Enhanced service platform with secure system and method for subscriber profile customization

• US 6,266,690 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Shankarappa, Vijay, Burger, Eric William, Nestoriak, John III
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/361,676
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202-203, 707/1, 707/10, 707/100, 707/200, 455/461, 370/351, 370/385
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

An enhanced telephone service system including a subscriber service manager and a customization module. The subscriber service manager is configured to receive subscriber transaction-ID requests, supply transaction identifiers and respond to queries for subscriber profile data. The customization module is configured to receive customization messages. When a customization message includes a transaction identifier, the customization module compares the transaction identifier in the customization message with the transaction identifiers generated by the subscriber service manager. Only if there is a match between the transaction identifiers does the customization module register the customization data. Alternatively, if the customization message does not contain a transaction identifier but does contain a subscriber identifier, the customization module temporarily stores the customization data. When a subscriber logs on to the system and there is pending temporarily stored customization data, the customization module prompts the subscriber for authorization to register the temporarily stored data.

Claims

1. A system for customizing a profile of a subscriber having access to a service platform comprising:

a subscriber service manager configured to receive a subscriber request at the service platform, the subscriber service manager upon receiving the subscriber request generating a transaction identifier, storing a copy of the transaction identifier, and communicating the transaction identifier to the subscriber; and

a customization module configured to receive and process a customization message sent to the system, the received customization message including subscriber profile data and a transaction identifier;

the customization module, upon receipt of the customization message, comparing the transaction identifier in the received customization message with the copy of the transaction identifier stored by the subscriber service manager, and registering the subscriber profile data when the transaction identifier and the copy of the transaction identifier correspond.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber service manager is further configured to supply the subscriber with requested data from the profile when the subscriber makes a profile query request.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to:

set a time-limit for receiving the customization message, the time-limit corresponding to a time that the transaction identifier was determined;

store in a database, in conjunction with the transaction identifier, the time-limit, and a subscriber identifier; and

reject the customization message if it is not received within the time-limit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to send a confirmation message to a destination corresponding to the subscriber when the subscriber profile data is registered.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein when the customization module receives a non-delivery notification indicating that the confirmation message was sent to an invalid or inoperative destination, the system is configured to use a telephone number corresponding to the subscriber to deliver to the subscriber a corresponding voice message.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber profile data includes one or more subscriber-supplied parameters and when the customization module receives a customization message, the customization module is further configured to:

verify that each of the one or more subscriber-supplied parameters is within a corresponding range of values, and

notify the subscriber when a subscriber-supplied parameter is not within the corresponding range of values.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the customization message that is sent to the system is routed through a mail server.

8. A method for customizing a profile of a subscriber having access to a service platform, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a subscriber request;

determining and storing a transaction identifier in response to the subscriber request;

communicating the transaction identifier to the subscriber;

receiving a customization message, the customization message including subscriber profile data and a transaction identifier;

comparing the stored copy of the transaction identifier with the transaction identifier in the received customization message; and

registering the subscriber profile data when the stored copy of the transaction identifier corresponds to the transaction identifier in the received customization message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when a profile query request from a subscriber is received, the method further comprises supplying the subscriber with requested data from the profile of the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

setting a time-limit for receiving the customization message, the time-limit

corresponding to a time that the transaction identifier was determined;

storing in a database, in conjunction with the transaction identifier, the time-limit, and a subscriber identifier; and

rejecting the customization message if it is not received within the time-limit.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein when the subscriber profile data is registered, the method further comprises sending a confirmation message to a destination corresponding to the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of communicating a non-delivery voice message to the subscriber when a non-delivery notification is received in response to the step of sending the confirmation message to the destination corresponding to the subscriber.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the subscriber profile data includes one or more subscriber-supplied parameters, the method further comprising the steps of:

verifying that each of the one or more subscriber-supplied parameters is within a corresponding range of values when a customization message is received, and

notifying the subscriber when a subscriber-supplied parameter is not within the corresponding range of values.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of routing the customization message through a mail server.

15. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer controlled service platform, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a subscriber service manager configured to receive subscriber requests at the service platform, the subscriber service manager upon receiving a subscriber request, determining a transaction identifier, storing a copy of the transaction identifier, and communicating the transaction identifier to the subscriber; and

a customization module configured to receive and process a customization message sent to the service platform, the received customization message including subscriber profile data and a transaction identifier;

the customization module, upon receipt of the customization message, comparing the transaction identifier in the received customization message with the copy of the transaction identifier stored by the subscriber service manager, and registering the subscriber profile data when the transaction identifier and the copy of the transaction identifier in the received customization message correspond.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the subscriber service manager is further configured to provide the subscriber with data from the profile when the subscriber makes a profile query request.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the subscriber service manager is further configured to:

set a time-limit for receiving the customization message, the time-limit corresponding to the time that the transaction identifier was determined;

store in a database, in conjunction with the transaction identifier, the time-limit, and a subscriber identifier; and

reject the customization message if it is not received within the time-limit.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the customization module further configured to send a confirmation message to a destination corresponding the subscriber when the customization data is registered.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein when the customization module receives a non-delivery notification indicating that the confirmation message was sent to an invalid or inoperative destination, the customization module is configured to use a telephone number corresponding to the subscriber to deliver to the subscriber a corresponding voice message.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the subscriber profile data includes one or more subscriber-supplied parameters and when the customization module receives a customization message, the customization module is further configured to:

verify that each of the one or more subscriber-supplied parameters is within a corresponding range of values, and

notify the subscriber when a subscriber-supplied parameter is not within the corresponding range of values.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the customization message that is sent to the system is routed through a mail server.

22. A system for customizing a profile of a subscriber having access to a service platform comprising:

a customization module configured to receive a customization message sent to the system, the received customization message including subscriber profile data and a subscriber identifier that corresponds to a subscriber of the service platform;

the customization module, upon receipt of the customization message, storing an indication of a pending subscriber customization request for the corresponding subscriber; and

a subscriber service manager configured to receive a request to access the service platform and, when the subscriber is accessing the system and there is a pending subscriber profile customization request for the subscriber, to request authorization from the subscriber to register the subscriber profile data specified by the previously received customization message, and to register the profile data upon receipt of such authorization.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the subscriber service manager is further configured to supply the subscriber with requested data from the profile when the subscriber makes a profile query request.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the subscriber profile data includes one or more subscriber-supplied parameters and when the customization module receives a customization message, the customization module is further configured to:

verify that each of the one or more subscriber-supplied parameters is within a corresponding range of values, and

notify the subscriber when a subscriber-supplied parameter is not within the corresponding range of values.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the customization message that is sent to the system is routed through a mail server.

26. A method for customizing a profile of a subscriber having access to a service platform, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a customization message, the customization message including subscriber profile data and a subscriber identifier that corresponds to a subscriber of the service platform;

storing an indication that the customization message has been received;

notifying the subscriber, when the subscriber is accessing the system, that the customization message has been received and requesting authorization from the subscriber to register the subscriber profile data; and

registering the subscriber profile data upon receipt of such authorization.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein when a profile query request from a subscriber is received, the subscriber is supplied with requested data from the profile of the subscriber.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the subscriber profile data includes one or more subscriber-supplied parameters, the method further comprising the steps of:

verifying that each of the one or more subscriber-supplied parameters is within a corresponding range of values when a customization message is received, and

notifying the subscriber when a subscriber-supplied parameter is not within the corresponding range of values.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of routing the customization message through a mail server.

30. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer controlled service platform, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a customization module configured to receive a customization message sent to the service platform, the received customization message including subscriber profile data and a subscriber identifier that identifies a subscriber of the service platform;

the customization module, upon receipt of the customization message, storing an indication of a pending subscriber profile customization request for the subscriber; and

a subscriber service manager configured to receive a request to access the computer controlled service platform, and when the subscriber is accessing the service platform and there is a pending subscriber profile customization request for the subscriber, to request authorization from the subscriber to register the subscriber profile data specified by the previously received customization message, and to register the subscriber profile data upon receipt of such authorization.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the subscriber service manager is further configured to provide the subscriber with data from the profile when the subscriber makes a profile query request.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the subscriber profile data includes one or more subscriber-supplied parameters and when the customization module receives a customization message, the customization module is further configured to:

verify that each of the one or more subscriber-supplied parameters is within a corresponding range of values, and

notify the subscriber when a subscriber-supplied parameter is not within the corresponding range of values.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the customization message that is sent to the computer controlled service platform is routed through a mail server.