Intelligent service management system

• US 20030061068A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisor Telecom Corp.
• Original Assignee: Wisor Telecom Corp.
• Inventors: Curtis, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider

Abstract

A system manages the operations of an integrated communications provider. One aspect of the system is a work flow engine. The work flow engine decomposes the service model into sub-model components based upon whether crossing of plural networks is appropriate to provide requested telecommunication services and which service providers are available to provide service consistent with the location of the customer. The work flow engine also creates a telecommunications design from the sub-model components based on order rules of the service providers. The system automatically retrieves customer service records and preparing sales proposals based on those records. The system includes a gateway to incumbent local exchange carriers and trading partner service providers. The system incorporates features that automate comparisons between existing services and proposed services, optimizing on-net and off-net services, creation of cutover reports, issuance of service requests to local exchange carriers and trading partners, and alarming of failures of confirmations.

Claims

1. A system for supporting the management of telecommunication services for either an enterprise or telecommunications carrier, said system comprising:

a computer processor means for inputting and processing information necessary to the management of telecommunication services;

wherein the computer processor further comprises a graphical user interface for displaying information or data entry prompting requests to a human operator;

a order entry component comprising instructions for retrieving customer service records from telecommunication service providers and translating the customer service records into equivalent telecommunication services;

an interconnection component for transferring information to and receiving information from telecommunication service providers;

a provisioning management component comprising instructions for creating and tracking work plans;

wherein said work plans comprise a work activity event for performing installation or troubleshooting of each sub-model component of a telecommunications service;

an order management component comprising instructions for creating a hierarchal list comprising on-net telecommunication service assignments and off-net telecommunication service assignments;

wherein said circuit management component further comprises instructions for creating a cutover work plan;

wherein said circuit management component further comprises an automatic means of receiving requests from trading partners of the ICP;

wherein said requests from trading partners are either rejected or inserted into said hierarchal list;

a design management component comprising instructions for automatically selecting a communications service model;

decomposing said service model into sub-model components and creating a communications design therefrom and;

wherein said design management component further comprises instructions for automatically issuing service requests to ICP trading partners.

2. The system for supporting the management of telecommunication services of claim 1, wherein the customer service records are retrieved using electronic data exchange with the telecommunication service providers.

3. The system for supporting the management of telecommunication services of claim 1, wherein the interconnection component utilizes extendible markup language for intercommunications with one or more telecommunication service providers.

4. The system for supporting the management of telecommunication services of claim 1, further comprising an enterprise bus request broker.

5. The system for supporting the management of telecommunication services of claim 1, further comprising a workflow engine wherein the workflow engine:

decomposes the service model into sub-model components based upon whether crossing of plural networks is appropriate to provide requested telecommunication services and which one or more service providers are available to provide service consistent with the location of the customer;

creating a telecommunications design from the sub-model components based on order rules of the service providers;

6. The system for supporting the management of telecommunication services of claim 1, further comprising a optimum cost provisioning process.

7. The system for supporting the management of telecommunication services of claim 6, wherein the optimum cost provisioning process is accessible by the order entry component and the order management component.

8. A method of supporting the management of telecommunication services for a service using entity, telecommunication service records of the service using entity being translated into equivalent telecommunication services, the method comprising:

accepting an order for specified telecommunication services from the service using entity;

selecting a telecommunications service model to provide the specified telecommunication services ordered, based upon the equivalent telecommunication services;

decomposing the telecommunications service model into sub-model components based upon whether crossing of plural networks is appropriate to the specified telecommunication services ordered and which one or more service providers are available to provide service consistent with location of the service using entity;

creating a telecommunications design from the sub-model components based on order rules of the service providers;

transmitting one or more work plans, which correspond to the telecommunications design, to the service providers via a network; and

tracking the work plans based on information received from the one or more service providers via the network.

9. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 8, wherein the work plans are transmitted using extensible markup language (XML).

10. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 8, wherein the information received from the one or more service providers uses extensible markup language (XML).

11. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 8, wherein the network comprises an electronic data interchange (EDI) communications network.

12. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more service providers are trading partners of an Integrated Communications Provider (ICP).

13. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 8, the method further comprising:

eliciting service parameter specifications adaptively, based on the type of service being specified.

14. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 8, the method further comprising:

creating a hierarchal list comprising on-net telecommunication service assignments and off-net telecommunication service assignments; and

receiving requests from trading partners of an Integrated Communications Provider (ICP);

wherein requests from the trading partners are either rejected or inserted into said hierarchal list.

15. A server for supporting the management of telecommunication services for a service using entity, telecommunication service records of the service using entity being translated into equivalent telecommunication services, the server comprising:

a data processor;

a memory in addressable communication with the data processor, the memory including software instructions adapted to enable the data processor to perform the steps;

accepting an order for specified telecommunication services from the service using entity;

selecting a telecommunications service model to provide the specified telecommunication services ordered, based upon the equivalent telecommunication services;

decomposing the telecommunications service model into sub-model components based upon whether crossing of plural networks is appropriate to the specified telecommunication services ordered and which one or more service providers are available to provide service consistent with location of the service using entity;

creating a telecommunications design from the sub-model components based on order rules of the service providers;

transmitting one or more work plans, which correspond to the telecommunications design, to the service providers via a network; and

tracking the work plans based on information received from the one or more service providers via the network.

16. The server for supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 15, wherein the work plans are transmitted using extensible markup language (XML).

17. The server for supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 15, the method further comprising:

eliciting service parameter specifications adaptively, based on the type of service being specified.

18. The server for supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 15, the method further comprising:

creating a hierarchal list comprising on-net telecommunication service assignments and off-net telecommunication service assignments; and

receiving requests from trading partners of an Integrated Communications Provider (ICP);

wherein requests from the trading partners are either rejected or inserted into said hierarchal list.

19. A method of supporting the management of telecommunication services for a user, the method comprising:

eliciting location information from the user;

providing the user with service options based on location information provided by the user;

accepting an order for specified telecommunication services from the user;

selecting a telecommunications service model to provide the specified telecommunication services ordered;

decomposing the telecommunications service model into sub-model components, based upon whether crossing of plural networks is appropriate to the specified telecommunication services ordered and which one or more service providers are available to provide service consistent with the location information provided by the user;

creating a telecommunications design from the sub-model components based on order rules of the service providers;

transmitting one or more work plans corresponding to the telecommunications design to one or more of the service providers via a network; and

tracking the work plans based on information received from the service providers via the network.

20. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 19, wherein the work plans are transmitted using extensible markup language (XML).

21. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 19, wherein the network comprises an electronic data interchange (EDI) communications network.

22. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 19, wherein the one or more service providers are trading partners of an Integrated Communications Provider (ICP).

23. A server for supporting the management of telecommunication services for a user, the server comprising:

a data processor;

a memory in addressable communication with the data processor, the memory including software instructions adapted to enable the data processor to perform the steps;

eliciting location information from the user;

providing the user with service options based on location information provided by the user;

accepting an order for specified telecommunication services from the user;

selecting a telecommunications service model to provide the specified telecommunication services ordered;

decomposing the telecommunications service model into sub-model components, based upon whether crossing of plural networks is appropriate to the specified telecommunication services ordered and which one or more service providers are available to provide service consistent with the location information provided by the user;

creating a telecommunications design from the sub-model components based on order rules of the service providers;

transmitting one or more work plans, which correspond to the telecommunications design, to one or more of the service providers via a network; and

tracking the work plans based on information received from the service providers via the network.

24. The method of supporting the management of telecommunication services as claimed in claim 23, wherein the work plans are transmitted using extensible markup language (XML).