Automated provisioning of telephone services
First Claim
1. A method of automatically provisioning a telephone subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, comprising:
- receiving a request at a first entity to configure a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
identifying a telephone service provider responsible for said telephone service, wherein said telephone service provider is distinct from said first entity;
automatically generating an electronic order for said configuration;
transmitting said electronic order to the telephone service provider; and
optionally, testing said configuration to determine if said provisioning was successful.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are provided for automatically provisioning a user'"'"'s telephone service (e.g., a complementary network service). A request to add, change or disconnect a service element or feature is received at a web server, telephone server or other entry point (e.g., resubmit server). A generic order object is created to identify the service feature(s) to be affected, how it is to be provisioned, the user'"'"'s service provider (e.g., LEC (Local Exchange Carrier), wireless carrier) and may provide additional information needed to complete the provisioning. The generic order object is automatically converted into a form specific to the provider. When a response is received from the service provider, the system may update the status of the order to indicate success, notify the user of the order status, re-submit an order that was unsuccessful, notify an operator if intervention is required, initiate resubmission of the order, etc.
95 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of automatically provisioning a telephone subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, comprising:
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receiving a request at a first entity to configure a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
identifying a telephone service provider responsible for said telephone service, wherein said telephone service provider is distinct from said first entity;
automatically generating an electronic order for said configuration;
transmitting said electronic order to the telephone service provider; and
optionally, testing said configuration to determine if said provisioning was successful. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
receiving a status of said order from the telephone service provider; and
electronically communicating said status to the subscriber.
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3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, if said status indicates that said telephone service configuration was unsuccessful:
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generating a resubmit order; and
transmitting said resubmit order to the telephone service provider.
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4. The method of claim 3, wherein said resubmit order comprises information identified in said status.
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5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
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creating an object in a database to record said order;
updating said database object to indicate that said order was submitted to the telephone service provider; and
updating said database object to reflect an order status received from the telephone service provider.
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6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
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receiving a status of said order from the telephone service provider; and
automatically generating a billing record for the telephone subscriber.
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7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a request comprises:
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receiving a connection from a subscriber at one of a telephone server, a network server and a resubmit server; and
receiving from the telephone subscriber a request to configure a desired feature on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone service.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein said feature is one of the set of:
call forwarding, call waiting, message waiting indication, and ring cycle.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises determining the LEC (Local Exchange Carrier) or wireless carrier providing telephone service to the subscriber.
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10. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating comprises:
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creating a generic order object identifying said telephone service configuration requested by the subscriber; and
converting said generic order object into a specific order object having a format accepted by the telephone service subscriber.
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11. The method of claim 10, wherein said transmitting comprises:
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accumulating multiple specific order objects, including said specific order object; and
submitting said multiple specific order objects to the telephone service provider.
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12. A computer-implemented method of automatically provisioning a telephone subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, comprising:
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receiving a request to provision a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone service provider;
generating a generic order object to order said provisioning from said service provider;
recording said order in a database object;
converting said generic order object to a specific order object having a predetermined form;
exporting said specific order object to said service provider;
receiving a status of said order from said service provider; and
updating said database object to reflect said status. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
retrieving a voice mailbox telephone number from a database of telephone numbers.
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17. The method of claim 12, wherein said receiving comprises:
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receiving a connection from the subscriber at one of a telephone server, a network server and a resubmit server; and
receiving a telephone service provisioning request from the subscriber, wherein said request comprises one of a request to add a telephone service feature, a request to change a telephone service feature and a request to remove a telephone service feature.
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18. The method of claim 17, wherein said telephone server is an interactive voice response device.
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19. The method of claim 12, wherein said receiving comprises:
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receiving a connection from a customer service operator at one of a telephone server, a network server and a resubmit server; and
receiving a telephone service provisioning request from the customer service operator, wherein said request comprises one of a request to add a telephone service feature, a request to change a telephone service feature and a request to remove a telephone service feature.
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20. The method of claim 12, wherein said request to provision the subscriber'"'"'s telephone service is received from an authorized representative of the subscriber.
