Service management system that enables subscriber-driven changes to service plans

• US 20080071629A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Sentman, Gary, Froelich, Ray, Warfel, Karl, Benson, Dan, Hendrick, Michael T., Buzescu, Adrian, McNeel, Warren
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A service management system that enables a subscriber of a mobile telecommunication system to modify aspects of his or her service plan and have the modification to the service plan take effect immediately. The subscriber enters a modification request to an aspect of a service plan. The modification request is verified against a set of rules that defines acceptable changes to the service plan. If the proposed modification to the service plan is a valid change, the change to the service plan is immediately propagated to a billing system and to other systems that implement the service plan. The subscriber is notified when the modification to the service plan is complete, and the subscriber is billed on a going-forward basis in accordance with the rate structure applicable to the plan.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a subscriber to modify a service plan for a mobile device so that the subscriber is billed in accordance with the modified service plan, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request from a mobile device of a subscriber to modify a service plan for the mobile device;

(b) verifying that the received request is a valid modification request; and

(c) if the received request is a valid modification request, updating the service plan in accordance with the received request so that the subscriber is billed in accordance with the modified service plan, wherein the update to the service plan is performed in substantially real-time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the mobile device is received via an SMS message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the mobile device is received via a WAP page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying that the received request is a valid modification request comprises comparing the received request with one or more rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying that the received request is a valid modification request comprises confirming that the service plan has been activated for the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying that the received request is a valid modification request comprises confirming that the received request provides accurate information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the service plan comprises modifying a record associated with the subscriber in a billing system to change how the subscriber is billed for the service plan.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating to a subscriber that the update to the service plan has been completed after the record associated with the subscriber in the billing system has been modified.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the service plan comprises modifying a record containing information about the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service plan is applicable to a plurality of mobile devices.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating to the subscriber that the update to the service plan has been completed.

12. A system for enabling a subscriber to modify a service plan for a mobile device so that the subscriber is billed in accordance with the modified service plan, the system comprising:

a verification component that receives a request to modify a service plan from a mobile device of a subscriber and verifies that the received request is a valid modification request; and

a service management component that, upon receiving verification from the verification component that the received request is a valid modification request, updates the service plan associated with the mobile device of the subscriber in accordance with the modification request so that the subscriber is billed in accordance with the modified service plan, wherein the update to the service plan is performed in substantially real-time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the request to modify the service plan from the mobile device is received via an SMS message.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the request to modify the service plan from the mobile device is received via a WAP page.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the verification component verifies that the received request is a valid modification request by comparing the received request with one or more rules.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the verification component verifies that the received request is a valid modification request by confirming that the service plan has been activated for the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the verification component verifies that the received request is a valid modification request by confirming that the received request provides accurate information.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the service management component updates the service plan by modifying a record associated with the subscriber in a billing system to change how the subscriber is billed for the service plan.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a communication component that notifies the subscriber that the update to the service plan has been completed, wherein the subscriber is notified after the record associated with the subscriber in a billing system is modified.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the service management component updates the service plan by modifying a record containing information about the subscriber.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the service plan is applicable to a plurality of mobile devices.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising a communication component that notifies the subscriber that the update to the service plan has been completed.

23. In a mobile telecommunication system, a method of enabling a subscriber to modify a group of contacts associated with a mobile device so that communications with members in the group of contacts receive a different treatment than communications with members that are not in the group of contacts, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request from a subscriber to modify one of a group of contacts associated with a mobile device;

(b) verifying that the received request is a valid modification request; and

(c) if the received request is a valid modification request, modifying a treatment associated with the one of the group of contacts, wherein subsequent service associated with the one of the group of contacts is provided in accordance with the modified treatment such that members in the group of contacts receive a different treatment than communications with members that are not in the group of contacts.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the request from the subscriber is received via an SMS message.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the request from the subscriber is received via a WAP page.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the request from the subscriber is received via a web page.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the treatment is a billing rate.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the treatment is a feature.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the treatment is preferential service.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein verifying that the received request is a valid modification request comprises comparing the received request with a rule.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the rule sets a limit on the number of modifications that can be made to the group of contacts within a time period.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the rule sets a limit on the number of modifications that can be made to one of the group of contacts within a time period.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the rule sets a limit on the number of modifications that can be made to a subset of the group of contacts within a time period.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein verifying that the received request is a valid modification request comprises verifying that the received request provides accurate information.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising communicating to a subscriber that the modification request has been completed after the modification to the treatment has been performed.

36. The method of claim 23, wherein the modification to the treatment is performed in substantially real-time.

37. The method of claim 23, further comprising communicating to the subscriber that the modification request has been completed.

38. The method of claim 23, wherein the group of contacts is applicable to a plurality of mobile devices.

39. A system for enabling a subscriber to modify a group of contacts associated with a mobile device so that communications with members in the group of contacts receive a different treatment than communications with members that are not in the group of contacts, the system comprising:

a verification component that receives a request from a subscriber to modify one of a group of contacts and verifies that the received request is a valid modification request; and

a service management component that, upon receiving verification from the verification component that the received request is a valid modification request, modifies a treatment associated with the one of the group of contacts.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the request from the subscriber is received via an SMS message.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the request from the subscriber is received via a WAP page.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the request from the subscriber is received via a web page.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the treatment is a billing rate.

44. The system of claim 39, wherein the treatment is a feature.

45. The system of claim 39, wherein the treatment is a preferred service.

46. The system of claim 39, wherein the verification component verifies that the received request is a valid modification request by comparing the received request with a rule.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the rule sets a limit on the number of modifications that can be made to the group of contacts within a time period.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the rule sets a limit on the number of modifications that can be made to one of the group of contacts within a time period.

49. The system of claim 46, wherein the rule sets a limit on the number of modifications that can be made to a subset of the group of contacts within a time period.

50. The system of claim 39, wherein the verification component verifies that the received request is a valid modification request by verifying that the received request provides accurate information.

51. The system of claim 39, wherein the service management component further modifies a service plan associated with the one of the group of contacts.

52. The system of claim 39, wherein the update to the treatment associated with the one of the group of contacts is performed in substantially real-time.

53. The system of claim 39, further comprising a communication component that communicates to the subscriber that the modification request has been completed.

54. The system of claim 39, wherein the group of contacts is applicable to a plurality of mobile devices.

55. One or more propagated data signals collectively conveying a modification request to a group of contacts associated with a mobile device of a subscriber of a telecommunication system, the one or more propagated data signals comprising:

a command segment specifying that a modification is to be made to one contact of a group of contacts associated with a mobile device of a subscriber; and

a data segment specifying a modified contact number associated with the one contact of the group of contacts, wherein the modification that is made to the contact number results in a different billing rate being applied to communications with the contact number via the mobile device.

56. The one or more propagated data signals of claim 55, further comprising a second data segment specifying a contact name associated with the one contact of the group of contacts.

57. The one or more propagated data signals of claim 55, further comprising a third data segment specifying a list position of the one contact in the group of contacts.