automatic and timely processing of recurring charges and counter resets are necessary for accurate billing.
Innovation Solution
The system automatically creates and processes rating requests that trigger recurring charges and counter resets based on periodic activities associated with provider contracts, ensuring timely and accurate billing by integrating a mass activity function that generates rating requests for multiple accounts and connects them to specific contracts, facilitating the activation of recurring charges and counter resets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If explicit triggers are used for creating recurring charges and resetting counters, then manual control is maintained, but processing efficiency decreases and timeliness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically identifies provider contracts associated with periodic activities and generates rating requests without manual intervention. The mass activity function autonomously processes multiple provider contracts, creating rating requests that trigger recurring charges and counter resets at the appropriate times, eliminating the need for manual triggers while maintaining system control
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of provider contracts and their associated periodic activities before the billing cycle completes. By pre-generating rating requests based on predetermined periodic activities (daily, weekly, monthly), the system ensures timely processing of recurring charges and counter resets without waiting for manual intervention or last-minute processing
2Reliability
If manual intervention is used for creating recurring charges and counter resets, then accuracy can be verified, but processing time increases and errors may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the mass activity function monitors the status of provider contracts and automatically adjusts rating request generation. The system tracks which periodic activities have been processed and ensures that recurring charges and counter resets are triggered at the correct intervals, maintaining billing accuracy through automated verification rather than manual checks
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-verification of billing accuracy by automatically matching provider contracts with their associated periodic activities. The mass activity function independently validates that rating requests are generated for the correct accounts, at the correct times, and with the correct parameters, eliminating manual verification steps while maintaining high reliability
3Ease of operation
If per-transaction basis processing is used, then detailed control is maintained, but system complexity increases and processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple individual transaction processing operations into a single mass activity function. Instead of processing each provider contract separately with individual triggers, the mass activity function consolidates the identification and rating request generation for multiple provider contracts into one automated process, reducing system complexity while maintaining detailed control over each transaction through structured data handling
Solution Approach 2:
The mass activity function serves multiple purposes: it identifies provider contracts, determines periodic activities, generates rating requests, and triggers recurring charges and counter resets. This universal function handles various billing scenarios (fixed-price billing, usage-based billing, promotional periods) through a single standardized process, reducing the need for multiple specialized processing paths and simplifying the overall system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems for processing transactions are described. A provider contract associated with a particular account is identified. In response to determining that the identified provider contract is associated with a periodic activity, a rating request is created that is associated with the particular account. The created rating request associated with the particular account is added to a queue of consumption items for processing, so that the created rating request, when processed, triggers an action corresponding to the determined periodic activity at an external system.