SERVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT ENABLES SUBSCRIBER-DRIVEN CHANGES TO SERVICE PLANS

• US 20100241544A1
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• 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: Froelich, Ray, Benson, Dan, Hendrick, Michael T., Sentman, Gary, Warfel, Karl, Buzescu, Adrian, McNeel, Warren
• Granted Patent: US 10,733,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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

1-22. -22. (canceled)

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 realtime.

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. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that responsive to execution by a computing device cause a conveyance of a modification request to a group of contacts associated with a mobile device of a subscriber of a telecommunication system, the computer executable instructions comprising:

a command component for 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 component for 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 computer readable medium of claim 55, further comprising a second data component for specifying a contact name associated with the one contact of the group of contacts.

57. The computer readable medium of claim 55, further comprising a third data component for specifying a list position of the one contact in the group of contacts.

58. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that responsive to execution by a computing device enable 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 computer executable instructions comprising:

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

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