Granted Patent B2

US 10,931,518 · App. 16/432,495 · Granted Feb 23, 2021

Inventors: Matthew Vanden Berg (Tarragindi, AU); Christopher E. Lerato (Dutton Park, AU)

Assignee: CSG Systems, Inc.

H04L41/08G06F16/22G06F16/23G06F16/2336G06F16/2343G06F16/2455G06F16/24532G06F16/24535G06F16/24542G06F16/951

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. A system for configuring electronic elements in an electronic communication network, the system comprising:

a query handler device, the query handler device being coupled to a first electronic communication network, the query handler device being disposed at a central processing location;

a plurality of update circuits, each of the plurality of update circuits being arranged to operate electronically in parallel with the others, the plurality of update circuits being coupled to the query handler device;

a database, the database storing data entries that include subscriber information;

at least one writer device, the at least one writer device being coupled to the database;

wherein the query handler device is configured to:

receive a query from a network service provider;

separate the query into a plurality of subqueries;

selectively copy each of the plurality of subqueries into individual selected sets of subqueries, wherein each member of each of the individual selected sets is a copy of one of the plurality of subqueries;

for each of the individual selected sets of subqueries, selectively transmit each subquery in the individual selected sets of subqueries to a selected individual one of the update circuits;

wherein each of the update circuits is configured to:

receive one subquery from one of the individual sets of subqueries;

determine an answer to the one received subquery, the answer being determined potentially in parallel time relation with respect to answers being determined at other update circuits;

transmit the answer to the query handler;

wherein the query handler device determines a first answer to each of the subqueries, the first answer for each subquery being received by the query handler device first-in-time compared to the other answers for each subquery;

wherein the query handler device determines an answer to the query based upon the first answers to the subqueries;

wherein the at least one writer device is configured to:

receive the answer to the query;

adjust an entry in the database according to the answer to the query using a write operation such that no other adjustment to the entry can occur until the write operation is completed;

wherein the query handler device is configured to transmit the answer to the query to the network service provider via the first electronic communication network;

wherein the network service provider responsively adjusts and configures electronic network elements in a second electronic communication network in conformance with the answer to the query.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electronic queue, the at least one electronic queue being electronically coupled between the update devices and the at least one writer device, the at least one electronic queue configured to temporarily store the answers determined by the update devices.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one electronic queue is a single queue.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one electronic queue comprises a plurality of separate queues.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one writer device locks the query prior to performing the write operation and removes the lock once the write operation is completed.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one writer device comprises a single writer device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one writer device comprises a plurality of separate writer devices.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one electronic queue comprises a plurality of separate queues.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third electronic communication network electronically coupled between the at least one writer device and each of the update circuits, wherein a range of data communication latencies exist between each of the update circuits and the at least one writer device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the database and the at least one writer device are disposed at the central processing location.

11. A method for configuring electronic elements in an electronic communication network, the method comprising:

arranging a plurality of update circuits to operate electronically in parallel with the others;

storing data entries that include subscriber information in a database;

at a query handler device that is disposed at the central processing location, receiving a query from a network service provider, and separating the query into a plurality of subqueries;

selectively copying each of the plurality of subqueries into individual selected sets of subqueries, wherein each member of each of the individual selected sets is a copy of one of the plurality of subqueries;

at each of the update circuits, receiving one subquery from one of the individual sets of subqueries, determining an answer to the one received subquery, the answer being determined in parallel time relation with respect to answers being determined at other update circuits, and transmitting the answer to the query handler;

wherein the query handler device determines a first answer to each of the subqueries, the first answer for each subquery being received by the query handler device first-in-time compared to the other answers for each subquery;

wherein the query handler device determines an answer to the query based upon the first answers to the subqueries;

at the at least one writer device, receiving the answer to the query, and adjusting an entry in the database according to the answer to the query using a write operation such that no other adjustment to the entry can occur until the write operation is completed;

at the query handler device, transmitting the answer to the query to the network service provider via the first electronic communication network;

wherein the network service provider responsively adjusts and configures electronic network elements in a second electronic communication network in conformance with the answer to the query.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising temporarily storing the answers determined by the update devices in at least one electronic queue, the at least one electronic queue being electronically coupled between the update devices and the at least one writer device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one electronic queue is a single queue.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one electronic queue comprises a plurality of separate queues.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one writer device locks the query prior to performing the write operation and removes the lock once the write operation is completed.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one writer device comprises a single writer device.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one writer device comprises a plurality of separate writer devices.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one electronic queue comprises a plurality of separate queues.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising a third electronic communication network electronically coupled between the at least one writer device and each of the update circuits, wherein a range of data communication latencies exist between each of the update circuits and the at least one writer device.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the database and the at least one writer device are disposed at the central processing location.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the query comprises a first subquery and a second subquery, and a first answer to the first subquery is supplied to and utilized by the second subquery.

22. The method of claim 11 , wherein the query comprise a first subquery and a second subquery, and a first answer to the first subquery is supplied to and utilized by the second subquery.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (2)