ORDER ENTRY SYSTEM FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK SERVICE

• US 20110211686A1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singhal, Sanjay, Wall, Richard L., Gelner, Kendall, Sullivan, Brendan
• Granted Patent: US 10,417,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.05
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An order entry system communicates with the customer over a user interface and at the same time works with an automated installation system for installing network service. The order entry system prompts the customer to place a new service order. The service parameters of the new service order are passed to the installation system. The order entry system notifies the customer of the route and prompts the customer to add a service order for the route to the customer order. If the customer adds the service order to the customer order, the order entry system prompts the customer to reserve the service order or to submit an order for the service. If the customer reserves or submits an order for the service, the order entry system requests the installation system to design an actual communication line circuit to satisfy the order.

Claims

1. A system for ordering a network service on a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a capacity check module responsive to parameters in a network service request by a customer, wherein the capacity check module is operable to;

check availability of a network service; and

if the network service is available, send a network service available message to the customer;

a reservation/order module operable to display a service order to the customer, wherein the reservation/order module is further operable to prompt the customer to reserve or order the network service in the service order;

an installation system operable to install the network service during the ordering of the network service, wherein the installation system is further operable to, in response to a reserve request or an order request for the network service, complete a design of network components for the network service and return a design complete message; and

a workflow management module operable to, in response to a design complete message resulting from an order request if the customer ordered the network service, manage activation of the network components in the design,

wherein the reservation/order module is further operable to, in response to a design complete message resulting from a reserve request if the customer reserved the network service, update the status of the service order display to indicate the service order is reserved.

2. The system as recited claim 1, wherein the design complete message is a circuit layout record, and wherein the reservation/order module is further operable to display the circuit layout record to the customer.

3. The system as recited claim 1, further comprising:

a confirmation device operable to, in response to the design complete message resulting from the order request, send an order confirmation to the customer.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the capacity check module is further operable to, in response to a reserve request or an order request, recheck the capacity of the network to satisfy the service order before the installation system completes the design.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a pending reservation module operable to;

monitor the reservation status of the service order if the customer reserved the network service; and

prompt the customer to renew the reservation if the reservation expires,

wherein the reservation module is further operable to release the network components in the design if the reservation is not renewed.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the workflow management module is further operable to manage hook-up of the network components in the design.

7. A method for ordering a network service on a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

in response to a network service request by a customer, checking availability of a network service;

if the network service is available, sending a network service available message to the customer;

prompting the customer to reserve or order the network service via a service order display;

in response to a reserve request or an order request for the network service, completing a design of network components for the network service;

returning a design complete message;

in response to a design complete message resulting from an order request if the customer ordered the network service;

managing activation of the network components in the design; and

in response to a design complete message resulting from a reserve request if the customer reserved the network service;

updating the status of the service order display to indicate the service order is reserved.

8. The method as recited claim 7, wherein the design complete message is a circuit layout record, the method further comprising:

displaying the circuit layout record to the customer.

9. The method as recited claim 7, further comprising:

in response to the design complete message resulting from the order request, sending an order confirmation to the customer.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

in response to a reserve request or an order request, rechecking the capacity of the network to satisfy the service order before the installation system completes the design.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring the reservation status of the service order if the customer reserved the network service;

prompting the customer to renew the reservation if the reservation expires; and

releasing the network components in the design if the reservation is not renewed.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

managing hook-up of the network components in the design.

13. A system for ordering a network service on a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

an order entry module operable to, in response to a request for network service by a customer, prompt the customer to provide parameters of the requested network service;

an installation system operable to check availability of the network service based on the parameters;

a reservation/order module operable to prompt the customer to reserve or order the network service if available;

in response to a reserve request or an order request for the network service, the installation system is further operable to configure network components for the network service;

a workflow management module operable to initiate activation of the configured network components; and

a pending reservation module operable to monitor the reservation status of the service order if the customer reserved the order,

wherein the reservation/order module is further operable to confirm to the customer that the design is reserved or ordered.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the installation system is further operable to recheck route availability before the installation system configures the network components.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the order entry module is further operable to:

receive the parameters from the customer via a user interface; and

display, via the user interface, an add service selection for the customer to add the network service to a customer order.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the order entry module is further operable to, in response to the add service selection by the customer, display, via the user interface, the customer order with the requested network service listed on a service order list.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the reservation/order module is further operable to:

if the customer reserved the order, display a reserved status for the network service via the user interface; and

if the customer ordered the service, display an order confirmation for the network service via the user interface.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the pending reservation module is further operable to prompt the customer to renew the reservation if the reservation expires, and wherein the reservation/order module is further operable to release the configured network components if the reservation is not renewed.

19. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the workflow management module is further operable to initiate hook-up of the configured network components.

20. A method for ordering a network service on a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

in response to a request for network service by a customer, prompting the customer to provide parameters of the requested network service;

checking availability of the network service based on the parameters;

prompting the customer to reserve or order the network service if available;

in response to a reserve request or an order request for the network service, configuring network components for the network service;

initiating activation of the configured network components;

confirming to the customer that the design is reserved or ordered; and

monitoring the reservation status of the service order if the customer reserved the order.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

rechecking route availability before the installation system configures the network components.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

receiving the parameters from the customer via a user interface; and

displaying, via the user interface, an add service selection for the customer to add the network service to a customer order.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

in response to the add service selection by the customer, displaying, via the user interface, the customer order with the requested network service listed on a service order list.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

if the customer reserved the order, displaying a reserved status for the network service via the user interface; and

if the customer ordered the service, displaying an order confirmation for the network service via the user interface.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

prompting the customer to renew the reservation if the reservation expires; and

releasing the configured network components if the reservation is not renewed.

26. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

initiating hook-up of the configured network components.