Intelligent network providing network access services (INP-NAS)

• US 7,496,652 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AI-CORE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Teleservices Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Pezzutti, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US10/883,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/201, 709/217, 709/219, 705/1
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/065 involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5006 Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An open Information Services network architecture is disclosed which enables multiple business entities to assume specialized roles of access provider, service provider, and service retailer. The disclosed technology provides instant plug-and-play service, decouples access and service networks and provides seamless (single step) access enabling customers to maintain a service account regardless of location. The benefits of the disclosed technology, among others, include: Multi-level and multi-service registration; Broker Services providing customers with a choice of provider; Security Services relating to distribution; Revenue Assurance services, Gentle Reminder/Gentle Touch; Revenue Assurance services pertaining to usage integrity verification upon registration; mobile services derived from G-ISN; and claim benefits pertaining to LNP services derived from G-ISN.

Claims

1. An information services architecture network comprised of a plurality of functional entities establishing a virtual services network comprising:

a service retailer entity performing customer service account management and establishing service and network contracts pertaining to service rendering and entity interoperability, the service retailer entity maintaining brand identity, determining service bundling, and establishing terms and conditions for purchase, billing, and customer servicing;

a service network entity providing customer information services including data, information, telephony, video, or applications services;

an access network entity providing access services to customers pertaining to registration, service binding, and procedures to obtain services, the access network entity providing integrated access and transport to a service network, the access network entity further providing fully automatic and transparent access service and performing multi-level and multi-network registration between an access network of the access network entity and the service network enabling seamless interoperation and registration to establish a binding between a customer and the service network which automatically occurs at data, transport, network and service layers, relations by the access network entity providing plug and play service without first needing to create an account with either an access or service provider and without first needing to request to pre-register or pre-provision the customer, equipment, or other account details.

2. An information services architecture network according to claim 1 by which a telephone customer achieves telephone number portability wherein the service retailer entity further decouples physical location of the customer from the access network by authorizing an alternate access network to bind the customer to the service network and maintaining a customer telephone number provided by the service network on the alternate access network.

3. An information services architecture network according to claim 1 wherein the service retailer entity further provides security services that expose unauthorized activities on the access network by characterizing access by an intervener network address of the intervener delivering the intervener to a service point, and when a discovered object is in an unrecognized state or not in a service-active state, verifying that the discovered object is not simultaneously active elsewhere.

4. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the access network entity further provides an intelligent network subscription service that generates and automatically downloads a configuration file customizing each device access port to provide normal service access for registered ports and to enable pre-service access for non-registered ports.

5. An information services architecture network according to claim 4, wherein the configuration file is selected from the group consisting of a dial up script, a traditional initialization file, and a browser cookie enabling subsequent recognition by the network access entity.

6. An information services architecture network according to claim 4, wherein the configuration file is generated by merging or recompiling registration data for device ports simultaneously associated with multiple service network entities.

7. An information services architecture network according to claim 4, wherein the access network entity further provides a pre-service arrangement by offering local service establishment with a brokerage service, allowing a customer to select a desired service retailer entity from a plurality of service retailer entities, each service retailer entity identifying service bundles, and offering “

terms and pricing” and

other incentives available to the customer in making A final service retailer entity selection.

8. An information services architecture network according to claims 1 or 7, wherein the access network entity further provides immediate network service comprising:

emergency service with automatic determination of a jurisdictional public service answering point for customer'"'"'s physical location of a customer which is determined by the access network entity and stored in an access network registry upon object discovery and registration,

internetwork binding transferring a public service answering point address to service networks for storage and optionally provisioning a local digital switch to ensure accurate service to the jurisdictional public service answering point,

mobile customers entail registration chaining, and

requiring public service answering point addresses to be dynamically updated.

9. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further provides a network access mobility service by automatically registering a moved device within a service area to re-provision the moved device at a new access point.

10. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further provides network revenue assurance services that include compensatory network access services accommodating detection of registration changes in the service and generating a verification of transaction whenever a registration change is detected to ensure integrity of usage accounting detail.

11. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity establishes policy based on originating call intercepts, notifies the customer of delinquency, fraud and other account issues, permits the customer to resolve account issues with a simple one-touch transfer, and returns the customer to normal active service.

12. An information services architecture network according to claims 1 or 9, wherein the service retailer entity further provides mobile session bridging services for wireless network access by providing a session agent that maintains a call in-progress, monitors for signal disconnect, and reestablishes the call in-progress automatically when a new object registration event is detected.

13. An information services architecture network according to claim 12, wherein the service retailer entity further bridges service across at least two access networks when a customer migrates from one access network to another and uses session data for accounting and billing.

14. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further identifies access network and service network functions operating in accord with trading partner agreements, the access network entity further supplies access services and provides binding and transparent connectivity to the service network, and the service network entity further provides service for both local and remote access.

15. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further authorizes service interworking between the service network and an access network.

16. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the access network entity further performs object registration in access and service networks, couples access network and service network registration services, and furnishes registration management information to the service retailer entity and the service network entity.

17. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service network entity includes an accounting collection module for a service network and a billing processor that issues accounting back to the service retailer entity.

18. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further receives accounting collected by an authorized access network entity.

19. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the access network entity and the service network entity return accounting to the service retailer entity and the service network entity provides payments to the access network entity and the service retailer entity for service rendered to a specific authorized object.

20. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further authenticates an identity of an internet service network and authorizes customer access via any type of access network.

21. An information services architecture network according to claim 20 wherein, after accepting authorization, the service network entity establishes a persistent association, via provisioning, between an object and the service network.

22. An information services architecture network according to claim 21, wherein the service retailer entity further records in a registration management information base current and past associations of authorization between the object and the service network.

23. An information services architecture network according to claim 22, wherein the service retailer entity further supports registrations having various time durations of service including long term, monthly, specified interval, or event based time durations of service.

24. An information services architecture network according to claim 21, wherein the service retailer entity further alters a binding between the object and the service network when, if a new access network association is authorized, the service retailer entity sends a releasing notification to a previously authorized access network to terminate binding and usage billing therein.

25. An information services architecture network according to claim 21, wherein the service retailer entity further initiates service orders for work to be performed by existing service systems.

26. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further provides access services comprising managing access services including interconnection binding, access denial of service, conducting surveillance intercepting treatments, and billing and usage exchanges.

27. An information services architecture network according to claims 6 or 26, wherein the access network entity simultaneously manages independent service bindings between objects and service networks, the bindings connecting device-port objects wherein a first line is registered as a virtual private network including a remote business line, a second line provides a primary line service from a home;

and a third line coinects to a low cost secondary line service at a lesser rate.

28. An information services architecture network according to claim 27, wherein the access network entity further establishes policy based registration services that require telephone service retailers to respond to offers and exchanges in a maimer consistent with interconnection agreements.

29. An information services architecture network according to claim 27, wherein the access network entity further identifies service retailer entities via reference to a registration management information base and multicasts a request to add newly identified service retailer entities if the service retailer entities are not explicitly identified in the registration management information base.

30. An information services architecture network according to claim 27, wherein the service retailer entity further determines access telephone provider status for acceptance of remote registration requests.

31. An information services architecture network according to claim 30, wherein the service retailer entity further performs security checks to determine access status for service access, denial, and intercept purposes.

32. An information services architecture network according to claim 30, wherein the service retailer entity further provides access authorization to a registering object whose associated account is in good standing, or provides appropriate service treatment including denial of service and intercept.

33. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further provides a plurality of cascaded registrations at service layers including physical access, device, object, data, network, transport, session, presentation, and application layers within and across interconnected access and service networks, wherein the cascaded registrations include specific and related information pertaining to a service.

34. An information services architecture network according to claim 1, wherein the service retailer entity further authorizes internet access services by providing an access authorization mechanism that utilizes Offer/Accept exchange to authorize interconnect binding or designate access treatment including denial and intercept.