Customer-driven QOS in hybrid communication system

• US 6,449,588 B1
• Filed: 06/02/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman-Amuah, Michel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Hugh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMSON, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/324,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/10, 703/6, 703/21, 703/24, 703/22, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 703/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

According to a broad aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a Customer Quality of Service Management system is provided. First, a hybrid network event is received which may include customer inquiries, required reports, completion notification, quality of service terms, service level agreement terms, service problem data, quality data, network performance data, and/or network configuration data. Next, the system determines customer reports to be generated and generates the customer reports accordingly based on the event received.

Claims

1. A method for managing Quality of Service for a customer in a hybrid network architecture, for allowing the monitoring, managing and reporting of Quality of Service as defined in a rules database and for allowing a customer service representative to proactively address network issues with customers, wherein the hybrid network is a combination circuit-switched packet-switched network architecture, the method comprising:

a) retrieving Quality of Service details for a customer from a rules database server;

b) receiving a hybrid network event, wherein said hybrid network event is selected from the group of events comprising;

customer inquiries, required reports, completion notification, quality of service terms, service level agreement terms, service problem data, quality data, network performance data, and network configuration data;

c) mapping the hybrid network event to a service offering of the hybrid network and to a customer of the hybrid network;

d) determining a customer report to be generated based on the hybrid network event received and the Quality of Service details retrieved; and

e) generating the customer report based on the hybrid network event received and the Quality of Service details retrieved.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a planning report.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a service level violation report.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a quality of service violation report.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes service problem data.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes quality of service terms.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes customer inquiry.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a planning report.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a service level violation report.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a quality of service violation report.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes service problem data.

13. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes quality of service terms.

14. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes customer inquiry.

16. A computer program as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a planning report.

17. A computer program as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a service level violation report.

18. A computer program as recited in claim 1, wherein the customer report is a quality of service violation report.

19. A computer program as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes service problem data.

20. A computer program as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes quality of service terms.

21. A computer program as recited in claim 1, wherein the received event includes customer inquiry.

8. A system for managing Quality of Service for a customer in a hybrid network architecture, for allowing the monitoring, managing and reporting of Quality of Service as defined in a rules database and for allowing a customer service representative to proactively address network issues with customers, wherein the hybrid network is a combination circuit-switched packet-switched network architecture, the method comprising:

a) logic that when executed by a processor retrieves Quality of Service details for a customer from a rules database server;

b) logic that when executed by a processor receives a hybrid network event, wherein said hybrid network event is selected from the group of events comprising;

customer inquiries, required reports, completion notification, quality of service terms, service level agreement terms, service problem data, quality data, network performance data, and network configuration data;

c) logic that when executed by a processor maps the hybrid network event to a service offering of the hybrid network and to a customer of the hybrid network;

d) logic that when executed by a processor determines a customer report to be generated based on the hybrid network event received and the Quality of Service details retrieved; and

e) logic that when executed by a processor generates the customer report based on the hybrid network event received and the Quality of Service details retrieved.

15. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium stored on a computer that when executed code segments instruct the computer for managing Quality of Service for a customer in a hybrid network architecture, for allowing the monitoring, managing and reporting of Quality of Service as defined in a rules database and for allowing a customer service representative to proactively address network issues with customers, wherein the hybrid network is a combination circuit-switched packet-switched network architecture, the method comprising:

a) a code segment that retrieves Quality of Service details for a customer from a rules database server;

b) a code segment that receives a hybrid network event, wherein said hybrid network event is selected from the group of events comprising;

customer inquiries, required reports, completion notification, quality of service terms, service level agreement terms, service problem data, quality data, network performance data, and network configuration data;

c) a code segment that maps the hybrid network event to a service offering of the hybrid network and to a customer of the hybrid network;

d) a code segment that determines a customer report to be generated based on the hybrid network event received and the Quality of Service details retrieved; and

e) a code segment that generates the customer report based on the hybrid network event received and the Quality of Service details retrieved.