Customer information storage and delivery system

• US 6,453,317 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Charles Edward Jr., Presser, Kenneth, LaCost, Sherman
• Primary Examiner(s): Homere, Jean R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Application Number:
  US09/163,228
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220, 707/10, 707/9, 705/9, 705/54, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and corresponding method for storing and delivering customer information. The system and method include and involve a data storage system for storing customer information including contact information, network addressing information, and engineering and customer service information related to at least one network service customer to whom network services are provided by a network service provider. The system and method also include and involve a network access system that is coupled to the data storage system via at least one data communications link and which is configured to provide access to at least one user to permit such user(s) to retrieve the customer information from the data storage system.

Claims

1. A system for storing and delivering customer information, said system comprising:

a data storage system storing a shared database containing both customer service information and network information related to at least one network service customer to whom network services are provided by a network service provider, said network information specifying a network address, a network protocol, and a service procedure to be performed by said network service provider in provision of said network services;

a network access system coupled to said data storage system via at least one data communications link and configured to permit at least one user associated with said network service customer to access and retrieve said customer service information from said shared database via an external public network and to permit at least one user associated with said network service provider to access and retrieve said network information from said shared database via an intranet; and

communication means for automatically initiating communication with one or more network service provider personnel in response to said at least one user accessing said customer service information to report service trouble;

wherein said data storage system and said network access system belong to an addressable data network, said data storage system has at least one associated network address, and said at least one user accesses customer-specific customer service information related to said at least one network service customer by specifying a customer-specific network address.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data storage system includes at least one server system configured to serve a corresponding portion of said customer service information to said at least one user via said network access system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data storage system includes a web server configured to serve hypertext documents related to at least a portion of said customer service information.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said hypertext documents are HTML documents.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data storage system includes a database server configured to store and serve said customer service information.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network access system includes a plurality of network access facilities permitting said at least one user to access said customer service information stored by said data storage system.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a security system coupled to said network access system and configured to provide secure data communications between said network access system and said data storage system.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a data redundancy facility to provide data redundancy to said data storage system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the shared database further stores service usage information for said at least one network service customer with said customer service information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication means comprises paging facilities.

11. A method for storing and delivering customer information, said method comprising:

in a shared database of an electronic data storage system, storing customer service information and network information related to at least one network service customer to whom network services are provided by a network service provider, said network information specifying a network address, a network protocol, and a service procedure to be performed by said network service provider in provision of said network services, wherein said storing step is performed by a data storage system including at least one server system configured to serve a corresponding portion of said customer service information to said at least one user;

utilizing a network access system, providing access by at least one user associated with said network service customer to said customer service information in said shared database via an external public network and providing access by at least one user associated with said network service provider to said network information via an intranet, wherein said data storage system and said network access system belong to an addressable data network, and wherein providing access includes providing access to customer-specific customer service information pertaining to said at least one network service customer that is stored within said data storage system by referencing a customer-specific network address; and

in response to said at least one user accessing said customer service information to report service trouble, automatically initiating communication with one or more network service provider personnel.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing access comprises providing access to said customer service information by a web server configured to serve hyper-text documents including at least a portion of said customer service information.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said hyper-text documents are HTML documents.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing access comprises providing access to said customer service information with a database sewer configured to store and serve said customer service information.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing access comprises providing access via any one of a plurality of network access facilities.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of securely communicating data between said network access system and said data storage systems.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising storing a redundant copy of said customer service information in a data redundancy facility.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein access by at least one user associated with said network service customer to said customer service information in said shared database is provided in response to validation of a login sequence entered at a remote data processing system.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein receiving customer service information includes receiving customer-specific reports related to service usage by said network service customer.

20. The method of claim 11, and further comprising storing service usage information for said at least one network service customer in the shared database with said customer service information.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein automatically initiating communication comprises automatically paging one or more network service provider personnel.