PROVIDING INTEGRATED SERVICE-ENTITY PREMIUM COMMUNICATION SERVICES

• US 20120077468A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, James, Chen, David, Kuo, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5155 Door

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices that integrate a subscriber'"'"'s communication services, including home wireline communication services, and a service-entity communication services are presented. User equipment (UE) is associated with a subscription for communication services, comprising wireline and wireless communication services, of a subscriber. The UE communicates with an enhanced service management component (ESMC) associated with a service entity to facilitate integration of at least a portion of the subscriber'"'"'s communication services with the service entity'"'"'s communication services while the UE is registered with the ESMC. While registered, the subscriber'"'"'s UE is used to facilitate controlling a door lock to the subscriber'"'"'s room associated with the service entity; and accessing the integrated communication services, including at least a portion of the home services, while in a location of the service entity, at least when the home services are provided via the same provider as that serving the service entity.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

An entity management system that is configured to control a local communication network to facilitate communication between at least one mobile communication device of at least one subscriber and at least one communication device that is provided to the at least one subscriber by a service entity on a premises of the service entity; and

an enhanced services management component (ESMC) that is configured to integrate the at least one mobile communication device with the entity management system and integrate at least a portion of the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services with the service entity'"'"'s communication services for access of the at least the portion of the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services on the at least one communication device, wherein the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services and the service entity'"'"'s communication services are respectively provided by at least one service provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least the portion of the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services comprises at least a portion of the subscriber'"'"'s wireline communication services.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least the portion of the subscriber'"'"'s wireline communication services comprises at least a predefined number of television channels.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ESMC is further configured to provide at least one application to the at least one mobile communication device to facilitate configuration of the at least one mobile communication device to use the at least one mobile communication device to access the at least the portion of the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services and the service entity'"'"'s communication services.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one application is configured to facilitate configuration of the at least one mobile communication device to use the at least one mobile communication device to facilitate control of a locking state of a door lock on at least one room provided to the at least one subscriber, wherein the at least one room is located on the premises of the service entity.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one application is further configured to facilitate configuration of the at least one mobile communication device to employ a first button usable to facilitate the access of the at least the portion of the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services and the service entity'"'"'s communication services, and a second button usable to facilitate the control of the locking state on the door lock.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the ESMC or the door lock is configured to receive a unlock door request, comprising at least one of a mobile-communication-device identifier or a security code from the at least one mobile communication device, authenticate the unlock door request based at least in part on the mobile-communication-device identifier and the security code, and transmit an unlock command to the door lock to facilitate transition of the door lock to an unlock state when the ESMC has identified the unlock door request as valid.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the unlock door request comprises the mobile-communication-device identifier and the security code, or the unlock door request comprises the mobile-communication-device identifier and the at least one of the ESMC or the door lock receives the security code from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the at least one mobile communication device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the ESMC is further configured to invoke at least one application programming interface (API) associated with the at least one service provider and provides a first portability key of the at least one subscriber and a second portability key of the service entity to the at least one API to facilitate selection and integration of the at least the portion of the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services with the service entity'"'"'s communication services.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service provider comprises one service provider that provides the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services to the at least one subscriber in accordance with a subscription of the at least one subscriber and the service entity'"'"'s communication services to the service entity in accordance with a subscription of the service entity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service provider comprises a first service provider and a second service provider, wherein the first service provider provides the at least one subscriber'"'"'s communication services to the at least one subscriber in accordance with a subscription of the at least one subscriber, and the second service provider provides the service entity'"'"'s communication services to the service entity in accordance with a subscription of the service entity.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the ESMC is further configured to monitor and record door lock events associated with a subset of rooms associated with a subset of subscribers and located on the premises of the service entity, and, if another subscriber in the subset of subscribers unlocks a particular door lock of a particular room associated with the another subscriber during a specified period of time, the ESMC is further configured to transmit an alert signal or message to the at least one mobile communication device to notify the at least one subscriber that the another subscriber has unlocked the particular door lock.

13. A method, comprising:

integrating at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services provided by the subscriber'"'"'s service provider with a service entity'"'"'s communication services provided by the service entity'"'"'s service provider; and

accessing at least one of the subscriber'"'"'s communication services via a communication device provided by the service entity for use by the subscriber while associated with a premises of the service entity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a user equipment (UE) integration application;

configuring a UE of the subscriber to designate at least one button as a service access button;

receiving input indicating manipulation of the at least one button;

in response to the received input, generating a request to access at least one communication service of the at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services or the service entity'"'"'s communication services; and

transmitting the request to access.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request to access at least one communication service of the at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services or the service entity'"'"'s communication services, wherein the request to access comprises a user equipment (UE) identifier and a security code associated with a UE of the subscriber;

authenticating the request to access based at least in part on the UE identifier and the security code; and

when the request to access is authenticated and validated, accessing the at least one communication service.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a user equipment (UE) integration application;

configuring a UE of the subscriber to designate at least one button as a lock control button;

receiving a security code assigned to the UE;

generating an unlock door request in response to manipulation of the lock control button; and

transmitting the unlock door request, comprising at least one of the UE identifier or the security code.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an unlock door request, wherein the unlock door request comprises at least one of a user equipment (UE) identifier or a security code associated with a UE of the subscriber, wherein the security code is received as part of the unlock door request or is received from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;

authenticating the unlock door request based at least in part on the UE identifier and the security code;

when the unlock door request is authenticated and validated, generating an unlock door command; and

transmitting the unlock door request to a door lock associated with a room of the subscriber, wherein the room is provided to the subscriber.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request for provision of the at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services for integration with the service entity'"'"'s communication services to the subscriber for use while the subscriber is associated with the premises of the service entity, wherein the at least a portion of the subscriber'"'"'s communication services is provided via a first service provider and the service entity'"'"'s communication services are provided via a second service provider that is different from the first service provider;

connecting with a communication services broker service to facilitate the provision of the at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services;

identifying a cost for the provision of the at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services; and

providing the at least a portion of a subscriber'"'"'s communication services when a charge plan relating to the cost is accepted as indicated by input information, which indicates acceptance of the charge plan, is received from the subscriber.

19. A system, comprising:

a mobile communication device that is configured to communicate with at least one communication device associated with a communication network, wherein the mobile communication device is associated with a subscriber; and

a mobile-communication-device-side enhanced services management component (MCD-ESMC) that is configured to designate a service access button usable to facilitate access of one or more integrated communication services via an entity management system of a service entity with which the mobile communication device is registered, wherein the one or more integrated communication services comprises at least one wireline communication service available to the subscriber as part of the subscriber'"'"'s communication service subscription with at least a first service provider and at least one communication service available to the service entity as part of the service entity'"'"'s communication service subscription with the at least a first service provider.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the MCD-ESMC is further configured to designate a lock control button usable to facilitate control of a locking state of a door lock associated with a room provided to the subscriber by the service entity, and generate and transmit an unlock door request, comprising at least one of a mobile-communication-device identifier or a security code, in response to at least one of manipulation of the lock control button or receipt of the security code.