Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to an article carrier (90) for packaging a plurality of articles and to a blank (10) for forming the article carrier. The article carrier comprises a plurality of primary panels (12,14,16,18) for forming a tubular structure and defining an interior thereof. The plurality of primary panels includes a first panel (12) and a second panel (14) opposing the first panel. The article carrier further comprises a partition structure for dividing the interior into two or more article-receiving cells. The carrier is formed form a blank comprising a partition-forming section (PS) which comprises a primary partition panel (22,24) and a secondary partition panel(40,44,36,46) formed from the primary partition panel and hingedly connected at one of the opposing ends thereof to the primary partition panel. The upper edge (E1) of the secondary partition panel is defined at least in part by a cutaway (R1) extending from a free end edge (E3) of the blank.

Abstract: The system and methods of the various embodiments enable the efficient management and distribution of application filters or packet flow descriptions within a telecommunications network. A policy management system may be configured to receive a request message from a charging and enforcement (CaE) component, determine application identifiers for a data communication based on information included in the received request message, and determine policy rules. The policy management system may send a stimulus message that includes the determined application identifiers to a filter management system component so as to cause the filter management system to preemptively provision the charging and enforcement component with application filters. The policy management system may also send a response message that includes the determined policy rules to the CaE component.

Abstract: The system and methods of the various embodiments enable the efficient management and distribution of application filters or packet flow descriptions within a telecommunications network. A policy management system may be configured to receive a request message from a charging and enforcement (CaE) component, determine application identifiers for a data communication based on information included in the received request message, and determine policy rules. The policy management system may send a stimulus message that includes the determined application identifiers to a filter management system component so as to cause the filter management system to preemptively provision the charging and enforcement component with application filters. The policy management system may also send a response message that includes the determined policy rules to the CaE component.

Abstract: The system and methods of the various embodiments enable the efficient management and distribution of application filters or packet flow descriptions within a telecommunications network. A policy management system may be configured to receive a request message from a charging and enforcement (CaE) component, determine application identifiers for a data communication based on information included in the received request message, and determine policy rules. The policy management system may send a stimulus message that includes the determined application identifiers to a filter management system component so as to cause the filter management system to preemptively provision the charging and enforcement component with application filters. The policy management system may also send a response message that includes the determined policy rules to the CaE component.

Abstract: The system and methods of the various embodiments enable a revenue assurance system to detect revenue leakage by analyzing usage records from one or more sources within a telecommunications network. Discrepancies are identified and corrective action taken where possible. Corrective actions may include requesting source systems to retransmit missing or erroneous records that were detected. This may result in reduced revenue loss for the network operator.

Abstract: Systems and computing devices may be configured to intelligently and dynamically allocate quotas for the access and use of a telecommunications network by consumers that use a shared balance account. The dynamic allocation of quotas may include computing a total reclaimable quota size value in response to determining that quota may not be allocated to a first consumer from the shared account balance without exceeding a balance threshold, reclaiming all or portions of currently active allocated quotas from a other consumers that use the shared balance account in response to determining that the total reclaimable quota size value is greater than or equal to the minimum quota allocation size, updating the shared account balance to include the reclaimed portions, and allocating quota to the first consumer from the updated shared balance account.

Abstract: Methods, servers and systems for directly accessing and modifying charging information maintained within a telecommunications operator's business and operating systems' infrastructure from user equipment. A mobile application server may receive a charging request from a user equipment, identify a relevant charging system based on the received request, send a charging request to the identified charging system for processing, receive a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system, generate a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message, and send the generated second response message to the user equipment. The received charging request may include various types of information, including information for transferring cost or billing information from a first billing category to a second billing category.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems enable restoring a database system more efficiently. A server computing device may be configured to determine a recovery time interval for a session store database system so as to allow a large number of sessions (e.g., ninety percent of sessions, etc.) to start and finish within that interval, periodically review database records to identify a database record that has not been updated within a most recent recovery time interval, add the identified database record to a journaling log, and update the identified database record to include information identifying a time at which the database record was last added to the journaling log. After detecting a failure event, the server computing device may perform the database operations identified in the journaling log to restore the database system.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems enable restoring a database system more efficiently. A server computing device may be configured to receive a database transaction request that includes information identifying a database operation, determine a priority value for the database operation, and add the database operation to a journaling log based on the determined priority value. After detecting a failure event, the server computing device may perform the database operations identified in the journaling log to restore the database system.

Abstract: The system and methods of the various embodiments enable the efficient management and distribution of application filters or packet flow descriptions within a telecommunications network. A policy management system may be configured to receive a request message from a charging and enforcement (CaE) component, determine application identifiers for a data communication based on information included in the received request message, and determine policy rules. The policy management system may send a stimulus message that includes the determined application identifiers to a filter management system component so as to cause the filter management system to preemptively provision the charging and enforcement component with application filters. The policy management system may also send a response message that includes the determined policy rules to the CaE component.

