Method and system for providing software integration for a telecommunications services on-line procurement system

• US 20040015824A1
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Braverman, David K., Marcellin, Michael E., Boyer, Patricia A., West, Tyler J., Diemer, Susan O., Mason, Elaine S., Sabatini, Diane L., Felkey, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 15/46 Real-time negotiation between users and providers or operators
• 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 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 : Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• 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 2215/56 : On line or real-time flexible agreements between service providers and telecoms operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7457 : Biding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A system method for providing software integration for telecommunications offerings online procurement, including a first layer configured to receive at least one of a request and a user action from a web server; and a second layer coupled to the first layer and configured to perform at least one of order management, online ordering and user management functions. At least one of the first layer and the second layer includes software objects extended to support procurement of the telecommunications offerings on-line and custom software objects created to support procuring of the telecommunications offerings on-line.

Claims

1. A system for providing software integration for telecommunications offerings on-line procurement, comprising:

a first layer configured to receive at least one of a request and a user action from a web server; and

a second layer coupled to the first layer and configured to perform at least one of order management, online ordering and user management functions,

wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes software objects extended to support procurement of the telecommunications offerings on-line and custom software objects created to support procuring of the telecommunications offerings on-line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first layer includes reconfigured software objects that include at least one of reconfigured JavaServer Pages (JSPs), reconfigured transition policies, and reconfigured display objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first layer includes the custom software objects that include at least one of custom JavaServer Pages (JSPs), custom transition policies, and custom display objects.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer includes reconfigured software objects that include at least one of reconfigured JavaServer Pages (JSPs), reconfigured transition policies, and reconfigured display objects.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer includes the custom software objects that include at least one of custom JavaServer Pages (JSPs), custom transition policies, and custom display objects.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first layer includes a back office portal including the custom software objects and configured to provide to the web server at least one of context-sensitive contact information, callback forms, help center information, and requests for inventory.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first layer includes a customer portal including the extended software objects and configured to provide to the web server at least one of customer order information, customer support information, and customer order status information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer includes an order management function for providing to the first layer at least one of the context-sensitive contact information, callback forms, help center information, and requests for inventory.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer includes an online ordering function for providing online ordering functionality to the first layer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second layer includes a user management function for providing user management functionality to the first layer.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database tier coupled to at least one of the first layer and the second layer and configured to at least one of persist data, store objects and store tables.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is configured to generate custom tables to extend a schema of tables.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer are configured to map the custom tables to at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects belong to an order domain configured to support an order class.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects belong to a fulfillment status domain configured to provide order fulfillment functionality.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects belong to a move, change or disconnect (MCD) domain configured to store summary information of operational support system (OSS) order entry and status applications.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects belong to an order activity domain configured to carry out one of business logic and application logic for order management events involving at least one of persistence, transaction-sensitive data retrieval and specialized business logic.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects belong to a helpers domain configured to at least one of create domain objects, perform specialized business logic and perform persistence of domain objects.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects belong to a customer support domain configured to provide storage for information needed to retrieve an appropriate set of contact information for back office personnel.

20. A method for providing software integration for telecommunications offerings on-line procurement, comprising:

receiving at least one of a request and a user action from a web server in a first layer;

performing at least one of order management, online ordering and user management functions in a second layer;

extending software objects in at least one of the first and second layers to support procuring of the telecommunications offerings on-line; and

creating custom software objects in at least one of the first and second layers to support the procurement of the telecommunications offerings on-line.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising reconfiguring software objects that are included in the first layer and that include at least one of reconfigured JavaServer Pages (JSPs), reconfigured transition policies, and reconfigured display objects.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising creating custom objects that re included in the first layer and that include at least one of custom JavaServer Pages (JSPs), custom transition policies, and custom display objects.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising reconfiguring software objects that are included in the second layer and that include at least one of reconfigured JavaServer Pages (JSPs), reconfigured transition policies, and reconfigured display objects.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising creating custom objects that re included in the second layer and that include at least one of custom JavaServer Pages (JSPs), custom transition policies, and custom display objects.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising including in the first layer a back office portal including the custom software objects and providing to the web server at least one of context-sensitive contact information, callback forms, help center information, and requests for inventory.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising including in the first layer a customer portal including the extended software objects and configured to provide to the web server at least one of customer order information, customer support information, and customer order status information.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising including in the second layer an order management function for providing to the first layer at least one of the context-sensitive contact information, callback forms, help center information, and requests for inventory.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising including in the second layer an online ordering function for providing online ordering functionality to the first layer.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising including in the second layer a user management function for providing user management functionality to the first layer.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising at least one of persisting data, storing objects and storing tables in a database tier coupled to at least one of the first layer and the second layer.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising generating custom tables to extend a schema of tables in at least one of the first layer and the second layer.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising mapping the custom tables to at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in at least one of the first layer and the second layer.

33. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in an order domain to support an order class.

34. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in a fulfillment status domain to provide order fulfillment functionality.

35. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in a move, change or disconnect (MCD) domain to store summary information of operational support system (OSS) order entry and status applications.

36. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in an order activity domain to carry out one of business logic and application logic for order management events involving at least one of persistence, transaction-sensitive data retrieval and specialized business logic.

37. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in a helpers domain to at least one of create domain objects, perform specialized business logic and perform persistence of domain objects.

38. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring at least one of the extended software objects and the custom software objects in a customer support domain to provide storage for information needed to retrieve an appropriate set of contact information for back office personnel.

39. Computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 20.

40. A system for providing software integration for telecommunications offerings on-line procurement, comprising:

means for receiving at least one of a request and a user action from a web server in a first layer;

means for performing at least one of order management, online ordering and user management functions in a second layer;

means for extending software objects in at least one of the first and second layers to support procuring of the telecommunications offerings on-line; and

means for creating custom software objects in at least one of the first and second layers to support the procurement of the telecommunications offerings on-line.