Method and system for validation of service consumers

• US 20050086102A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Harrison, Colin G., Morar, John, Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E.
• Application Number:
  US10/685,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086102A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/346
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting

Abstract

A service Provider tests and validates the ability of a customer to carry out its part of the service process, to specify parameters of the process and/or to use the output of the process supplied to it by supplying to the Consumer a set of first validation data that is processed by the Consumer to produce a second set of validation data that is compared with a set of criteria and a process specification to determine if the Consumer has successfully processed the first set of validation data.

Claims

1. A method of validating the ability of a Consumer to carry out a Consumer service process—

comprising the steps of;

providing a service invocation specification;

providing to a Consumer first validation data related to a service;

receiving from the Consumer a set of second validation data responsive to said first validation data and complying with said service invocation specification; and

providing the service process responsive to evaluation of said set of second validation data for compliance with said service invocation specification.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said second validation data include data elements that are not included within said first validation data and are generated by said Consumer in response to said first validation data.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing compliance by said second validation data with said service invocation specification.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said step of analyzing compliance is performed by a third party that transmits the results thereof to the Provider.

5. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said first validation data include at least one error injected therein; and

said second validation data include an indication of said injected errors.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which:

at least some of said first validation data are generated by a source other than said Provider.

7. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said Provider performs validation without charge.

8. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said Provider charges said Consumer for services at a rate that depends on the result of said validation.

9. A method according to claim 8, in which:

said Provider charges at a first rate for services for which the Consumer has qualified and at a second rate for services for which the Consumer has not qualified.

10. A method according to claim 1, in which said Provider validates all second validation data submitted by a Consumer and thereby provides service to all Consumers that submit second validation data.

11. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said Provider performs validation without charge below a service threshold and thereafter charges said Consumer for additional validation services.

12. A method according to claim 8, in which:

said Provider charges said Consumer for services at a rate that reflects an additional cost to said Provider for supplying services to a Consumer that has not met the provisions of said service invocation specification.

13. A method according to claim 1, in which:

the Provider notifies the Consumer that the step of providing the service is contingent on at least one of;

amount of time elapsed since receipt of second validation data remaining below a threshold;

reconfirmation after a scheduled time; and

the service will only be provided along with other services.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

Receiving a Consumer request for first validation data

Responsive to said request, transmitting said first validation data to said service Consumer.

15. A method according to claim 1, in which:

said service invocation specification comprises specifications for a delivered service, which delivered service is supplied in part by at least one third-party Provider that supplies at least one service to said Provider that is included in the delivered service supplied to said Consumer.

16. A method of revalidating the ability of a Consumer to carry out a Consumer service process provided by a Provider comprising the steps of:

providing a service

requesting a Consumer provide second validation data related to the service, and

providing first validation data

receiving from the Consumer a set of second validation data responsive to first validation data

evaluating said second validation data

providing further service responsive to said validation.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a validation of a services Consumer, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:

providing a service invocation specification;

providing to a Consumer first validation data related to a service;

receiving from the Consumer a set of second validation data responsive to said first validation data and complying with said service invocation specification; and

providing the service process responsive to evaluation of said set of second validation data for compliance with said service invocation specification.

18. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said second validation data include data elements that are not included within said first validation data and are generated by said Consumer in response to said first validation data.

19. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, further effecting the step of includes analyzing compliance by said second validation data with said service invocation specification.

20. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said step of analyzing compliance is performed by a third party that transmits the results thereof to the Provider.

21. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said first validation data include at least one error injected therein; and

said second validation data include an indication of said injected errors.

22. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

at least some of said first validation data are generated by a source other than said Provider.

23. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said Provider performs validation without charge.

24. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said Provider charges said Consumer for services at a rate that depends on the result of said validation.

25. An article of manufacture according to claim 24, in which:

said Provider charges at a first rate for services for which the Consumer has qualified and at a second rate for services for which the Consumer has not qualified.

26. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which said Provider validates all second validation data submitted by a Consumer and thereby provides service to all Consumers that submit second validation data.

27. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said Provider performs validation without charge below a service threshold and thereafter charges said Consumer for additional validation services.

28. An article of manufacture according to claim 24, in which:

said Provider charges said Consumer for services at a rate that reflects an additional cost to said Provider for supplying services to a Consumer that has not met the provisions of said service invocation specification.

29. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

the Provider notifies the Consumer that the step of providing the service is contingent on at least one of;

amount of time elapsed since receipt of second validation data remaining below a threshold;

reconfirmation after a scheduled time; and

the service will only be provided along with other services.

30. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, further comprising steps of:

Receiving a Consumer request for first validation data

Responsive to said request, transmitting said first validation data to said service Consumer.

31. An article of manufacture according to claim 17, in which:

said service invocation specification comprises specifications for a delivered service, which delivered service is supplied in part by at least one third-party Provider that supplies at least one service to said Provider that is included in the delivered service supplied to said Consumer.