METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING BUNDLED SERVICES

• US 20110238545A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Fanaian, Nabil Ruh, Stoner, Chris, Montgomery, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US12/732,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238545A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Techniques for supporting bundled services of network operators and service providers include generating a view to be presented on a display, the view comprising data that indicates a service provided by a vendor over a network. It is determined whether the service is associated with a service feature of a network operator of at least a portion of the network. If the service is associated with the service feature of the network operator, then data that indicates the service feature of the network operator is inserted into the view. The view is provided for transmission over the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a view to be presented on a display, the view comprising data that indicates a service provided by a vendor over a network;

determining whether the service is associated with a service feature of a network operator of at least a portion of the network;

if the service is associated with the service feature of the network operator, then inserting into the view data that indicates the service feature of the network operator; and

providing the view for transmission over the network.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising causing, at least in part, actions that result in providing the service feature of the network operator to equipment of a consumer, in response to receiving data that indicates the consumer and the service provided by the vendor, wherein the service provided by the vendor is associated with the service feature of the network operator.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising causing, at least in part, actions that result in providing the service provided by the vendor to equipment of a consumer, in response to receiving data that indicates the consumer and the service provided by the vendor.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising causing, at least in part, actions that result in associating data that indicates the service provided by the vendor with data that indicates the service feature of the network operator, in response to receiving data that indicates the service feature of the network operator.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein causing, at least in part, actions that result in providing the service feature of the network operator to equipment of the consumer further comprises causing, at least in part, actions that result in sending, to the network operator, a message that indicates the consumer and the service feature.

6. A method of claim 4, wherein causing, at least in part, actions that result in associating data that indicates the service provided by the vendor with data that indicates the service feature of the network operator further comprises causing, at least in part, actions that result in storing a record that associates the service provided by the vendor with the service feature of the network operator in a data structure.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein the data structure further comprises a plurality of records, each record holding data that indicates a unique association of one service of a plurality of services provided by the vendor with one or more service features of one or more network operators.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the network operator is different from the vendor that provides the service.

9. A method of claim 5, wherein sending, to the network operator, the message that indicates the consumer and the service feature further comprises sending to the network operator the message formatted according to a roaming message protocol.

10. A method of claim 5, wherein sending, to the network operator, the message that indicates the consumer and the service feature further comprises including, in the message, data that indicates a price for the service feature.

11. A method of claim 5, wherein sending, to the network operator, the message that indicates the consumer and the service feature further comprises including, in the message, data that indicates a charge to the consumer for the service provided by the vendor.

12. A method of claim 2, wherein causing, at least in part, actions that result in providing the service feature of the network operator to equipment of the consumer further comprises causing, at least in part, actions that result in delivering, to the consumer, new equipment configured to access the service with the service feature of the network operator.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

generate a view to be presented on a display, the view comprising data that indicates a service provided by a vendor over a network;

determine whether the service is associated with a service feature of a network operator of at least a portion of the network;

if the service is associated with the service feature of the network operator, then insert into the view data that indicates the service feature of the network operator; and

provide the view for transmission over the network.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to perform actions that result in providing the service feature of the network operator to equipment of a consumer, in response to receiving data that indicates the consumer and the service provided by the vendor, wherein the service provided by the vendor is associated with the service feature of the network operator.

15. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to perform actions that result in associating data that indicates the service provided by the vendor with data that indicates the service feature of the network operator, in response to receiving data that indicates the service feature of the network operator.

16. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein to cause, at least in part, actions that result in providing the service feature of the network operator to equipment of the consumer further comprises to cause, at least in part, actions that result in sending, to the network operator, a message that indicates the consumer and the service feature.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein sending, to the network operator, the message that indicates the consumer and the service feature further comprises sending to the network operator the message formatted according to a roaming message protocol.

18. A method comprising facilitating access to an interface to allow access to a service via a network, the service configured to:

generate a view to be presented on a display, the view comprising data that indicates a particular service provided by a vendor over a network;

determine whether the particular service is associated with a service feature of a network operator of at least a portion of the network;

if the particular service is associated with the service feature of the network operator, then insert into the view data that indicates the service feature of the network operator; and

provide the view for transmission over the network.

19. A method of claim 18, wherein the service is further configured to cause, at least in part, actions that result in providing the service feature of the network operator to equipment of a consumer, in response to receiving data that indicates the consumer and the service provided by the vendor, wherein the service provided by the vendor is associated with the service feature of the network operator.

20. A method of claim 18, wherein the service is further configured to cause, at least in part, actions that result in associating data that indicates the service provided by the vendor with data that indicates the service feature of the network operator, in response to receiving data that indicates the service feature of the network operator.

21-74. -74. (canceled)