Method and system for automated handling of service problems identified by a wireless device customer

• US 7,673,036 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tolbert, Robert E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/729,793
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/246, 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A method and system provides for automated handling of a service problem reported by a wireless device customer by first identifying the specific nature of the service problem by comparing certain system condition information to a database of known problems, and then initiating a corrective action responsive to the specific nature of the service problem. One such corrective action involves communicating certain computer instructions to one or more switches or other network components to adjust their settings.

Claims

1. A method for automated handling of a service problem discovered and reported by a user of a wireless telecommunications device, comprising:

receiving identification information identifying the wireless telecommunications device;

receiving information about system conditions associated with a problem relating to a service provided to the wireless telecommunications device, directly from the user of the wireless telecommunications device;

requesting additional information about system conditions via a user interface based in part on decision tree logic to facilitate identification of a specific nature of the service problem;

receiving the additional information via the user interface;

identifying a specific nature of the service problem based in part on an analysis of system condition data obtained from of the received information and the received additional information, the analysis includes comparison of the system condition information to a database of known problems; and

automatically effecting a corrective action responsive to the specific nature of the service problem without human intervention, wherein the corrective action includes adjustment of settings of one or more network components that facilitate providing the service to the wireless telecommunications device, through execution of computer instructions that are communicated to the one or more network components.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of prompting the user of the wireless telecommunications device to input the identification information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless telecommunications device is a mobile telephone.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network components comprise a switch and wherein the corrective action includes adjusting the settings of the switch.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising, automatically initiating a telnet session to connect to a switch and adjust one or more setting associated with the wireless telecommunications device through the connection.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the corrective action includes downloading settings or software updates to the wireless telecommunications device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless telecommunications device and the computer server communicate through a computer network.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically determining identification information associated with at least one of the user or the wireless telecommunications device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer instructions are preprogrammed fixes that are stored in a database and are responsive to the service problem.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the corrective action includes employing an Over-the Air (OTA) server to at least one of download settings, software updates or maintenance programs to the wireless telecommunications device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the corrective action includes modification of customer-related information on an internet access server.

13. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the switch is at least one of the user'"'"'s home switch or a serving switch associated with the wireless telecommunications device.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, providing the user information associated with the settings of the one or more network components when identified that the system conditions are intentionally set.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, connecting the user to a billing system when the specific nature of the service problem is identified as failure to pay a bill.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the corrective action includes employing an Over-the Air (OTA) server to at least one of effectuate a billing change or update an intelligent roaming database (IRDB), associated with the wireless telecommunications device.

17. A method that facilitates automated handling of a service problem upon the identification of a service problem by a user, comprising:

receiving identification information identifying a wireless telecommunications device;

receiving information about system conditions, associated with a problem relating to a service provided to the wireless telecommunications device, directly from the user of the wireless telecommunications device;

prompting a user to input additional information about the problem associated with the service via a user interface based in part on decision tree logic to facilitate identification of a specific nature of the service problem;

receiving the additional information in response to the prompt via the user interface;

identifying the nature of the service problem based in part on an analysis of system condition data obtained from the received information and the received additional information, the analysis includes comparison of the information about the service problem to a database of known problems; and

automatically effecting a corrective action responsive to the nature of the service problem without human intervention, wherein the corrective action includes adjustment of settings of one or more network components that facilitate providing the service to the wireless telecommunications device, through execution of computer instructions that are communicated to the one or more network components.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the wireless telecommunications device is a mobile telephone.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the act of automatically effecting a corrective action includes communicating instructions to one or more network components to adjust settings associated with said one or more network components.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein said network components are switches.