System and method for provisioning telephony services

• US 8,503,649 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Bailey, William, Fehlhaber, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US12/969,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20110085653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.03, 379/114.1, 379/114.12, 379/114.13, 379/126, 379/127.05, 379/201.03, 379/201.12, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface

Abstract

The invention includes telephony servicing over a computerized network wherein customers of a telephony services company may establish basic services, add new services or modify existing services. A customer may create an account on a provisioning system and manage the account options within a provisioning system which facilitates activity within an existing carrier provisioning system architecture.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer based system for managing telecommunication services, a request to modify a communications service of an account including at least one of a request to add a service to an account, a request to modify an existing service to the account and a request to remove a service from the account, wherein the request is input to the computer based system by a customer associated with the account;

verifying, by the computer based system, that the request to modify the communications service conforms with rules of the account and a carrier system;

determining, by the computer based system, at least one of human-labor-required and no-human-labor-required;

presenting, by the computer based system, service options alerting of a promotion relating to the request, wherein the promotion is a reward which is offered based on the request to modify a communications service;

presenting, by the computer based system, updated telecommunications services available with the account, in response to the request to modify a communications service of the account;

receiving, by the computer based system, an indication that updated billing information and the updated telecommunications services are acceptable; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, the request to a provisioning system,

wherein the provisioning system issues a work order in response to a determination of human-labor-required, and

wherein the provisioning system routes the request to modify the communications service to a switching system in response to a determination of no-human-labor-required.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rules are predetermined.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the verifying comprises determining an authorization level of the account owner.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining at least one of human-labor-required and no-human-labor-required is in response to testing of the carrier system.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, at least one of an acceptance of the promotion and a denial of the promotion.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the computer.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting occurs in substantially real-time in response to receipt of the indication that the updated billing information is acceptable.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the communication service includes at least one of a cable service, a voice messaging service, a long distance service, a call forwarding service, a conference calling service, a distinctive ring service, a caller ID service, a call blocking service, and a bill payment service.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the computer based system, a plurality of user selectable service plans in response to receiving account information.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computer based system, whether the account owner has established an account with a provisioning system.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the computer based system, at least one of historical customer information related to the communication service and a suggested service.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the computer based system, a summary of at least one of costs, scheduling, and terms.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising scheduling, by the computer based system, an installation of the communications service in response to determining human-labor-required.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein verifying further comprises determining a credit worthiness of an account owner in response to at least one of the request to add a service to the account and the request to modify the existing service from the account.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is automatically processed by the computer-based system.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the computer based system, service plan options in response to the request, wherein the request includes adding a service plan.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising implementing, by the computer based system, the request in substantially real time in response to determining no-human-labor-required.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computer based system, an existing service in response to receiving the account information.

19. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer based system for managing telecommunications services, cause the computer based system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the computer based system, a request to modify a communications service of an account including at least one of a request to add as service to an account, a request to modify an existing service to the account and a request to remove a service from the account, wherein the request is input to the computer based system by a customer associated with the account;

verifying, by the computer based system, that the request to modify the communications service conforms with rules of the account and a carrier system;

determining, by the computer based system, at least one of human-labor-required and no-human-labor-required;

presenting, by the computer based system, service options alerting of a promotion relating to the request, wherein the promotion is a reward which is offered based on the request to modify a communications service;

presenting, by the computer based system, updated telecommunications services available with the account, in response to the request to modify a communications service of the account;

receiving, by the computer based system, an indication that updated billing information and the updated telecommunications services are acceptable; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, the request to a provisioning system,

wherein the provisioning system issues a work order in response to a determination, of human-labor-required, and

wherein the provisioning system routes the request to modify the communications service to a switching system in response to a determination of no-human-labor-required.

20. A computer based system comprising:

a processor for managing telecommunications services;

the tangible, non-transitory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the processor, a request to modify a communications service of an account including at least one of a request to add a service to an account, a request to modify an existing service to the account and a request to remove a service from the account, wherein the request is input to the processor by a customer associated with the account;

verifying, by the processor, that the request to modify the communications service conforms with rules of the account and a carrier system;

determining, by the processor, at least one of human-labor-required and no-human-labor-required;

presenting, by the processor, service options alerting of a promotion relating to the request, wherein the promotion is a reward which is offered based on the request to modify a communications service;

presenting, by the processor, updated telecommunications services available with the account, in response to the request to modify a communications service of the account;

receiving, by the processor, an indication that updated billing information and the updated telecommunications services are acceptable; and

transmitting, by the processor, the request to a provisioning system, wherein the provisioning system issues a work order in response to a determination of human-labor-required, and

herein the provisioning system routes the request to modify the communications service to a switching system in response to a determination of no-human-labor-required.