Abstract: The various embodiments include methods, computing devices and communication systems for controlling services in a communications network. A communications server may be configured to receive bounding information from a first server, decision making information from a second server, and a request to generate a decision from any of a number of different systems or components. The communications server may define bounds for generating the decision based on the received bounding information, and generate the decision based on the received decision making information and defined bounds. The communication server may send the generated decision to a third server implementing a functional system, such as a server in policy management system, policy enforcement system, charging system, or mobile application server system.

Abstract: A network server may be configured to generate, modify, augment, communicate, and/or manage the triggers and signaling communications so that they may be processed and communicated in a more intelligent, efficient, and/or cost effective manner than that which is available via conventional solutions. The network server may receive a trigger communication message that includes trigger parameters and information suitable for causing a destination device to automatically initiate an operation, determining a criterion for sending the trigger communication message to the destination device based on the trigger parameters included in the trigger communication message, monitoring a condition to determine whether the criterion has been satisfied, and send the trigger communication message to the destination device when it is determined that the criterion has been satisfied.

Abstract: A system and method for managing group-based charging for network usage and spending. A server computing device that includes an offline charging system (OFCS) component may be configured to receive a communication message that includes a first attribute, determine/identify a group of user equipments that includes a first user equipment device that is associated with the received communication message, and determine a charging attribute state for the determined group of user equipments based on the first attribute and a second attribute associated with a second user equipment device in the group of user equipments. The server may apply a charging event, determine whether the charging attribute state of the group of user equipments changed as a result of applying the charging event, and notifying a listener component of a new charging attribute state in response to determining that the charging attribute state of the group of user equipments changed.

Abstract: Methods, servers and systems for directly accessing and modifying charging information maintained within a telecommunications operator's business and operating systems' infrastructure from user equipment. A mobile application server may receive a charging request from a user equipment, identify a relevant charging system based on the received request, send a charging request to the identified charging system for processing, receive a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system, generate a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message, and send the generated second response message to the user equipment. The received charging request may include various types of information, including information for transferring cost or billing information from a first billing category to a second billing category.

Abstract: Methods, servers and systems for directly accessing and modifying charging information maintained within a telecommunications operator's business and operating systems' infrastructure from user equipment. A mobile application server may receive a charging request from a user equipment, identify a relevant charging system based on the received request, send a charging request to the identified charging system for processing, receive a first response message including charging information from the identified charging system, generate a second response message based on the charging information included in the first response message, and send the generated second response message to the user equipment. The received charging request may include various types of information, including information for transferring cost or billing information from a first billing category to a second billing category.

Abstract: A network server may be configured to communicate triggers across a telecommunication network by receiving a trigger communication message that includes information suitable for causing a destination machine-to-machine device to perform operations in response to receiving the trigger communication message, receiving policy or charging information from a component in the telecommunication network, determining whether the trigger communication message should be sent to the destination machine-to-machine based on the received policy or charging information, and sending the trigger communication message to the destination component only when it is determined that the trigger communication message should be sent to the destination machine-to-machine based on the received policy or charging information.

Abstract: Methods, servers and systems for managing subscriber accounts within a telecommunications network. A server may be configured to identify a network access scheme (e.g., subscription plan, service pass, etc.) associated with a subscriber account, and use contextual information received from components in the telecommunication network to intelligently determine whether to notify the user of the availability of different network access schemes based on various factors, such as based on determining whether any available service pass is more cost effective than the currently installed service pass, whether any available service pass will provide a user equipment device with an increased quality of service relative to the currently installed service pass, whether any available subscription plan will provide the user equipment device with an increased quality of service relative to the current subscription plan, or whether any available subscription plan is more cost effective than the current subscription plan.

Abstract: The various embodiments include methods, computing devices and communication systems for controlling services in a communications network. A communications server may be configured to receive bounding information from a first server, decision making information from a second server, and a request to generate a decision from any of a number of different systems or components. The communications server may define bounds for generating the decision based on the received bounding information, and generate the decision based on the received decision making information and defined bounds. The communication server may send the generated decision to a third server implementing a functional system, such as a server in policy management system, policy enforcement system, charging system, or mobile application server system.

Abstract: The various embodiments include methods, computing devices and communication systems for controlling services in a communications network. A communications server may be configured to receive bounding information from a first server, decision making information from a second server, and a request to generate a decision from any of a number of different systems or components. The communications server may define bounds for generating the decision based on the received bounding information, and generate the decision based on the received decision making information and defined bounds. The communication server may send the generated decision to a third server implementing a functional system, such as a server in policy management system, policy enforcement system, charging system, or mobile application server system.

Abstract: A system and method for managing group-based charging for network usage and spending. A server computing device that includes an offline charging system (OFCS) component may be configured to receive a communication message that includes a first attribute, determine/identify a group of user equipments that includes a first user equipment device that is associated with the received communication message, and determine a charging attribute state for the determined group of user equipments based on the first attribute and a second attribute associated with a second user equipment device in the group of user equipments. The server may apply a charging event, determine whether the charging attribute state of the group of user equipments changed as a result of applying the charging event, and notifying a listener component of a new charging attribute state in response to determining that the charging attribute state of the group of user equipments changed.