Network accounting and billing system and method
US6418467B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 18, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 9, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 18, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D30/50
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In some embodiments, network traffic information is captured at network information sources. These sources provide detailed information about the network communications transactions at a network device. Importantly, different types of sources can provide different types of information. Gatherer devices gather the detailed information from the various information source devices and convert the information into standardized information. The gatherer devices can correlate the gathered information with account information for network transaction accounting. Manager devices manage the gatherer devices and store the gathered standardized information. The manager devices eliminate duplicate network information that may exist in the standardized information. The manager devices also consolidate the information. Importantly, the information stored by the manager devices represents the consolidated, account correlated, network transaction information that can be used for billing or network accounting. The system thereby provides a distributed network accounting and billing system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.