End-to-end management of carrier services for enterprises and resellers
First Claim
1. A system for end-to-end handling of communication services comprising:
- a web server remotely located to clients and configured to serve, over a network, a set of web interfaces renderable within a standard web browser, wherein said set of web interfaces are configured to;
permit a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service;
automatically generate contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service;
monitor an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces;
generate invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers;
view usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries; and
a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are configured to be used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, and wherein the set of interfaces permit the resellers to establish profiles for a set of reselling agents, who receive at least one of commissions and sales based compensation from the reseller associated with the communication services, wherein the set of Web based interfaces generate invoices for the commissions in accordance with reseller established criteria, wherein the reselling agents are granted selective access to the Web based interfaces in accordance with permissions established by the reseller, for whom the reselling agent is a representative.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a software based system for end-to-end handling of communication services that includes a set of Web based interfaces. The set of Web interfaces can permit a user to view, search and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service. Contracts can be automatically generated for selected ones of the communication services. The contracts can specify the real-time price for each service. An order status of the communication services can be monitored using the set of Web based interfaces. Invoices can be generated for the communication services. When different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill can be provided for services of the different providers. Usages of the communication services can be viewed online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for end-to-end handling of communication services comprising:
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a web server remotely located to clients and configured to serve, over a network, a set of web interfaces renderable within a standard web browser, wherein said set of web interfaces are configured to; permit a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service; automatically generate contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service; monitor an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces; generate invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers; view usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries; and a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are configured to be used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, and wherein the set of interfaces permit the resellers to establish profiles for a set of reselling agents, who receive at least one of commissions and sales based compensation from the reseller associated with the communication services, wherein the set of Web based interfaces generate invoices for the commissions in accordance with reseller established criteria, wherein the reselling agents are granted selective access to the Web based interfaces in accordance with permissions established by the reseller, for whom the reselling agent is a representative. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A software based system for end-to-end handling of communication services comprising:
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a web server remotely located to clients and configured to serve, over a network, a set of web interfaces renderable within a standard web browser, wherein said set of web interfaces are configured to; permit a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service; automatically generate contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service; monitor an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces; generate invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers; view usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries; and a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are configured to be used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for end-to-end handling of communication services using a set of Web based interfaces renderable within a standard Web browser served over a network from a Web server to remotely located Web clients and using a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, said method comprising:
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permitting a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service; automatically generating contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service; monitoring an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces; generating invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers; and viewing usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services, wherein the resellers establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification