Determining communications charging
View Patent ↗A system for determining a communication charge comprising a charging equation determiner, an inflection point determiner, and a charge determiner. The charging equation determiner for determining a charging equation based at least in part on a normalized set of inputs. The inflection point determiner for determining an inflection point based at least in part on a charging structure database. The charge determiner for determining a communication charge based at least in part on the charging equation and the inflection point.
1. A system for determining a communication charge, comprising:
an input interface for receiving a normalized set of inputs, wherein the normalized set of inputs comprises a set of states representing a specific charging situation obtained by processing one or more input parameters;
a processor for:
determining a charging equation based at least in part on the normalized set of inputs;
determining an inflection point based at least in part on a charging structure database, wherein the inflection point comprises a boundary of the one or more input parameters at which the normalized set of inputs and charging equation changes;
in the event the inflection point is reached, determine a new charging equation and a next inflection point; and
determining a communication charge based at least in part on the charging equations and the inflection points.
2. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the normalized set of inputs are used as look-up indices for determining the charging equation.
3. A system as in claim 2 , wherein the look-up indices look up the charging equation in one of the following: a matrix, a database, or a table.
4. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the charging equation is determined using one or more linear equations that are determined based on the normalized set of inputs.
5. A system as in claim 4 , wherein the one or more linear equations are determined based at least in part on one or more of the following: a user data, a charging structure data, or a status system data.
6. A system as in claim 1 , wherein determining the next inflection point comprises simulating a change in the one or more input parameters and determining at what value of the one or more input parameters the normalized set of inputs change.
7. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the one or more input parameters comprise one or more of the following: time, dollars in an account balance, remaining minute balance, bytes, or call minutes.
8. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further for authorizing a communication.
9. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further for in the event the inflection point is reached, reauthorizing a communication.
10. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the charging structure database indicates an inflection point defined by a rate change.
11. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the charging structure database indicates an inflection point defined by a balance value.
12. A system as in claim 11 , wherein the balance value comprises a time balance value.
13. A system as in claim 11 , wherein the balance value comprises a byte balance value.
14. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the charging structure database indicates an inflection point defined by a balance range.
15. A system as in claim 14 , wherein the balance range has a minimum balance value.
16. A system as in claim 14 , wherein the balance range has a maximum balance value.
17. A method for determining call charging, comprising:
determining a charging equation based at least in part on a normalized set of inputs, wherein the normalized set of inputs comprises a set of states representing a specific charging situation obtained by processing one or more input parameters;
determining a inflection point based at least in part on a charging structure database, wherein the inflection point comprises a boundary of the one or more input parameters at which the normalized set of inputs and charging equation changes;
in the event the inflection point is reached, determine a new charging equation and a next inflection point; and
determining, using a processor, a communication charge based at least in part on the charging equations and the inflection points.
18. A computer program product for determining call charging, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
determining a charging equation based at least in part on a normalized set of inputs, wherein the normalized set of inputs comprises a set of states representing a specific charging situation obtained by processing one or more input parameters;
determining a next inflection point based at least in part on a charging structure, wherein the inflection point comprises a boundary of the one or more input parameters at which the normalized set of inputs and charging equation changes;
in the event the inflection point is reached, determine a new charging equation and a next inflection point; and
determining a communication charge based at least in part on the charging equations and the inflection points.
19. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further for receiving a request to initiate a communication for which a communication charge is determined.