Data processing system for communications network

Abstract

An inter-network call accounting system for use in a communication network such as the public switched telephone network in Britain allows call records to be sorted according to the network operator to be charged in respect of the calls, prior to being priced and charged. A data analyzer incorporating an expert system is provided for call records which cannot be validated. The data analyzer can apply default or amended data, or can output invalid data to a suspended process awaiting updated reference information. Unfixable data is output to a sump for management purposes. A pricing and charging engine processes data already sorted according to billable entity and incorporates further data analysis for dealing with data invalid by reason of pricing and charging related information.

I claim:  
     
       1. A process for collecting and processing data in a first communication network, the data concerning communication instances, wherein the network includes at least one respective point of connection to at least one other communications network, the process comprising the steps of: 
       i) collecting data at a data access point at each said point of connection, said data concerning a communication instance arising in an originating network other than said first network, and comprising route information identifying the originating network and at least one parameter measurement with respect to said communication instance;  
       ii) transmitting said data into a data processing system;  
       iii) processing said data to generate billing information;  
       iv) allocating said billing information to one of said communications networks; and  
       v) accumulating respective billing information for each of said communications networks. ;  
       
         wherein said data processing system includes a data analyzer, and said processing step includes validating the data followed by analyzing invalid data, correcting said invalid data and processing said corrected invalid data as valid data. 
       
     
     
       2. A process as in  claim 1 , wherein said first network comprises a public switched telephone network. 
     
     
       3. A process as in  claim 1  wherein said processing step comprises streaming said data according to the identity of said originating network. 
     
     
       4. A process as in  claim 1  wherein the first network comprises a communication network including both local exchanges and trunk exchanges and the data processing system includes correlating pricing and charging data from a database in accordance with the route information identifying the originating network. 
     
     
       5. A process in  claim 4  wherein said correlation is carried out subsequent to streaming the data. 
     
     
       6. A process as in  claim 1  wherein said data processing system comprises a data analyzer, and said processing step includes validating the data followed by analyzing invalid data,  the analysis including  includes a step of identifying data which can potentially be set to a default value, and correcting said invalid data includes setting the data to a default value and processing it as valid data. 
     
     
       7. A data processing arrangement for processing data collected in a communications network but concerning call instances arising outside the network, the arrangement comprising: 
       i) a data input for inputting said data, said data comprising at least one of a plurality of sort characteristics;  
       ii) verifying means for check the data received at the data input;  
       iii) a data analyzer for analyzing data rejected by the verifying means, and for substituting amended or default data therefor;  
       iv) pricing means for pricing data output by the verifying means or by the data analyzer in accordance with updatable reference information;  
       v) output means for outputting priced data from the pricing means into memory locations, each memory location being dedicated to data relevant to one or more of said sort characteristics, and  
       (vi) accumulation means for accumulating price data in respect of each communication network causing said call instances.  
     
     
       8. A data processing arrangement as in  claim 7  wherein each sort characteristic identifies a further network outside said communications network in which further network an associated communication arose. 
     
     
       9. An arrangement as in  claim 7  wherein said communications network is a PSTN. 
     
     
       10. An arrangement as in  claim 7  wherein said data analyzer comprises means for storing data which cannot be amended or defaulted in a suspended data store, for potential subsequent processing. 
     
     
       11. A data analyzer for use in a data processing arrangement according to  claim 7 . 
     
     
       12. A data collection and processing arrangement for use in a first communication network which is connected to and receives communication instances from multiple further networks, the arrangement comprising: 
       a) registering means for registering a communication instance incoming to the first network having arisen in one of said further networks,  
       b) means for formatting a record of said communication instance, the record comprising data identifying said one of the further networks and a parameter value associated with the communication instance,  
       c) validating means for validating said record,  
       d) pricing, and charging means for associating pricing and charging data with a validated record and providing a sorted array of priced, charged and validated records, the array being, sorted according, to the identities of the further networks, and  
       e) analyzing means for analyzing records which are rejected by the validating means, the analyzing means dealing with the rejected records in one of at least three ways according to the cause of rejection, said three ways being:  
       i) to set values in a non-validated record (NVR) to a best-fit value,  
       ii) to set values in a NVR to default values; and  
       iii) to archive or dump the NVR;  
       records which have been dealt with in either of the ways i) or ii) being transmitted, directly or indirectly, to the pricing and charging means as validated records. 
     
     
       13. An arrangement as in  claim 12  wherein: 
       a communication instance is received by an exchange of said first network,  
       a record of the communication instance being transmitted to a data collector as said registering means,  
       the data identifying said one of the further networks being provided by routing information incorporated in said record, and  
       wherein the validating means has access to a routing reference data model and one of the criteria used in reference data model and one of the criteria used in validating a record is the degree of correlation between the routing information and the routing reference data model.  
     
     
       14. An arrangement as in  claim 12 , wherein the analyzing means deals with rejected records in one of at least four ways, the four ways comprising i) to iii) and, iv), to append data concerning a NVR to a file in a suspended data store which can be accessed and analyzed at a later time. 
     
