Zone Model Tree for Charging System Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charging systems face inefficiencies in processing service usage requests due to cumbersome and resource-intensive lists of origin and destination prefix codes, leading to increased latency as the number of zone entries grows, making it difficult to find the correct charging zone in real-time, especially under strict latency requirements.
Innovation Solution
A configurable zone model tree structure using tree nodes and hash maps is implemented to efficiently search for charging zones by traversing through origin and destination prefix code combinations, allowing for partial matching and wild-card matching, thereby reducing latency and supporting various types of request prefix codes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a list of origin and destination prefix codes is used for zone analysis, then zone charging can be implemented, but processing latency increases as the number of zone entries grows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the zone analysis task into hierarchical segments using a tree structure where each node represents a prefix code level. This segmentation allows the system to process zone entries in a structured manner, traversing only the necessary branches of the tree rather than searching through the entire list, thereby reducing processing latency while maintaining comprehensive zone charging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a flat list structure to a hierarchical tree structure, adding a dimensional layer to the data organization. This tree structure enables efficient prefix-based search by leveraging the hierarchical nature of prefix codes, allowing the system to quickly navigate and locate relevant zones without examining all entries, thus resolving the latency issue.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of zone entries is increased to support more charging scenarios, then charging flexibility improves, but real-time processing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the charging scenarios into hierarchical zones represented by prefix codes, the system can efficiently match incoming requests to appropriate zones through tree traversal. This segmentation enables the system to handle a large number of charging scenarios without compromising real-time processing, as the hierarchical structure guides the search process through only relevant branches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a tree structure that can be efficiently traversed and copied during processing. The tree nodes can be replicated and traversed in parallel for different requests, enabling the system to handle multiple charging scenarios simultaneously while maintaining real-time processing performance through efficient data structure utilization.
3Ease of manufacture
If a traditional list structure is used for zone storage, then implementation is simple, but search efficiency deteriorates with larger datasets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the zone storage structure by organizing prefix codes into a tree. This dimensional change transforms the search process from linear scanning to hierarchical traversal, significantly improving search speed for larger datasets while maintaining relatively simple implementation through standard tree data structure operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The tree structure is pre-built and organized during system initialization, with prefix codes arranged in hierarchical order. This preliminary organization of data allows for efficient search operations during actual processing, as the structure is already optimized for the intended query patterns, achieving fast search speeds without complex runtime computations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure described a method, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and computer system that implement zone analysis in a charging system. Accordingly, the method, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and computer system provide for receiving a service usage request, where the service usage request represents, at least in part, a request for service usage received from a subscriber and comprises a value pair, which, in turn, comprises a first value and a second value; identifying a zone item by traversing a configurable zone model tree, where the traversing is performed using the first value and the second value; and returning a zone name of the zone, where the zone item comprises the zone name, and the zone name identifies a charging structure to be used in satisfying the service usage request.