Service soft-disconnect reconnection

• US 20080243686A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: King, John Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals

Abstract

A service soft disconnection may be provided. First, a first user interface screen may be provided: i) in response to determining that a payment has not been received for a service after a date for which an account holder responsible for the service has been sent a disconnection notice; and ii) in response to receiving a user initiated request for the service. Next, identification data may be received in response to the provided first user interface screen. Then the identification data may be determined to be valid. In response to determining that the identification data is valid, a second user interface screen may be provided. Payment data may then be received in response to the provided second user interface screen. Consequently, the payment data may be determined to be valid and the service may be reinstated in response to determining that the payment data is valid.

Claims

1. A method for providing a soft disconnection, the method comprising:

providing a first user interface screen;

receiving identification data in response to the provided first user interface screen;

determining that the identification data is valid;

providing, in response to determining that the identification data is valid, a second user interface screen;

receiving payment data in response to the provided second user interface screen;

determining that the payment data is valid; and

reinstating a service in response to determining that the payment data is valid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen in response to determining that a payment has not been received for the service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen in response to receiving a user initiated request for a service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen in response to determining that a payment has not been received for the service after a date for which an account holder responsible for the service has been sent a disconnection notice.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen being configured to inform a viewer of the first user interface screen that an account holder needs to log in for an important message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identification data comprises receiving the identification data comprising one of the following:

last four digits of an account holder'"'"'s social security number and a personal identification number for an account holder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the second user interface screen comprises providing the second user interface screen configured to:

inform a viewer of the second user interface screen that the service has been disconnected for not paying a bill; and

invite the viewer of the second user interface screen to pay the bill via a device displaying the second user interface screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the payment data comprises receiving the payment data comprising at least one of the following:

credit card information, debit card information, and checking account information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first user interface screen and providing the second user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen and providing the second user interface screen to a device that the reinstated service is provided to.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein reinstating the service comprises reinstating the service comprising at least one of the following:

analog cable television service, digital cable television service, pay-per-view service, internet service, video-on-demand service, telephone service, and broadcast video service.

11. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a soft disconnection, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

providing a first user interface screen;

receiving identification data in response to the provided first user interface screen;

determining that the identification data is valid;

providing, in response to determining that the identification data is valid, a second user interface screen;

receiving payment data in response to the provided second user interface screen;

determining that the payment data is valid; and

reinstating a service in response to determining that the payment data is valid wherein reinstating the service comprises reinstating the service comprising at least one of the following;

analog cable television service, digital cable television service, pay-per-view service, internet service, video-on-demand service, and broadcast video service.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen in response to determining that a payment has not been received for the service.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen in response to receiving a user initiated request for a service.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen in response to determining that a payment has not been received for the service after a date for which an account holder responsible for the service has been sent a disconnection notice.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing the first user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen being configured to inform a viewer of the first user interface screen that an account holder needs to log in for an important message.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the identification data comprises receiving the identification data comprising one of the following:

last four digits of an account holder'"'"'s social security number and a personal identification number for an account holder.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing the second user interface screen comprises providing the second user interface screen configured to:

inform a viewer of the second user interface screen that the service has been disconnected for not paying a bill; and

invite the viewer of the second user interface screen to pay the bill via a device displaying the second user interface screen.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the payment data comprises receiving the payment data comprising at least one of the following:

credit card information, debit card information, and checking account information.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein providing the first user interface screen and providing the second user interface screen comprises providing the first user interface screen and providing the second user interface screen to a device that the reinstated service is provided to.

20. A system for providing a soft disconnection, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

provide a first user interface screen, wherein the processing unit being operative to provide the first user interface screen comprises the processing unit being operative to provide the first user interface screen in response to determining that a payment has not been received for a service after a date for which an account holder responsible for the service has been sent a disconnection notice and in response to receiving a user initiated request for the service;

receive identification data in response to the provided first user interface screen;

determine that the identification data is valid;

provide, in response to determining that the identification data is valid, a second user interface screen;

receive payment data in response to the provided second user interface screen;

determine that the payment data is valid; and

reinstate the service in response to determining that the payment data is valid wherein the processing unit being operative to reinstate the service comprises the processing unit being operative to reinstate the service comprising at least one of the following;

analog cable television service, digital cable television service, pay-per-view service, internet service, video-on-demand service, and broadcast video service.