Web Service Billing via Request Discrimination and Usage Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for billing on-demand Web services are unsatisfactory due to their complexity and high cost, making it difficult to accurately charge customer organizations for the usage of these services.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that modifies Web service hosts to automatically track and update usage data upon access requests, using an HTTP server subsystem, an application server subsystem, an access request discriminator, and a usage data updating module to differentiate between Web page and on-demand service access requests, enabling efficient billing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current billing solutions for on-demand Web services are implemented, then billing capability is provided, but system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service billing by automatically tracking service usage through the existing HTTP server and application server infrastructure. The HTTP server receives requests, the application server processes them, and usage is automatically recorded without requiring complex external billing systems. This self-service approach maintains billing accuracy while minimizing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing HTTP and application servers perform multiple functions: serving web content, processing service requests, and simultaneously tracking billing information. By making these existing components multi-functional, the system avoids adding separate complex billing infrastructure while maintaining accurate billing capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If complex billing systems are deployed to track on-demand service usage, then billing accuracy improves, but implementation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing request-processing workflow to automatically track usage. As the HTTP server receives requests and the application server processes them, usage information is automatically captured and stored. This self-tracking mechanism achieves precise usage measurement without requiring expensive external billing systems or manual tracking processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the request-processing flow that simultaneously performs billing tracking. Instead of implementing a completely new complex billing system, it creates a parallel tracking mechanism that mirrors the existing service delivery process, achieving accurate measurement at lower implementation cost.
3Extent of automation
If traditional pay-per-use tracking methods are used for Web services, then usage billing is enabled, but data maintenance and gathering become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the billing tracking function with the existing request-processing workflow. The HTTP server and application server, which already handle service requests, are extended to simultaneously collect and maintain billing data. This merging eliminates the need for separate data gathering and maintenance systems, achieving automatic billing while reducing data maintenance complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing server infrastructure is made multi-functional by adding billing tracking capabilities to the HTTP and application servers. These servers now simultaneously perform their original request-processing functions and the new billing tracking function, eliminating the need for separate dedicated billing infrastructure and simplifying data maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
On-demand services are hosted for customers and offered to users of a computer network. Incoming access requests from users are identified as on-demand service access requests. On-demand service usage data is updated to indicate usage of the on-demand services by the users. Customers are billed for on-demand service usage by the users.