Monitoring portal systems and methods

• US 7,664,083 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Jaynes, Allison D., Garrett, William E., Evans, Gregory K., Sorce, James F., Burd, Rebecca S., Opaluch, Robert E., Cermak, Gregory W., Goodman, William D., Weintraub, Michael A., Eggerl, Edward M., Malagon, Margaret, Schmidt, Timothy W., Virzi, Robert A., Jones, Douglas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US11/253,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 370/328, 709/223, 709/224, 709/204, 709/218
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a monitoring portal configured to receive state information descriptive of usage of a plurality of communication services provided on a plurality of communication networks of different types and to make the state information available to a subscriber of the plurality of communication services, in substantially real time.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a monitoring portal configured to receive information descriptive of states of usage of a plurality of transmission media provided by a plurality of communication networks of different types and to make the information available to a subscriber associated with the plurality of transmission media, in substantially real time; and

wherein said information descriptive of states of usage is indicative of whether a particular service associated with a monitoring portal account is in use.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of communication networks of different types includes a first type of communication network and a second type of communication network, said first type of communication network comprising a landline telephone network, and said second type of communication network comprising at least one of a wireless telephone network, an Internet-protocol-based (“

IP-based”

) network, and a media broadcast network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of different types of communication networks includes a landline telephone network, a wireless telephone network, an Internet-protocol-based (“

IP-based”

) network, and a media broadcast network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring portal is configured to insert the information in a template and send said template to an access device associated with the subscriber.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said monitoring portal comprises at least one web server, said access device comprises at least one client device in communication with said at least one web server, and said template comprises a hypertext markup language (“

HTML”

) template.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring portal comprises at least one voice portal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said monitoring portal is configured to provide a single access point through which the subscriber has access to the information descriptive of the states of usage of said plurality of transmission media provided on more than one type of communication network.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of monitors configured to obtain the information associated with said plurality of transmission media provided on said plurality of communication networks of different types; and

an aggregation engine configured to receive the information from said plurality of monitors, combine the information by subscriber, and provide the combined information to at least one of said monitoring portal and a data store accessible by said monitoring portal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is further indicative of the durations of the usage of the plurality of transmission media.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is further indicative of an identity of at least one person using the transmission media.

11. A system comprising:

a first monitor configured to obtain first information descriptive of a state of usage of at least one first transmission media provided on a first type of communication network and associated with a subscriber;

a second monitor configured to obtain second information descriptive of a state of usage of at least one second transmission media provided on a second type of communication network different than the first type of communication network and associated with said subscriber;

an aggregation engine configured to aggregate said first information and said second information to form aggregate information descriptive of usage of both said at least one first transmission media and said at least one second transmission media; and

a monitoring portal configured to make said aggregate information available to said subscriber in substantially real time;

wherein said first information is indicative of whether a first service associated with said first monitor is in use, and said second information is indicative of whether a second service associated with said second monitor is in use.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said first type of communication network comprises a landline telephone network, and said second type of communication network comprises a wireless telephone network.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said first type of communication network comprises an Internet-protocol-based network, and said second type of communication network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

), a wireless telephone network, and a broadcast media network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said monitoring portal is configured to insert said aggregate information in a template and send said template to an access device associated with the subscriber.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said monitoring portal comprises at least one web server, said access device comprises at least one client device in communication with said at least one web server, and said template comprises a hypertext markup language (“

HTML”

) template.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said monitoring portal comprises at least one voice portal.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said monitoring portal is configured to provide a single access point through which the subscriber has access to said aggregate information descriptive of states of usage of the at least one first transmission media and the at least one second transmission media.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said first type of communication network comprises a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

), and said second type of communication network comprises an Internet protocol-based (“

IP-based”

) network;

wherein said first information indicative of whether a particular service is in use comprises landline telephone signaling.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said landline telephone signaling comprises AIN TCAP signaling.

20. A method comprising:

obtaining first information descriptive of a state of usage of at least one first transmission media on a first communication network, said first information being indicative of whether a particular first service associated with a monitoring portal account is in use;

obtaining second information descriptive of a state of usage of at least one second transmission media on a second communication network, the second communication network of a different type than the first communication network, said second information being indicative of whether a particular second service associated with said monitoring portal account is in use; and

making the first information and the second information available in substantially real time to a subscriber of the at least one first transmission media and the at least one second transmission media.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first communication network comprises a landline telephone network, and the second communication network comprises at least one of a wireless telephone network, an Internet protocol-based (“

IP-based”

) network, and a broadcast media network.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said making step includes:

inserting the first information and the second information in a template;

sending the template to an access device associated with the subscriber, the template being configured for presentation to the subscriber by way of the access device.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

combining the first information and the second information by subscriber to form aggregate information;

wherein said making step includes sending the aggregate information to an access device associated with the subscriber, the aggregate information being descriptive of states of usage of both the at least one first transmission media and the at least one second transmission media.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said making step includes providing the first information and the second information at a single access point through which the subscriber has access to the first information and the second information, the first information and the second information being collectively descriptive of states of usage of the at least one first transmission media and the at least one second transmission media.