     
       15. An arrangement as in  claim 14  wherein each file in the suspended data store is dedicated to NVRs having the same error pattern. 
     
     
       16. An arrangement as in  claim 12  wherein the pricing and charging means comprises validating means, or access to validating means, and can output non-validated records to the analyzing means so as to allow representing of data which has become corrupted since first being validated in the arrangement. 
     
     
       17. A data collection and processing system for use in collecting and processing communication records relevant to a plurality of networks, wherein said system comprises: 
       at least one input for communication records generated at a point of connection between a first of said plurality of networks and at least one other of said plurality of networks,  
       said records providing identification of the network in which an associated communication instance arose or from which it entered said first network,  
       validation means for validating format and routing information aspects of the records,  
       data analyzing means for analyzing errored records rejected by said validation means,  
       the analyzing means being capable of categorizing said errored records and applying default values to at least one category of the errored records,  
       data sorting means for sorting validated and defaulted records  errored records having default values applied thereto according to said network identification, and 
       pricing means for receiving the sorted records and generating billing information for use in billing entities relevant to the identified networks; and accumulation means for accumulating price data in respect of each network.  
     
     
       18. A process for collecting and processing data in a first communications network, the first communications network comprising a plurality of switches in common ownership of a first party, the data concerning communications instances, wherein the network includes at least one point of connection to a second communications network, the second communications network comprising a further plurality of switches in common ownership of another party, the process comprising the steps of: 
       i) collecting data at a data access point at said point of connection, said data concerning a communication instance arising in an originating network other than said first network, and comprising route information identifying the originating network and at least one parameter measurement with respect to said communication instance;  
       ii) transmitting said data into a data processing system; and  
       iii) processing said data. ; 
       wherein said data processing system includes a data analyzer, and said processing step includes validating the data followed by analzying invalid data, correcting said invalid data and processing said corrected invalid data as valid data. 
     
     
       19. A process as in  claim 18  wherein said first network comprises a public switched telephone network. 
     
     
       20. A process as in  claim 18  wherein said processing step comprises streaming said data according to the identity of said originating network. 
     
     
       21. A process as in  claim 18  wherein the first network comprises a communications network including both local exchanges and trunk exchanges and the data processing system includes correlating pricing and charging data from a database in accordance with the route information identifying the originating network. 
     
     
       22. A process as in  claim 21  wherein said correlation is carried out subsequent to streaming the data. 
     
     
       23. A process as in  claim 18  wherein said data processing system comprises a data analyzer and said processing step includes validating the data followed by analyzing invalid data,  the analysis including  includes a step of identifying data which can potentially be set to a default value, and correcting said invalid data includes setting the data to a default value and processing it as valid data . 
     
     
       24. A data processing arrangement for collecting and processing data in a first communications network, the first communications network comprising a plurality of switches in common ownership of a first party, the data concerning communications instances, wherein the network includes at least one point of connection to a second communications network, the second communications network comprising a further plurality of switches in common ownership of another party, the arrangement comprising: 
       i) a data input for inputting said data, said data comprising at least one of a plurality of sort characteristics;  
       ii) verifying means for checking the data received at the data input;  
       iii) a data analyzer for analyzing data rejected by the verifying means, and for substituting amended or default data therefor;  
       iv) pricing means for pricing data output by the verifying means or by the data analyzer in accordance with updatable reference information; and  
       v) output means for outputting priced data from the pricing means into memory locations, each memory location being dedicated to data relevant to one or more of said sort characteristics.  
     
     
       25. A data processing arrangement as in  claim 24  wherein each sort characteristics identifies a further network outside said communications network in which further network an associated communication arose. 
     
     
       26. An arrangement as in  claim 24  wherein said communications network is a PSTN. 
     
     
       27. An arrangement as in  claim 24  wherein said data analyzer comprises means for storing data which cannot be amended or defaulted in a suspended data store, for potential subsequent processing. 
     
     
       28. A data analyzer for use in a data processing arrangement according to  claim 24 . 
     
     
       29. A data collection and processing system for collecting and processing data in a first communications network, the first communications network comprising a plurality of switches in common ownership of a first party, the data concerning communications instances, wherein the network includes at least one point of connection to a second communications network, the second communications network comprising a further plurality of switches in common ownership of another party, the system comprising: 
       at least one input for communication records generated at a point of connection between a first of said plurality of networks and at least one other of said plurality of networks,  
       said records providing identification of the network in which an associated communication instance arose or from which it entered said first network,  
       validation means for validating format and routing information aspects of the records,  
       data analyzing means for analyzing errored records rejected by said validation means,  
       the analyzing means being capable of categorizing said errored records and applying default values to at least one category of the errored records,  
       data sorting means for sorting validated and defaulted records  errored records having said default values applied thereto according to said network identification, and  
       pricing means for receiving the sorted records and generating billing information for use in billing entities relevant to the identified networks.