Methods, systems and storage mediums for providing a self-provisioning telephony service

• US 8,619,961 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Starling, Gerald A., Henson, Dirk S., Loveless, Ken A., Broadus, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/555,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20120288078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/237, 379/114.24, 379/142.06, 379/201.03, 379/201.12, 379/242, 379/88.17, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/93.01, 379/114.15, 379/126, 379/144.01, 379/196, 379/221.02, 379/265.01, 455/418, 455/466, 705/51, 705/38, 705/26.44, 709/220, 709/224, 726/23, 718/100
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7036 Administer via user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

A self-provisioning telephony service includes assigning a toll-free telephone number to a customer account for a customer of a telecommunications provider, distributing the toll-free telephone number and an access number to the customer along with an invitation to provision a toll-free telephone number service, and receiving, at a local exchange carrier switch, a call from the customer. The access number is identified by the local exchange carrier switch for the call in response to performing a call number translation. The telephony service also includes accessing, by a server, the toll-free telephone number identified for the customer account and generating a provisioning order that includes a customer telephone number from the customer account and the toll-free telephone number. The telephony service further includes transmitting the provisioning order to a service control server, the service control server activating the toll-free telephone number for the customer account.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

assigning a toll-free telephone number to a customer account for a customer of a telecommunications provider;

distributing the toll-free telephone number and an access number to the customer along with an invitation to provision a toll-free telephone number service;

receiving, at a local exchange carrier switch, a call from the customer, the access number identified by the local exchange carrier switch for the call in response to performing a call number translation;

accessing, by a server, the toll-free telephone number identified for the customer account and generating a provisioning order that includes a customer telephone number from the customer account and the toll-free telephone number; and

transmitting the provisioning order to a service control server, the service control server activating the toll-free telephone number for the customer account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning the toll-free telephone number to the customer account includes mapping the toll-free telephone number to the customer telephone number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the provisioning order at the service control server, the service control server performing a toll-free number translation;

wherein an incoming call to the toll-free telephone number, once provisioned, is translated by the service control server using information in the provisioning order.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning order further includes a personal identification number assigned to the customer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning order further includes a personal identification number assigned to each of multiple customers associated with the customer account, each of the multiple customers sharing the toll-free telephone number, and each of the multiple customers distinguishable from one another by the corresponding personal identification number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the provisioning order further includes prompting the customer, via the server, to select from available functions, the functions including:

validating an identity of the customer;

assigning the personal identification number to the customer; and

accepting assignment of the toll-free telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting to the customer, via the server, functions selectable for performing;

modifying the personal identification number; and

canceling the toll-free telephone number.

8. A system, comprising:

a local exchange carrier switch receiving a call from a customer of a telecommunications provider, the call identified by the local exchange carrier switch as an access number in response to performing a call number translation, wherein the call from the customer is received in response to an invitation distributed to the customer to provision a toll-free telephone number, the invitation including the toll-free telephone number and the access number, and wherein the toll-free telephone number is pre-assigned to a customer account of the customer; and

a server in communication with a service control server that services the local exchange carrier switch, the server performing a method, comprising;

accessing the toll-free telephone number identified for the customer account;

generating a provisioning order comprising a customer telephone number from the customer account and the toll-free telephone number; and

transmitting the provisioning order to the service control server;

wherein the service control server activates the toll-free telephone number for the customer account.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the toll-free telephone number is assigned to the customer account by mapping the toll-free telephone number to the customer telephone number.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the service control server stores the provisioning order and performs a toll-free number translation;

wherein an incoming call to the toll-free telephone number, once provisioned, is translated by the service control server using information in the provisioning order.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning order further includes a personal identification number assigned to the customer.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning order further includes a personal identification number assigned to each of multiple customers associated with the customer account, each of the multiple customers sharing the toll-free telephone number, and each of the multiple customers distinguishable from one another by the corresponding personal identification number.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning order is further generated via the server by prompting the customer to select from available functions, the functions including:

validating an identity of the customer;

assigning the personal identification number to the customer; and

accepting assignment of the toll-free telephone number.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium encoded with machine readable program code, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

assigning a toll-free telephone number to a customer account for a customer of a telecommunications provider;

distributing the toll-free telephone number and an access number to the customer along with an invitation to provision a toll-free telephone number service;

receiving, at a local exchange carrier switch, a call from the customer, the access number identified by the local exchange carrier switch for the call in response to performing a call number translation;

accessing, by a server, the toll-free telephone number identified for the customer account and generating a provisioning order that includes a customer telephone number from the customer account and the toll-free telephone number; and

transmitting the provisioning order to a service control server, the service control server activating the toll-free telephone number for the customer account.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the assigning the toll-free telephone number to the customer account includes mapping the toll-free telephone number to the customer telephone number.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

storing the provisioning order at the service control server, the service control server performing a toll-free number translation;

wherein an incoming call to the toll-free telephone number, once provisioned, is translated by the service control server using information in the provisioning order.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the provisioning order further includes a personal identification number assigned to the customer.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the provisioning order further includes a personal identification number assigned to each of multiple customers associated with the customer account, each of the multiple customers sharing the toll-free telephone number, and each of the multiple customers distinguishable from one another by the corresponding personal identification number.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the generating the provisioning order further includes prompting the customer, via the server, to select from available functions, the functions including:

validating an identity of the customer;

assigning the personal identification number to the customer; and

accepting assignment of the toll-free telephone number.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting to the customer, via the server, functions selectable for performing;

modifying the personal identification number; and

canceling the toll-free telephone number.