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21. The method of claim 12, wherein said identifying comprises searching a database of subscriber telephone numbers and associated telephone service providers.
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22. The method of claim 12, wherein said generating a generic order object comprises:
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specifying a telephone service feature to be provisioned; and
specifying a telephone number for which said feature is to be provisioned.
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23. The method of claim 12, wherein said specific order object is one of the set of:
- a text file, a spreadsheet, a message and a flexible computer interface format file.
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24. A method of provisioning telephone service for a user, comprising:
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receiving a generic order object representing an order to provision telephone service for a user;
identifying a telephone service provider responsible for telephone service for the user;
converting said generic order object into a specific order object tailored for said telephone service provider;
connecting to said telephone service provider;
transmitting said specific order object to said telephone service provider; and
receiving a status of said order from said telephone service provider.
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25. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of automatically provisioning a telephone subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, the method comprising:
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receiving a request at a first entity to configure a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
identifying a telephone service provider responsible for said telephone service, wherein said telephone service provider is distinct from said first entity;
automatically generating an electronic order for said configuration;
transmitting said electronic order to the telephone service provider; and
optionally, testing said configuration to determine if said provisioning was successful.
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26. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of automatically provisioning a telephone subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, the method comprising:
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receiving a request to provision a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
identifying the subscriber'"'"'s telephone service provider;
generating a generic order object to order said provisioning from said service provider;
recording said order in a database object;
converting said generic order object to a specific order object having a predetermined configuration;
exporting said specific order object to said service provider;
receiving a status of said order from said service provider; and
updating said database object to reflect said status.
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27. A computer readable storage medium containing a data structure configured to facilitate the automatic provisioning of a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, the data structure comprising:
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a subscriber telephone number to be provisioned;
a feature identifier configured to identify a service feature to be provisioned; and
an action identifier configured to indicate how said service feature is to be provisioned;
wherein the data structure is automatically transmitted to a telephone service provider responsible for servicing telephone number, by an entity other than said telephone service provider and the subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for automatically provisioning a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, comprising:
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a server configured to receive a provisioning order for a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
an order generator configured to generate a generic order object from said provisioning order;
a first export queue configured to temporarily store said generic order object;
a transport module configured to;
convert said generic order object into a specific order object having a form desired by a telephone service provider responsible for said telephone service; and
transmit said specific order object to said service provider; and
an import module configured to receive a status of said order from said service provider. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An enhanced telephone service provider for automatically provisioning a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service with a complementary telephone network service, comprising:
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a plurality of servers configured to provide one or more enhanced telephone network services to subscribers within a publicly switched telephone network, wherein one or more of said plurality of servers are coupled to a basic telephone service provider responsible for providing basic telephone service elements to said subscribers;
a first server configured to receive a request to provision a first subscriber within the telephone network with a complementary telephone network service;
an order generator configured to generate an order for said provisioning;
a transport module configured to format said order into a form acceptable to said basic telephone service provider; and
a communication module configured to;
transmit said order to said basic telephone service provider; and
receive from said basic telephone service provider a status of said order. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
a first memory configured to store a voicemail message directed to the first subscriber from another subscriber.
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45. A telecommunication system, comprising:
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a telephone service provider comprising switching equipment for switching telephone calls, wherein said telephone service provider is coupled to a public switched telephone network;
a first server configured to receive from a subscriber a request to provision the subscriber'"'"'s service within said telephone network;
an order generator configured to generate an order for said provisioning;
a transport module configured to format said order into a form acceptable to said telephone service provider; and
a communication module configured to;
transmit said order to said telephone service provider; and
receive from said telephone service provider a status of said order.
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46. A system for automatically provisioning a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service, comprising:
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means for receiving a request to configure a subscriber'"'"'s telephone service;
means for identifying a telephone service provider responsible for providing said telephone service;
means for generating an electronic order for said configuration;
means for transmitting said order to the telephone service provider; and
optionally, means for testing said configuration to determine if said provisioning was successful. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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Specification