1. A method of account request processing in a communication network, comprising:
receiving an accounting request;
determining a processing track for the accounting based at least in part on the presence or absence of an attribute-value pair (AVP) in the accounting request;
assigning the accounting request to one of a plurality of processing queues based on the processing track determination.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of processing queues comprises at least a queue for faster processing relative to the remainder of the plurality of queues.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing rate of at least one queue of the plurality of queues is variable.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a charging record incorporating the accounting request.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising incorporating at least a second accounting request into the charging record.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising monitoring at least one queue of the plurality of queues to determine its backlog.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting the processing rate of at least one queue.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the processing rate of at least one queue comprises increasing the processing rate of a slower queue when the backlog of a faster queue has reached a predetermined threshold.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the processing rate of at least one queue comprising increasing the processing rate of a slower queue when the backlog of the slower queue has reached a predetermined threshold.
10. The method of claim 6, further comprising analyzing the backlog of a first queue relative to the backlog of a second queue.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising re-assigning at least one accounting request to a different queue based on the results of the comparison.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the source of the accounting request, and wherein the processing track determination is based at least in part on the source of the accounting request.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a network element type associated with the accounting request, and wherein the processing track determination is based at least in part on the network element type.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network element type is assigned to the network element by the network operator.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least a portion of the network is operable according to a Diameter protocol, and wherein the network element type is communicated by the AVP.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the AVP is an optional AVP.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the accounting request is received in a CCF.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the accounting request is correlated into a CDR.
19. A network element for processing accounting requests, comprising:
a processor for controlling components of the network element;
a memory device accessible to the processor;
a network interface for receiving accounting requests from other network components;
a processing track determiner for associating ACRs with a processing track according to policy rules installed in the network element based at least in part on the presence or absence of an attribute-value pair (AVP) in each accounting request; and
a plurality of processing queues into which ACRs are placed according to the processing track assigned.
20. A method of account request processing in a communication network, comprising:
receiving an accounting request;
determining a processing track for the accounting;
assigning, based on the processing track determination, the accounting request to one of a plurality of processing queues, the plurality comprising at least a queue for faster processing relative to the remainder of the plurality of queues; and
monitoring at least one queue of the plurality of queues to determine its backlog.
21. A network element for processing accounting requests, comprising:
a processor for controlling components of the network element;
a memory device accessible to the processor;
a network interface for receiving accounting requests from other network components;
a processing track determiner for associating ACRs with a processing track according to policy rules installed in the network element and for assigning, based on the processing track association, each ACR to one of a plurality of processing queues, the plurality comprising at least a queue for faster processing relative to the remainder of the plurality of queues, wherein the processor monitors at least one queue of the plurality of queues to determine its backlog.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An HVAC controller for controlling an HVAC system, the HVAC system having an air filter, the HVAC controller comprising:
a controller;
a memory coupled to the controller;
a display coupled to the controller;
wherein the controller is programmed to:
receive a measured value that is related to an amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system;
compare the received measured value to a pre-determined threshold value stored in the memory; and
implement a three-level user alert system in which the controller displays on the display of the HVAC controller a first status indicator when the received measured value that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system is less than the pre-determined threshold value, a second status indicator when the measured value that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system is at least equal to the pre-determined threshold value but only for a predetermined amount of time after the measured value is detected to be at least equal to the pre-determined threshold value, and a third status indicator after the measured value that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system remains at least equal to the pre-determined value for more than the predetermined amount of time.
2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the first status indicator comprises a first qualitative term indicating that a status of the air filter is good.
3. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the second status indicator comprises a second qualitative term indicating that the air filter needs replacement soon.
4. The HVAC controller of claim 3, wherein the third status indicator comprises a third qualitative term indicating that the air filter needs replacement.
5. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the first status indicator comprises a first color indicative of the status of the air filter.
6. The HVAC controller of claim 5, wherein the second status indicator comprises a second color different from the first color indicative of the status of the air filter.
7. The HVAC controller of claim 6, wherein the third status indicator further comprises a third color different from the first color and the second color indicative of the status of the air filter.
8. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the three-level user alert system includes a stop-light metaphor, where the first status indicator displays a green color, the second status indicator displays a yellow color, and the third status indicator displays a red color.
9. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein when the measured value is at least equal to the pre-determined value for at least two consecutive measurements, the controller is configured to implement a timer for a pre-determined period of time after which the controller is configured to update the controller display to display the third status indicator.
10. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the received measure value that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system is a measured differential pressure value taken across the air filter.
11. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the received measure value that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system is a measured air flow rate representative of air flowing through the air filter.
12. An HVAC controller for controlling an HVAC system, the HVAC system having an air filter, the HVAC controller comprising:
a controller;
a memory coupled to the controller;
a display coupled to the controller;
wherein the controller is programmed to:
receive a measure that is related to an amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system;
using the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system to determine whether the air filter does not need replacing, the air filter needs to be replaced soon, or the air filter should be replaced now; and
display on the display of the HVAC controller an air filter status indicator, wherein the air filter status indicator includes a stop-light metaphor, where the air filter status indicator displays a green color when the air filter does not need replacing, displays a yellow color when the air filter needs to be replaced soon, and displays a red color when the air filter should be replaced now.
13. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein air filter status indicator further includes displaying a qualitative term indicative of the current status of the air filter.
14. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein the controller determines that the air filter does not need replacing when the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system is below a threshold value.
15. The HVAC controller of claim 14, wherein the controller determines that the air filter needs replacing soon when the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system has been at or above the threshold value for less than a predetermined amount of time.
16. The HVAC controller of claim 15, wherein the controller determines that the air filter should be replaced now when the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system has been at or above the threshold value for more than the predetermined amount of time.
17. A method of indicating a status of an air filter on an HVAC controller that includes a display, the method comprising:
receiving a measure that is related to an amount of flow restriction presented by an air filter in an HVAC system;
using the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system to determine whether the air filter does not need replacing, the air filter needs to be replaced soon, or the air filter should be replaced now; and
displaying on the display of the HVAC controller an air filter status indicator, wherein the air filter status indicator includes a stop-light metaphor, where the air filter status indicator displays a green color when the air filter does not need replacing, displays a yellow color when the air filter needs to be replaced soon, and displays a red color when the air filter should be replaced now.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining step determines that the air filter does not need replacing when the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system is below a threshold value.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining step determines that the air filter needs replacing soon when the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system has been at or above the threshold value for less than a predetermined amount of time.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining step determines that the air filter should be replaced now when the measure that is related to the amount of flow restriction presented by the air filter in the HVAC system has been at or above the threshold value for more than the predetermined amount of time.