Method and system for changing a service account profile from a station operated under another service account

• US 7,260,386 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhang, Baoquan, Haldar, Debashis, Woodson, Charles E., McConnell, Von K., Sladek, Thomas M., Marsee, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/602,389
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/414.1, 455/445, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

A method and system in which a subscriber station that is operating under one subscriber account can make changes to a service profile that is associated with another subscriber account. The subscriber station operating under the one subscriber account will send a feature code into a telecommunications network, and, based at least in part on the feature code, the network will identify a change to make to the profile of at least one other subscriber account. The network will then make the identified change to the profile of the at least one other subscriber account.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a method of changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the method comprising:

receiving into the network, from a subscriber station operating under a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising as dialed digits a feature code concatenated with an identifier of the first subscriber account;

identifying, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to at least the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account; and

making the change to at least the first account service profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the first subscriber account is a directory number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining in the network, as part of the second account service profile, data indicating an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to a feature code provided in an origination message from a subscriber station operating under the second account service profile; and

consulting the data to determine whether the authorization exists, before making the change to the first account service profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data maintained in the second account service profile identifies the first subscriber account.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining in the network, as part of the first account service profile, data indicating an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to a feature code provided in an origination message from a subscriber station operating under the second account service profile; and

consulting the data to determine whether the authorization exists, before making the change to the first account service profile.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data maintained in the first account service profile identifies the second subscriber account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the origination message from the subscriber station comprises receiving the origination message wirelessly from the subscriber station.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein receiving the origination message comprises receiving the message into a serving system of the telecommunication network;

wherein the method further comprises the serving system signaling to a central control point, providing the central control point with at least the feature code; and

wherein the central control point performs the function of identifying the change.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the central control point further performs the function of making the change.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the central control point signaling to a home location register to effect the change.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a change to make to at least the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account comprises:

identifying a first change to make to the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account; and

identifying a second change to make to a third account service profile that the network maintains for a third subscriber account.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein making the change to at least the first account service profile comprises:

making the first change to the first account service profile; and

making the second change to the third account service profile.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the change comprises a change to a call-forwarding service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the change comprises an action selected from the group consisting of activating call forwarding, deactivating call forwarding, and setting a forward-to number.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein making the change comprises setting the call-forwarding feature to direct calls to be forwarded to the second subscriber station.

16. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a system for changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the system comprising:

a serving system;

a signaling system; and

a central control point communicatively linked with the serving system by the signaling system,

wherein the serving system receives, from a subscriber station operating under a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising as dialed digits a feature code concatenated with an identifier of the first subscriber account, and the serving system is arranged to signal to the central control point, providing the central control point with at least the feature code, and

wherein the central control point is arranged to identify, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the central control point is further arranged to make the change.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a home location register that maintains the first account service profile, wherein the central control point is further arranged to signal to the home location register in order to effect the change.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the central control point maintains the first account service profile and the second account service profile.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the identifier of the first subscriber account is a directory number.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

data maintained as part of the second account service profile, the data indicating an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to a feature code provided in an origination message from a subscriber station operating under the second account service profile,

wherein the central control point is arranged to consult the data to determine whether the authorization exists.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the data maintained in the second account service profile identifies the first subscriber account.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

data maintained in the network as part of the first account service profile, the data indicating an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to a feature code provided in an origination message from a subscriber station operating under the second account service profile,

wherein the central control point is arranged to consult the data to determine whether the authorization exists.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the data maintained in the first account service profile identifies the second subscriber account.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the serving system comprises:

a base station; and

a switch,

wherein the base station receives the origination message wirelessly from the subscriber station and forwards the origination message to the switch, and

wherein the switch signals to the central control point.

26. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a method of changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the method comprising:

receiving into the network, from a subscriber station operating under a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising a feature code;

identifying, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to at least the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account;

maintaining in the network, as part of a second account service profile that the network maintains for the second subscriber account, data indicating an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to a feature code provided in an origination message from a subscriber station operating under the second account service profile; and

after consulting the data to determine whether the authorization exists, making the change to at least the first account service profile.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the data maintained in the second account service profile identifies the first subscriber account.

28. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a method of changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the method comprising:

receiving into the network, from a subscriber station operating under a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising a feature code;

identifying, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to at least the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account;

maintaining in the network, as part of the first account service profile, data indicating an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to a feature code provided in an origination message from a subscriber station operating under a second account service profile that the network maintains for a second subscriber account; and

after consulting the data to determine whether the authorization exists;

making the change to at least the first account service profile.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the data maintained in the first account service profile identifies the second subscriber account.

30. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a method of changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the method comprising:

receiving into the network, from a subscriber station operating under a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising a feature code;

identifying, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to at least the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account; and

making the change to at least the first account service profile,

wherein receiving the origination message comprises receiving the message into a serving system of the telecommunication network,

wherein the method further comprises the serving system signaling to a central control point, providing the central control point with at least the feature code,

wherein the central control point performs the function of identifying the change, and

wherein the method further comprises the central control point signaling to a home location register to effect the change.

31. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a system for changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the system comprising:

a serving system;

a signaling system;

a central control point communicatively linked with the serving system by the signaling system; and

a home location register that maintains the first account service profile,

wherein the serving system receives, from a subscriber station operating under a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising a feature code, and the serving system is arranged to signal to the central control point, providing the central control point with at least the feature code, and

wherein the central control point is arranged to identify, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account, and

wherein the central control point is further arranged to signal to the home location register in order to effect the change.

32. In a telecommunications network that maintains an account service profile respectively for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a system for changing at least a first account service profile that the network maintains for a first subscriber account, the system comprising:

a serving system;

a signaling system; and

a central control point communicatively linked with the serving system by the signaling system,

wherein the serving system receives, from a subscriber station operating under a second account service profile that the network maintains for a second subscriber account, an origination message comprising a feature code, and the serving system is arranged to signal to the central control point, providing the central control point with at least the feature code,

wherein the central control point is arranged to identify, based at least in part on the feature code, a change to make to the first account service profile that the network maintains for the first subscriber account, and

wherein the central control point is arranged to consult data to determine the existence of an authorization to change the first account service profile in response to the feature code provided in the origination message from the subscriber station operating under the second account service profile, wherein the data is maintained in the network as part of the first account service profile.