System and method for mapping information collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to the corresponding inter-provider orders

• US 20020091588A1
• Filed: 01/10/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agile Software Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metasolv Software, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Fitzgerald, David L., Benton, Janet L., Dunn, Brenda D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An end-user requested service item may relate to a service item type having a developer defined label (DDL) that extends the attributes of the service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user for creation of an end-user order for the service item. The value is not needed to complete the end-user order but is collected to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user for subsequent creation of a corresponding inter-provider order. The value is automatically mapped from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order.

Claims

1. A system for mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, comprising:

an end-user ordering module operable to;

determine whether an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog relates to a service item type having at least one associated developer defined label (DDL), the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of an inter-provider order that corresponds to the end-user order;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompt a user of the end-user ordering module to collect from the end-user and supply a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item; and

communicate the end-user order for use in subsequently creating the corresponding inter-provider order; and

an inter-provider ordering module coupled to the end-user ordering module and operable to;

receive the end-user order;

determine whether the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the inter-provider order comprises an industry standard Local Service Request.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the requested service item is an unbundled port;

the additional DDL-specified attribute is selected from the group consisting of a Local Existing Account Number (LEAN) and a Local Existing Account Telephone Number (LEATN); and

the associated service item type is provided for mapping an unbundled port from an end-user order to an LSR.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the DDL allows a developer of the end-user ordering module to provide for collection of additional attribute values in response to an industry mandated change in LSR format without necessitating the development of new software.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the value is automatically mapped to appropriate fields of multiple forms included within the LSR.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the end-user ordering module is operable to relate the requested service item to a product specification and relate the product specification to a service item type to determine whether the requested service item relates to a service item type having a DDL.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the end-user ordering module is further operable to validate that the value for the additional DDL-specified attribute has been supplied before communicating the end-user order.

8. Software for mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed by one or more computers operable to:

determine whether an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog relates to a service item type having at least one associated developer defined label (DDL), the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of an inter-provider order corresponding to the end-user order;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompt a user of the software to collect from the end-user and supply a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item; and

provide the end-user order for use in subsequently creating the corresponding inter-provider order;

determine whether the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

9. The software of claim 8, wherein the inter-provider order comprises an industry standard Local Service Request.

10. The software of claim 9, wherein:

the requested service item is an unbundled port;

the additional DDL-specified attribute is selected from the group consisting of a Local Existing Account Number (LEAN) and a Local Existing Account Telephone Number (LEATN); and

the associated service item type is provided for mapping an unbundled port from an end-user order to an LSR.

11. The software of claim 9, wherein the DDL allows a developer of the software to provide for collection of additional attribute values in response to an industry mandated change in LSR format without necessitating the development of new software.

12. The software of claim 9, wherein the value is automatically mapped to appropriate fields of multiple forms included within the LSR.

13. The software of claim 8, wherein the software is operable to relate the requested service item to a product specification and relate the product specification to a service item type to determine whether the requested service item relates to a service item type having a DDL.

14. The software of claim 8, wherein the software is further operable to validate that the value for the additional DDL-specified attribute has been supplied before providing the end-user order.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the inter-provider order comprises an industry standard Local Service Request.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the requested service item is an unbundled port;

the additional DDL-specified attribute is selected from the group consisting of a Local Existing Account Number (LEAN) and a Local Existing Account Telephone Number (LEATN); and

the associated service item type is provided for mapping an unbundled port from an end-user order to an LSR.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the DDL allows a developer of software performing the method to provide for collection of additional attribute values in response to an industry mandated change in LSR format without necessitating the development of new software.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the value is automatically mapped to appropriate fields of multiple forms included within the LSR.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the requested service item is related to a product specification and the product specification is related to a service item type to determine whether the requested service item relates to a service item type having a DDL.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising validating that the value for the additional DDL-specified attribute has been supplied before providing the end-user order.

15. A method of mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, comprising:

determining whether an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog relates to a service item type having at least one associated developer defined label (DDL), the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of an inter-provider order corresponding to the end-user order;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompting a user to collect from the end-user and to supply a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item; and

providing the end-user order for subsequent use in creating the corresponding inter-provider order;

determining whether the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically mapping the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

22. A system for mapping values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, comprising:

means for determining whether an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog relates to a service item type having at least one associated developer defined label (DDL), the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of an inter-provider order corresponding to the end-user order;

means for, if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompting a user of the software to collect from the end-user and supply a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item; and

means for providing the end-user order for use in subsequently creating the corresponding inter-provider order;

means for determining whether the end-user order includes a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute; and

means for, if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically mapping the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

23. End-user ordering module software facilitating the mapping of values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed by one or more computers operable to:

determine whether an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog relates to a service item type having at least one associated developer defined label (DDL), the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of an inter-provider order corresponding to the end-user order;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompt a user of the end-user ordering module software to collect from the end-user and supply a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item; and

provide the end-user order to inter-provider ordering module software for use in subsequently creating the corresponding inter-provider order, such that the inter-provider ordering module software can determine whether the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute and also such that, if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, the inter-provider ordering module software can automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

24. A method performed using end-user ordering module software that facilitates mapping of values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, comprising:

determining whether an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog relates to a service item type having at least one associated developer defined label (DDL), the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of an end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of an inter-provider order corresponding to the end-user order;

if the requested service item relates to a service item type having at least one DDL, prompting a user of the end-user ordering module to collect from the end-user and supply a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item; and

providing the end-user order to inter-provider ordering module software for use in subsequently creating the corresponding inter-provider order, such that the inter-provider ordering module software can determine whether the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute and such that, if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, the inter-provider ordering module software can automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

25. Inter-provider ordering module software facilitating the mapping of values collected in connection with creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed by one or more computers operable to:

access an end-user order for use in subsequently creating a corresponding inter-provider order;

determine whether the end-user order has a value for at least one developer defined label (DDL), the DDL being associated with a service item type related to an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog, the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of the corresponding inter-provider order; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically map the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.

26. A method performed using inter-provider ordering module software facilitating the mapping of values collected in connection with the creation of end-user orders for communications services to corresponding inter-provider orders, the method comprising:

accessing an end-user order for use in subsequently creating a corresponding inter-provider order;

determining whether the end-user order has a value for at least one developer defined label (DDL), the DDL being associated with a service item type related to an end-user requested service item contained in a service provider product catalog, the DDL extending the attributes of the associated service item type by specifying an additional attribute for which a value may be collected from the end-user and supplied in connection with creation of the end-user order for the requested service item, the value not needed to complete the end-user order but collected and supplied to avoid needing to collect the value from the end-user in connection with subsequent creation of the corresponding inter-provider order; and

if the end-user order has a value for the additional DDL-specified attribute, automatically mapping the value from the end-user order to an appropriate field of the inter-provider order such that the value need not be collected from the end-user in connection with creation of the inter-provider order.