MAINTENANCE OF SUBSCRIBER HISTORY FOR SERVICE SUPPORT APPLICATIONS IN AN IP-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20080096504A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Linkola, Janne, Caldwell, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/187.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0084 Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A facility for maintaining a subscriber history pertaining to the use of a mobile device with an IP-based telecommunications service offered by a service provider. When a connection request is made by a mobile device to access an IP-based telecommunications service, one or more identifiers associated with the requesting mobile device and access point are provided in the request and stored by the facility. In some cases, the identifiers are stored even if the mobile device is unable to, or not authorized to, access the telecommunications service. Additional parameters associated with the request from the mobile device, such as a time stamp and details of a subsequent telecommunications session, are also associated with the stored request. The history of requests to access the IP-based telecommunications service from the mobile device are maintained by the facility and provided to a service support provider.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service support representative with an interface for viewing an access history by a user of a mobile communication device to an IP-based wireless telecommunications network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of connection requests to access an IP-based wireless telecommunications network from a mobile communication device that is capable of transmitting and receiving communications via an IP-based wireless telecommunications network, each of the plurality of connection requests including one or more identifiers;

storing the one or more identifiers associated with each of the plurality of connection requests; and

providing an interface for a service support representative to view the stored one or more identifiers associated with at least a portion of the plurality of connection requests.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more identifiers are selected from the group consisting of a mobile device identifier, a subscriber identifier, an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier, a service set identifier, a Cell Global Identifier, a Media Access Control address, or a public IP address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface allows a service support representative to view stored identifiers associated with connection requests that were not granted access.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface allows a service support representative to view stored identifiers associated with connection requests that were granted access.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the connection requests that were granted access are displayed differently than the connection requests that were not granted access.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing search functionality to allow the service support representative to search the one or more identifiers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the search functionality allows the service support representative to search by International Mobile Subscriber Identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing filtering functionality to allow the service support representative to filter the one or more identifiers associated with each of the plurality of connection requests.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP-based wireless telecommunications network is an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the filtering functionality allows the service support representative to filter by a date range associated with the plurality of connection requests.

9-1. A service support system for viewing an access history by a user of a mobile communication device to an IP-based wireless telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a storage component for storing a plurality of connection requests to access an IP-based wireless telecommunications network from a mobile communication device that is capable of transmitting and receiving communications via an IP-based wireless telecommunications network, each of the plurality of connection requests including one or more identifiers; and

a display component coupled to the storage component to allow a service support representative to view the stored one or more identifiers associated with at least a portion of the plurality of connection requests.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more identifiers are selected from the group consisting of a mobile device identifier, a subscriber identifier, an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier, a service set identifier, a Cell Global Identifier, a Media Access Control address, or a public IP address.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the display component allows a service support representative to view stored identifiers associated with connection requests that were not granted access.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display component allows a service support representative to view stored identifiers associated with connection requests that were granted access.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the connection requests that were granted access are displayed differently than the connection requests that were not granted access.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a search component coupled to the storage component and the display component to allow the service support representative to search the one or more identifiers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the search component allows the service support representative to search by International Mobile Subscriber Identifier.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising a filtering component coupled to the storage component and the display component to allow the service support representative to filter the one or more identifiers associated with each of the plurality of connection requests.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the filtering component allows the service support representative to filter by a date range associated with the plurality of connection requests.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the IP-based wireless telecommunications network is an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) network.

21. One or more propagated data signals collectively conveying a connection request to access an IP-based wireless telecommunications network from a mobile communication device, the one or more propagated data signals comprising:

a request to access an IP-based wireless telecommunications network from the mobile communication device; and

a plurality of identifiers associated with the access request, wherein the plurality of identifiers comprise a device identifier associated with the mobile communication device, a service set identifier associated with the connection request, a Cell Global Identifier associated with a cell detectable by the mobile communication device, and an address associated with an access point through which the mobile communication device is making the access request.

22. The one or more propagated data signals of claim 21, wherein the device identifier is an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier.

23. The one or more propagated data signals of claim 21, wherein the address associated with the access point is a Media Access Control address.

24. The one or more propagated data signals of claim 21, wherein the plurality of identifiers further comprises a public IP address associated with the access point.