Broadband sign-off

• US 20020120713A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Vinay, Strauch, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A web based sign-off process that allows a customer and an installation technician to electronically sign-off on a broadband installation for the purpose of recording that service is operating correctly thereby enabling the service providers to start billing for the broadband service. The sign-off takes place once the broadband installation is complete by navigating to a web site containing a sign-off form. Once the form is filled out by the customer and the technician, it is returned over a network to a service provider. The service provider modifies the customer'"'"'s billing entry so that billing can commence at a broadband access rate.

Claims

1. A method for completing installation of a broadband network service at a location, the method comprising:

requesting by a client computer at the location from a server computer, a broadband sign-off form;

receiving by the client computer the broadband sign-off form from over an installed broadband network service;

completing by a consumer and/or technician operating the client computer, an input field in the broadband sign-off form, the input field indicating that the broadband network service is installed; and

sending by the client computer to the server computer an indication that the broadband network service is installed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at the client computer, network data communications via the broadband network service.

3. A method for completing service installation of a broadband network service at a location, the method comprising:

receiving by a server computer from a client computer at the location, a request for a broadband sign-off form;

sending by the server computer to the client computer over the broadband network service, the broadband sign-off form; and

receiving by the server computer from the client computer, an indication that the broadband network service is installed.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

in response to the indication, switching network service communications directed to the location from dial-up service to broadband service.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

updating at the direction of the server computer, a billing database to record the start date of broadband network service.

6. A method for completing service installation of a broadband network service at a location, the method comprising:

requesting from the location over the broadband network service, a remotely-stored form;

receiving the remotely-stored form at the location;

completing at the location, the remotely-stored form, such form comprising an indication that the broadband network service has been installed at the location; and

sending the completed form and/or indication from the location over the broadband network service.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving at the location, network data communications via the broadband network service.

8. A computer system comprising:

a client computer comprising networking client software operating to display a form;

a data communications network; and

a server computer comprising broadband sign-off server software operating to provide an electronic form to the client computer, and the server subsequently receives data from the client computer indicating that the client computer has broadband access to the data communications network.

9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising:

the server computer comprising an accounting system, the accounting system maintaining an account, and the account is updated to indicate a broadband access effective date for a billing cycle subsequent to the date the client computer had broadband access to the data communications network.

10. A system comprising:

a broadband service provider facility;

a data communications network; and

a server computer comprising broadband sign-off server software operating to provide an electronic form to a client computer, and the server subsequently receives data from the client computer indicating that the client computer has broadband access to the data communications network.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the server computer comprising an accounting system, the accounting system maintaining an account, and the account is updated to indicate a broadband access effective date for a billing cycle subsequent to the date the client computer had broadband access to the data communications network.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising:

code for, updating a client account information database to record the date that broadband access is established with the client over the data communications network.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising:

code for, switching the data network communications directed to the client from a dial-up service to a broadband service.

12. A computer readable medium having code comprising:

code for, providing a form over a data communications network; and

code for, receiving an indication that the form has been completed by a client;

whereby the completed form indicates that a broadband access has been established with the client over the data communications network.